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48 - Heaviness through Manifold Temptations - Sermons on Several Occasions · Sacred Texts Archive

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Heaviness through manifold temptations. Now for a season, if need be, ye
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are in heaviness through manifold temptations. First Peter, Chapter one, verse six.
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In the preceding discourse, I have particularly spoken of that darkness of mind
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into which those are often observed to fall who once walked in the light of
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God's countenance. Nearly related to this is the heaviness of soul, which is
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still more common even among believers. Indeed, almost all the children of God
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experience this in an higher or lower degree. And so great is the resemblance
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between one and the other that they are frequently confounded together, And we are
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apt to say indifferently such an one is in darkness, or such as one
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is in heaviness, as if they were equivalent terms, one of which implied
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no more than the other. But they are far very far from it.
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Darkness is one thing, heaviness is another. There is a difference, yea
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a wide and a sensual difference between the former and the latter. And such
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a difference it is as all the children of God are deeply concerned to understand.
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Otherwise nothing will be more easy than for them to slide out of heaviness
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into darkness. In order to prevent this, I will endeavor to show one
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what manner of persons those were, to whom the Apostle says, ye are
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in heaviness. Two what kind of heaviness they were in? Three? What
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were the causes? And four what were the ends of it? I shall
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conclude with some inferences. I am, in the first place, to show
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what manner of persons those were to whom the apostle says, ye are in
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heaviness. And first, it is beyond all dispute that they were believers at
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the time. The Apostle thus addressed them, For so he expressly says in
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one Peter one five, ye who are kept through the power of God by
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faith onto salvation. Again first Peter chapter one, verse seven, he mentions
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the trial of their faith much more precious than that of gold, which perisheth.
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And yet again in one Peter one nine he speaks of their receiving the
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end of their faith the salvation of their souls. At the same time.
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Therefore, that they were in heaviness, they were possessed of living faith.
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Their heaviness did not destroy their faith. They still endured, as seeing Him
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that is invisible. Neither did their heaviness destroy their peace, the peace that
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passeth all understanding, which is inseparable from true living faith. This we may
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easily gather from the second verse, wherein the Apostle praise not that grace and
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peace may be given them, but only that it may be multiplied unto them,
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that the blessing which they already in joyed might be more abundantly bestowed upon
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them. The persons to whom the Apostle here speaks were also full of a
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living hope. For thus he speaks in One Peter, Chapter one, verse
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three, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who,
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according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again, me and you,
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all of us who are sanctified by the spirit, and enjoy the sprinkling
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of the blood of Jesus Christ onto a living hope onto an inheritance, that
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is, onto a living hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that
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fateth not away. So that notwithstanding their heaviness, they still retained an hope
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full of immortality, and they still rejoiced in hope of the glory of God.
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They were filled with joy in the Holy ghost. So one Peter one,
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verse eight. The apostle, having just mentioned the final revelation of Jesus
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Christ, namely, when he cometh to judge the world, immediately adds in
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whom, though now you see him not not with your bodily eyes, yet
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believing ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Their heaviness therefore was
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not only consistent with living hope, but also with joy unspeakable. At the
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same time they were thus heavy, they nevertheless rejoiced with joy full of glory.
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In the midst of their heaviness. They likewise still enjoyed the love of
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God which had been shed abroad in their hearts. Whom says the apostle,
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having not seen ye love, though ye have not seen him face to face,
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yet knowing him by faith, ye have observed his word, My son,
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give me thy heart. He is your God and your love, the
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desire of your eyes, and your exceeding great reward. Ye have sought and
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found happiness in him. Ye delight in the Lord, and he hath given
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you your heart's desire. Once More, though they were heavy, yet were
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they holy. They retained the same power over sin. They were still kept
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from this by the power of God. They were obedient children, not fashioned
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according to their former desires. But as He that had called them is holy,
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so were they holy in all manner of conversation. Knowing they were redeemed
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by the precious Blood of Christ, as a lamb without spot and without blemish.
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They had through the faith and hope which they had in God purified their
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souls by the Spirit, so that upon the whole their heaviness well consisted with
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faith, with hope, with love of God and Man, with the Peace
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of God, with joy, and the holy ghosts, with inward and outward
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holiness. It did no way impair, much less destroy, any part of
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the work of God in their hearts. It did not at all interfere with
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that sanctification of the Spirit, which is the root of all true obedience,
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neither with the happiness which must needs result from grace and peace reigning in the
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heart. Hence we may easily learn what kind of heaviness they were in.
