A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. A teſt of divine Joy, and what that joy is.
DIvine Joy ariſeth from a ſight of, and affection to the moſt glorious object: Now in the working of joy it is neceſſary, that there be a union, to and with the object, for no man can delight in that which he neither knows nor affects: and indeed theſe two are the wings of the ſoule that heighten this joy.
Now in the order of joy, theſe two things much aggravate it.
Firſt, Contemplation in the mind of man, fixed upon the object; for every man, by a ſerious and ſolid meditation of what the affects, hath a various delight in him, according to the nature of the object.
Therefore God, by way of expreſſion as to us, did not ſo much rejoyce in his fiat, as in his vidit, not ſo much when he gave all creatures a being, as when he ſaw their goodneſſe; and he had much delight in his works made, becauſe in them he beheld his own Image and glory.
A ſoul thus beholding God, as one with him in Chriſt, being taken with the object, the thoughts of God are ſweet to him, as David, I thought of thee in the night ſeaſon, and it was ſweet to me; for ſerious meditation carries this ſoul ſometimes in a rapture above it ſelf; and when a Saint comes to apprehend their infinite good in God, he is ſwallowed up in himſelf, and all fears are vanquiſhed in him, and is as Paul whether in the body, or out of the body he can not tell; Paul had forgot his former ſtate by the preſent purſuit of his deſire, and overflowing of his affections towards that immortall good he ſaw, he had forgot himſelf, and had a new ſelf. Thus the ſoule when filled with joy, all its former fears are buried in the preſent joyes, as Jacob when he heard his ſon Joſeph was alive, his great fear of the loſſe of Benjamin was at preſent overcome by that joy he had of Joſephs ſafety: Thus a ſoul, when touched with the loadſtone of the Spirit, is drawn up into a greater joy and glory. Joy in this ſenſe makes death light and ſmall in a Chriſtians eye; for ſuting of en object oppoſite to death, which is life, and by this beats out the diſmall apprehenſions of it, and with Paul 'cries, O death, where is thy ſting? As Mariners when they come to land, make a ſhout to note their joy of a ſafe arrivall; ſo the ſoul by divine joy is carried from the ſea of earthly confuſion, and arrives ſafe into the land of Canaan, where his joy is unexpreſſible: thus divine Joy comes through the underſtanding, and works much upon the other faculties: This we may obſerve in all men, that according to their contemplation, ſo commonly is their joy or delight; for the mind of man feeds upon his delight, as the Bee ſucks ſweetneſſe from the flower, as a worldly man his mind, and conſequently delight is moſt upon his riches.
2. The ſecond aſſiſtant to joy is hope, or confidence in the mind, whereby a man waits for the accompliſhment of his deſires; as a man in priſon inferrs joy to himſelf from that hope he hath of liberty; for indeed hope doth enlarge joy, by carrying us from our preſent fears, to our future joys, Rom. 12.12. Rejoycing in hope; this quickens our preſent joy by hope of a more full joy; for confidence addes ſtrength to the weak, and courage to the fearfull, ſo hope drawes in joy as the loadſtone doth thee needle; Rom. 5.2. Rejoyce in hope of the glory of God: it makes abſent things preſent, and we feed upon thoſe joyes that are to come; now beſides thoſe grounds of joy there are others that much widen it.
1. Firſt, the ſudden and unexpected appearance of any good to us ſurprizeth the ſoul with much joy, as the long departure of a dear friend, his return to us not looked for, or expected, cauſeth more joy, then if he had given notice of his coming.
The reaſon of this is, becauſe they ſurprize us, and ſo ſtir up that affection in us more earneſtly. Sudden joy hath ſo wrought upon ſome bodies, that they have died pleaſantly in the midſt of their joyes. I knew a man in Chriſt two years ago that was carried up in ſpirit into the heaven of joy, that at preſent he wiſht he might die inſtantly, to go to that bleſſed fellowſhip. Some have been ſo tranſported beyond themſelves, that they have forgot their worldly buſineſſe, and were as men loſt to reaſon.
2. The ſecond is ſtrength of deſire: For, ſtrong deſires are never at reſt untill they are ſatiated with the object of their deſire: For, deſire is like a woman with child, never quieted till ſhe obtains what ſhe longs for.
