103. Chapter 98: Spiritual Deadness
------------ CHAPTER NINETY-EIGHT ------------
Spiritual Deadness[Note: The Dutch word is “dodigheid,” which refers to a deathlike state of insensibility, rather than the state of death.]
Believers are subject to many changes in all aspects of spiritual life. This is also true in respect to a lively or lifeless spiritual frame. By nature, man is entirely dead and estranged from divine life. He has a heart of stone, and at the very best has a stony heart which is not capable of bearing fruit. Some harden their heart and render it more insensitive than was previously the case. By continually heaping sin upon sin and going contrary to their conscience, they sear, so to speak, their conscience with a hot iron, and cause their heart, now having become fully calloused, to be immovable. In regeneration God removes that heart of stone and grants a heart of flesh in its stead, making it both tender and sensitive. As spiritual life, however, can at times be feeble, likewise there can be but a small measure of spiritual sensitivity in the beginning of spiritual life. One will then not be troubled about many of his secret faults, and there will be but little grief about the absence of great spiritual blessings. Thus, when comparing an immature Christian with a mature Christian, one would think that the immature Christian is in a lifeless condition, whereas comparatively speaking they (when considering their level of maturity) are more lively than mature Christians at certain occasions. For those who have made some progress in spiritual life do backslide in regard to their liveliness, and at times become subject to deadness. Even the most eminent Christian sometimes experiences this for a brief season. It can be that at the outset of his prayer he is in an entirely dead frame -- insensitive and without inner motions. As he perseveres, however, he regains his prior liveliness. It can also be, after beginning in a lively manner, that toward the middle or the end he is overcome by such a pervasive deadness that he must desist. This can also take place in regard to the Lord’s Supper and other circumstances. Occasionally deadness will prevail for a long time, however, and become the habitual disposition of the soul. It is this disposition that we wish to discuss here. Five matters will be discussed: 1) the fact that believers do come into such a condition of deadness; 2) its causes; 3) its nature and consequences; 4) a word of encouragement for those who are in such a condition; and 5) some guidance relative to this issue.
Believers Do Experience Deadness That believers do come into such a condition is evident:
(1) From specific passages in which this condition is identified by various terms, such as:
(i) hardening: “O Lord, why hast Thou ... hardened our heart from Thy fear?” (Isaiah 63:17); “Have ye your heart yet hardened?” (Mark 8:17);
(ii) slumber: “I sleep, but my heart waketh” (Song of Solomon 5:2); “They all slumbered and slept” (Matthew 25:5);
(iii) heartlessness: “... therefore my heart faileth me” (Psalms 40:12); “Ephraim also is like a silly dove without heart” (Hosea 7:11);
(iv) barrenness: “My heart is smitten, and withered like grass” (Psalms 102:4);
(v) deadness: “I am as a man that hath no strength: free among the dead” (Psalms 88:4-6).
(2) From the prayer of saints for liveliness: “Quicken Thou me according to Thy word” (Psalms 119:25).
(3) From warnings relative to this: “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:13).
(4) From exhortations: “Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light” (Ephesians 5:14).
Add to this the experiences of so many of the godly concerning whom you have either read or heard. From all of this you can perceive that no one should consider it strange when he also comes into this condition. So many of God’s children have experienced this, as it is God’s way to lead His children by way of deadness to a lively condition. Its Causes
There are various causes for this. First, deadness sometimes issues forth from the indwelling corruption of the residual old nature. There is much of the stony heart that still resides in the regenerate, and the old nature is averse to spiritual life and its activity. The regenerated man subdues this and proceeds with his activity. However, at times a man’s dead nature will again assert itself, and bring spiritual life into bondage. It will pervade all the faculties of the soul and overwhelm the soul with its deadly stench. And thus both life and liveliness rapidly lose ground and are weakened as far as their disposition is concerned. Wherever spiritual life declines, deadness will increase.
Secondly, when we do not rightly value spiritual life -- however feeble it may be -- nor cherish it, but yield to lusts; when we do not give proper attention to lesser sins; when we fall from the one sin into the other; and when we frequently commit the same sin so that we become accustomed to it, our conscience will then become more insensitive, and that insensitivity will expand more and more. Furthermore, if more blatant sins are committed by which the conscience is ravaged, deep wounds will be inflicted upon the soul which will cause her to be mortally ill -- particularly when the Lord withholds His gracious influences because of these sins. All of this cannot but engender deadness, which frequently is not noticed until we have come so far that we have lost our strength to recover and we become sensible of our insensitivity.
Thirdly, unbelief concerning our spiritual state causes despondency, despondency listlessness, and listlessness discouragement. By these steps we arrive at deadness. We often actively stimulate unbelief and oppose faith. We advance every argument to come to the conclusion that we are without grace, acting as if we had then gained a victory. We then neglect to receive Christ in all simplicity and to entrust our soul and salvation to Him. Since faith is the means whereby one lives spiritually, one shall most certainly be overcome with deadness if faith, instead of being exercised, is suppressed.
Fourthly, erroneous ideas concerning spiritual life are very conducive to bring about deadness. Some are not aware of the fact that spiritual life consists in the enjoyment of union with God through Christ, and that it manifests itself in the conscious yearning of the heart after God, in being united with His will, and in conducting ourselves as being in the presence of God. Instead, such only take notice of the emotions and the sensible motions within, and the clear revelations of God to the soul. They consider only this to be the manifestation of life. If they do not perceive this -- which will very frequently be the case -- they then imagine themselves to be dead (or at the very best suffer from deadness), whereas it is possible that neither of the two is the case. However, the cherishing of such thoughts will indeed cause them to come into a state of deadness.
Fifthly, deadness is frequently caused by neglecting to acquaint ourselves with God and continually staying near to Him as being the only delight of our soul -- by the neglect of or a casual observance of our scheduled devotional times, doing so more to satisfy the conscience, than to exercise fellowship with God and to strive for increase in spiritual life. Also a spiritless ministry contributes to this in no small measure. Such a ministry leads us astray more than leading us further; it leads to the espousal of error. It can also be due to a lack of direction from and having no fellowship with, the godly. When glowing coals are joined together, they will show forth a lively glow. Upon being separated from each other, however, they will be extinguished and will find themselves in the midst of ashes. This is also true here. Someone who has a melancholy and despondent disposition will also be very vulnerable to spiritual deadness. This will also occur when we are too busy and have too many temporal concerns in either our family or vocation. This will be true when we are overwhelmed by an enduring cross; when we cleave too much to the creature, the godly, ministers, and the goods of this world; or when we are too prosperous in this world.
Sixthly, it pleases the Lord, who is sovereign and holy in all His ways, sometimes to withdraw the normal influences of His Holy Spirit whereby we are made lively. He never engenders hardness of heart, as this would be contrary to His holiness, and He never removes the propensity of spiritual life. He does withhold His operations, however, leaving a person, so to speak, to fend for himself, although He secretly preserves and sustains spiritual life. Furthermore, He gives the enemies within and without free reign to assault spiritual life. He then brings a person in such circumstances that his life is besieged round about, loses its vigor, and the residual hardness of the heart gains the upper hand. Its Nature and Consequences The nature and consequences of deadness are as follows:
(1) Its nature pertains to spiritual matters. We can be in a lively frame, perform our calling in a lively manner, interact with people, and be busy with all manner of temporal affairs -- and yet be dead and insensitive to spiritual matters.
(2) Such deadness and insensitivity are not a total deprivation of spiritual life and feeling, for spiritual life will permanently remain in believers. Rather, it is a partial deadness, and that in respect to both measure and time. The one may recede to a lower level than the other, and the same person may at one time be more lifeless than at other times. Yes, there can even be brief intermissions in which someone, who generally suffers from deadness, can be very tender, sensible, and lively, and is thus of the opinion that he has been delivered from it. It is, however, but a ray of sunlight on a dark and cloudy day in order that he may be supported for that which he must still endure.
(3) This deadness does not consist in an absence of sensible emotions, but in the coldness and lethargy of the intelligent will. The person who suffers from deadness retains his spiritual knowledge; he perceives spiritual matters in their essential nature -- however, from afar. He wishes to be lively and sensible, but that is then nearly all. As long as someone is able to exercise his intelligent will with composure, he ought not to complain about deadness. Even though there is not a sensible involvement of the affections, his activity may nevertheless be of a more spiritual nature than when his affections functioned in a much more feeling manner. If, however, his acquaintance with spiritual matters does not stir up love in his heart; if the heart closes up when he either thinks of spiritual matters or decides to practice them; if he is listless and lethargic in the performance of a duty (or consequently neglects it); if everything is but as a daydream and, so to speak, but a mental image; and if this is not only true for a short season, but rather is a long and prevailing tendency; if he thus has forgotten all that is good, there only being left a sensitivity about his insensitivity, and a spending of his days in a languishing frame -- that constitutes deadness and insensitivity.
