Abram's Horror of great Darkness.
Genesis xv. 12.
"And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and
lo, an horror of great darkness fell upon him."
If we consider the sketch, given us in scripture, of the life of this
patriarch, we shall find that few have had equal manifestations of the
divine favor. But the light did not at all times shine on him. He had
his dark hours while dwelling in this strange land. Here we find _an
horror of great darkness to have fallen upon him_. The language used
to describe his state, on this occasion, is strong. It expresses more
than the want of God's sensible presence. It describes a state similar
to that of the psalmist, "While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted."
His sufferings probably bore an affinity to those of the Savior when
the father hid his face from him; at which period there was more than
the withdrawing of his sensible presence, the powers of darkness were
suffered to terrify and afflict him--"It was their hour"--God had left
him in their hands. So Abram on this occasion.
Just before God had smiled upon him--"Fear not, Abram: I am thy
shield, and thy exceeding great reward." Then all was light and love.
"The candle of the Lord shone on his head." When he complained that he
had no child to comfort him, or inherit his possessions, God promised
him an heir, and countless progeny--"Look now toward heaven and tell
the stars, if thou be able to number them--So shall thy seed be. And
he believed the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."
What an occasion of joy? What strange manifestation of divine favor?
They are scarcely paralleled in the history of man. But how sudden the
reverse? The same day--_when the sun was going down_; lo! the
brightness disappears, and _an horror of great darkness fell upon
him_.
A deep _sleep fell upon Abram_. This was not a natural sleep. There is
no probability that he would have given way to weakness, and fallen
into a common sleep, while engaged in covenanting with God; binding
himself with solemn engagements, and receiving tokens of the divine
favor, and the promise of blessings for a great while to come. If he
could have slept while receiving such manifestations of the divine
friendship, it is not probable that his dreams would have been
terrifying: His situation would rather have inspired joyful
sensations, and exciting pleasing expectations. THAT which for want of
language more pertinent and expressive, is here termed sleep, seems to
have been divine ecstasy--such influence of the holy spirit operating
in the soul, as locked it up from everything earthly, and shut out
worldly things, as effectually as a deep sleep, which shuts up the
soul and closeth all its avenues, so that nothing terrestrial can find
admittance.
This was often experienced by the prophets, when God revealed himself
to them, and made known his will. Thus Daniel, when the angel Gabriel
was sent to solve his doubts, and let him into futurity--"Now as he
was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the
ground." The holy prophet, filled with fear at the approach of the
celestial messenger, could not have fallen asleep, like some careless
attendant in the house of God. Yet such is the language used to
express his situation at that time, and afterwards on a similar
occasion.* The three disciples, who witnessed the transfiguration,
experienced similar sensations--sensations which absorbed the soul,
and shut out terrestrial objects, which the evangelist compares to
sleep.
* Daniel viii. 18, x. 9.
But why was Abram's joy, occasioned by the communications of the
morning, so soon turned to horror.
The reasons are with him "Whose judgments are unsearchable, and his
ways past finding out." We may observe, however, that such is the way
of God with man, while here on trial. If at any time a person seems
peculiarly favored of heaven, something of a different nature is
commonly set over against it. Perhaps to remind him that this is not
his rest. We seldom enjoy prosperity without a sensible mixture of
adversity; or without somewhat adverse following in quick succession.
"Even in laughter, the heart is sorrowful, and the end of mirth is
heaviness." Neither are special trials or sorrows sent alone; comforts
and consolations are usually joined with the, or soon succeed them. If
we consider the matter, we shall observe this in ourselves; and may
often discover it in others. We see it in the history of this
patriarch, and that of many of his descendants.
The pilgrimage of Jacob, how remarkably diversified with good and
evil, with joy and sorrow? That also of Joseph--of Moses--of Daniel?
At times each of these were raised high and brought low--sometimes
found themselves at the summit of earthly honor and felicity; at other
times, were cast down, and hope seemed ready to forsake them.
In the history of Job the same things are exemplified in still
stronger colors. That holy man experienced the extremes of honor and
infamy, joy and grief, hope and terror. The prophets and apostles,
passed through scenes in many respects similar; their joys and sorrows
were contrasted to each other. Daniel's mournings and fastings were
followed with remarkable discoveries and cheering revelations; but the
divine communications were almost too strong for frail humanity; they
filled him with dismay, and had well nigh destroyed his mortal body.
"He fainted and was sick certain days."