When Darius in his flight drank muddy water, he profeſſed he never found greater pleaſure in his drinking, becauſe the appetite of thirſt being ſtrong, was much delighted where it met with a ſatisfaction. Thus the ſoul of a Chriſtian having ſtrong deſires in her, ſhe never reſts till ſhe in joyes the object of her deſire: For indeed a man can never rejoyce in that which he hath no deſire after. Proverbs 13.19. Deſire accompliſhed is ſweet to the ſoule: it brings much joy and comfort to a Saint when his deſires are fulfilled: As the Hart pants after the water brooks, ſo doth the ſoul after God.
And truly the ground why a Chriſtian hath ſo little joy is, becauſe he hath not the ſtrength of deſire, and is not yet drawn by a divine power to thirſt after the living God.
3. The third is imagination. Imaginati-in in man is either the foundation of delight or ſorrow; Conception of any good in things moves delight in them: Therefore when Diogenes in his melancholy fancie took more delight in his tub, then other men do in their palaces: For, the fancie loves to feed upon ſome quaint thing diſtinct: And as imagination works, it binds the heart to a delight in whatever it conceives pleaſant. Divine joy moves in the ſame manner as earthly joy doth, but onelyonly pitcht upon a higher object. Theſe two wayes divine joy manifeſts it ſelf to us.
Firſt, union is the principall conduit-pipe through which this joy proceeds. A ſoul united to the Lord hath all from him. What an ocean of joy coms into the ſoul, with that appropriating title, God is mine! For all true joy flowes as naturally from this, as the river runs from the Sea; and indeed the cauſe of mans miſery in earth ariſeth from a not-knowing himſelf united to the Lord by one Spirit; for this union is much more glorious then any relation on earth, and carries all ſweetneſſe and delight with it: The knot of union is tied ſo ſtrong by divine love, that what ever is Gods pleaſure, can never be a Saints paine, propriety gives life to a cauſe, when a ſoul can ſay, God and all in him is mine, and for me, what joy do you think it will produce?
Then ſecondly, poſſeſſion adds much to a divine joy; thus faith doth give the ſoul a poſſeſſion of him, who poſſeſſeth all things; untill a man hath poſſeſſion in his own lands, he can never fully rejoyce: for this aggravates my joy, when I have ſo much as at my command. Good old Simeon when he had imbraced Chriſt in the arms of faith, then for joy deſired to die, that he might fully poſſeſſe him: Thus a ſoul when injoying Chriſt in the arms of faith, his ſorrowes are gone, what joy was there for the loſt Prodigall when he was come to his Fathers houſe? As in outward delights thoſe of incorporation are better then thoſe of adheſion; ſo inward joyes they are ſtrongeſt, becauſe they proceed from a fruition of good, not a ſpeculative apprehenſion: Now God is ſuch an infinite eternall good, that the ſoul is united to him; joy by this dilates and opens the heart, whence it is called Latitia, which ſignifies joy to be a ſpreading paſſion, for the object is ſo univerſally good and ſweet, that divine joy cannot be bound, but runs out freely to this glorious object; and there can be no locking up of divine joy, but it runs forth as the father to meet the loſt Prodigall: The nature of this joy (as one ſaith) is like the water of Eſculapius his well, which is not capable of putrifaction. This I am ſure of, where the ſoule joyes in God, there can no poiſon mix with it, and there can be no exceſſe in this delight, for heaven is its proper title, which ſignifies a Kingdome of Joy; At thy right hand are pleaſures for evermore: Now the excellency of divine joy further appears in two things.
1. Firſt, it beholds life in eternity, for in all naturall things joy doth ariſe from ſome kind of life or motion.
Eternall life is the womb of divine joy, that firſt brought it forth, and is the nurſe that feeds it and ſtrengthens it: Therefore when the ſoule rightly underſtands that it ſhall live with the Lord, the ſpirit is exalted to ſatiate it ſelf upon life; on the contrary, take a man that knowes not this life, for the moſt part, when he comes to die, he is ſad, deſpairing, for death naturally produceth ſorrow as life doth joy.
Therefore, there ſhall be more joy in heaven at the converſion of one ſinner, then of ninety nine that need no repentance; to intimate unto us, that the joy of a dead man raiſed to life is much increaſed by the difficulties it met with in conquering death.
