2. In the most sinking and dark times their great duty is to trust in the Lord.
3. They that fear God and obey him are most encouraged to trust in him.
For the first point, that God's people may sometimes be in such a condition as to walk in darkness and see no light.
First, I will open this helpless and hopeless condition, which is here expressed by ' walking in darkness,' and ' seeing no light.'
1. In the general, it noteth great afflictions and dangers, which light upon the church and people of God ; as Lam. iii. 2, * He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light ; ' that is, into a very afflicted condition.
2. It noteth the continuance and increase of affliction, when our night still groweth darker, and all means of relief are utterly invisible to us : Isa. lix. 9, 'We wait for light, but behold obscurity ; for bright- ness, but we walk in darkness.' It doth not only overtake them, but they had waited long for a change of condition.
3. When we are perplexed and embrangled in our troubles, and miss the true way of support under them. We are said to walk in darkness when we want either the light of direction or consolation.
[1.] The light of direction; and this with respect either to the understanding of our outward and common affairs, or with respect to our duty towards God under such afflictions.
(1.) As to the understanding or right management of our common affairs ; being troubled and amazed, we are not able to take any good counsel and advice : Isa. lix. 10, ' We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes ; we stumble at noon-day as in the night.' So Job v. 14, ' They met with darkness in the day-time, and grope in the noon-day as in the night.' It is a great judgment of God upon a people when counsel is perished from them, and they have not
52 SERMON UPON ISAIAH L. 10.
the judgment of ordinary men. It is threatened as a punishment on the disobedient : Dent, xxviii. 29, ' Thou shalt grope at noon-day as the Wind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways, and thou shalt only be oppressed and spoiled evermore, and none shall save thee.' Now thus it often befalleth the people of God for their disobedience ; they know not what course to take for their common safety.
(2.) The next is a greater evil, when we understand not our duty towards God, and the reason of our troubles. It is some comfort to a child of God when he knoweth his duty under such a condition ; a speaking rod, though it be snaart, is more comfortable than a dumb rod : Ps. xciv. 12, ' Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, and teachest him out of thy law.' Our advantage cometh not by l)eing afflicted, but by being instructed in our afflictions, when the rod maketh us tractable and pliable to God's counsel: Job xxxvi. 10, ' He openeth their ears to discipline ;' and ver. 15, ' He openeth their ears in oppression.' It is the property of beasts to feel the smart of the rod, but men especially. Good men should know the use of the rod. Our condition is not altogether dark when God hath humbled and instructed his people under his chastenings, that they may get good by their chastenings ; but when they are still in the dark as to the reason and end of their troubles, it is the more grievous.
[2.] When we want the light of consolation, and that two ways — eitlier by present experience of God's love, or hopes of future deliverance.
(1.) As to present experience of God's love: Kom. v. 3-5, 'And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope ; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.' It is promised to the upright that light shall arise to them in obscurity : Ps. cxii. 4, ' Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness.' Now it is very sad and afflicting to them when they cannot get a comfortable and satisfactory sight of God's love to them, or presence with them, or mind- fulness of them in their afflictions, but he hideth himself from them. This is the bitterest ingredient in their sorrows, that God hideth his face from them ; they should not else resent so much other sorrows. The favour of God is the godly man's clioice : Ps. iv, 6, 7, * Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and wine increased.' And their life : Ps. xxx. 5, ' In his favour is life ; ' and therefore they cannot but be most affected with the sense of the want of it. This is the trouble of their trouble, and maketh their darkness to become thick darkness.
(2.) As to future deliverance, when they cannot look through the cloud of present trouble with any hope of relief, or have not any pro- bable appearance of any good issue : Ps. Ixxiv, 9, ' We see not our signs ; there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.' This is very sad. Troubles that have an end are the better borne ; but when we are altogether puzzled when we think of a remedy and an escape, then we are overwhelmed, like a