Part 136 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 137 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[2.] Secondly, If you are a holy person, if you have that genuine holiness, without which there is no eternal happiness, then know for your comfort—that the Lord takes singular pleasure, delight, and delight, both in your holiness and in your person. Psalm 149:4-5, "For the Lord delights in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the faithful rejoice in this honor. Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds." The Hebrew word signifies pleasure, delight, enjoyment, contentment, etc. Oh! God takes singular pleasure, singular delight, singular enjoyment, and singular contentment in all his saints, in all his sanctified ones! Holiness is the express image of God, and therefore he cannot but take pleasure in it, and in all those who bear it!
Zeph. 3:13, "The people of Israel who survive will do no wrong to each other, never telling lies or deceiving one another. They will live peaceful lives, lying down to sleep in safety; there will be no one to make them afraid." Well! here are glorious characters of their holiness; but what pleasure, what delight, etc., does God take in these holy ones? Why, certainly very much, as you may see in verse 17, "The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing!" Look! as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, Isaiah 62:4-5—just so, will the Lord rejoice over his holy ones! Look, that delight, enjoyment, and contentment which the bridegroom takes in his bride—the same, yes, greater, God takes in all his sanctified ones. Yes, look, as a fond father joys over his dear child that he carries in his arms, or dandles upon his knee with singing: so God will joy over all his holy ones, which are his fondlings, with singing; such is the singular delight, satisfaction, and enjoyment which he takes in them.
Look! as the farmer delights much in that ground which was once barren—but is now fruitful; and as the captain takes a great deal of pleasure in that soldier who once deserted—but is now returned, and fights valiantly and resolutely against all opposers and adversaries; and as the father takes a great deal of joy, contentment, and satisfaction in the return, reformation, and amendment of his prodigal son, Luke 15—even so, a holy God is wonderfully delighted, pleased, enamored, and even overjoyed, when such as brought forth nothing but the thorns and briers of wickedness, Heb. 6:7-8—does now bring forth the pleasant fruits of righteousness and holiness, Heb. 2:10; and when such as have run from Christ the captain of their salvation, and run from their profession, and run from their principles, and run almost from everything that is good—shall now return to the captain of their salvation, and fight it out most valiantly and resolutely against the world, the flesh, and the devil; and when such as have proved prodigals, and spent all that portion, all that stock, and all that treasure that they have been entrusted with—shall now break off their sins, and humble themselves, and reform their lives, and mend their ways! God is so infinitely pleased and delighted in these, that he records their names in heaven: "However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven!" Luke 10:20. It is matter of the greatest joy in the world, for a man to have his name enrolled in heaven. Look! as it is the sinner's hell that his name is engraved in the book of damnation—just so, it is the believer's heaven that his name is engraved in the book of election. "And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire!" Revelation 20:15.
I have read of a senator who, relating to his son the great honors that were assigned to some soldiers whose names were written in a certain book, whereupon the son was very importunate to see that book. His father shows him the outside, and he earnestly desired him to open it. "No," says the father, "by no means, for it is sealed by the council." Then says the son, "Please tell me if my name is written there!" His father replies, "No! because all the names of those soldiers were kept secret in the breasts of the senators." The son, studying how he might get some satisfaction, desired his father to acquaint him with the merits of those soldiers whose names were written in that book. The father relates to him their noble achievements, and worthy acts of valor, wherewith they had eternalized their names. "Such honorable people are written in this book," said he, "and none but such must be written in this book." Whereupon the son, consulting with his own heart that he had no such trophies to show—but had spent his time in courting of ladies, rather than in encountering of knights, and that he was better adapted for a dance than for a march, and that he knew no war drum—but only the violin, nor had he any courage—but to be drunk and rant. Hereupon he presently retired himself, repented, entered into a combat with his own lusts, and subdued them, and became temperate, brave, valiant, and virtuous. Now, when the soldiers came to receive their wreaths, their crowns, their honors, etc., he steps in and demands a wreath, a crown for himself. But being asked upon what grounds his demand was grounded, he answered, "If honors be given to conquerors, then they must be given to me too, for I have gotten the noblest conquest of all." And it being asked to explain, he answered, "These other soldiers have subdued strange foes, and conquered their outward enemies—but I have subdued myself, I have conquered the enemies which were in my own bosom!"
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