THE LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF
SPIRITUAL LIFE by Octavius Winslow
"Retirement, The
School and Discipline of Spiritual Life"
"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day,
He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
Mark 1:35.
We have already remarked, in the progress of this work,
that the leading characteristic of the present age is far removed from
anything approaching monastical life. On the contrary, the prevailing
feature pervading all classes of society is that of extreme activity and
feverish unrest. The spirit of the age is anything but in sympathy with the
philosophy of Diogenes, or favorable to the culture of asceticism. This,
however, must not be considered a cause of lamentation, since it is not for
this species of retirement for which we plead! Limiting our remarks to what
is termed 'the religious world,' it is in this the narrower and more sacred
circle we repair for the illustration and enforcement of our present
subject. The spirit of religion, as it now prevails, has caught the
infection of the spirit of the world, and is far remote from that holy
isolation and sacred retirement, so essential and helpful to the development
and progress of the spiritual life of the soul; apart from which it must,
necessarily, become attenuated in its character and checked in its growth.
In devoting, therefore, a brief chapter to the especial consideration of
this subject, we feel that we are but aiding the advancement of that
religious life of the soul, to the promotion of which the present volume is
devoted.
The words which form the basis of our remarks, unfold one of the most
interesting and instructive incidents in the life of Christ. Our Divine and
adorable Lord felt the absolute necessity- as man- of retirement for repose,
meditation, and prayer. With extreme simplicity and conciseness the incident
is thus recorded: "And in the morning, rising up a great while before day,
He went out, and departed to a solitary place, and there prayed." The day
preceding was one of incessant and unwearied employment in healing the
afflicted and tormented resorting to Him for relief. For we read that, "At
evening, when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were diseased,
and those who were possessed with devils." The sun had gone down- the
shadows of evening had gathered around Him- His benevolent work was done-
and exhausted in body, yet more wearied in mind and agonized in spirit by
the scenes of suffering and grief He had witnessed- He retired to His couch
but not to rest. Bearing with His jaded frame the feeling of the infirmities
He had witnessed and relieved, sleep had, in all probability, been a
stranger to His pillow; "and in the morning, rising up a great while before
day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed."
From this touching example of our blessed Lord in retreating from the
society of men- even that of His disciples- to seek in retirement and
solitude, in meditation and communion, that strength and energy and
fortitude so essential to the accomplishment of the work His Father had
given Him to do, teaches every believer one of the holiest and most
instructive lessons of the Christian life. To its consideration let us
address our thoughts, blended with the silent prayer that, an example so
illustrious, a duty so essential, and a privilege so holy, may, with the
divine blessing, greatly promote the health and advancement of the life of
God in the soul of the reader.
Spiritual life is eminently fitted for religious retirement. It is a
plant of Paradise- a flower of Eden- which only really grows in solitude. It
is from Heaven- it derives its nourishment, as its existence from God- with
God it deals, and to God its aspirations ascend. Our Lord emphatically
declared that, "His kingdom was not of this world." And as his kingdom in
his saints is composed of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy
Spirit," the inference strictly logical, that the growth of this kingdom
which is in the saints, cannot possibly be advanced by a world with which it
has no sympathy, and from which it is so essentially alien. "For, what
fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has
light with darkness? and what concord has Christ with Belial?"
Thus we find Him who is Essential Life, and who is the spiritual life of
the regenerate, retreating from the multitude who pressed so eagerly around
Him- and even, as we have remarked, from the more genial companionship of
His chosen apostles- and, threading the mountain ravines, seeking in their
hidden recesses and profound solitudes, that quietude, stillness, and
sequesterment for private meditation and prayer so essential to the repose
of His spirit, the replenishing of His strength, and the accomplishment of
His mission.
Follow Him on the memorable night which preceded His crucifixion- see Him
pass over the brook Kedron into that lonely garden where he was wont to
resort with His disciples; and, amid its sylvan walks, its leafy groves, and
solemn shades, behold Him prostrate on the ground engaged in agonizing
prayer, imploring strength and succor and comfort from His Father for the
terrible 'hour' so near at hand! Oh, if He, the Source of our spiritual
life, needed this its school and discipline, the lesson thus taught, is
invested with tenfold import and interest to all who would mold their
religious life on that of their Divine-human Exemplar!
A study of the lives of the Old Testament saints will also supply an
impressive illustration of the necessity of religious retirement for the
culture of spiritual life. See David, the king of Israel, retreating from
the pomp of his court, and from the cares of his kingdom, to seek retirement
for the purpose of holy communion with God. And on no occasion, and in no
place, did his magic harp vibrate with sweeter music, send forth more
pealing anthems of praise, or tremble with more soft and pensive notes of
sorrow and contrition, than when alone with God in the solitude of the
mountain, or in the seclusion of the cave.