2. Secondly, Divine joy tranſports the ſoul beyond a fear of ſuffering; nay, the ſoul thus ſet upon glory, rejoyceth in tribulation it ſelfe, Col. 1.11. Therefore the Saints of old rejoyced that they were counted worthy to ſuffer: Now affliction is an evill not to be deſired; yet conſidering the event all ſufferings, that they make way for a greater glory, thus a Saint in divine joy ſees to the end of all ſufferings: And as a woman in travail forgets her pains, for joy that a manchild is born into the world; ſo divine joyes ſnatches up the ſoule above all earthly burthens. As ſome Martyrs ſung in the fire, M. Philpot ſaid, the world wonders how we can be ſo merry in ſuch miſery, but they conſider not that God turneth our miſeries into felicitie. So Vincentius laughing at the tortures laid upon him, ſaid, they were his Jocularia & Ludicra, matters of ſport and paſtine to him.
Now another reaſon why Saints joy in ſuffering, is Chriſt went as a patterne before us, Heb. 12.2. Who for the joy that was ſet before him indured the Croſſe, deſpiſed the ſhame: Old Latimer tells us, that it's the greateſt promotion God gives in this world; thus a ſoul in divine joy calls death no more Marah, but Naomi.
A man in heavenly joy, we may ask him, quid agis? but may as well draw in all the breath of the world, as tell what a Saint is about, not that there is want of words, but want in words to expreſſe it: Therefore it is called unſpeakable joy, 1 Pet. 1.8. not but that we may ſpeak of it, but we cannot deſcribe the dimenſions of this joy.
Thus far of the nature of divine joy.
An incouragement to joy in the Lord.
AS a bird while priſoned in a cage, ſings little and dolefully, but when ſet at liberty in the open aire, it ſings ſweetly; ſo a Saint is in a cage of an uncleane world, where his joy is but ſparkling, but when in the open aire of Gods ſweet Kingdome, then the ſoule will ſing ſweetly, as the ſingers of Iſrael. Rejoyce then in hope, O my ſoule, let thy winter ſeaſons be paſt over with delight, For thy ſummer is nigh. Art thou afraid of death? Look into the land of the living, and tell me, is not death ſwallowed up in victory? Art thou afraid of men? why behold, (Colloſ. 3.3.) thy life is hid with Chriſt in God, lock'd up as a Jewell in a Caſket: Art thou afraid of finne, doth that hinder joy? The ſting of death which is ſinne, is taken away, Chriſt hath fully ſatisfied the father for thee; death is but life growing out of it; ſorrow is joy in its ſeed budding forth; ſufferings are but ſo many leſſer Crownes breaking forth into greater glories: Why ſhould not a Saint rejoyce in all ſtates? look on thy Saviour, haſt thou not cauſe to joy in him?
While I thus beheld the God of Love, alas, what's the world to me! In its ſmiles, frownes, deaths contradictions, I compare it thus:
It is as a picture drawne out by a curious Artiſt, where it is not one colour makes the image comely, but all the colours, the black as well as the white line, the red as well as the blew, that makes it delectable: Thus all in the world is but a connexion of colours, take all together they make a ſweet harmony; then O ſoul rejoyce, and know that all things work for thy good, the dark part as well as the bright part of things; whileſt thy joy is in the Lord, then in every thing thou meeteſt with, thou meeteſt with a pleaſure, for thy God doth all things well; delight thy heart in the Lord, if Satan hurt thy ſoule vvith his bloud-hounds, fly to the rock of Gods love, thou art ſafe; fly in all thy diſtreſſe by this wing of love, to love: A Saint filled vvith joy flies to heaven aforehand, and hath the ſvveet fellowſhip of Gods Angells, ſpirits of juſt men, in this bleſſed work of joy: Paul was thus rapt up to the third heaven; O the ſweet, glorious, divine, everlaſting, ſurpaſſing, viveficating, ſoul-filling, ſpirit-ſtrengthning, unknown, yet well known joys of glory! thy joy O earth! is but as the crackling of thorns: thou art droſſy, frothy, frenzy in thy joy, all thine is but imaginary conceited joy. A Chriſtian ſees that every thing is but borrowed in the world, time will challenge all ſuddenly: the great man, rich man, noble man, voluptuous man, covetous man, time will challenge you all; then whoſe are your honours, riches, pleaſure, profits? all die with you; but bleſſed are ſuch as partake of divine Joys: I onelyonly can point at this joy, but cannot paint it out to you: Therefore rejoyce in the Lord alway, and again, I ſay, rejoyce, Phil. 4.4.
FINIS.
End of the text · Joshua Miller, A Beam of Light Darted Through the Clouds (1650)