Part 78 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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Part 79 HOLINESS, the Only Way to Happiness
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[3.] Thirdly, You have attained to but little holiness; witness your fears and faintings in a day of adversity. Though there are as many fear nots, as there be fears in Scripture—yet in a day of calamity, how easily and frequently does your fears get above your faith! Isaiah 51:12-13, and 41:10, 14. What fainting-fits do then attend you! Proverbs 24:10, "If you faint in the day of adversity—your strength is small." Look! as bodily faintness discovers bodily weakness—just so, soul faintness discovers soul weakness. It is troubles, which are the trials of a Christian's strength. Afflictions will test what sap and life we have within us. As the man is for holiness—just so, is his strength under trials. He who has noholiness—has no strength; and he who has but a little holiness—has but a little strength. He who has much holiness—has much strength; and accordingly will bear up bravely in a day of trial; his bow, with Joseph's, will then abide in strength, Gen. 49:23-24. Though Noah in the building of his ark met with many a sore trial, and many a sad affront, and many a broad jest, and many a bitter scoff; and though the people generally laughed at the good old man, thinking that he did only dream of rain; yet Noah, being eminent in holiness, his bow abode in strength, and he held on building of the ark, until he had finished the work that God had commanded.
But oh the sadness, the weakness, the faintness—which attends most people in the day of their adversity! Jer. 8:18, 21, "When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint in me. For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; am I black; astonishment has taken hold on me." Jer 45:3, "You did say, Woe is me now! for the Lord has added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighings, and I find no rest." Lam. 1:22, "For my sighs are many, and my heart is faint." Lam 5:17, "For this our heart is faint, for these things our eyes are dim." Now this faintness in the day of adversity speaks out much spiritual weakness; for where holiness is risen to a noble height, there men will bear up courageously, even in a day of calamity.
The eagle is the king of birds, and therefore the Romans, who were the greatest potentates on earth, still bore the eagle in their standards. Now the naturalist observes concerning this royal bird, that whereas all other birds make a noise when they are hungry, this princely bird makes no noise at all, though he be ever so hungry, for such is the greatness and the nobleness of his spirit, that whatever befalls him, he won't cry, and whine, and repine, as other birds will do when they lack their food; his princely spirit carries him above all hunger, thirst, or danger. Just so, men who are eminent in holiness, are men of such noble, princely spirits—that they won't faint, nor vex, nor fret, nor complain—nor whine, whatever their needs, trials, or straits may be. Such afflictions as would break other men's hearts, cannot so much as break their sleep; they still hold on their way, and whatever they meet with, they will be still a-mounting nearer and nearer to heaven. But where there is but a little holiness, there men will be like the common fowls of the air, still a-making a noise, they will still be a-crying, whining, and repining under every trial and trouble they meet with. But,