[0:00] The word I felt laid upon my mind, you will read the 42nd Psalm, the 11th verse.
[0:18] Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.
[0:42] The 42nd Psalm, the 11th verse. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me?
[0:55] Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.
[1:07] I hope that there may be some special purpose in my speaking upon this word this morning.
[1:18] Because it was not the scripture on which my mind was engaged in my meditation yesterday. But this morning, this word seemed to possess my mind, the word which the Lord would have me to speak in his name this morning.
[1:39] And I felt well. It may be that lately, the subjects that I have brought before you, although I hope they have been instructive and helpful, may not have met some cases in a very helpful way.
[2:02] I thought, what have I been preaching for months past? I hope that the ministry has been expository. I have endeavoured to set before you, as the Lord has helped me, the truth and teaching of those chapters from which I have spoken.
[2:22] I hope that perhaps there may be someone, I don't know, who may have been saying, well, that's all very well, that's all very true, it's all very instructive, that I wish that something could be said that would comfort my spirit, and revive me, and be a word in season to my burdened mind.
[2:47] Well, if that has been so, this may be the word this morning for such. It was said of the Lord Jesus, prophetically, that there would be given to him the tongue of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.
[3:12] And how often the Lord Jesus Christ did speak a word in season to weary hearts, we don't know, but we know that he did very often.
[3:27] And he had the tongue of the learned in these matters, for he had passed through so much himself, such deep waters, such strong temptations, he bore such heavy burdens, that if there was anyone who could speak a word in season, to him that is weary, it was Jesus Christ.
[3:53] And so, in some measure, I believe it is with the Lord's servants. The Lord gives them a word to speak, in season, for him that is weary.
[4:06] I'm not supposing that everyone who is spiritually minded in this congregation this morning is in the state of mind indicated in this text.
[4:20] I hope not. I wouldn't desire it, that everyone should feel cast down and disquieted in their heart.
[4:30] But it would be very surprising if no one ever felt like this, and felt that a word in season to comfort and relieve and uplift them was very acceptable.
[4:49] And so now, I will speak as the Lord may direct my mind and give me utterance. The word, as you see, implies a certain state of mind.
[5:05] The psalmist was not always in this state of mind. His experience with regard to the varied frames that prevailed in his spirit was very considerable.
[5:18] At times, he was filled with the high praises of God. At times, he was very much cast down. We're not in David's circumstances at all.
[5:33] At this time, David, for one thing, was debarred from the public means of grace and the worship of God and the assembly of the Lord's people.
[5:45] We are not in that case. We are favoured once more to tread the Lord's earthly court, to join together in worship, to sing his high praises, and to hear his most holy word.
[6:02] We should be thankful for that. David longed for such a privilege. His spirit was cast down within him as he remembered what happy seasons he had enjoyed in the house of God.
[6:16] when he had gone with the multitude there too, and as he thought of the voice of joy and praise, and how far he was removed from that spiritual blessing, it depressed him exceedingly.
[6:35] We are not in that case. David also would appear to have been at this time in that sad period of banishment that followed the insurrection of Absalom.
[6:53] We are not in that case either. But then, we don't need to be in David's circumstances to be in David's state of mind.
[7:04] There are so many causes causes for this so that in that particular it isn't a matter of the identity of circumstances but the identity of feelings.
[7:19] Now, the subject opens to my mind along these lines. we may regard this word first as being in the nature of an inquiry.
[7:35] Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me? And then we may regard it as being in the nature of an expostulation.
[7:51] David would expostulate with his soul with regard to this cast down and heavy frame. Why is it?
[8:03] And then we may regard it further as the expression of encouragement. David would say to his soul don't keep continually moaning over your condition hoping God it's a language of encouragement hope thou in God and then further it's the language of confidence for I shall yet praise him and lastly it's the language of assurance who is the health of my countenance and my God.
