Chapter. 14. Much difference between God's people's spirits at several times, Illustrated by exampl
troubles they fear, either at the time or afterward. Thus, we have concluded the second doctrinal point from these words: that faith cures sinful fear.
Chapter 14 Significant variation in the spirits of God's people at different times
Another Doctrine. Significant variation in the spirits of God's people at different times, illustrated by examples. Reasons: 1. Due to the differing dispositions of their hearts in receiving truths. This arises from three causes: First, the weakening of opposing strengths against that truth. Secondly, the activation or liveliness of habits aligned with truth. Thirdly, the dominance of self-interest. Reason 2.
Resulting from the varied presentations of truth. Reason 3. Because the virtues of individuals do not always shine as brightly and purely.
Reason 4. Stemming from the fragility of grace, its components and aspects are not consistently consolidated. Reason 5. Because our hearts are occasionally filled with more heavenly consolations than at other times. Reason 6. Due to the diverse inspirations of the Holy
Spirit. Reason 7. Because individuals sometimes have a clearer and distinct awareness of their calling to suffer than at other times.
Particular directions in this case. Reason 8. The differing temperaments of the human body. Reason 9. Resulting from differences in the encouraging events of God's providence.
Now we move on to the next doctrinal point that arises from this passage: there was a time when Moses was afraid, causing him to flee from Egypt out of fear. However, Moses, through faith, eventually left Egypt without fear. The point is:
Doctrine: There is a significant difference in the spirits of God's people at different times.
Now Moses appears to have even greater courage and strength than before. We have numerous examples in scripture and in daily experience that show a remarkable difference in the spirits of God's people at different times. For instance, Elijah was a man of great courage who could boldly face Ahab and respond, "It is not I who trouble Israel, but you and your father's house." Yet, at another time, he fled from Jezebel, and God asked him, "What are you doing here,
Elijah? Are you running away from a woman, when just the other day you displayed such courage?" Similarly, there was a time when David was afraid and acted foolishly out of fear, as seen in his behavior before the King of Gath. But in Psalm 23, he declared that he would not fear what man could do to him, even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death. In many Psalms, we witness David's heart initially dejected but then powerfully lifted up.
Likewise, Abraham at times had great strength and confidence in his faith, but there were also moments when his faith faltered, leading him to resort to equivocation and self-preservation. Jeremiah, too, experienced fluctuations in his courage. At one point, God promised to make him like a brazen wall and endow him with a spirit of bravery, but on another occasion, Jeremiah became greatly dejected due to the reproach he faced, refusing to speak in the name of God to the people. Peter, who was once afraid of a young girl, later displayed
remarkable boldness. Joseph of Arimathea initially followed Christ secretly for fear of the Jews, but eventually, he boldly approached
Pilate to request the body of Christ. Nicodemus, who initially visited Jesus at night out of fear, eventually stood publicly with Joseph and boldly proclaimed his allegiance to Christ.
Paul, too, experienced moments of fear and had to escape for his life, such as when he was lowered in a basket. However, he later displayed an abundance of courage. In subsequent times, many martyrs also went through phases of intense fear followed by great strength and bravery. Bilney, a blessed martyr, faced severe distress initially, to the point that hearing promises brought him great anguish. But in the end, he endured a glorious martyrdom with abundant courage, as documented in his story. Similarly, when
Doctor Pendleton came to strengthen Saunders, the latter questioned if Pendleton, who had renounced Antichrist, would now give in.
Saunders may have had great fear that he would abandon Christ, but it turned out that Pendleton shamefully fell away, while Saunders, in contrast, suffered with much comfort and courage. Mr. Glover, too, experienced fear and a heavy spirit while in prison after his condemnation. On the morning he was called to the stake, he struggled with doubt until he caught sight of the stake, at which point he was filled with abundant courage and joy. These are the examples; now let us consider the reasons.
Reason 1:
The first reason for the differences in the spirits of God's servants is the varying disposition of their hearts when receiving the truths of God at different times. It is truly astonishing to observe how a certain truth, when merely hinted at, can profoundly impact their hearts, easily convincing and overpowering them. Yet, at other times, even
when strong arguments are presented to bring the truth more powerfully and fully to their hearts, it fades away and has little effect.
We often say that what we receive is received according to our disposition as receivers. So why is it that people in times of sickness are willing to hear any truth and readily accept it without argument or objection, whereas when the same truths are presented in times of prosperity and good health, they mean nothing to them and they engage in wrangling and objections, refusing to yield and be convinced? The truth remains the same, but the difference lies in the disposition of the receiver.
