Dead and dark seasons

All Christians, even the most eminent servants
of God, have their dead and dark seasons--when
the life of God seems sunk to so low an ebb as to
be hardly visible--so hidden is the stream by the
mud-banks of their fallen nature.

By these very dark and dead seasons, the people
of God are instructed. They see and feel what 'the
flesh' really is--how alienated from the life of God;
they learn in whom all their strength and sufficiency
lie; they are taught that in them, that is, in their flesh,
dwells no good thing; that no exertions of their own
can maintain in strength and vigor the life of God; and
that all they are, and have--all they believe, know, feel,
and enjoy--with all their ability, usefulness, gifts, and
grace--flow from the pure, sovereign grace--the rich, free,
undeserved, yet unceasing goodness and mercy of God!

They learn in this hard school of painful experience, their
emptiness and nothingness--and that without Christ they
can do nothing. They thus become clothed with humility,
that rare, yet lovely garb; cease from their own strength
and wisdom; and learn experimentally that Christ is, and
ever must be, all in all to them, and all in all in them.

J. C. Philpot

"Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we
are not ignorant of his devices." 2 Corinthians 2:11

"Ah!" says Satan, "It is but a little sin--a little pride,
a little worldliness, a little lust, etc. You may commit it
without any danger to your soul. It is but a little one;
you may commit it, and yet your soul shall live."

Consider, that there is great danger, yes, many times
most danger--in the smallest sins. "A little leaven leavens
the whole lump" (1 Cor. 5:6). If the serpent sneaks in his
head--he will draw in his whole body after him. Greater
sins do sooner startle the soul, and awaken and rouse
up the soul to repentance, than lesser sins do. Little sins
often slide into the soul, and breed, and work secretly and
indiscernibly in the soul, until they come to be so strong, as
to trample upon the soul, and to cut the throat of the soul.

Many are eternally killed and betrayed by the 'little sins',
as they call them, that are nourished in their own bosoms.

A little hole in the ship, sinks it.

A small breach in a dyke, carries away all before it.

A little stab at the heart, kills a man.

A little sin, without a great deal of mercy, will damn a man!

(Brooks "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices")

"O send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me." Psalm 43:3

The Christian is often dissatisfied with his state. He
is well aware of the shallowness of his attainments
in the divine life, as well as of the ignorance and the
blindness that are in him. He cannot perceive the path
of life. He sees and feels so powerfully the workings
of sin and corruption, that he often staggers, and is
perplexed in his mind.

And therefore, laboring under the feeling of . . .
his own shortcomings for the past,
his helplessness for the present,
and his ignorance for the future,
he wants to go forward wholly and solely
in the strength of the Lord, to be . . .
led,
guided,
directed,
kept,
not by his own wisdom and power—but by
the supernatural entrance of light and truth
into his soul.

When thus harassed and perplexed, he will at times
and seasons, as his heart is made soft, cry out with
fervency and importunity, as a beggar that will not
take a denial, "O send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me!" As though he would say, "Lord,
I feel my own utter helplessness! I know I must go
astray, if You do not condescend to guide me. I have
been betrayed a thousand times when I have trusted
my own heart. I have been entangled in my base
lusts. I have been puffed up by presumption. I have
been carried away by hypocrisy and pride. I have been
drawn aside into the world. I have never taken a single
step aright when left to myself. And therefore feeling
how unable I am to guide myself a single step of the
way, I come unto You, and ask You to send forth Your
light and Your truth, that they may guide me, for I
am utterly unable to lead myself."

The child of God—feeling his own ignorance, darkness,
blindness, and sinfulness—causes him to moan, and
sigh, and cry unto God—that he might be . . .
led every step,
kept every moment,
guided every inch.

"O send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me." Psalm 43:3

(J. C. Philpot, "Sending Out of Light and Truth" 1841)

(James Meikle, "A Secret Survey into the
State of the Soul")

My daily vain thoughts and errors who can
understand, for they are innumerable? Yet
my daily complaint is against them, "O who
shall deliver me from this body of death?"
and my continual struggle is to oppose them.

These things make me humble, and a daily
suppliant to free grace, and give a continued
demonstration of my own abominable vileness.

I daily fail, but I daily bewail myself, and
daily dip myself in the fountain opened for
sin and for uncleanness.

The path of spiritual declension
is a 'sloped plane', each step accelerating
the rapidity of the soul's descent.

It commences at the closet. The restraining
of prayer; especially private devotion; is the
first stage in the decay and declension of the
believer in the divine life.

Soon will follow the fascination and power of
the world; and when the world enters like a flood,
Christ and prayer and eternal realities are swept
before its impetuous torrent, then the gracious
soul is stranded upon the bleak, rock bound coast
of bitter remorse and dark despair.

(From Octavius Winslow's "Prayer Out of Soul Depths")