Part 42 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 43 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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4. Fourthly, I answer, That the joy of the saints is chiefly and mainly—an inward joy, a spiritual joy, a joy which lies remote from a carnal eye. The joy of a Christian lies deep, it cannot be expressed, it cannot be painted. Look! as no man can paint the sweetness of the honeycomb, nor the sweetness of a cluster of grapes, nor the fragrancy of the rose of Sharon—just so, no man can paint out the sweetness and spiritualness of a Christian's joy, it lies so deep and low in a gracious heart. And look, as the life of a Christian is hid with Christ in God," Col. 3:3—just so, the joy of a Christian is "hid with Christ in God." As their life is a hidden life, so their joy is a hidden joy. The joy of a Christian is "hidden manna," it is the "new name and white stone, that none knows but he who has it," Rev. 2:20; Proverbs 14:10, "The heart knows his own bitterness, and a stranger does not intermeddle with his joy." The joy of a saint is a jewel which falls not under a stranger's eye. Look! as the greatest terrors and torments of the wicked are inward, so the greatest joys and comforts of the saints are inward; and look, as the heart of man is deep, so holy joy is a treasure that lies deep, and it is not every man who has a golden key to search into this treasury, Jer. 17:9-10.
As a man standing on the sea-shore sees a great heap of waters, one wave riding upon the back of another, and making a dreadful noise—but all this while, though he sees the water rolling, and hears it raging and roaring—yet he sees not the wealth, the gold, the silver, the jewels, and incredible treasures which lie buried there. Just so, wicked men they see theneeds of the saints—but not their wealth; they see their poverty—but not their riches; they see their miseries—but not their mercies; they see their conflicts—but not their comforts; they see their sorrows—but not their joys, 1 Cor. 2:14. Oh, the blind world cannot see the joys and rejoicings, the comforts and consolations of the saints—which lie at the bottom of their souls. Their joys are inward and spiritual—and so must the eye be that discerns them.
The joy of the saints is like "a garden enclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed," Cant. 4:12; and as the glory of the church is inward, Psalm 45:13, so the joy of the church is inward. The waters of consolation lie deep in the wells of salvation, Isaiah 12:3. The richest veins of gold lie deepest under ground; and so does the strongest and the choicest joys of the saints lie deep. The moon is often dark to the world, when yet that part which faces the sun is very lightsome, beautiful, and glorious. Just so, many times, if you look upon the outside of a Christian, which is his dark side, you may see his countenance clouded, and his bearing and behavior as to the world either damped or obscured; but if you could but now look upon his inside, which is his best side, and which faces the Sun of righteousness, oh, then you would see the light of joy and comfort sweetly and gloriously shining forth.
O sirs, look, as there are many rich men in the world, who make no show of it by their garb, or table, or attendance, etc.—just so, there are many Christians who are rich in divine consolations, who yet don't show it in such or such an outward carnal way as the men of the world do usually express their joy in. Many a wicked man has heaviness in his heart when he has laughter in his face, as the wisest of princes has long since observed, in Proverbs 14:13, "Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness." The heart often weeps when the mouth laughs. Every laughter is not hearty, for laughter being but a sign of joy, the sign may be where the substance is not. Many wicked men are inwardly sad when they are outwardly glad, 2 Cor. 5:12. The false apostles put on a joyful face—but had not joy in the heart; they seemed to be merry—and yet all their smiles were but counterfeit smiles, all their joys were but skin deep; the joy which was in their faces was nothing compared to the terrors, horrors, and torments which were in their hearts. Just so, the godly many times rejoice in heart, when sadness and blackness seems to cover their faces: 2 Cor. 6:10, "As sorrowful—yet always rejoicing," etc.
It is very observable that the apostle brings in the sorrow of the godly with a quasi, as it were sorrow, not that it is sorrow indeed—but "as sorrowful," as if their sorrow had been rather a painted sorrow than a real sorrow; but when he speaks of their joy, there is no quasi—but true joy; he does not say "as rejoicing," but "always rejoicing." Their joy was a real joy—but their sorrow was but a seeming sorrow. When a Christian is at worst, as to the eye of the world, he may say of his joy, as Christ speaks of his meat, etc., when he said, "I have food to eat that you know not of," John 4:33—just so, he may say, I have joy, I have great joy, that the world knows not of.