Fourthly, let us consider the consequences of deadness. Those who previously had a tender heart; who were able to weep sweet tears before the countenance of God either due to love, a yearning within, the missing of God’s lovely countenance, or their corruptions, have now a cold heart. The eye cannot shed one tear. The heart cannot bring forth one feeling sigh; instead, everything is, so to speak, of stone. They who previously could live only in the friendly presence of the Lord are now roaming about far from what was their life and love. When they come to the Word of God, which previously was so lively and efficacious, it appears to be but a dead letter. The promises do not encourage, and the threats do not trouble them. The rebukes only make them harder, and the exhortations do not move them. Under the ministry of the Word they are not attentive, and their thoughts flit about from one thing to the next -- yes, focus even purposely upon some vain thing near at hand. Whatever they hear does not penetrate their heart, and they leave church as they came -- yes, even worse than when they came. If they set themselves to pray (which previously was a delight), they collapse as a wet rag. There is neither reverence before God nor humility toward Him. Or else they will arise and depart, as they cannot utter a word. Or it can be that some matters are brought forth void of any earnestness or longing to attain them, doing so more intellectually than with the heart. It seems as if heaven is no longer desirable, damnation no longer deters, and the matters of inner peace, comfort, love, a watching over their souls, sin, and virtue no longer have any effect upon them. The company of those godly persons who are lively is a burden to them, and love for the godly has grown cold. They want to be alone and avoid company. They only want to be with those who are also in a state of deadness, so that by each other’s wretched complaints they even increase their deadness. Not only is there no desire for the Lord’s Supper, but they are fearful of it. They either abstain, or, by much wrestling of the conscience, are brought that far that they are resolved to attend. They are not able to prepare themselves, even though the greatest inner stirrings will occur around this time. Hardly any hunger or thirst is to be detected. When they receive the Lord Jesus by faith -- yes, surrender themselves -- they do not believe that they have been received by Him. Upon having attended the holy table, the fruit will be that they frequently think that they have eaten and drunk damnation unto themselves. If they have been somewhat enlivened during either the preparation or reflection, they readily return to a barren and dead frame. They hardly find delight in anything, except their insensitivity. They are as those who become faint and at that time would rather wish that they be left alone. The means which are used either to prevent further fainting or to revive them cause them to grieve. They also do not react very well to being aroused out of that sleep. They do not believe that restoration is to be expected for them. They deem themselves not to have been elected, to be without either life or grace, and to be subject to the wrath of God. They believe that they will perish forever. This closes up their heart even more, even though there is apprehension and fear. In one word, it is a deplorable condition -- a condition which is even more wretched since all the means of grace are ineffective for them, and all the help of men is vain. However, the Lord knows, secretly sustains, and will once more revive them.
Encouragement for Those Who Suffer from Deadness Fifthly, we shall encourage those who suffer from such deadness.
Even though all the means are ineffectual due to their lack of strength; and even though those who are in a dead frame have a secret aversion for all comfort and encouragement (as a sick person for medicine), the Lord nevertheless uses means when He is pleased to revive a person suffering from deadness. Furthermore, there is yet a desire in such a person to be restored if there were, somehow, counsel and hope for him. The most effective method is to show him that being in such a condition is not a sign of being without grace, and that marks of grace are also to be detected in that condition.
First, to that end it ought to be known that the Lord permits many of His dear children to come into this condition. Those whom He wishes to establish most and use to the benefit of others are made subject to the severest trials and led by Him into this condition. He does this to make known to them what they are and what their ability amounts to when the Lord withdraws His Spirit; thus He will always keep them small and humble. He does this so that they may esteem grace all the more, and not be too dependent upon feelings. Rather, He wants them to live by faith, deem the Word of God more precious, and rest upon it with more confidence. He wants to teach them not to judge others who come into such a condition, but conduct themselves wisely toward those who are in such misery by supporting them. Therefore, do not consider it to be strange when you come into such a condition, but rather that it is the Lord’s way, and that He will cause it to be to your best advantage.
Secondly, if you come before the Lord with composure, being fearful of ungratefully denying received grace (which is a blot upon the goodness of God), you will yet be able to perceive that you have grace. Therefore, consider the following matters together, and you will be able to come to a conclusion about yourself.
(1) Reflect for a moment upon former days. Consider your previous convictions, sensitivity, earnestness, tears, and supplications; your looking unto and receiving of the Lord Jesus, sorrow over sin, sweet enjoyment of the Word of God, tender walk before the Lord -- and perhaps also your peace, joy, and assurance. You know indeed that you have enjoyed all these things prior to this, and you know furthermore that all God’s callings and gifts are without repentance. Even if you are not able to reflect upon these matters in as lively a manner as when you previously enjoyed them, you know nevertheless that all these things cannot proceed from nature and that therefore they are the operations of the Spirit. You would believe with all your heart that they in whom these matters are to be found in truth are in a state of grace.