Look at Daniel- interdicted by the decree of Darius from praying to his
God, his life threatened in consequence- "entering into his chamber, and
kneeling upon his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before
his God." And who will doubt the connection of that retirement for communion
with the Invisible One, with the faith and fortitude which enabled him to
confront, with such dignity and calmness, the appalling terrors of the
lions' den?
Such, too, was the holy habit of the primitive and puritan Christians.
Persecuted and expatriated, "wandering in deserts and in mountains, and in
dens and caves of the earth"- hunted like wild beasts- interdicted from
worshiping God beneath their own sweet vines- driven to the shelter of the
mountains, and to the solitude of the forest- oh! how sweetly did the voice
of prayer and praise rise from beneath the overshadowing rock and the deep
ravine, as from those secret sanctuaries ascended the rich, inextinguishable
incense of holy devotion to the skies!
What has been, in all ages of the world, and in all dispensations of
God's Church, a powerful aid to spiritual life, still is- the hallowed
influence of religious retirement. It is necessary, in the first place, for
self examination. No wise or prudent merchant will allow his yearly accounts
to pass without a close and careful scrutiny as to his exact financial
condition- balancing accurately his gains and losses- and taking an
intelligent account of his present position. And no true Christian will be
less anxious to know the exact state of his soul: ascertaining where he has
made progress, and where he has lost ground; and how matters of such
infinite moment stand between God and his soul. But absolute retirement is
essential to this self-scrutiny. There must first be time made for the work-
then disassociation from the too fond and flattering opinion of others- and
then the 'calm retreat and quiet shade' appropriate to a process so
spiritual and solemn, demanding mental examination the most profound, and no
presence but that of God and the soul.
How can this close anatomy of the heart this honest dealing with self-
this faithful turning over the page of conscience, be properly and
effectually done, except as we retreat from our business, our profession,
and our families, and accompany Isaac at eventide to the quietude of the
fields to meditate, or follow Jesus to the solitude of the mountain to pray?
This holy retirement, too, is absolutely essential to the devout and
careful study of the Word. The nourishment of spiritual life is the word of
God. The Bible is the divine granary from where is extracted the fine wheat-
the "incorruptible seed" by which the soul is fed and nourished. The divine
life can only grow as it is sustained and strengthened by that which is
divine. It seeks its native food. Fruit from the "Tree of life" alone can
meet its requirements.
Hence the sickly life exhibited by many religious professors! The
frivolous and frothy literature of the day- of which, alas! the press is so
prolific- is exerting a most baneful influence upon the spiritual life of
many Christian professors. In numberless cases the exaggerated fiction- the
sensational story- the high wrought romance- is supplanting those works of
the religious press contributed by the most intellectual, highly-cultivated,
and spiritual minds in the literary and religious hemisphere. The effect of
this upon the Christianity of the age must be deteriorating and disastrous
in the extreme. How far the prevailing taste for this vapid, worldly
literature- thus lowering the intellectual and impairing the spiritual
powers of the mind- may contribute to the religious scepticism of the age,
is a question of the profoundest gravity. What, then, is the great antidote
to this far-circulating moral poison? We unhesitatingly answer- the private
and devout study of God's word. We believe that the Bible can only be
spiritually and experimentally understood as the student retreats from the
arena of religious controversy and biblical criticism into the privacy of
his chamber, and there, as upon his knees, invoking the aid and teaching of
the Holy Spirit.
On one occasion our Lord gave utterance to a parable, the interpretation
of which was obscure to the minds of His disciples to whom it was addressed.
We then read that, "When they were ALONE, He expounded all things to His
disciples." The crowd had dispersed the voices were hushed- the excitement
had subsided- and "when they were alone"- in the calm, quiet privacy of that
moment He interpreted the parable, and opened their understanding, that they
might understand the meaning thereof. Thus He teaches us now.
It is not always in the crowd, and amid the voices of conflicting
interpreters, or even from the pulpit, that the literal and spiritual
meaning of the Scriptures is understood; but, when we withdraw into the
privacy of the closet, or the solitude of the sick-chamber, He explains to
us, and causes us to understand, the mind of the Spirit in the Word as at no
other time and in no other way. And it may be that for this end, the Lord
has set you apart by sickness or bereavement that He might set you apart
both for Himself and for the deeper and more spiritual teaching and
understanding of His truth. "The Lord has set apart the godly for Himself
"-and to this end, He sets them apart from all others.
And, oh! in the quietude of that separation- in the stillness of that
hour- you may have closer communion with God- know more of Christ and
understand more of the truth, than at any previous period of your spiritual
life! "And when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples."
