Dark Night of the Soul- part 1 of 6

The Dark Night of the Soul

The ‘dark night of the soul’ was a common phrase in Puritan thought describing a sense of spiritual desertion experienced by the believer in relationship to God. This sense was not abandonment by God, but rather a lack of the sense of His presence in love, grace, mercy, fellowship, and power. This lack was not necessarily attributable to the believer being in a backslidden condition.

Thomas Goodwin wrote, “That one who truly fears God, and is obedient to him, may be in a condition of darkness and have no light; and he may walk many years in that condition.”

Numerous Puritan pastors wrote on this subject, referencing such scriptures as Job 13, 16, 19, 31; Psalm 77, and Psalm 88. A description of this condition comes from the pen of Christopher Love. In Love’s book, Grace, the Truth and Growth and Different Degrees Thereof, he writes:

“A child of light may walk in darkness for a time, and though he have the Holy Ghost working grace and increasing grace in his heart, yet he may want the oil of gladness, though he have received a precious anointing of grace.”

A lack of the sense of God’s presence is the most prominent form of spiritual desertion, and is best described as an extreme isolation and desolated state. John Wells graphically illustrates this condition:

“So it is with a gracious soul: wife is nothing, children nothing, estate nothing,
friends nothing, all nothing when Christ is gone. What have I more, says a poor believer? Christ is gone…all is gone, faith gone, aye, and heaven gone too in his thoughts, and what are all his enjoyments then but dross and dogs-meat, but trash and lumber?”

The second form of desertion is a weakness in the exercise of spiritual graces. It does not begin with a willful intent to cast aside spiritual graces and abilities, but rather finds itself in such a state of discouragement and despair that ultimately the soul refuses to participate in its duties. In Jeremiah 20:7-9 we find that though Jeremiah was commissioned to preach, he nonetheless refused to do so. Richard Sibbes has described the condition in such a manner:

“They find not that former assistance in holy duties…they find that their hearts are shut up, and they cannot pray as formerly when they had the Spirit of God more fully; …This is first done when we hear the Word of God not with that delight and profit as we were wont. When they find how they come near to God in holy communion, and yet feel not that sweet taste and relish in the ordinance of God as they were wont to do, they conclude, certainly God hath hid his face.”

The third element is rather peculiar in that it is described as refusing comfort on the midst of pain and discouragement. So overwhelmed is this person that they question the very genuineness of God’s past and present graces, and therefore doubt the very comfort that God brings in the midst of their current depression. In Psalm 77:2, we see this refusal of comfort when Asaph writes, “My soul refused to be comforted.” Thomas Goodwin in commenting on this refusal writes:

“Graces in us shine but with a borrowed light, as the stars do, with a light borrowed from the sun; so, and unless God will shine secretly, and give light to thy graces and irradiate them, thy graces will not appear to comfort thee, nor be at all a witness of God’s favour to assure thee. For our spirit, that is, our graces, never witness alone; but if God’s Spirit joineth not in testimony therewith, it is silent: ‘The Spirit of God witnesseth with our spirits,’ Rom.8:16. Now therefore, when God hath withdrawn his testimony, then the testimony of our hearts and of our graces hath no force in it.”

The last description of spiritual desertion is a lack of assurance and a certain overwhelming fear of the future. The soul has no assurance of its salvation and doubts of its entrance into heaven or whether such a place exists (Psalm 77:7-9; 88:5, 6, 11, 12). Fear fills the mind with such intensity that there is severe doubt regarding mercy or what God intends to do with the person. On this element, William Bridge writes:

“Oh, says one, but I have not only cursed the day of my birth as Jeremiah, and
wished I had never been born; but I am weary of life, and have sought after mine
own death: and was there any godly, gracious man that was thus discouraged and
cast down? Yes! What think you of Job?... Oh, what a mighty deep of discouragements may the saints and people of God fall into, and yet be godly and gracious.”