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The second thing which I shall endeavor to show the Word in the original is
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leupithetes made sorry, grieved from lupe, grief or sorrow. This is the
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constant literal meaning of the word, and this being observed, there is no
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ambiguity in the expression, nor any difficulty in understanding it. The persons spoken
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of here were grieved, the heaviness they were in was neither more nor less
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than the sorrow or grief, a passion which every child of man is well
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acquainted with. It is probable our translators rendered it heaviness, though a less
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common word to denote two things, first the degree, and next the continuance
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of it. It does, indeed, it seem that it is not a
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slight or inconsiderable degree of grief which is here spoken of, but such as
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makes a strong impression upon and sinks deep into the soul. Neither does this
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appear to be a transient sorrel such as passes away in an hour, but
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rather such as having taken fast hold of the heart, is not presently shaken
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off, but continues for some time as a settled temper, rather than a
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passion. Even in them that have living faith in Christ and the genuine love
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of God in their hearts, even in these this heaviness may sometimes be so
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deep as to overshadow the whole soul, to give a color, as it
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were, to all the affections, such as will appear in the whole behavior.
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It may likewise have an influence over the body, particularly in those that
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are either of a naturally weak constitution or weakened by some accidental disorder, especially
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of the nervous kind. In many cases we find the corruptible boy, but
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he presses down the soul. In this the soul rather presses down the body
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and weakens it more and more. Nay, I will not say that deep
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and lasting sorrow of heart may not sometimes weaken a strong constitution and lay the
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foundation of such bodily disorders as are not easily removed. And yet all this
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may consist with a measure of that faith which still worketh by love. This
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may well be termed a fiery trial. And though it is not the same
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with that the Apostle speaks of in the fourth chapter First Peter, Chapter four.
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Yet many of the expressions they are used concerning outward sufferings may be accommodated
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to this inward affliction. They cannot, indeed, with any propriety, be
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applied to them that are in darkness. These do not cannot rejoice. Neither
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is it true that the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them.
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But he frequently doth on those that are in heaviness, so that though sorrowful,
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yet are they always rejoicing. But to proceed to the third point,
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what are the causes of such sorrow or heaviness in a true believer? The
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apostle tells us clearly, ye are in heaviness, says he, through manifold
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temptations poechilios or manifold not only many in number, but of many kinds.
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They may be varied and diversified a thousand ways by the change or addition of
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numberless circumstances, and this very diversity and variety makes it more difficult to guard
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against them. Among these we may rank all bodily disorders, particularly acute diseases,
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and violent pain of every kind, whether affecting the whole body or the
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smallest part of it. It is true some who have enjoyed uninterrupted health and
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have felt none of these, may make light of them, and wonder that
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sickness or pain of body should bring heaviness upon the mind. And perhaps one
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in a thousand is of so peculiar a constitution as not to feel pain like
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other men. So hath it pleased God to show his almighty power by producing
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some of these prodigies of nature who have seemed not to regard pain at all,
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though of the severest kind, if that contempt of pain was not owing
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partly to the force of education, partly to a preternatural cause, to the
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power either of good or evil spirits, who raise those men above the state
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of mere nature. But abstracting from these particular cases, it is in general
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a just observation that pain is perfect misery and extreme quite overturns all patients.
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And even where this is prevented by the grace of God, where men do
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possess their souls in patience, it may nevertheless occasion much inward heaviness, the
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soul sympathizing with the body. All diseases of long continuance tho life us painful,
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are apt to produce the same effect. When God appoints over us consumption
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or the chilling and burning ague. If it be not speedily removed, they
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will not only consume the eyes, but cause sorrow of heart. This is
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eminently the case with regard to all those which are termed nervous disorders and faith
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does not overturn the course of nature. Natural causes still produce natural effects.
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Faith no more hinders the sinking of the spirits, as it is called in
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an hysteric illness, than the rising of the pulse in a fever. Again,
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when calamity cometh as a whirlwind, and poverty as an armed man,
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is this a little temptation? Is it strange if it occasions sorrow and heaviness?
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Although this also may appear but a small thing to those who stand at
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a distance, or who look and pass by on the other side, Yet
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it is otherwise to them who feel it having food and raiment. Indeed,
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the latter word skipas Nahta, implies lodging as well as apparel. We may,
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if the love of God is in our hearts, be therewith content.
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But what shall they do who have none of these, who, as it
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were, embraced the rock for a shelter, who have only the earth to
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lie upon, and only the sky to cover them, who have not a
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dry or warm, much less a clean abode for themselves and their little ones,
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no nor clothing to keep themselves or those they love next themselves from pinching
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cold, either by day or night. I laugh at the stupid heathen,
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crying out nil habit gillis pauperatos duartus tensei quam quad neduculos amenies facet has poverty.
