The Government of the Thoughts, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Joy.
CONCERNING Joy, Rejoicing and Mirth, the Rules are, That God would not have us disconsolate, but to rejoice and be cheerful in him evermore, 1 Thess. 5.16. Melancholy, Dejectedness, worldly Sorrow, bitterness of Spirit, and secret repining against God's Providence, are dangerous Symptoms of Incredulity: For if, as the Apostle says, Rom. 5.1. Being justified by Faith, we have peace of Conscience, and cheerful access to God through Christ; there will be joy in the Holy Ghost: We shall rejoice in hope, and glory in our Tribulations, being assured of a blessed issue thereof.
2. JOY and Rejoicing in God, in things Divine and Spiritual we are secure and happy. The end of Temporal Rejoicing, is many times clouded in sudden and unexpected Sorrow. Such was Belshazzar's Feast with a thousand of his Princes, Dan. 5.1, 5, 6. The scene of Joy was changed into sudden Astonishment, at the sight of that dreadful Hand which decypher'd his doom upon the Palace Wall. Secular Joy▪ entertaineth deluded Men, as that old lying Prophet of Bethel did the Man of God, first feeding, then afflicting with the sad Intimation of ensuing Destruction, 1 Kings 13.11, 22. Acquaint thy self with true good, that thou mayst rejoice securely. They most delight in Secular things, who are ignorant of Eternal.
3. LET not thy Heart be too much transported with Secular Joy; they that superabound in Mirth and Joy in Prosperity, are too much cast down and dejected in Adversity: For both Extreams proceed from impotency of Mind. In every Exultation look with a thankful Heart on the Lord that gave it, and with a prudent Heart on that which may quickly change this Scene of Mirth into Heaviness. Taste thy Joy as the Israelites did their Passover, with bitter Herbs, and prepared to be gone, Exod. 12.8. Let the thoughts of Sorrow season all thy Mirth, lest a sudden Surprizal astonish and vanquish thee: For foreseen Dangers least prejudice the Wise.
4. KEEP Innocency and a good Conscience: These shall Comfort thee, as Lamech said of his Son Noah, Gen. 5.29. The Wise Man tells you, Prov. 15.15. All the days of the afflicted are Evil; but he that is of a Merry heart, that is, a good Conscience, hath a continual Feast. Wicked Mirth, Sardonick Laughter, and foolish Jesting, as they demonstrate much Levity, so do they dangerous Uncomposedness, Vanity and weakness of Mind. In such Laughter, the heart is Sorrowful, says Solomon, Prov. 14.13. And the end of that mirth, is heaviness: And Eccl. 2.1. Behold, this also is Vanity. Again, The heart of the wise is in the House of Moorning: But the Heart of Fools is in the House of Mirth, Eccl. 7.4.
5. WE read that Christ Wept over Jerusalem, Luke 19.41. and over Lazarus, John 11.35. But we never read of his Laughter: 'Tis a rare Government of the Mind to have Mirth season'd with Wisdom, wherein a prudent Cheerfulness commendeth Mirth, well regulated in an holy thankful use of that we enjoy, as the best of things, meerly Secular: To imitate the Austerity of Cato, or the Sullenness of Crassus, who is reported to have Laughed but once in his Life; or to be an ever Weeping Heraclite, or an ever Laughing Democritus, is to launch out into vain and unsafe Extreams. Indeed, of the two, Tears are to be preferred before excessive Laughter: For too much Mirth is a symptom of Folly, which fluctuates from the Heart, and a true Signet of Forgetfulness, or ignorance of this mutable Life.
6. AND indeed Voluptuousness is Satan's Hook which produces to Destruction; it is the Mother of Sin, and the Nurse of the never dying Worm: And as Oil killeth Insects, but Vinegar restores them; so Joy and Pleasure destroy incautious Sinners; but sharp Afflictions safely Cure them: So that they at last arrive to that apprehensive sense of understanding, That it is good for them to be Afflicted, Psal. 119.71. Never rejoice at anothers Affliction, for it is Odious to the Almighty, and seldom evadeth such Revenge as pointeth out the Sin.
7. IT is a Maxim of Wisdom to weigh the Joy, which will prove an excellent Gage for thy Heart: For the Prophet Jeremy tells you, Chap. 17.9. That, The Heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? If thou rejoicest in Evil, thy Heart must be agreeable to it; but if thou delightest in Goodness, then a secret Power and Spirit of Sanctity ruleth in thee. Observe in Musical Instruments, how some Strings sound at the Moving of others, and accord very Harmoniously: So it is with the Strings of thy Heart, which internally Assenteth to any wicked external Action. The uncircumcised Heart rejoiceth at that Obscenity that vexed Righteous Lot: The Holy are cheerful and glad, like the wise Merchant, Matt. 13.44, 45, 56. Who when they find the treasure of God's inestimable Mercy opened to them, go away rejoicing with that happy Convert, Acts 8.39. While he that hath no interest therein, sitteth numbring the Minutes, and thinking every Divine Exercise long; goeth away either as Ahab, with Indignation, or with Sorrow, like the rich young Man in the Gospel, Matt. 19.22.
8. DANGEROUS Perturbations of the Mind, are in the dominion of Sorrows; and there is as much occasion of prudent Rules to be used, as of a Rudder in a Storm. In every affliction, examine well thy Heart for the Cause: Wherefore is the living Man Sorrowful? Man suffereth for his Sin. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again unto the Lord, Lam, 3.39, 40. It is a vain attempt, and a high presumption to seek for any Relief from Affliction; but by this means all other Lenitives are as Draughts of Cold Water in a hectick Fit; it is more Inflaming, like David's Harp to a moody Saul, where the vexing Spirit returneth with greater Violence.
9. PLACE thy Sorrow upon Sin, which is the right Object: It is the vulgar Error and danger of many, to be dejected for that loss which indeed cannot prejudice their Bodies; but take a delight in Sin, which woundeth the Soul, and may make them for ever Unhappy. We many times grieve for that which should occasion us to Rejoice. And St. Paul tells us, Rom. 8.26. That all things work together for good; and whom the Lord loveth, he Chasteneth, Heb. 12.6. Next, let us consider the comfortable effects of God's Chastisements; It yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Righteousness, unto them which are Exercised thereby, Heb. 12.11. We are impatient and roar out as Men under the hands of a skillful Chirurgeon, when he exerciseth the Lancet or Cauterie to Cure us. It was David's Complaint, who said, I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my Heart, Psal. 38.8. Yet in the issue confessed, It is good for me that I have been Afflicted; and declares this Experience, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now have I kept thy Word, Psal. 119.67, 71.
10. GIVE not thy Heart over to excessive Sorrow; for there is a Worldly Sorrow to Death; and a Sorrow to Repentance not to be Repented of, 2 Cor. 7.10. Exorbitant Grief is like the immoderate Overflowing of Nilus, a presager of dangerous Sterility. Stand ready prepared for sharp Encounters. Ships are built to endure Storms and raging Seas. And prudent Minds are composed to endure and make good use of Sorrows. Let every Distress awaken thy mind to fly to thy Redeemer: And then Afflictions will appear like that Rain which fell on the Ark; the more it poured down, the more that was lifted up, and saved from the fury of the Waves: Or like Moses Rod, to open a way through the briny Floods, to our promised Rest, Exod. 14.21, 22.