Similarly, in relation to temptation to sin, there are times when the heart immediately succumbs to the temptation without examination.
But by God's mercy, there are other times when the same temptation does not easily take hold, and a person's heart resists it. Sometimes the heart is like tinder to fire, readily catching every spark of temptation, while at other times, it resembles the hearts of the three children who, though walking in the midst of fiery trials, are not affected by them. Three factors contribute to the difference in the disposition of the heart when receiving a truth or facing a temptation to sin.
First, the weakening of the strength of that which opposes a truth or a temptation. When a truth is presented, every person's heart contains something that opposes that truth. If the strength of that opposing element is diminished and remains dormant, the truth prevails with great strength. However, if the opposing force is active and stirring at the time when the truth is presented, even if it comes with greater force, it cannot prevail. Similarly, if a temptation arises and the principle that opposes that temptation is active at that moment, a person can overcome it. But if a person possesses some
principle of grace that lies dormant when the temptation comes, even a lesser temptation prevails.
Secondly, the activity of habits that align with a truth or a temptation affects the disposition of a person's spirit. When a truth is presented that calls for duties, service, or suffering, if a person possesses principles that align with those obligations and these principles are active and stirring, they can readily embrace and be deeply influenced by that truth. On the other hand, in the case of sin, if a person has seeds and habits of sin, and a temptation arises when these seeds and habits are active, they immediately yield to it.
Thirdly, but the specific factor that differentiates a person's disposition to receive a truth or a temptation at one time from another is when self-interest is involved. Let's consider it in terms of personal relationships or opinions. Suppose there is a person whom I am engaged with and whom I serve my own purposes in. In anything said about them or in their commendation, I am ready to embrace it.
However, if this person no longer serves my interests and the engagement is broken, I will believe even the slightest negative remark about them, whereas before I wouldn't have believed ten times as much. It's not that there is more truth in those remarks, but rather the frame and disposition of my heart towards them has changed. The same applies to opinions. If a person holds an opinion that leads to certain consequences they didn't see before, once they have embraced this opinion and its consequents, they will vigorously defend it—not because the consequents are true, but because it is their opinion. If you approach an ignorant person who holds an opinion and simply present the consequents that will follow from that opinion without any reference to it, they will strongly oppose them. But if you come another time and try to derive those
consequents from the opinion they hold, they will strive to maintain them solely because of their engagement to that opinion. However, when a person with a gracious heart realizes that all engagements to others, the world, and oneself are broken and wholly commits themselves to God, placing their self-interest in the name of God, the praise of God, and the advancement of God's truth and Gospel, then any truth of God that reaches their soul at this time prevails mightily.
This is because their heart is engaged in God and His truth. In truth, if we truly understood, we would recognize that our true good lies in God rather than ourselves. This is the basis and principle of selfdenial—when the soul comes to understand that their true good is found more in God than in themselves, and therefore they will deny their own good and comfort to the extent that it is in themselves, and they will seek their good and comfort in God. The truth is, no one in the world seeks their own interest more than the godly. The difference lies in that one seeks themselves within themselves, while the other seeks themselves in God. The former is engaged in selfcentered goals and self-praise, while the latter engages themselves solely in God. When a person becomes thus engaged in God, any truth prevails with even greater strength than before. This is the first reason (which is a fundamental one) that causes the heart to be in a different state at one time compared to another.
Reason 2:
The second reason pertains to the differences in the presentation of truths. Even if we are indisposed, no matter how powerfully the truths come, it makes no difference. However, if the heart is reasonably prepared to receive a truth, there can be a significant variation in the manner in which the truth is presented. Sometimes the truth comes more clearly, with more evidence, specificity, and power. Sometimes it comes with a greater manifestation of the Spirit
of God than at other times. It's not just a mere glimpse of a truth, but a radiance that one cannot ignore. Occasionally, the truth reaches the heart in a particular way. God not only presents a truth in general, saying that it is a duty Christians must fulfill, but it reaches the very framework of the heart, addressing every objection and uncovering and answering the hidden thoughts. The truth comes like a perfectly fitting key to a lock. If you bring a key to a lock that, although it may resemble the correct key and be equally strong, misses even a single ward of the lock, no matter how much force you apply, you can damage both the lock and the key, but you cannot open the lock.
However, if you come with a key perfectly suited to the lock and simply turn it, it opens instantly. Likewise, when God pleases to bring His truth to our souls, we may have been resistant and heard many truths, but they did not address all our objections, so they were halted by some obstacle. However, later on, it pleased God to arrange things in such a way that the truth fully confronted the heart, addressing every objection, and then the heart yielded peacefully.