'Alone' now with yourself- 'alone' with God- 'alone' with Jesus- 'alone'
with the Spirit- oh how clear, how precious, and how comforting does the
word of God become! and we exclaim with Jeremiah- "Your words were found,
and I ate them; and Your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my
heart." And with David- "How sweet are your words unto my taste! yes,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!" Oh, it is thus when sequestered from man,
and only with God, we excavate the gold and extract the honey from that
"word which he has magnified above all His name."
Closely allied to this, is the necessity of religious retirement for the
purpose of fortifying the spiritual and devout mind against the doctrinal
errors, the ecclesiastical superstitions, and the infidel assumptions of an
age like ours. How much there is in all this to divert the Christian from
the maintenance and culture of personal piety- from a close, vigilant care
of the health and growth of his higher, his spiritual, life! It is the
strong current of Infidelity which we have in the present day more
especially to breast. Superstition appeals not to the intellect, but to the
senses; not to the mind, but to the passions. Infidelity on the contrary,
professes to assail the mental citadel of the soul, and, consequently, its
range of operation is wider- its proselytes more important, and its effects
upon society more far-reaching and disastrous. The infidelity of the age is
insinuating and plausible. It is not what it once was, ignorant and gross,
bold and defiant; stalking abroad, stamped with features hideous and vile,
blasphemous and repulsive. Modern religious scepticism, on the contrary, is
in close alliance with learning and refinement, with place and power- civil
and ecclesiastical; it walks abroad attired in silk and lawn, assuming the
attractive and insinuating form of liberality and fashion; of expediency and
worldly policy.
Oh how necessary it is that the man of God should frequently withdraw
from these bewitching and seductive wiles of the enemy, that he may become
more conversant with God's word- examine these wiles in its unerring light-
and, from the armory of divine truth draw those heaven-tempered weapons by
which he shall "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all,
to stand!"
The limits of this chapter will only allow us to refer at length to the
paramount importance of seasons of retirement, for the sacred and solemn
purposes of devout meditation and communion with God. It was for this
purpose our Lord rose a great while before day, and retired to a solitary
place. His oratory was the mountain's side- the deep ravine, overhung with
dark, beetling crags- studded with ancient forests whose profound stillness
alone was broken by their Divine Creator's voice of wrestling, agonizing
prayer! There must we repair- tracking His holy footsteps- would we promote
the life of God in our soul!
Prayer alone is the atmosphere of spiritual life. The word of God is its
food, prayer is its atmosphere. As bread alone could not possibly sustain
our natural life, apart from air, so the Word- divine and precious as it is,
must be combined with a constant and close walk with God. Especially is this
necessary after severe engagement in the active duties and privileges of
religion. Our Savior presented a striking and instructive illustration of
this in His own beautiful and consistent life. The whole of the day, and far
into the night, preceding His retirement to the solitude of the mountain, He
had been engaged in relieving human suffering, in curing disease, and in
casting out demons; and before the day dawned- a great while before- He rose
from His lowly couch, and "departed into a solitary place, and there
PRAYED."
Oh, what a lesson learn we here! Of what moment it is that, after a day
spent in religious activities- the mere machinery and scaffolding of the
Christian Church- we should, in lowly imitation of the Savior, retreat to
the hallowed solitude of our closet, and there commune with God- confess the
failure and infirmity of our doings- and lave the 'feet' afresh in the blood
that cleanses from all sin- even the iniquity of our holy things! "When you
pray, enter into your closet, and when you have shut your door, pray to your
Father which is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret shall reward
you openly."
Oh the precious privilege of thus being alone with God!- the privilege of
confessing all sin unveiling all sorrow- revealing all need- confiding every
fear and feeling of the heart and from that hidden source drawing renewed
supplies of grace and strength, counsel and comfort, to go forth and battle
afresh with the temptations of the world, to discharge more efficiently the
duties of our calling- and to struggle more manfully with, and to bear more
patiently under, the trials, disappointments, and sorrows of life.
"Come apart, and rest awhile." Such is the loving, considerate invitation
of Christ to all His servants! How needful, too, is the season of sacred
sequesterment from the world- for refection upon, and preparation for, the
world of glory and blessedness, of purity and service, for which we hope,
for which we long, and to which we hasten! Everything here- comparatively-
is unsubstantial, unreal, and evanescent! "All, all on earth is shadow; all
beyond Is substance!" Do we long to be more heavenly? we must commune more
closely with Heaven. Do we desire to be more spiritual? We must deal more
frequently with the Divine. Realizing more vividly our mystical resurrection
with Christ, we shall "set our mind on things above, not on things on the
earth," "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things
which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the
things which are not seen are eternal."
