Guidance for the Downcast

1. Guidance for the Downcast Timeless Wisdom for Today’s Christians: An Introduction to the Puritans

2. William bridge (c. 1600-1670) • Preacher who also was in conflict with Church of England • Was told to conform • He went instead to Rotterdam, Netherlands • When King Charles I heard of that, he said: • “Let him go; we are well rid of him” • Returned to England • Was at Westminster • Later preached in front of the king without mincing words! • http://www.digitalpuritan.net/williambridge.html

3. A Word on context • Notice in what we cover that the focus in on being discouraged in our walk with Christ • Puritans were striving to be different in a hostile culture • In contrast, much of our struggle comes from conflict between our drive to follow Christ yet to follow secular goals as well • For many, we have secular discouragement more than spiritual • Yet, Puritans also conceded that sometimes being downcast had to do with medical conditions

4. Bridge’s Text: Psalm 42:11 • Why are thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.

5. Peace the Normal State for Christians • Given by God, not by circumstances • One can have peace without comfort or joy • E.g. one can be at peace but not have peace about one’s sin • True peace comes from faith (Romans 5:1) • Comes from considering Christ and his death • “All true peace within arises from the sight of peace made without” • Reminds us of the great hymn, “It Is Well with My Soul” • From seeking it for the grace in it, not for itself • KEY issue today: seeking God’s blessings more than God himself • From learning to mortify our affections • And leaning on stronger Christians

6. Peace May Be Interrupted • But why does God permit His own people to be so discouraged? • 1. For our good • 2. Because we rather naturally seek fulfillment in things of the world, and dissatisfaction here points us to God • “So long as man can find a fullness in any creature, he comes not to God” • 3. Such a wonderful thing as quietness of soul cannot come cheaply • 4. So we don’t love our comforts more than God • Again, peace is not from our situation • 5. Comfort is milk; maturing requires more. • 6. Setting the “bones” we have broken by sin is uncomfortable. • Star Trek MD: “I can’t ethically harm you, but I can cause you all the pain I want” (in context of a painful treatment)

7. Saints Should Not Be Discouraged • What is the saint’s protection against all discouragements? • Our interest in and relation with God Himself (not our situation) • He would not have us discouraged (John 14:1) • God has given promises of comfort • PRAYER (p. 55): “A praying man can never be very miserable, whatever his condition be, for he has the ear of God.” • Discouragement is a cloud, not the night • The unsaved are in true darkness of night; the believer merely has clouds dimming the light • How then do I bear up under discouragements? • Don’t love your “condition”, and never let your comforts depend on your condition • Think rightly about Christ with regard to your condition • Study to be content without the outward blessings. • When afflicted, “as the bird in the net, the more it strives, the more it is entangled; so with you also” • Find something in your condition which is of comfort • Put to death self-love as it is the source of all discouragement. Focus on God as the answer. • Talk to yourself, arguing against discouragement

8. Several types of discouragement

9. A Lifting Up in the Case of Great Sins • Notice that these are mainly spiritual discouragements, not secular • Discouragement itself is a sin, showing lack of faith • Others sin against the Law • But if we’re excessively discouraged by sin, we sin against the Gospel! • “Their sins may hide God’s face from them, but shall never turn God’s back upon them. Those whom God loves, He loves unto the end”. What of persistent sins that might be addictions? • This is cause for humbling, but Jeremiah 3 promises God still calls us back to Himself. • If we are to forgive our brother 70x7, how much more does God forgive? • Serves to increase humility (so long as we repent and do not justify our sins). Great sin should HUMBLE, but not DISCOURAGE us!

10. Humility vs. Discouragement • Humble persons grieve sin as dishonoring God; discouraged ones grieve their condition due to sin (e.g. Cain) • Humility leads to spiritual joy; discouragement is its enemy • Humility looks at the commandment not to sin, but also at God’ s promise of forgiveness; discouragement misses the latter • So, mourn for sin to remedy sin, not to remedy your condition. • Trace root of your sins in unbelief, and sorrow for that. Faith insulates against discouragement.

11. A Lifting Up in Lack of Spiritual Discipline • E.g. prayer as a duty: biblical examples very strongly sought out prayer times • Comfort in that God regards the will more than the doing. • Our door to God is Christ, not our performance of duties. • You may complain of a lack of gifts, but God compensates one thing with others. • Lacking in prayer? God may grow a pearl in your rocky heart. • Prayer the pouring out of the heart, not words. Distractions when you pray? • Your concern is a sign of grace • Unanswered prayer? • May even be a sign of strength that God will teach you to wait. • Learning to wait may be of more good than the answer itself. • May teach you to be patient with others . • Feel God is angry with you? He was with Jonah, and heard his prayer. • So, come to God in prayer as duty, even if your heart is drooping. • “The more difficulties you press through in your duties to God, the more acceptable your duties are to Him.” (126)