St. Paul was "caught up into paradise and heard unspeakable words,
which it was not possible for a man to utter"--had a view of the
ineffable glory of the upper world; but trials no less remarkable, and
very severe, were contrasted to those strange distinctions, and more
than earthly joys! "Lest I should be exalted above measure, through
the abundance of the revelations, there was given me a thorn in the
flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted
above measure." *
* 2 Corinthians xii. 4-7.
St. john suffered sore persecutions--was banished from the society of
his fellow Christians, if not from the society of men. But divine
discoveries repaid all his sufferings--heaven's ineffable glories were
opened to his view! What he witnessed could be but very partially
communicated. Language is weak; only faint hints and general
intimations could be given of the "glory which is to be revealed." But
the suffering apostle enjoyed it, and was supported, yea, enraptured
by it.
This life is filled with changes. Good and evil, hope and fear, light
and darkness, are set over against each other. The saints, while they
dwell in the dust, sometimes walk in darkness, and have their hours of
gloom and horror--"The whole creation groaneth and travaileth together
in pain until now--Even those who have the first fruits of the spirit,
groan within themselves, waiting for--the redemption of the body.
Those of whom the world is not worthy, are often in heaviness, through
manifold temptations."
We may wonder at these things: but when we consider them as ordered of
God, the consideration, should calm our minds, and bring us to say
with the astonished Shunamite of old, "It is well." *
* 2 Kings iv. 26.
God doth not order sorrows to his creatures here, because he delights
in their sufferings. "He grieves not willingly, neither afflicts the
children of men. He doth it for their profit, that they may be
partakers of his holiness." And which of the saints hath not received
benefit from it? Who among them hath not sometimes been ready to adopt
the language of the psalmist, "It is good for me, that I have been
afflicted."
"Born of the earth, we are earthly"--our afflictions naturally
descend. We are prone to set our affections on temporal things, and
set up our rest where there is no abiding. Therefore do we need
afflictions to keep us mindful of our situation. Such remains of
depravity are left in the renewed, that prosperity often corrupts
them. But for the sorrows and sufferings ordered out to them, they
would forget God and lose themselves among the deceitful cares, and
infatuating allurements of this strange land.
Intervals of comfort are also needful for them. Were these denied
them, "the spirits would fail before God, and the souls which he hath
made." And intervals of light and joy are given to refresh and cheer,
and animate them to the duties required in this land of darkness and
doubt. But they are not intended to satisfy. They answer like ends to
the Christian during his earthly pilgrimage, as the fruits of Canaan,
carried by the spies into the wilderness did to Israel while
journeying toward the land of promise--serve to give them a glance of
the good things prepared for them, to increase their longings after
them, and animate them to press forward and make their way to the
possession.
Such may be some of the reasons of those varied scenes through which
the people of God are doomed to make their way to glory.
Often the saints find themselves unable to penetrate the design of
heaven in the trials through which lies their way--especially in the
hidings of God's face, so that they cannot discover him. This made no
small part of Job's trial--"Behold I go forward but he is not there;
and backward, but I cannot perceive him; on the left hand where he
doth work, but I cannot behold him; he hideth himself on the right
hand that I cannot see him." Could he have known the reasons of his
trials it would have been a great consolations, but it was denied him,
and the reasons of God's hiding his face from him, no less than those
of his other trials.
So it is also with others. The darkness which involves them makes part
of their trials. It is a common trial of the saints. God will have his
people "live by faith and walk by faith." To live by faith, implies
want of light, and ignorance of the designs of providence. A great
part of the good man's trial here, consists in trusting God without
knowing why such things are required, or such trails ordered out to
him. In this way the saints had great trials under the former
dispensations. A veil was then spread over the method of grace, or way
in which God would bring salvation to men. Even the religious rites
enjoined by the law, were not understood, though they made part of the
duties of every day; they remained mysterious, till Christ removed the
covering cast over them; made known the hidden mystery, and opened
"the way into the holiest by his blood."
Under every dispensation religion greatly consists in referring every
thing to God, and trusting in him, without being let into his designs,
or knowing reasons of his orders. "Blessed is he who hath not seen and
yet hath believed"--Blessed is he who without penetrating the designs
of heaven trusts in God, and conforms to his requirements, not
doubting but all will turn out right--that God will lead him in right
ways, though they may be ways which he knows not.
Abram discovered much of this temper--in obedience to divine order he
left his father's house, and "went forth, not knowing whither he
went." And afterwards, when commanded of God, he took a three days
journey, to offer his son, Isaac, at the place which should be shewn
him.