We plead not for a monastic, or a conventual life; the life of the
ascetic, or the recluse. Far from it! Monasteries- Convents- Retreats, are
as opposed to the genius, as to the teaching, of Christianity. The gospel
inculcates no such religion as this. But, we do plead for occasional
sequesterment from the business of the world, and from the active duties of
religious life, for the important and solemn purposes of trimming afresh the
waning lamp of our Christian profession; for prayer, contrition, and
confession; and for filling our urn with the pure water of life that flows
fast by the oracles of God, and down from the crystal river proceeding from
the throne of God and the Lamb.
It is in retirement, too- separated from those we most fondly love,
and from the sympathy for which we most deeply sigh- that our divinest and
richest consolation is often found. No condition of our humanity so
perfectly harmonizes and shrinks from publicity- sorrow delicately loves
retirement as the stricken gazelle nurses its wound alone. "Behold, I will
allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto
her." Thus, beloved, the Lord may now be dealing with you. He is gently
leading you in a solitary way- into the separation and loneliness of the
wilderness- that He might speak to your sad, and bind up your bleeding,
heart.
It was in the wilderness that David's hands were strengthened in God- it
was in the wilderness that Jonathan ate of the honey- it was in the
wilderness that the Israelites drank of the smitten rock- and it is still in
the isolation and solitude of the wilderness of the world, and of all
creature good, that God, "the God of all comfort," comforts those that are
cast down, through the word, meditation, and prayer, imparting that mental
repose and soothing of spirit found only as the soul lies down by the 'still
waters' of a hallowed and devout retirement.
If, then, the Lord is now gently alluring you into the separation and
solitude of the wilderness, be assured it is but to speak words of comfort
and strength to your sad and lonely heart; and the solitary wilderness shall
echo with your music, and the dreary desert shall bloom and blossom as the
rose. There is no comfort so divine, no consolation so sweet, as that
experienced in the depth of the world's solitudes- alone with God! "And
Jesus departed into a solitary place, and prayed." And who can describe the
divine soothing, strength, and comfort which His human heart, broken and
crushed with sorrow, found in that solitude of fellowship With His Father?
Oh it is here, in the wilderness, your sorrow is understood, your grief
is fathomed, your sympathy and soothing are experienced. It is here, with
Christ alone, we feel our independence of human sympathy, rise superior to
creature love, realize the grandeur of our nature, the sublimity of
solitude, and the wealth of consolation, in being wholly, blissfully, and
eternally swallowed up in God!
And yet there are moments, doubtless, when you are oppressed with a sense
of isolation and loneliness, and sigh for a more enlarged enjoyment of 'the
communion of saints' than as yet you have experienced. How much there is
that sunders even saint from saint! Alas! that it should be so! Doctrine
separates you from some- ecclesiasticism from others- or, perhaps, a more
advanced stage in the divine life- outstepping in your spiritual knowledge
and Christian experience many who but linger in the rear- and thus you are
as "a pelican in the wilderness," as "a sparrow upon the house-top."
But this solitary way in which you walk has its especial and
divinely-sent mission. There are experienced in it blessings found in no
other path. Apart from its molding influence upon your religious character,
it throws you more entirely upon God, and brings you into closer personal
sympathy with one of the most touching and instructive periods of the
Savior's history when, checking the rising sense of loneliness which stole
over His spirit, He exclaimed- "And yet I am not alone; for my Father is
with me." Oh count it a great honor when you can descry the footprint of
Christ, and say- "Here my Lord and Savior walked, and here would I walk!"
May the practical effort of this meditation be the stirring of you up to
seek more retirement from the world, that you may grow in grace and in
fitness for heaven. Make time for the cultivation of personal and private
religion, for prayer and meditation, and for the spiritual study of God's
word, even though, like your Savior, you may be compelled to 'rise up a
great while before day.' Let not your religion be an out-of-door religion- a
Sunday attire- a professional robe! Let it be a religion which- while
visible to every eye like the glow-worm, shines the brightest when no eye
sees it but God's!
Is the time of your departure at hand? Are the shadows of life's evening
falling fast and darkling around you? Oh let there be a solemn pause between
time and eternity- between earth and heaven! Drive not the shadowy affairs
of time into the dread realities of eternity! Seek a renewed baptism of the
Spirit -a deeper seal of your acceptance in the Beloved -a fresh looking to,
and taking hold of, Christ- casting from you all good works and all bad
works, and running into Jesus, hiding you from them all in a fissure of the
Rock cleft for you!
"Far from the world, O Lord, I flee,
From strife and tumult far;
From scenes where Satan wages still
His most successful war.
"The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree,
And seem by Your sweet bounty made
For those who follow Thee.
"There, if Your Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,
Oh, with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!
"What thanks I owe You, and what love,
A boundless, endless store,
Shall echo through the realms above
When time shall be no more!"