How to Have Peace in Every Circumstance — J.C. Ryle

J.C. Ryle, 

Bibles read without prayer,—sermons heard without prayer,—marriages contracted without prayer,—journeys undertaken without prayer,—residences chosen without prayer, —friendships formed without prayer,— the daily act of private prayer itself hurried over, or gone through without heart,—these are the kind of downward steps by which many a Christian descends to a condition of spiritual palsy, or reaches the point where God allows him to have a tremendous fall.

This is the process which forms the lingering Lots,— the unstable Samsons,—the wife idolizing Solomons, —the inconsistent Asas,—the pliable Jehoshaphats,— the over-careful Marthas,—of whom so many are to be found in the Church of Christ. Often the simple history of such cases is this, they became careless about private prayer. . .

We live in a world where sorrow abounds. This has always been its state since sin came in. There cannot be sin without sorrow. And till sin is driven out from the world, it is vain for any one to suppose he can escape sorrow.

Some without doubt have a larger cup of sorrow to drink than others. But few are to be found who live long without sorrows or cares of one sort or another. Our bodies, our property, our families, our children, our relations, our servants, our friends, our neighbours, our worldly callings, each and all of these are fountains of care. Sicknesses, deaths, losses, disappointments, partings, separations, ingratitude, slander, all these are common things. We cannot get through life without them. Some day or other they find us out. The greater are our affections the deeper are our afflictions, and the more we love the more we have to weep.

And what is the best receipt for cheerfulness in such a world as this? How shall we get through this valley of tears with least pain? I know no better receipt than the habit of taking everything to God in prayer.

This is the plain advice that the Bible gives, both in the Old Testament and in the New. What says the Psalmist? “Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” (Psalm 1. 15.) “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm lv. 22.) ‘What says the apostle Paul? “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil. iv. 6, 7.) What says the apostle James? “Is any afflicted among you? let him pray.”

This was the practice of all the saints whose history we have recorded in the Scriptures. This is what Jacob did when he feared his brother Esau. This is what Moses did when the people were ready to stone him in the wilderness. This is what Joshua did when Israel was defeated before Ai. This is what David did when he was in danger at Keilah. This is what Hezekiah did when he received the letter from Sennacherib. This is what the Church did when Peter was put in prison. This is what Paul did when he was cast into the dungeon at Philippi.

The only way to be really happy in such a world as this, is to be ever casting all our cares on God. It is the trying to carry their own burdens which so often makes believers sad. If they will only tell their troubles to God, He will enable them to bear them as easily as Samson did the gates of Gaza. If they are resolved to keep them to themselves, they will find one day that the very grasshopper is a burden.

There is a friend ever waiting to help us if we will only unbosom to Him our sorrow,—a friend who pitied the poor, and sick, and sorrowful, when He was upon earth,—a friend who knows the heart of man, for He lived thirty-three years as a man amongst us,—a friend who can weep with the weepers, for He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,—a friend who is able to help us, for their never was earthly pain He could not cure. That friend is Jesus Christ. The way to be happy is to be always opening our hearts to Him. . .

Jesus can make those happy who trust Him and call on Him, whatever be their outward condition. He can give them peace of heart in a prison,—contentment in the midst of poverty, —comfort in the midst of bereavements,—joy on the brink of the grave. There is a mighty fulness in Him for all His believing members, —a fulness that is ready to be poured out on every one that will ask in prayer. Oh! that men would understand that happiness does not depend on outward circumstances, but on the state of the heart.

Prayer can lighten crosses for us however heavy. It can bring down to our side one who will help us to bear them. Prayer can open a door for us when our way seems hedged up. It can bring down one who will say, “This is the way, walk in it.” Prayer can let in a ray of hope when all our earthly prospects seem darkened. It can bring down one who will say, “I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” Prayer can obtain relief for us when those we love most are taken away, and the world feels empty. It can bring down one who can fill the gap in our hearts with Himself, and say to the waves within, “Peace, be still.” Oh! that men were not so like Hagar in the wilderness, blind to the well of living waters close beside them!

taken from: J.C. Ryle, Home Truths: Being Miscellaneous Addresses and Tracts, Volume 2, 1859.

Peace of Conscience Before God

Over the past few weeks Dr. Joel Beeke and I have been teaming up to work our way through a portion of his massive new work A Puritan Theology. We have not been reading the whole book, but just the final eight chapters which deal with practical theology, the “so what?” of systematic theology.

This week we read chapter 57 which discusses the Puritans and casuistry. I asked Dr. Beeke a few questions related to the Puritans and this strange word that I had never encountered before.

TC: I guess we need to begin here: What is casuistry and why did the Puritans focus on it?

JB: Casuistry is teaching people how to know what God wants them to do in specific situations, and how to live with peace of conscience before God. It addresses particular “cases of conscience” or ethical and spiritual questions. The Reformation of the sixteenth century brought a renewed understanding of justification by faith alone and sanctification by the Holy Spirit, but these very doctrines raised questions such as, “How do I know if I have justifying faith?” or, “What does it mean to please God at my job?” Therefore the Puritans, as heirs of the Reformation, developed answers to such questions based upon the Word of God.

TC: What was the place of counseling for the Puritans? Was it something they did primarily in the corporate worship service or was it done one-on-one and in private?

