Thomas Goodwin · 2 of 23

THE WORDS PARAPHRASED

We have in these words a true believer in his worst, and natural men in their best condition, set forth together unto our view; and withal, the power of true faith, as it alone upholdeth him in the saddest hour of darkness that can befal him,—opposed unto and compared with the falseness of their presumptuous confidence in their greatest security, together with the different supports of either,—the one in the tenth verse, and the other in the eleventh.

First, Take a true believer, who hath had the least beam of the light of the glory of God which shines in the face of Christ let in upon his soul, and his heart so taken with that sight as it became eternally divorced from all things here below, and resolved to adventure all his future hopes of comfort and happiness in the enjoyment of that light of God’s countenance alone; which, that he may enjoy, he feareth to offend the Lord more than Hell; and endeavoureth as truly to obey the voice of his servants as ever he desires to attain unto that happiness. Think with yourselves, What is the worst thing, next to the eternal loss of God, really and indeed, that can be supposed to befal this man? What is worse than to have that cranny through which he first espied that beam, to be as it were quite shut up, the light of God's countenance withdrawn, yea, all light and appearance to him of his own graces withheld and overclouded; the face of Heaven so overcast with darkness, that neither sun-light nor star-light appeareth to him, so as he hath no light: yea, further, finds his soul beset and besieged round with all the powers of Hell and darkness, and the terrors of the Almighty shot into his soul;—and he thus quite left, walking in this darkness, is filled with strong fears and jealousies that God is not his God; nay, questioning whether he ever will be,—yea, apprehending by the wrath he feels, God to be become his enemy. All this is set forth to us here as the very estate of one who feareth the Lord and obeys him; and is comprehended in these words, That walketh in darkness and hath no light. You see him at his worst.

In such forlorn condition, what is there to be found to relieve and support this man? But only one thing, which is here held forth to him, The name of the Lord, for him to trust and stay himself upon;—both that name of God, The Lord God, gracious and merciful (Exod. xxxiv. 6.) &c. and that name of Christ, which is called Jehovah, our righteousness. Jer. xxiii. 0. Both or either of which, he, by the naked hand of Faith laying hold upon, may now make use of, as of a staff (as David compares it, in Psalm xxiii. 4.) whilst he thus walks in darkness and through the valley of the shadow of death, safely to trust and stay himself upon, so as, in the end, to come forth, to see light in God's sight for evermore. You see likewise the prop of his soul in this condition.

On the contrary, let us behold (as all are here called to do) the best and most secure of unregenerate men encompassed about with all means and supports of confidence and comfort, whether of legal righteousness of their own (which these Jews made boast of) together with the addition of all worldly and outward comforts; both which the prophet here compares to fire and sparks, as preserving light and comfort in them. As let their lives and natural dispositions abound with ever so many sparks of legal righteousness, which themselves have kindled,—for so he compares all those several acts and performances of natural and acquired righteousness, struck out and educed from the powers of natural principles improved, which make a great blaze in a man’s own opinion and esteem, which yet, not proceeding from the Holy Ghost baptizing them as with fire, and renewing them; nor from internal principles of regeneration, which Christ compares to fire (Mark ix. ult.)—are all in God’s account but as a sacrifice offered up with strange fire, which was forbidden, and are here said to be of their own kindling; and such were the sparks, in the light of which these Jews walked, who went about to establish their own righteousness, and with confidence trusted therein, and not on the name of the Lord. Further, Let these men be surrounded and encompassed about with the greatest splendor of worldly glory, and abound in all those good things this world can afford them (the comforts whereof Solomon in like manner compares to a fire of thorns; and the pleasures of it to the crackling of thorns, as here to sparks); and let them keep ever so good fires to warm and cheer themselves withal, lay on as much every day as shall even encompass them about with sparks; and in the light and confidence of both these, let them walk for many years,—despising that other poor believer who feareth to be found in his own righteousness, and refuseth to be comforted by any of these; yet let them know, says Christ, who is brought in as the speaker here, that when they have thus walked presumptuously and securely, and even walked themselves weary (Isaiah xl. 13.) weary of all their own ways and pleasures, as they will be one day; and then at their death-beds think to lie down and rest them. They shall lie down indeed, says Christ; and their bed shall be of my making and providing. This you shall have of my hand,—you shall lie down,—but in a bed of sorrow and despair; in which they shall lie down, never to rise again.