Cast Down? Diagnosing Spiritual Discouragement (6)

(4i) Some reap the fruit of their ignorance of Christian liberty, by unnecessary scruples and doubts. It is both unthankfulness to God and wrong to us, to be ignorant of the extent of Christian liberty. It makes melody to Satan to see Christians troubled with what they neither should nor need to be troubled about. Yet there is danger in stretching Christian liberty beyond the bounds. For a man may condemn himself in what he approves, as in not walking circumspectly in regard of circumstances, and so breed his own disquiet, and give scandal to others.
(4j) Sometimes also, God suffers men to be disquieted for want of employment. Those who shun labour, bring trouble upon themselves. By not doing that which is needful, they are troubled with that which is unnecessary. An unemployed life is a burden to itself. God is a pure act, always working, always doing; and the nearer our soul comes to God, the more it is in action and the freer from disquiet. Men by experience feel that comfort in doing that which is theirs to do. A heart not exercised in some honest labour works trouble out of itself.
(4k) Omission of duties and services of love often troubles the peace of good people; for even in time of death, when they look for peace and desire it most, they look back upon former failings, and see lost opportunities for doing good. From these memories they can be much disquieted, and so much the more because they see now no hope to make things right. A Christian life is full of duties, and the peace of it is maintained by much fruitfulness and being aware of the needs around us. The debt of duty is a disquieting thing to an honest mind. Paul lays the charge 'that we should owe nothing to any man but love' (Rom. 13:8).

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Soul's Conflict with Itself, Works, vol. 1, pp. 139-40
Banner of Truth has granted permission for the use of this material.