[8:43] See how it rises step by step it begins with his low and cast down and disquieted state then it rises to encouragement from encouragement to confidence and from confidence to assurance and he finishes on the highest possible note thou art my God now it would be a good hearing and profitable today if anyone who came this morning feeling in a low key might be lifted up during the day and feel tonight yes I to the end shall endure as sure the earnest is given more happy but not more secure are the glorified spirits in heaven what we often need is what I may describe as a clean lift out of ourselves well now we will take the subject along these lines and we must begin at the bottom why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me to be cast down is to be burdened depressed in a generally low state of spirit or upset agitated confused now why should this be for there must be some reason for this there's an inquiry as though
[10:28] David would say to his soul and the the composition of the text is rather striking David speaks to his soul as though there was a higher kind of element in David that could speak encouragingly to a lower element in David without without going into that too far I think we might see a distinction here between the soul and the spirit for there is a distinction between the soul and the spirit although I know that very often the terms are used interchangeably and the expression soul and the expression spirit does sometimes mean the same thing but when you get the two expressions together soul and spirit there's evidently a distinction by David's spirit
[11:33] I understand his spiritual nature by David's soul I understand his soul in the usual sense of the word it was like David's spiritual nature speaking to his soul and inquiring why there was this cast down and burden state but we will leave that and attend to the inquiry itself for to deal with the condition of our mind we need to make this inquiry like if you went to a physician he would say well now what are the symptoms what is the cause that you feel like this where is the pain now let us look at the condition why art thou cast down all my soul what is the cause of it well if I've asked the question
[12:39] I must answer it in different ways I will suggest causes for this low depressed state of mind of course there is this that some are especially cast down and disquieted because they are that way disposed they are of a heavy spirit of a fearful heart our constitutions brethren enter somewhat into this some people are bright and hopeful and buoyant the disposition of mind some people are otherwise we have that disposition of mind that we are born with and it makes some of us more liable to depression than others forever I won't leave it at that let me suggest some things then why art thou cast down all my soul now is it because you feel in a low spiritual state that your spiritual life has run down that there's not that liveliness in your soul spiritually that faith well it has become very low you seem not to be hardly to feel any comfort through believing and prayer as one said too seems alone you know that you ought to pray that it's good to pray that it's wrong not to pray but you feel low with regard to your spirit you feel burdened because for one reason or another you feel that you're in a low spiritual state now mind this is something we ought to take note of we ought not to go on like this month in and month out year in and year out in a low spiritual state we ought to inquire into the matter why is it so if it is a low spiritual state that burdens one's mind what has brought us into it has there been some indulgence that is grieving to the Holy
[15:23] Spirit is it a backsliding state we've drifted into for that was sure to make a child of God cast down if anyone can go on for a very long time in a distant state from the Lord I mean not feeling communion with him not feeling the sweet touches of his love and the inshinings of his life and not feel cast down about it that's a bad sign very and if they can be filled with enjoyment in their religion when they are not conscious of the Lord's favour in their souls it's a very doubtful matter with them very brethren is it that any of you feel this morning cast down because you feel burdened with a sense of sin is it as we open our service this morning up to the fields where angels lie and living waters gently roll fain would my soul leap out and fly but sin hangs heavy on my soul now it may seem a paradoxical thing for me to say but it's very true and you must understand it to understand yourself a child of God may be burdened with a sense of sin notwithstanding that it's forgiven and pardoned that it's so a child of God is a pardoned man but sometimes sin seems to come back over his spirit he feels the fetish the guilt of it he's conscious of being stained with it what does he say it makes me feel very low oh if only
[17:46] I could be holy if time is brethren that has been my prayer oh if only I could be holy if only I could be holy and you've heard me say sometimes and I quite believe that you're in agreement with me those of you who understand me when I say I shall never be perfectly happy until I'm perfectly holy never now there are times when we feel this more than others when we seem to come again into a burdened state about our spiritual condition with this particular it casts us down sin is a bitter thing it's a bitter thing or it may be this way why are they cast down oh my soul let me suggest another possible reason for this low state of mind it may be that you feel spirit your blessings don't come to you are you saying that there seems a withholding of power as far as my soul is concerned the truths are preached but they don't seem to come home with power to me others seem to be blessed but the blessing doesn't come to me others can rejoice in the