(2) And regarding the present, are you not acquainted with the Lord as He reveals Himself in the work of redemption? Are you not acquainted with the Lord Jesus in the execution of His suretyship? Are you not acquainted with the frame of a gracious person; that is, the light he receives, the functioning of his faith, his aversion for sin, his love for God, his godly walk before God’s countenance, and his desire to serve God in a manner pleasing to Him? Are you not acquainted with all this, approving of and esteeming it -- and are you not desirous to be thus? When you compare natural men at their best, and gracious persons at their worst, do you not know this difference to be as great as day and night? Does not your heart go out after the little ones in grace, and does not your soul have an aversion for natural men -- even when they are at their very best? Judge now whether someone can perceive of this approvingly in the absence of spiritual light.
(3) Even if your inner motions are presently sluggish, lethargic, and barren, are they nevertheless not there -- namely, displeasure about your condition, and a desire to be lively in all spiritual exercises, and for the benefits of the covenant of grace? Are you not sensitive to your insensitivity -- not primarily because you fear judgment, but because you are so barren and dead in spiritual things? Is not your deadness your greatest burden? What is able to comfort your soul -- something temporal, or is it only God in Christ? Wherever there is feeling, there is life. Since you are therefore sensitive to your spiritual deadness, is not this then an indication that you have life? We are not examining you as to how strong and lively all this is, but rather as to the genuineness of it all.
(4) Are you entirely void of the activities and exercises of godliness, or are there yet sighs, prayers, and a fleeing to Jesus for reconciliation and power to be invigorated again? Do you yet have intermittent seasons when you are sensitive and utter heartfelt prayers with strong crying and tears? If you have to respond in the affirmative, albeit restlessly, due to the small measure, and this liveliness readily disappears, you must nevertheless conclude that there is life. When a sick person still moves his hand and head, yet breathes, and still has a pulse, then he is yet alive. Such is also the case here. Consider all this together and draw the conclusion from this that you possess life; and if you possess life, have courage, for it will not perish. The Lord will by renewal make you lively. A Final Directive for Those Who Suffer from Spiritual Darkness The sixth directive for those who are in a dead frame is that restoration is not to be accomplished by might or power. Such a person is also not capable of exerting himself. Therefore, I can only suggest such matters which are able to enliven the heart by a calm reflection and meditation of the heart.
First, you are acquainted with the sorrowful condition of lifeless insensitivity. You still can remember and bring before you a lively and active frame, and it is thus not necessary for me to deter you by the one and to stir you up by the other. I only counsel you to consider both conditions quietly. As you focus upon this, permit it to stir your heart; that is, as much as it pleases the Lord. You are but to observe.
Secondly, listen to the knocking and arousing voice of the Lord Jesus and reflect upon the words of the bride: “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to Me, My sister, My love, My dove, My undefiled: for My head is filled with dew, and My locks with the drops of the night.” She, being in no condition to arise, says, “My beloved put in His hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for Him. ... My soul failed when He spake” Song of Solomon 5:2
Thirdly, esteem very highly the least stirring of the Holy Spirit, as well as those stirrings you have enjoyed previously. Do not strive against it; it will cause such stirring to cease. Rather, acknowledge that this has been true grace, for that will invigorate this spiritual motion. It can indeed not harm you if you acknowledge this to be grace, for it leads you to the Lord. Also highly esteem the least motions which you still detect daily. Consider them to be the supporting and stirring workings of the Spirit, as well as the activity of spiritual life which is suppressed within you and wishes to break through. Thank the Lord for it. You were the unwilling one; otherwise you would have had these stirrings, and would still have them. Quietly yield to them as much as the Lord enables you to.
Fourthly, persevere in the use of the means, even if you do not benefit from them at all; it will not be fruitless. Even if you do not notice this, it still sustains spiritual life, and it occasionally begets sweet and sensitive motions, keeps you near to the Lord, and will yet be a means to your restoration. Listen, read, pray, sing, and have discussions, doing so as one who is powerless and entirely destitute, and as a means which the Lord has sanctified to work thereby. Even if you find this to be difficult, and the flesh would prefer to perpetuate the slumber, pull yourself together and engage yourself in this manner. Permit the Lord to work by means of these things and you will experience that the Lord will make His promises true to you. He will make you glad according to the days wherein you have been afflicted, and the years wherein you have seen evil. And your doxology will be, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined unto me, and heard my cry” (Psalms 40:1).