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Nothing worse in it than this, that it make men liable to be
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laughed at. It is a sign. This idle poet talked by wrote of
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the things which he knew not is not want of foods, something worse than
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this. God pronounced it as a curse upon man, that he should earn
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it by the sweat of his brow. But how many are there in this
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Christian country that toil and labor and sweat, and have it not at last,
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but struggle with weariness and hunger together? Is it not worse for one,
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after a hard day's labor to come back to a poor, cold,
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dirty, uncomfortable lodging, and to find there not even the food which is
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needful to repair his wasted strength. You that live at ease in the earth,
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that want nothing but eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts
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to understand how well God has dealt with you? Is it not worse to
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seek bread day by day and find none? Perhaps to find the comfort also
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of five or six children crying for what he has not to give. Were
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it not that he is restrained by an unseen hand, would he not soon
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curse God and die all want of bread? Want of bread? Who can
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tell what this means unless he hath felt it himself. I am astonished at
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occasions, no more than heaviness, even in them the belief. Perhaps next
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to this we may place the death of those who were near and dear unto
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us, of a tender parent, and one not much declined into the veil
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of years, of a beloved child, just rising into life and clasping about
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our heart, of a friend that was as our own soul. Next the
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grace of God, the last best gift of heaven, and a thousand circumstances
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may enhance the distress. Perhaps the child the friend died in our embrace,
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perhaps was snatched away when we look not for it, flourishing, cut down
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like a flower. In all these cases, we not only may, but
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ought to be affected. It is the design of God that we should.
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He would not have a stalks and stones, He would have our affections regulated,
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not extinguished. Therefore, nature unreproved, may drop a tear. There
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may be sorrow without sin, a still deeper sorrow we may feel for those
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who are dead while they live on account of the unkindness, ingratitude apostasy of
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those who were united to us in the closest ties. Who can express what
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a lover of souls may feel for a friend, a brother dead to God,
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for an husband, a wife, a parent, a child rushing into
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sin as an horse into the battle, and in spite of all arguments and
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persuasions, hasting to work out his own damnation. And this anguish of spirit
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may be heightened to an inconceivable degree by the consideration that he who is now
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posting to destruction once ran well in the way of life. Whatever he was
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in time past, serves now to no other purpose than to make our reflection
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on what he is more piercing and afflictive. In all these circumstances, we
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may be assured our great adversary will not be wanting to improve his opportunity.
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He who is always walking about seeking whom he may devour, will then especially
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use all his power, all his skill, if haply he may gain any
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advantage over the soul that is already cast down. He will not be sparing
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of his fiery darts such as are most likely to find an entrance and to
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fix most deeply in the heart by their suitableness to the temptation that assaults it.
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He will labor to inject unbelieving or blasphemous or repining thoughts. He will
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suggest that God does not regard, does not govern the earth, or at
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least that he does not govern it aright, not by the rules of justice
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and mercy. He will endeavor to stir up the heart against God, to
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renew our natural enmity against him. And if we attempt to fight him with
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his own weapons, if we begin to reason with him, more and more
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heavyess will undoubtedly ensue, if not uttered darkness. It has been frequently supposed
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that there is another cause, if not of darkness, at least of heaviness,
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namely God's withdrawing himself from the soul, because it is his sovereign will.
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Certainly he will do this if we grieve his Holy Spirit, either by
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outward or inward sin, either by doing evil or neglecting to do good,
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by giving way either to pride or anger, to spiritual sloth, to foolish
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desire, or inordinate affection. But that he ever withdraws himself because he will
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merely because it is his good pleasure. I absolutely deny there is no text
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in all the Bible which gives any color for such a supposition. Nay,
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it is a supposition contrary not only to many particular texts, but to the
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whole tenure of scripture. It is repugnant to the very nature of God.
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It is utterly beneath his majesty and wisdom, As an imminent writer strongly expresses
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it, to play at bo peep with his creatures. It is inconsistent both
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with His justice and mercy, and with the sound experience of all his children.
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One more cause of heaviness is mentioned by many of those who are termed
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mystic authors, and the notion has crept in I know not how even among
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plain people who have no acquaintance with them. I cannot better explain this than
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in the words of a late writer who relates this as her own experience.
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I continued, so happy in my beloved, that although I should have been
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forced to live a vagabond in a desert, I should have found no difficulty
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in it. This state had not lasted long, when, in effect I
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found myself led into a desert. I found myself in a forlorn condition,
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altogether poor, wretched, and miserable. The proper source of this grief is
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the knowledge of ourselves, by which we find that there is an extreme unlikeness
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between God and us. We see ourselves most opposite to Him, and that
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our inmost soul is entirely corrupted, depraved, and full of all kinds of
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evil and malignity of the world and the flesh, and all sorts of abominations.