12. A Lifting Up in Temptation • Clarifying temptation • Puritans saw it more as events in life that stress us, our bad habits, and burdens in life • Not just when we have a unique, specific temptation • E.g., not the chocolate doughnut, but our inordinate desire for it • Our recourse in temptations • Discouragement is Satan’s goal • He tempts us to sin against Law to get us to discouragement, the sin against the Gospel! • If God uses these to work good, why discouraged? • “Tempting times are teaching times” • Teach us to be weak in ourselves, but strong in the Lord

13. A Lifting Up in Desertion • From the text’s comment: “Why hast thou forgotten me?” • It is a great affliction when we feel God has hidden his face from us • This teaches us more faith and less living by sense • And is only temporary • God chastens us as discipline (“holy time outs??”) • So, be comforted that he will draw near us again • Don’t measure God’s eternal affection by a present circumstance • Labor to live more by faith • For us, DO WE EVEN NOTICE??

14. A Lifting Up if Little Success in Work • We are to work, for “idleness breeds temptation” • Yet service sometimes is just being obedient where we are (keep our true goals in mind) • God not as production oriented as we are • Consider Joni Erikson Tada’s comment • God doesn’t always choose the one with the most skill (e.g. Moses) • Difficulties are often actually a sign of God’s blessing • Don’t judge blessing (Noah preached 120 years and only his family responded!) • God calls us to be faithful; not successful

15. A Lifting Up When Discouragements Come for Your Life Situation Itself • Conditions do not describe God’s favor • Jacob had it harder than Esau but was God’s chosen • God is still author of the condition • We are called to obey, regardless of our situation • There is always mercy mixed in. • “But I am poor” • Prosperity has its own burdens • “I am insecure” • All estates are vanity • “I feel spiritually dead” • The dead can’t feel! • Did a hypocrite ever mourn for feeling distant from God? • Seek grace for itself, not as a means to comfort

16. Faith in jesuschrist as the cure for discouragments

17. What Is It to Hope and Trust in God? • To expect help from Him and to wait and abide in this expectation (Is. 26:3) • Hope for the things that are: • Out of sight right now • The eternal goals, not temporal • Be heavenly minded, not earthly minded • Faith draws us near to God • And eases anxiety • Faith operates best when comforts are out of sight

18. What Is It to Hope and Trust in God? • How Does Faith Suppress Discouragements? • Gives eternal perspective • See things from God’s perspective, not our own • The future is in God’s hands • God is stronger than anything we face • Faith clings to God’s grace • Must trust in God himself prior to trusting in his promises • “Prayer without waiting is no prayer” • Faith waits and hopes in God • Patience may actually make Him come sooner

19. Richard sibbes (1577-1635) • Earlier than most we’ve covered • So less persecution • Though apparently some • Known as “the heavenly Doctor Sibbes” • Because: “Heaven was in him, before he was in heaven” (Izaak Walton) • http://www.monergism.com/bruisedreed.html

20. The bruised reed • Text: • A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax he shall not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth • Isaiah 42: 1-3 • Note how God compares the church to weak things • A dove among other birds • A vine among plants • A sheep among beasts • A woman, the weaker vessel

21. What is it to be bruised? • To be in some misery • Or be “poor in spirit” (Mt. 5:3) • Bruising is good as: • Reminds we’re reeds, not oaks • We see we live by mercy as did the godly people of the Bible • Their bruises are more comfort than their heroics

22. Christ will not break the bruised reed • Physicians may put patients through pain, but only to make them better • A mother will not cast away a sick child • “He will not show his strength against them that prostrate themselves before him.” • So, come boldly to the throne of grace. • “If we cannot rejoice in the world, yet we may rejoice in the Lord”

23. Who are the bruised reeds? • Not just brought low by their crosses, but brought to see their sin which bruises most of all • See sin as the greatest evil, and God’s favor as the greatest good • Has poor opinions of himself • Not censorious of others • See those who walk in comforts of God’s Spirit as happiest people in the world • “When he humbles us, let us humble ourselves.” • Laying siege to the hardness of our hearts • As Shepherd, his most tender care is for the weakest sheep

24. Christ will not quench the smoking flax • …but will blow it up till it flames • “Smoking flax” is image of grace mixed with corruption • “To preserve us from those two dangerous rocks which are our natures are prone to dash upon, security and pride, and to force us to pitch our rest on justification, not sanctification, which, besides imperfection, has some stains”

25. Words for the weak Christian • Awareness of sin is actually a blessing • “None are so aware of corruption as those whose souls are most alive” • “Endeavor with a feeble manner, yet endeavor” • If God brings the trial, He will be with us in the trial • Don’t let Satan focus us on God’s justice more than his mercy • Or to make us question God’s love as Adam did • All things are dung in comparison with Christ • Beg of God for holy inclinations and affections

26. Taking action • Consider our discouragements: • Secular or spiritual? • What is the true goal of our lives? • See Christ as the loving Savior that He is • Don’t sin against grace in discouragement • Be faithful in duties even though feeling weak or discouraged • Be heavenly minded • Hope thou in God! • Next week: Missions Conference • Then: Anger and anxiety • A closing thought