The trial of this patriarch, recorded in the text, might be, at
that time particularly necessary. God had then admitted him to special
nearness; and special trials might be requisite to keep him humble,
and prevent high thoughts of himself. For such is fallen human nature,
that particular distinctions, even divine communications, though of
grace, are apt to be abused; to foster pride! Though man is poor and
dependant, pride is a sin which very easily besets him. If Paul needed
something to keep him humble when favored with revelations, why not
Abram? Abram was then in the body--compassed with infirmity--liable
to temptation, and prone to seduction. God knew his state--corrected
him therefore, to give him a sense of demerit, when he received him
into covenant and engaged to be his God.
Another design of his darkness and horror at that time, might be to
fill him with awe and reverence of the divine majesty. Had he
experienced nothing of this kind, the strange familiarity to which he
had been admitted of the most high, might have diminished his fear of
God, and caused him to think lightly of the great supreme.
The horror and distress he now experienced might also serve to prepare
him for holy joy, when God should lift on him the light of his
countenance. Light and joy are most refreshing when they follow
darkness and terror. Therefore the joy of those who have been pricked
in their hearts for sin and made to know its exceeding sinfulness,
when they are brought to hope in divine mercy, and believe themselves
forgiven of God. There is reason to believe that the sorrows of this
state will give a zest to the joys of heaven--the darkness of this
state, to the light of that in which darkness is done away--the fear
and concern here.
Some think that what Abram experienced on this occasion was intended
to intimate God's future dealings with his family. They were honored
by being taken into covenant with God, but were to pass through the
horror and darkness of Egyptian bondage--the distress of a wilderness
state, and a war with the Amorites, before they should enjoy the
promised land. Some conceive Abram's sufferings at this time, designed
to prefigure the legal dispensation, under which his seed were to
continue long and suffer many things. However this might be, we know
that Abram did not find rest in this weary land, unallayed with
sorrow. He was doomed to make his way through darkness, doubts and
difficulties.
Such was the portion of this father of the faithful, while he remained
in the body and continued on trail. The same is the portion of all the
saints. "This is not their rest, because it is polluted." Rest is not
to be found on earth. When the remains of sin shall be purged away,
there will be no more darkness, fear or horror. "The former thing will
pass away"
These considerations teach us what we have to expect while we
tabernacle in clay--namely, trials and difficulties, doubts and
darkness--these must be here our portion. Though we may be children of
God, we are not to expect exemption from them till the earthly house
of our tabernacle is dissolved and we are clothed on with our house
which is from heaven.
Those who are strangers to religion may flatter themselves that should
they attain renewing grace and get evidence of it, they should no more
suffer from fear or horror, or the hidings of God's face, but that God
would smile incessantly upon them and cause them to go on their way
rejoicing. But this is far from being the case. Though when persons
first attain a hope towards God, they are glad, their joy is soon
interrupted--doubts and fears arise--their way is dark--"God hideth
his face that they cannot behold him. O that I were as in months past
--when God preserved me--when his candle shined upon my head, and by
his light I walked through darkness--when the Almighty was yet with
me."
This hath been the complaint of many others beside benighted Job. It
is often the language of the saints while in this dark world. "God
often hides his face from those whom his soul loves, so that they walk
on and are sad." This makes them long for heaven, because there "will
be no night there, neither sorrow, nor crying, nor any more death."
In this life sanctification is imperfect. The saints carry about in
them a "body of death." While this continues, they cannot have
uninterrupted peace, but must have intervals of darkness and doubt.
Those who have gone before us have often been troubled and distressed,
and gone on their way sorrowing.
This is the fruit of sin. Man was doomed to it at the apostasy. It
hath been from that time the portion of humanity. None hath been
exempted. Those whom St. John saw walking in white robes and rejoicing
in glory, had "come out of great tribulation."
We can hope for nothing better than to "be followers of them who
through faith and patience inherit the promises." We must travel the
same road and can promise ourselves no better accommodations on our
journey. If Abram, the friend, of God, felt _horror of great
darkness_, after he had been called of God, we have no reason to
expect trials less severe.
Let us not be discouraged, or saint in our minds. The way to glory
lies through this dreary land--to us there is no other way. But the
end will be light. If we keep heaven in our eye, and press on unmoved
by the difficulties, and unawed by the dangers which lie in our way,
"our labor will not be in vain in the Lord." God will be with us. He
will not leave us comfortless; but will support us under difficulties
and guard us to his kingdom. After we shall have suffered awhile, he
will call us from our labors, and reward us with eternal rewards.
"Then shall we obtain joy gladness, and sorrow and mourning shall flee
away." And the time is short.
"He which testifieth these things, saith, surely I come quickly.
Amen." May we have such evidence of an interest in him, as may dispose
us to answer, "Even so come Lord Jesus."
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