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From hence, it has been inferred that the knowledge of ourselves, without
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which we should perish everlastingly, must, even after we have attained justifying faith,
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occasion the deepest heaviness. But upon this I would observe one. In
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the preceding paragraph, this writer says, hearing I had not a true faith
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in Christ, I offered myself up to God and immediately felt his love.
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It may be so, and yet it does not appear that this was justification.
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It is more probable it was no more than what are usually termed the
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drawings of the Father, and if so, the heaviness and darkness which followed
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was no other than conviction of sin, which, in the nature of things
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must precede that faith whereby we are justified. Two, Suppose she was justified
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almost the same moment she was convinced of wanting faith. There was then no
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time for that gradually increasing self knowledge which uses to precede justification. In this
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case, therefore it came after, and was probably the more severe the less
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it was expected. Three, it is allowed, there will be a far
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deeper, a far clearer, and fuller knowledge of our inbred sin, of
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our total corruption by nature, after justification, than ever there was before it.
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But this need not occasion darkness of soul. I will not say that
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it must bring us into heaviness. Were it so, the apostle would not
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have used that expression. If need be, for there would be an absolute,
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indispensable need of it for all that would know themselves. That is an
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effect for all that would know the perfect love of God and be thereby made
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meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. But this
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is by no means the case. On the contrary, God may increase the
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knowledge of ourselves to any degree, and increase in the same proportion the knowledge
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of himself and the experience of His love, And in this case there would
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be no desert, no misery, no forlorn condition, but love and peace
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and joy, gradually springing up into everlasting life. For what ends, then,
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which was the fourth thing to be considered? Does God permit heaviness to
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befall so many of his children? The Apostle gives us a plain and direct
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answer to this important question, that the trial of their faith, which is
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much more precious than gold, that perisheth, though it be tried by fire,
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may be found onto praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus
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Christ. One Peter, Chapter one, verse seven. There may be an
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allusion to this in that well known passage of the fourth chapter, although it
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primarily relates to quite another thing, as has been already observed, Think it
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not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you? But rejoice that
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ye are partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that when His glory shall be
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revealed, ye may likewise rejoice with exceeding great joy. First Peter four,
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verse twelve. Hence we learn that the first and great end of God's permitting
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the temptations which bring heaviness on his children is the trial of their faith,
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which is tried by these, even as gold by the fire. Now we
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know gold tried in the fire is purified thereby is separated from its dross,
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And so is faith in the fire of temptation. The more it is tried,
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the more it is purified. Yea, and not only purified, but
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also strengthened, confirmed, increased abundantly by so many more proofs of the wisdom
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and power, the love and faithfulness of God. This, then, to
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increase our faith, is one gracious end of God's permitting those manifold temptations.
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They serve to try to purify, to confirm and increase that living hope.
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Also where unto the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, hath
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begotten us again of his abundant mercy. Indeed, our hope cannot but increase
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in the same proportion with our faith. On this foundation it stands. Believing
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in His name, living by faith in the Son of God. We hope,
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for we have a confident expectation of the glory which shall be revealed.
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And consequently, whatever strengthens our faith increases our hope. Also at the same
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time it increases our joy in the Lord, which cannot but attend and hope
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full of immortality. In this view, the Apostle exhorts believers in the other
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chapter, rejoice that ye are partakers of the sufferings of Christ. On this
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very account, happy are you, For the spirit of glory and of God
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resteth upon you. And hereby ye are enabled, even in the midst of
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sufferings, to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. They rejoice the
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more because the trials which increase their faith and hope, increase their love,
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also, both their gratitude to God for all his mercies and their good will
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to all mankind. Accordingly, the more deeply sensible they are of the loving
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kindness of God their Savior, the more is their heart inflamed with love to
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Him who first loved us. The clearer and stronger evidence they have of the
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glory that shall be revealed, the more do they love Him who hath purchased
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it for them and given them the earnest thereof in their hearts. And this,
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the increase of their love, is another end of the temptations permitted to
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come upon them. Yet another is there advanced in holiness, holiness of heart,
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and holiness of conversation. The latter naturally resum resulting from the former.
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For a good tree will bring forth good fruit, and all inward. Holiness
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is the immediate fruit of the faith that worketh by love. By this,
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the blessed Spirit purifies the heart from pride, self will passion, from love
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of the world, from foolish and hurtful desires, from vile and vain affections.