JB: The answer is both. William Perkins, who wrote a foundational treatise on preaching, said that the preacher must apply the law and the gospel to the several specific spiritual conditions in which people find themselves. Someone who is ignorant and unteachable needs far different treatment than someone broken under the guilt of sin. Some listeners need milk, and others strong meat. Fifty years later the Westminster Assembly, in the Directory for the Publick Worship of God, said the minister “is not to rest in general doctrine,” but “to bring it home” in specific applications, including teaching the truth, refuting errors, exhorting for obedience, warning against sin, applying comfort, and directing self-examination. As a result of such an approach to preaching, Puritan sermons were full of practical counseling.

At the same time, the Puritans recognized that a pastor must counsel families and individuals in a more personal way. Some Puritans did more of this than others. John Owen said some people in a church will face particular spiritual difficulties, such as “the terror of the Lord” on those convicted but not yet converted, backsliding into sin after conversion, great and long-term afflictions, feeling abandoned by God, and horrible temptations from Satan. It is part of a pastor’s calling to understand their cases and the right spiritual medicines to heal them, to give such people attention and concern with patience and tenderness. Personal work is very fruitful both for comfort and rebuke. Richard Baxter said, “I have found by experience, that an ignorant sot that hath been an unprofitable hearer so long, hath got more knowledge and remorse of conscience in half an hour’s close discourse, than they did from ten year’s public preaching.” Preaching the Word is the primary means of grace, but personal counseling plays a significant role as well.

TC: Casuistry was a major emphasis for the Puritans, but it is not just the word that has faded—it is also the practice. What have we lost? What would we gain if we recovered it?

JB: We have nearly severed experience and practice from biblical doctrine. On the one hand, this has sometimes resulted in preaching that rests content in mere teaching or only the most general of applications. Congregations become teaching centers, producing Christians who are informed but do not know how to relate their experiences and particular battles for sanctification to the Word. A return to Puritan casuistry would make preaching much more practical. It would also display more of God’s wisdom, as people feel that “Aha! That’s me!” because their hearts resonate with how the Bible describes various spiritual experiences.

On the other hand, this divorce between the Christian heart and the Christian head has sometimes resulted in counseling that is not grounded in the sound doctrines of Scripture but instead follows secular psychology (with a few verses thrown in). Such counseling can become little more than affirming whatever someone feels, instead of speaking with authority to a person’s sorrows and sins. Puritan casuistry would make counseling more biblical. It would also display more of God’s authority and power, for He not only sympathizes, but also commands, judges, and sets the captives free. A Puritan example of such casuistical counseling can be found in William Bridge, A Lifting Up for the Downcast.

TC: One application you draw out is “be a preacher of the Word not a prober of feelings.” Why is this so important? How can a pastor ensure he is doing this?

JB: Certainly a pastor should ask questions about a person’s experiences, actions, and circumstances. He would be a fool to speak before he listens. But the pastor must never allow the world’s expectations of unconditional positive regard (or his own desire to please people) to make him into a sycophant and flatterer. Rather, the pastor is a messenger of the Lord of hosts (Mal. 2:7). He must command people to repent and believe the gospel because the kingdom of God is coming (Mark 1:15). He should ask himself, “Do my preaching and counseling apply both the law and the gospel? Is Christ the substance of it and supreme over all? Am I preparing souls for judgment day?” The idea that just talking about feelings brings resolution to difficulties is deeply mistaken. Repentance and faith must be exercised in the details or little changes.

TC: If a pastor or anyone else wanted to be counseled by the Puritans on casuistry, what would be the best books to turn to?

JB: Beginners could start with Thomas Brooks, Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices, a great help regarding specific cases of temptation, and, as I previously mentioned, William Bridge, A Lifting Up for the Downcast.

A broad view of Puritan casuistry for the Christian life may be found in Robert Bolton, General Directions for a Comfortable Walking with God.

More advanced readers who are ready to tackle seventeenth-century print would benefit from reading the classic Puritan text by William Ames, Conscience with the Power and Cases Thereof (digital or in print).

The summa of Puritan casuistry is Richard Baxter, The Christian Directory (out of print, but available in digital format), but one must read Baxter with watchfulness because he is in error in his views of the atonement and justification.

I highly recommend the regular reading of Puritan sermons such as those by Thomas Manton on Hebrews 11. One can learn a lot about biblical counseling simply by paying special attention to the applications (“uses”) in each sermon.

If you are reading along with us, be sure to read Chapter 58 (“Puritan Sacrificial Zeal”) by next Thursday. Then simply check in here to see what Dr. Beeke has to say about it.

The purpose of this project is to read classics together. Please feel free to leave a comment below or to provide a link to your own blog if you have discussed this week’s chapter there.

 

Do You Have True Peace With God?

There is no peace with God except through Christ! Peace is His peculiar gift. Peace is that legacy which He alone had power to leave behind Him when He left the world. All other peace beside this, is a mockery and a delusion. When hunger can be relieved without food, and thirst quenched without drink, and weariness removed without rest—then, and not until then, will people find peace without Christ. Now, is this peace your own? Bought by Christ with His own blood, offered by Christ freely to all who are willing to receive it—is this peace your own? Oh, rest not—rest not until you can give a satisfactory answer to my question, have you true peace with God?

~ J.C. Ryle

Tract: Justification