If the soul walks with God, it is not hardened, but is submissive, and there is no softer spirit, nor one which is more susceptible of every feeling, than a spirit of submission, for submission takes the will out of the affections without destroying them, and that is very precious. So it was with Christ — He felt everything. His tenderness was perfect, and yet how perfect His submissiveness!
How God exercises the heart by these things! It is not simply that the heart is tried by the sorrow itself, in which we can count on the most tender sympathy of Christ, but when the heart is thus brought into the presence of a God who is dealing with us, all our ways — all the interior of our heart — all His ways with us and His appeals to us often in such cases rise up within. If the will is unbroken and no clearness as to grace be known, a perplexed and anxious judgment ensues. If not this, often a humble and lowly judgment of self ensues, for the knowledge of grace makes us lowly, when it is real.
It is astonishing how much often remains as a sediment at the bottom of the heart, in a man mainly gracious in his life, which the rod of God stirs up when He thrusts it in, often underlying all the contents of the heart, yet always to be carried off by the living stream of the waters of His grace. In the heart are not merely faults, but a mass of unjudged materials of everyday life, a living under the influence of what is seen or unjudged affections of every kind.
All that is not up to the measure of our spiritual height is then judged in its true character, as connected with flesh before God. But it is not always so, nor wholly so, but it is always if there is a “need be.” God may visit us to bring out the sweet odor of His grace, not indeed even so without need, as the soul itself will own, for in such case it will feel the need of realizing all the communion, which in its closer character was hindered by that for which God is dealing with us. But when grace is fully known and there is submission, the practical result is, in fact, a sweet odor of willing bowing before God and others, and brings forth even thankfulness in the midst of sorrow. When this is real, it is very sweet.
He too is very present in it, and it is thus we make real progress in such exercises. It is astonishing what progress a soul sometimes makes in a time of sorrow. It has been much more with God, for indeed that alone makes us make progress.
There is much more confidence, quietness, absence of the moving of the will, much more walking with and dependence on Him, more intimacy with Him, and independence of circumstances, a great deal less between us and Him, and then all the blessedness that is in Him comes to act upon the soul and reflect in it, and oh how sweet that is! What a difference it does make in the Christian, who, perhaps, was blameless in his walk in general previously.
If the needed work can be done without the sorrow, He will not send the sorrow. We might even dread if it be needed. His love is far better than our will. Trust Him. He may well be trusted. He has given His Son for us and proved His love. Present your requests to Him. He would have us do it, and then lean fully on His love and wisdom. If He strikes, be assured He will give more than He takes away.
J. N. Darby, adapted
from a letter to a brother
whose wife was very ill