Part 152 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 153 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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5. A Christian may be more eminently holy at one time than at another; he may thrive and increase more in holiness at one season than at another. Two men do not more differ one from another, than the self-same Christian at several times differs from himself! Now, the spring-tide of holiness is risen high, very high; yet at another time, the streams of holiness runs exceeding low. Now, he is fully freighted with high thoughts of God, with honorable thoughts of Christ, with precious thoughts of the saints, with pious thoughts of the Scripture, with delightful thoughts of ordinances, with serious thoughts of providences, and with ravishing thoughts of eternity; yet at another time you shall have him filled with such hard thoughts of God, with such dishonorable thoughts of Christ, with such low thoughts of the saints, with such slight thoughts of the Scripture, with such undelightful thoughts of ordinances, and with such confused thoughts of providences, and with such muddy, dark, and unpleasing thoughts of eternity—as if he were really another man. [Besides the examples of Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Job, and Peter, with the experiences of all other saints in all ages, speaks out this truth.]
Now he is very lively and quick, very cheerful and thankful, very fruitful and faithful. Now he is very fearful of offending God, and very careful of pleasing God, and very circumspect and watchful in his walking with God, as if he were a man fully resolved instantly to move from present holiness to eternal happiness; but now, if you please to look on this man at another time, when he is either deserted of God, or tempted by Satan, or worsted by the world, or enthralled by his lusts, and ah, how unlike himself will you find him? For now he is spiritually flat, and dull, and dry, though not quite dead; now he is much spiritually straitened and shut up; now he can neither joy in God, nor delight in Christ, nor find sweetness in ordinances, nor any taste or relish in any of his mercies. Now his apprehensions are dark, his thoughts are dismal, his meditations are confused, his words are unadvised, and his ways are crooked.
Now he says, "The Lord is my portion," and at another time he says, "Will the Lord cast off forever, and will he be favorable no more?" Now he believes, before long he doubts. This hour he hopes, the next he fears; today he is upon the mount, joying and triumphing, tomorrow you shall have him in the valleys, mourning and sighing. Thus, many clouds, many eclipses, many varieties, and many changes, pass upon God's holy ones in this life.
A child, a tree, a plant, shoots up sometimes more in a month than they do in many months. Just so, does many a child of God: many a tree of righteousness, and many a plant of renown, shoot up more in holiness in a month sometimes than they do in many months at another time; they thrive and flourish in holiness more in a year sometimes than they do in many years at another time. Look! as many a man gets more money in one year than he does afterwards get in seven—just so, many a Christian gets more grace and holiness sometimes in one year than he gets afterwards in seven.
No saints have at all times alike the same blessed gales of the Spirit. It is just with a holy soul as it is with a ship; sometimes the ship has a very fair and fresh gale of wind, and then she cuts her way through the proud waves of the sea, and the passengers sail very speedily and merrily towards their desired port; but in a short while, the wind is slack, and veers about to another point of the compass, and then the passengers are all dejected, or frightened—and they sail but slowly and heavily towards their desired harbor. And so it is with a holy heart: sometimes the gales of the Spirit blow very fair and sweet, very strong and powerful, upon a gracious soul—and then a Christian sails most sweetly, most speedily, and most successfully on in a way of holiness, and towards his port of happiness. But in a short while, the Spirit is either resisted, or grieved, or neglected, or quenched, or vexed, or disobeyed; and then his gales, his influences, his breathings, are slacked, and then a poor Christian sails but very slow on in a way of holiness, then he does but even creep towards the harbor of everlasting blessedness.
Again, no saints have at all times alike the same external helps, advantages, and opportunities of being holy, and of thriving in holiness. It may be they have not the word so clearly, so powerfully, so sweetly, so faithfully, nor so frequently preached to them as formerly they have had. Or it may be they have not other ordinances so lively, so purely, so spiritually, so evangelically dispensed to them as formerly they have had. It may be they have had stones instead of bread, and bones instead of flesh, and chaff instead of wheat, and muddy water instead of choice wine—and then no wonder if they do not thrive in holiness as they did when God rained manna every day about their tents, and when they were fed with the best of the best that their heavenly Father's table, wine-cellar, and house did afford.
When children have not as good food, and as good excercise, as they have formerly had, no wonder if they thrive not as at other times. And so it is here: look, as no men have always the same helps, the same advantages, the same opportunities to grow great, and rich, and high, and honorable in the world, that sometimes they have had—just so, no Christian has always the same helps, advantages, and opportunities to grow rich and high in holiness, as sometimes he has had. It may be he has not that communion and fellowship with the people of God that once he had, or if he has—yet it may be their communion is not so pure, so holy, so lively, so heart-warming, so soul-enriching, as once it has been. Or it may be he has not as good counsel as formerly, nor as good examples as formerly, nor as good encouragement as he has formerly had to be holy. Or it may be their calling, employment, and outward condition is so altered and changed from what once it was, that they have not that time for closet duties, and to wait on public ordinances, that once they had. Or it may be bodily infirmities, weaknesses, diseases, aches, and ailments are so increased and multiplied upon them, that they cannot make that improvement that once they did of those very advantages and opportunities, that yet, by a hand of grace, is continued among them.
Now these cases being incident to the people of God, there is no reason to wonder, if at some times saints are more holy than they are at others; and if at some seasons they shoot up more in holiness than they do at others. The serious weighing of this position may serve to prevent many fears and scruples, many debates and disputes, that often rise in the hearts of Christians upon the often ebbings and flowings of holiness in their souls.
Back to Part 151 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Part 153 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
Back to HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness