Part 14 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 15 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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13. Thirteenthly, He who is truly holy—he loves the word, and is affected and taken with the word for its holiness and purity. Psalm 119:140, "Your word is very pure, therefore your servant loves it." A pure heart embraces the word for its purity, 1 Pet. 2:2; Psalm 12:6-7, and 18:30. Just so, holy Paul in Romans 7:12, "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." Well, and what then? Why, says he, verse 22, "I delight in the law of God after the inward man." But is this all? No, says he, verse 25, "With the mind I myself serve the law of God." Holy Paul delights in the law as holy, and serves the law as holy, just, and good. A holy heart is taken with the word for its spirituality, divinity, and purity. Just so, in Psalm 19:8-10, "The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean," (that is, the doctrine which teaches the true fear of God,) "enduring forever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether; more to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb:" or, as the Hebrew has it—sweeter than the dropping of honeycombs. [These several titles—law, statutes, testimony, commandments, judgments—are used interchangeably for the whole word of God.]
The whole word of God, as it is a pure word, a clean word, so it rejoices a holy heart; and so it is sweeter than the very droppings of honeycombs. It is more sweet than those drops which drop immediately and naturally, without any force or art—which is counted the purest and the sweetest honey. There is no profit nor pleasure compared to that which the purity of the word yields to a holy heart.
But now unholy hearts they are affected with the word as it is dressed up with fine high notions—which are but mysterious nothings. They are taken with the word, as it is clothed with arts, parts, and elegance of phrase. They are pleased with the word, as it is appareled with a spruce wit, or with silken expressions, or with some fancy elocution. Augustine confesses that the delight which he took before his conversion in Ambrose's sermons, was more for the eloquence of the words—than the substance of the matter. Just so, many are taken more with the wit, elocution, action, high notions, and far-fetched expressions that are in a sermon—than they are taken with the spirituality, divinity, weight, and holy worth that is in a sermon! These are like those children who are more taken with the fine flowers which are strewed about the dish—than they are with the food which is in the dish; and who are more taken with the pretty wild-flowers which grow in the field—than they are with the good corn that grows there. [In great fairs and markets, the peddler and the ballad-singer who sell toys and trifles, have many children and fools hanging upon them; but those who are wise and prudent attend those shops where there are the best and richest commodities. You know how to apply it.]
But now, as the prudent farmer is taken more with a few handfuls of sound grain, than he is with all the colorful weeds which are in the field—just so, a holy heart is more taken with a few sound truths in a sermon, than he is taken with all the strong lines, and high strains, and flourishes of wit with which a sermon may be decked up! Some are taken with the word—as the profession of it brings in customers into their shops, and keeps up their credit in the world. Others are taken with the word—as it seems to tickle their ears and please their fancies. Some are affected with sermons—because of the elegance of the style, eloquence of the words, smoothness of the language, and gracefulness of the delivery. And these deal by sermons as many men do by their bouquets, which are made up of many picked sweet flowers, which, after they have smelled to them a while—cast them into a corner. Just so, these, after they have commended a sermon, after they have applauded a sermon—they cast away the sermon. They smell to the sermon, and say "It is sweet, it is sweet!" But shortly they throw it away, as a bouquet that is withered, and of no further use.
When a man who is sick and unhealthy is at a table which is furnished with variety of wholesome dishes, you know he easily and readily passes over all the most wholesome and nourishing dishes, and falls a-piddling and picking here and there upon kickshaws and puff-paste, which have little or no substance in them. Just so, unsound, unholy hearts, when God has prepared his table, and made a feast of fat things for their souls in the ministry of his word—they easily and readily pass over those sound, solid, and savory truths which are prepared for their strength and nourishment, and fall a-piddling and picking upon some new-coined phrases, or some quaint expressions, or some seraphical notions! And no wonder, for they are not sound within—their hearts are under a great malady. The Israelites would not be satisfied with wholesome diet—but they must needs have quails as picking meat; well, they had them, and while they were at their picking meat, the wrath of God came upon them. The application is as easy, as it is dreadful.
But now a holy heart savors the word, and relishes the word, and is affected and taken with the word—as it is a holy word, a substantial word, a pure word, a clean word, and as it begets holiness, and nourishes holiness, and increases holiness, and as it works towards the completing and perfecting of holiness.
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Part 15 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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