Look! as there is life and sap and juice in the root of the tree, even in the winter season, when there is no leaves, nor blossoms, nor fruit hanging on the tree—just so, there is joy and comfort and peace in the heart of a saint, when there are no outward visible discoveries of it to others! You may as rationally conclude that there is no life, sap, and juice in the root of the tree, because the tree has no leaves, blossoms, or fruit on it—as you may conclude that the saints have no joy in their hearts, because they do not express it in such outward visible acts as may convince the world that they have it, etc. But,
5. Fifthly, I answer, That it is horrid injustice to make the hearts of the righteous sad, whom God would not have saddened, by your pride, profaneness, looseness, wickedness, worldliness, lukewarmness, filthiness, carnalness, etc., and then to cry out against them, that they are the saddest and most comfortable people in the world, Ezek. 13:22-23. What is this but, with Nero, to set the city of Rome on fire, and then to lay the blame of it upon the Christians, and punish them for it? What is this but to deal by the saints as the devil deals by them? He loads them and follows them with most sad, grievous, blasphemous, horrid, and hellish temptations, on purpose to make them walk heavily, mournfully, and uncomfortably; and when he has accomplished his design, then he accuses them sometimes to God, sometimes to themselves, and sometimes to others, for their heavy and uncomfortable walking, Rev. 12:10.
Oh, what inhumanity, cruelty, and vanity was it in the Egyptians to double the Israelites' sum of bricks, and to take away their straw, and then to cry out "that they were lazy," Exod. 5:8, 17. Just so, oh what inhumanity and cruelty is this in unsanctified people, to sadden, grieve, and afflict the people of God with their drunkenness, wantonness, and lewdness, and with their cursing, swearing, and lying, and with their scorning and scoffing at godliness, and with their slandering of the Lord, his people and ways, and with their resisting and quenching of the blessed motions of the Spirit, and with their shifting off the glorious offers of grace and mercy, and with their treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath, etc., [Psalm 119:136, 158; Jer. 9:1-2; 2 Pet. 2:2:7-8; Romans 2:4-5.] and then to cry out, "Oh, how sadly, oh, how mournfully, do these men walk! Oh, what uncomfortable lives do these men live! Oh, what sorrow and pensiveness attends them!" But is this just? is this fair?
Suppose a husband should do all he could to afflict and grieve his wife, and a father his child, and a master his servant, and a friend his friend, etc., and when they had done, then fall a-complaining that there were none so melancholy, nor any so sad and sorrowful as they. Oh, what folly, what madness, and what injustice would this be! And yet, this is the common dealing of unsanctified people with the people of God, Dan. 4:27.
Ah, sinners, sinners, if you would but break off your sins by repentance, and cease from doing evil, and turn to the Lord with all your hearts, and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and fall in with the ways of God, and trample upon this wicked world, and seek after the things of a better life—oh, how soon would the saints' sighing be turned into singing, and their mourning into rejoicing! Oh, the music, the mirth, the melody, that your life would make, both in their hearts and in their ears! It is very observable that Abraham made a feast at the weaning of his son Isaac, Gen. 21:8. He did not make a feast on the day of his nativity, nor on the day of his circumcision, but on that day when he was taken from his mother's bosom. O sirs, if you were but once weaned from your lusts, and from the vanities of this world, if you were but once weaned from old corrupt customs, and from following after your sinful lovers—oh, how would all God's faithful Abrahams rejoice! 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Hosea 6:7. Oh, what a feast of fat things oh, what a heavenly banquet would this make in all their hearts!
About three hundred years after the apostles' time, Caius Marius Victorius, an old pagan, was converted from his paganism, infidelity, and impiety, and brought over to the Christian faith; which, when the people of God saw, there was wonderful rejoicing, and shouting, and dancing for gladness, and psalms were sung in every church, "Caius Marius Victorius has become a Christian! Caius Marius Victorius has become a Christian!" This was written as a wonder, and sung as a wonder, that this old pagan, this gray-headed pagan, should become a gracious Christian, that he should in his old age be renewed and sanctified.
Ah, friends, if you were but once converted and changed, if you were but once turned from darkness to light, if you were but once brought to Christ, if the people of God could but once see that you had passed the pangs of the new birth, and that Christ and holiness were formed in your souls—ah, how would their hearts be filled with joy, and their mouths with laughter! Oh, what songs of salvation would they sing! Oh, how would the high praises of God be in their mouths!
You say, "Oh there are none so sad and sorrowful, etc., as such and such Christians." But what is the cause of their sorrow and sadness? is it not your wickedness and ungodliness? is it not your unconverted and unsanctified estate? Surely yes. Oh, that you would therefore cease from complaining against them, and fall amending of your own heart and ways! And then all tears will be quickly wiped away from their eyes. But,
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