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Besides that, sanctified afflictions have, through the grace of God, an
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immediate and direct tendency to holiness. Through the operation of His spirit, they
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humble more and more and abase the soul before God. They colme and meeke
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in our turbulent spirit, tame the fierceness of our nature, soften our obstinacy
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and self, will crucify us to the world, and bring us to expect
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all our strength from and to seek all our happiness in God. And all
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these terminate in that great end that our faith, hope, love, and
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holiness may be found. If it doth not yet appear unto praise from God
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himself, and honor from men and angels, and glory assigned by the Great
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Judge to all that have endured unto the end. And this will be assigned
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in that awful day to every man according to his works, according to the
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work which God hath wrought in his heart, and the outward works which he
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has wrought for God, and likewise according to what he had suffered, so
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that all these trials are unspeakable gain. So many ways do these light afflictions,
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which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more
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exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Add to this the advantage which others may
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receive by seeing our behavior under affliction, we find by experience example frequently makes
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a deeper impression upon us than precept And what examples have a stronger influence not
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only on those who are hearttakers of light precious faith, but even on them
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who have not known God than that of the soul, calm and serene in
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the mist of storms, sorrowful yet always rejoice, meekly, accepting whatever it
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is the will of God, however grievous it may be, to nature,
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saying, in sickness and pain, the cup which my Father hath given me,
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shall I not drink it in loss or want? The Lord gave the
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Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord. I am
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to conclude with some inferences, And first, how wide is the difference between
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darkness of soul and heaviness, which nevertheless are so generally confounded with each other
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even by experienced Christians. Darkness or the wilderness state, implies a total loss
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of joy in the Holy Ghost. Heaviness does not. In the midst of
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this we may rejoice with joy unspeakable. They that are in darkness have lost
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the Peace of God. They that are in heaviness have not so far from
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it that at the very time peace as well as grace may be multiplied unto
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them. In the former, the love of God is waxed cold. If
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it be not utterly extinguished in the latter, it retains its full force,
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or rather increases daily. And these faith itself, if not totally lost,
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is however grievously decayed. Their evidence and conviction of things not seen, particularly
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of the pardoning love of God, is not so clear or strong as in
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times past, and their trust in Him is proportionably weakened. Those though they
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see Him not yet have a clear, unshaken confidence in God and an abiding
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evidence of that love. Whereby all their sins are blotted out, so that
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as long as we can distinguish faith from unbelief, hope from despair, peace
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from war, the love of God from the love of the world, we
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may infallibly distinguish heaviness from darkness. We may learn from hence secondly, that
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there may be need of heaviness, but there can be no need of darkness.
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There may be need of our being in heaviness for a season in order
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to the ends above. Recite it, at least in this sense, says
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it is a natural result of those manifold temptations, which are needful to try
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and increase our faith, to confirm and enlarge our hope, to purify our
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heart from all unholy tempers, and to perfect us in love. And by
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consequence, they are needful in order to brighten our crown and add to our
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eternal weight of glory. But we cannot say that darkness is needful in order
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to any of these ends. It is no way conducive to them. The
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loss of faith, hope, love is surely neither conducive to holiness nor to
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the increase of that reward in Heaven which will be in proportion to our holiness
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on earth. From the Apostle's manner of speaking. We may gather thirdly,
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that even heaviness is not always needful now for a season, if need be
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so, it is not needful for all persons, nor for any person at
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all times. God is able. He has both power and wisdom to work
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when he pleases the same work of grace in any soul by other means,
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And in some instances he does so. He causes those whom it pleaseth him
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to go on from strength to strength, even till they perfect holiness in his
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fear, with scarce any heaviness at all, as having an absolute power over
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the heart of man, and moving all the springs of it at his pleasure.
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But these cases are rareer. God generally sees good to try acceptable man
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in the furnace of affliction, so that manifold temptations and heaviness more or less
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are usually the portion of His dearest children. We ought, therefore, lastly
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to watch and pray, and use our utmost endeavors to avoid falling into darkness.
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But we need not be solicitous how to avoid, so much as how
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to improve by heaviness. Our great care should be so as to behave ourselves
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under it, so to wait upon the Lord therein that it may fully answer
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all the design of His love. In permitting it to come upon us,
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that it may may be a means of increasing our faith, of confirming our
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hope, of perfecting us in holiness. Whenever it comes. Let us have
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an eye to these grecious ends for which it is permitted, and use all
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diligence that we may not make void the counsel of God against ourselves. Let
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us earnestly work together with Him by the grace which he is continually giving us,
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in purifying ourselves from all pollution, both of flesh and spirit, and
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daily growing in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, till we are received
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into His everlasting Kingdom. End of Section forty eight.