[19:28] Lord but my spirit goes with a hanged down head I feel burdened about this oh if only the Lord would grant me a real rich blessing that would lift me quite out of my low state well that's another cause of being cast down or it may be this that your path just now is heavy going in different ways and these ways are so varied it's to no point that I should attempt to suggest how many you know the path you walk all that enters into the cares the anxieties the burdens the frustrations and it may possibly be that just now with someone or more your path is heavy going and that depresses your spirit well
[20:37] I won't spend all the morning on this there's another question enters into the subject why art thou disquieted within me that is agitated this often goes together with a state of depression a disquietness of mind the word here rendered disquieted really means tumultuous or it is an expression that is sometimes used in the scriptures with regard to a rough sea when the waves thereof arise thou stillest them when the waves thereof are disquieted thou stillest them now there's something very good and sweet spiritually about a quiet state of mind oh to be still as the psalmist said be still and know that I am God to feel a quietness and a calm in one's own breath to feel well it is well everything is in the Lord's hands there's nothing really need upset my mind his will is best and I feel I can rest in it and as
[22:09] I rest in his will I can feel a quietness in my own heart I leave it with him I don't worry I leave it with him well that's a very good frame that's a very sweet stillness when a sense of his overruling hand or his guiding purpose quiets your heart and you can say well my father's will is best what he wills is best and especially if you can feel also the quietness of peace with God through Jesus Christ peace is a holy calm in the conscience a sweet relief that peace that Jesus spoke of so so graciously so kindly and so suitably he said my peace
[23:12] I give unto you not as the world give it give I unto you let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid if I might say so that the normal state of mind of a child of God is peace and quiet but that is so often upset there's everything to give quietness to the mind and peace to the soul but then we don't always enjoy it we become sometimes very disquieted agitated upset and our peace and our calm and our quietness seems quite gone our mind seems subject to agitation now why should this be why are they disquieted within me what's caused the agitation well we can answer that question very much of this comes from temptation temptation acts on our spirit sometimes like the wind on the water it stirs us up in all sorts of ways and it was seen that was somewhat
[24:43] David's feeling at this time why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy ah that was it the oppression of the enemy that agitated David's spirit what with that and the reproaches that he met with while they daily say unto me where is thy God frustrations also in life are very agitating especially when we may have felt that a certain way was the right way for us but our way is frustrated our hopes are disappointed it is then as Newton puts it my soul with various tempests tossed her hopes all turned her projects crossed sees every day new straits attend and wonders where the scene will end why is this well because our projects were not
[25:53] God's purposes you see our projects were not God's purposes and our plans were not according to God's mind and if our projects and our plans were not according to God's purposes and God's mind they are bound to be frustrated and in the end we may come to see it all for the best but it's very very difficult to see it at the time it's very agitating when our hopes are overturned and our projects are crossed and every day seems to bring new straits it isn't easy then to maintain calmness and stillness and peace in our spirit we are agitated and disquieted well now
[26:56] I mustn't stay longer on the first point here then is the language of inquiry and just very briefly we've looked into possible causes for this disquieted and depressed condition now we'll take the next step up from this the soundness expostulates with his soul about all this as though he might say it's all true that you do feel this burden state that your projects are crossed that you have come into a time of heaviness to manifold temptation it's all very true your sorrows are real your trials are heavy they're not imaginary and if you feel depressed it's a real depression it's not a fancy you are cast down but now consider why you should feel like this let me attend now to the expostulation and we may take it along these lines now my soul you're complaining about a great deal your temptations and sorrows and heaviness and frustrations but consider is not this the path that the scriptures shown that you must walk in when the