Thus, it is said that God opened Lydia's heart. Paul preached to others and encountered much resistance, unable to prevail. But when
Saint Paul came to Lydia, he prevailed immediately because God had disposed Lydia's heart to be receptive to the truth that Saint Paul spoke. Many people, when they come to hear the word, cannot help but say that the truth of God has addressed every aspect of their lives, and there are no hidden objections in their hearts. Sometimes the truth comes with greater power than at other times. In Isaiah
8:11, it is written, "For the Lord spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people."
God not only informed the prophet of his duty but spoke with a strong hand. Sometimes, when God comes, He tells you what you should do, but He does not always come with a strong hand as He
does at other times. In Job 36:10, it is said, "He opens their ears to instruction and commands that they turn from iniquity." Doesn't
God always command people to turn from their iniquities? Doesn't God command people in prosperity to turn from their iniquities?
Yes, but during affliction, the truth typically comes with more commanding power. It seals instruction. In Job 33:16, it is mentioned that when people came to hear the word, they received instructions on what duties to perform, but those instructions did not come with command; they were not sealed. However, in affliction, God seals them. If a person sees a document with the signatures of others, it may persuade them to see that others hold that opinion. But when they see the official seal on it, it carries authority. Similarly, when people come and hear the word of God, they may perceive it as mere opinion and dismiss it. However, in times of affliction, those truths come with authority and bear the seal of Heaven upon them, and then they prevail. People develop a different perception of those truths than before. The words spoken by Saint Paul carried power in the hearts of the people, and they could not resist the Spirit with which Stephen spoke because he was full of faith and power.
Sometimes God speaks with such power that we cannot resist. We can observe the different spirits of people through the diverse ways a truth is presented to us or to others. Sometimes when God chooses to convince and work upon us, we are amazed. We wonder why we were not convinced before. There seems to be such great power in the truth that we cannot withstand it. What was the reason? The same can be seen in others. Two individuals may hold the same principles, have the same intentions, and upright hearts, yet they cannot agree on the same thing because it is presented to one person in one way, and they see it clearly, while it is presented to another person in a
different way, and they cannot see it. This should teach us to be patient when dealing with those who do not see things clearly. Just as when we encounter a lock for which we do not have the right key, we do not immediately discard it. We consider that there may be some dust in it, so we remove it and try again. If it still doesn't open, we think maybe we didn't insert the key correctly—either too far or not far enough. If it still doesn't open, we consider that we may not have turned it the right way. We try again, applying more force this time. If it still doesn't open, we think perhaps we don't have the right key, and we try another one that might open it. We continue to make attempts because we are reluctant to give up on the lock. We think maybe there is a ward in the lock that is slightly bent and would need to be fixed, or perhaps the key itself is bent. Rather than discarding it, we would repair the key, thinking that maybe we bent a ward ourselves. A person will exhaust all possible reasoning before abandoning the lock. Similarly, when you encounter others with differing opinions, do not dismiss them immediately. Reason with them in various ways because there is much significance in how we engage people's spirits and communicate truths to them. It is not solely the evidence of a truth that is enough to convince; it is also the manner in which the truth is presented. This is the second reason for the differences in people's spirits.
Reason 3:
The third reason is that sometimes the graces of individuals do not shine as brightly and purely as they do at other times. It is like when you kindle a fire, initially there is a lot of smoke and little brightness, but if you wait, the smoke will dissipate and the fire will burn brightly. Similarly, in the graces of men and women, there can be a lot of corruption when grace is first kindled, but as grace continues and works to remove that corruption, it burns more clearly. Just as
the rising sun may be obscured by mist in the morning, but as it ascends higher, it consumes the mist and shines brightly. Likewise, when children are young, they may exhibit many negative traits, but as they grow and their natural strength develops, those traits diminish, and they become more active and lively. Similarly, even though the godly may lack the disposition of heart to do as much for God as they should, when grace burns more clearly within them, they are able to do so.
Reason 4:
Fourthly, just as grace is initially mixed and sometimes weak, with its parts and components not fully consolidated and strengthened, so too are Christians in their early stages. Like an infant exposed to cold weather, they may not be able to endure certain hardships, but as they grow and become stronger, they are able to bear them. Young plants may not withstand frost initially, but as they mature, they become more resilient. In the same way, new believers are like children who are easily swayed by various teachings until they grow stronger. As Jesus did not call his disciples to fasting and praying initially, recognizing that these were demanding duties for them while they were weak, he used the analogy of new wine not being put into old wineskins or new cloth being sewn onto an old garment. The meaning is that uncertain duties should not be imposed on people's spirits. Fasting and prayer are indeed duties, but individuals need to grow stronger before engaging in them. As people become stronger, they become more suitable for duty, service, and suffering.