[28:45] Lord Jesus said in the world you shall have tribulation did he mean that did he mean that tribulation and if you're in that tribulation that Jesus said you must come into what's wrong what's wrong David might say to his soul if everything was easy and smooth and comfortable if nothing tried your mind or disquieted your spirit do you think that would be any better might you not with good reason question whether you're in the right way or not if Jesus said he must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom and no tribulation ever come into your path is your path right or was he wrong why be so cast down as if come into that very tribulation that Jesus himself said you must need to go through to enter into the kingdom of heaven
[30:00] David might say to his soul you'd have more reason to fear if there was no tribulation to bear no cross to carry nothing to try your faith why then be so cast down about it or David might reason in this way of expostulation thus you're cast down because your way is heavy your spirit is burdened and your heart is heaviness well are you the only one that has this path to walk and this frame of mind to bear up under are you the only one that is cast down and disquieted David might say to his soul look what others have had to pass through and the Lord has supported them why then should you be so cast down if only you would look close enough you would see plenty of footsteps in your path plenty to have gone before you in it and what is more if only you would consider it closely and look carefully you would see some footsteps went far deeper into the mire whenever yours you have gone if you would listen you would hear another voice saying my
[31:40] God my God why hast thou forsaken me now if you're in the footsteps of Jesus Christ why be so cast down about it hasn't he gone before you were in this way he has indeed if we become wearied and faint in our minds and we do and mind it's a rather dangerous condition to get into to be weary and faint in your minds for this reason when we become weary and faint in our minds we tend to look for an easier path to escape the burden to see if it could possibly be found a smoother way to heaven but what might look to be a smoother way to heaven might be the broad way to hell and when we become weary and faint in our minds that's the danger of slipping our shoulders from under the cross or taking a bunion depicts it so clearly in his book the bypass medal to the pilgrims one to another this way is very hard and rough look my brother said faithful was it here is this path runs alongside of the road see it's green and comfortable and so they left the road the right road for the easy way and it seemed to go in the same direction but it gradually veered off until presently they found themselves in doubting castles brethren why be so cast down if the way leads you to heaven and if the trouble and the sorrow is a discipline to chasten your spirit and make you more partakers of his holiness do you think do you really think that at the end of the journey and the end of the journey is coming and it may not be very long if the end of the journey finds us right with
[34:19] God do you think we should suppose we've had one sorrow too many or one trial too heavy or one frustration too agitated I don't think so I don't think so then why be so cast down about this why be so disquieted you see it's a language of expostulation and then there's another point I will mention as I close this morning on this point of expostulation why art thou cast down oh my soul why art thou disquiety within me now if you have very long experience in these conditions you must know that the
[35:21] Lord has appeared for you before and brought you through and lifted you up now I must say that is often been a help to me in these days because frankly I'm very subject to depression of mind and there are things that disquiet me considerably I get very low and if I could just go quietly along and hadn't to appear before congregations I often think I could bear the lones of my spirit better but believe me I have to preach whatever is the frame of my mind well I get there sometimes low and I wonder if I can really hold on any longer well then I think you know I've been in this place before I've been as dark and as heavy and as burdened and as cast down as this before and the
[36:27] Lord has brought me through lifted me up a better period has come and I have been again restored to peace and comfort and quietness of mind this is no strange experience to me well it isn't so to you if you had long in the way if you are cast down this morning is this the first time if you are disquieted just now it is a new experience you will say no it isn't I've been here time and time again well has not the Lord appeared for you has he not lifted you up has not that word been true when men are cast down there is lifting up and he will save the humble person why then be so disquieted now for there's no change in God he's the same and Jesus
[37:29] Christ is the same yesterday today and forever if your way is heavy why be so disquieted about you prove the Lord to be faithful and his love in time past forbid you to think he'll leave you at last in trouble to sing for each Ebenezer you have in review confirms his good pleasure to help you right through now then why be so cast down why be so disquieted why art thou cast down oh my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God it is a language of inquiry of expostulation of encouragement and of confidence and of assurance
[38:39] Amen