Reason 5:
The fifth reason is that sometimes our hearts are filled with more heavenly consolation than at other times, refreshing the souls of God's people like new wine, enabling them to face any task like giants
and endure challenges. When a person's heart has been warmed by sin and they have taken pleasure in it, they can easily cast it aside when someone speaks against it. Similarly, when God's people have been invigorated by performing their duties and their spirits are refreshed in God's way, they approach their responsibilities with great resolution. Mr. Saunders, a martyr, said that the difference in him was due to God's refreshing his spirit, experiencing the consolation of God not only in his soul but also flowing into his body.
This filled him with courage. In the stories I have read about Scotland, Mr. Knox reports an account of a young man of eighteen who was martyred under the Bishop of Glasgow. Initially, he was greatly afraid and considered recanting, but at that moment, God's spirit came powerfully upon him. He fell to his knees and praised
God, acknowledging His great mercy and the comfort of heaven filling his heart. He declared his freedom from the fears that had oppressed his soul and expressed readiness despite any opposition.
At times, God fills the hearts of His people with profound consolations, and this makes a significant difference.
Reason 6:
The sixth reason is that sometimes the movements of God's Spirit, not only in consolation but also in assistance, come more fully than at other times. The Spirit of God blows where it pleases and when it pleases (John 3:8). Sometimes it comes more abundantly, and sometimes more sparingly. As Mr. Glover experienced, even though he was downcast before, when he was at the stake, he cried out to his friend Austin, "He is come, he is come." Similarly, with Samson, the miraculous work of God's Spirit would come upon him at times, and then he would be strong. In a spiritual sense, the Spirit of God comes upon His people, and then they become strong, even if they were weak before (Isaiah 59:19). When the enemy comes in like a flood,
the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard against him. So, when a strong temptation arises like a flood that threatens to overwhelm, the Spirit of the Lord raises a standard and provides abundant assistance.
Reason 7: The seventh reason is that sometimes a person sees their call to duty or suffering much more clearly than at other times, and that brings forth greater strength. Just as Moses saw a clearer call to stand against Pharaoh and all his enemies, there is often deceit in the hearts of people when they are reluctant to face trouble, and they cannot be convinced of their calling. Let us be cautious of this deceit.
Question: What should we do to guard against this deceit?
Answer:
1. When there is work to be done, whether in performing difficult tasks or enduring hardships, if you say, "I do not see the Lord calling me," examine your heart again and honestly ask yourself if you do not see the Lord's call.
2. Another rule to observe is this: If you have postponed service or suffering based on the belief that you were not clearly called, examine whether you find your heart as active and lively in all other services as before. Usually, if people, out of laziness and reluctance to endure hardships, postpone the call of God, their hearts will become more lifeless and sluggish in other areas. If you maintain your zeal in all other things, then even if you do not do what others expect of you, it is a comforting indication that you have postponed it because your call was not clear, not out of laziness.
3. Finally, you can take a course of action where your sluggishness gains nothing from it. For example, take advantage of your heart's inclination. If you cannot see that you are called to a particular duty that requires enduring hardships, and thus you have spared yourself from it, let your sluggishness and the dullness of your heart gain nothing. Instead, exert yourself even more in those duties that you are sure you are called to. If our hearts are in this state, we can find comfort knowing that it is not due to our sluggishness.
Reason 8:
The eighth reason is that there can be a significant difference in terms of a person's bodily temperament, especially for those who are sickly and weak. They may find themselves greatly disinclined towards what is good at one time and more inclined at another time.
However, this does not necessarily indicate a decay of grace but rather the influence of their natural disposition.
Reason 9:
The ninth reason is that there can be a great disparity in the spirits of individuals due to the varying occurrences of God's providence.
Sometimes God guides them through His eye (Psalm 32:8), which is different from His guidance through His word. His eye represents a providential occurrence that serves to encourage them. Depending on the different encouraging providences of God, there can be significant variations in their spirits. Just as in the case of sin, individuals may find everything aligning perfectly for their sinful desires, similarly, God's people may experience the providence of God aligning perfectly to encourage them, and this creates a difference in their spirits.