Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII.
Of the great joy that fills a Soul, when the favour of God returns to it, after having been long in darkneſs; And the joy is great in ſeveral reſpects, As it was unexpected; As it diſcovers God to be reconciled, and gives the mourner a poſſeſſion of Chriſt by faith, through the influence of the Holy Spirit; It revives his Graces, delivers him from the inſulting of the Devil; ſhews the ſoul its intereſt in the Promiſes.
JOy cometh in the morning, Pſal. 30.5. Having in ſeveral Chapters, ſhewed what a mournful night it is to a deſerted ſoul, when God is withdrawn, and what paſſes then; it is now time to haſten to what is more pleaſant and reviving, according to the order of Divine Providence, which appointeth that where there has been weeping in the night, in the morning there ſhould be joy: Hence we may obſerve, The return of Gods favour to a ſoul is matter of great joy to it; or theſe words may denote the promptitude and readineſs of Divine Conſolations.
Three things are the uſual occaſions of joy, all which are in this caſe: 1. The remembrance of ſome danger that we have lately eſcaped. 2. The poſſeſſion of a preſent good. 3. The ſolid expectation of ſome future happineſs.
Firſt, The remembrance of a paſt danger, does occaſion a more lively ſenſe of joy. As paſt joys renew our grief, and make our ſorrows more ſorrowful; ſo the griefs that are part, give us a ſweeter and a better taſt of joy; after long ſickneſs and acute pain, 'tis very pleaſant to be at eaſe; 'tis pleaſant to reſt when we have been tired all the day with hard labour; the Laurels of a Soldier flouriſh with a purer Green when they have been obtained with a mighty difficulty; the danger of the Combat brightens the glory of the ſucceeding Triumph. 'Tis grateful to the Mariner to ſtand upon the firm Land, and from thence to behold the waves in which he had like to have been thrown away; one that has been long in chains, rejoyces to find himſelf at liberty; 'tis pleaſant after a man has been long athirſt, to be refreſht with the fountain of Living waters; it renders the joy more accompliſhed, and more ſatisfying, when refreſhment comes after long and grievous miſeries: After long deſpair, the leaſt beam of hope is more reviving; a man that has loſt his way all night, has cauſe to rejoice at the ſight of day, As to perſons newly converted, their faith is full of joy when they compare their former danger, and their preſent ſafety, their former darkneſs and the ſhining light that guides their paths; ſo to ſouls that have been in great anguiſh and tribulation for ſin, that have apprehended themſelves to be caſt out of the preſence of the Lord, 'tis very pleaſant to behold his face again; 'tis pleaſant to ſuch as by reaſon of their ſore affliction have been Companions to Owls and Dragons, to come into Religious Aſſemblies, and inſtead of ſolitary groans and tears, to join with the multitudes of thoſe that keep Holiday; the ſoul is then like that of the Returning Prodigal, finds it ſelf in the Arms and Embraces of a Loving Father, and well treated, when it looked, as it might juſtly, for rebukes and wrath. Thunder and Lightning, and Storms, make the calm and pleaſant weather more grateful to us; 'tis pleaſant after long abſence, to meet our friend again; we find a joy ſparkling in our eyes and in our breaſts, at the ſight of them whom we have not ſeen for many ſad and doleful years; whom yet we longed to ſee; and that which heightens our pleaſure is, when a bleſſing arrives to us that was unexpected; that mercy docs fill us with the biggeſt joy which is extremely ſuitable to us, and which yet we hoped not to receive. The Crown ſat the eaſier upon David's head, after he had ſo often thought that he ſhould have fallen by the hands of Saul. As life taſts with a better reliſh when there has been but one ſtep between us and death. With what Tranſports doth a kind mother ſee her Son coming home whom ſhe gave for loſt and dead! What a chearful Interview was that which Jacob had with his Son after he had ſo often thought that he had been torn to pieces! as ſoon as he came near, he fell upon his neck, and there the revived ſoul of the poor old man was ready even with exceſs of pleaſure to melt away; he never thought to have ſeen his Joſeph, his dear Joſeph any more; he was even with ſorrow for his apprehended death, going down to the Grave; and the news of his Son's welfare made him to be young, and live again; for at the hearing of it, the ſpirit of Jacob revived, and Iſrael ſaid, It is enough, Joſeph my Son is yet alive, I will go and ſee him before I die, Gen. 45.28. And ſo the Jews having liberty to return from Babylon, were ſo ſurprized with the favour of their ſudden deliverance, and the greatneſs of the mercy, that they could hardly think it true, it ſeem'd to be the meer effect of Imagination, which during the Interruption of our uſual thoughts, by ſleep put ſeveral deceits upon us, Pſal, 126.1, 2. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion, we were like them that dreamed. They were delivered in a manner illuſtrious and ſurprizing, and it is thus expreſt for three Reaſons: 1. A man does not foreſee what he dreams of; a man that is apt to be cheriſhed with ſound and refreſhing ſleep, does not know whether he ſhall dream or not. So this deliverance arrived to them when they thought not of it. 2. As it arrived without any pain to them that were delivered; as when we dream we are in repoſe, and are at no trouble; and this heightens the glory of a deliverance, and the love of the deliverer when the perſon delivered takes no care about it. 3. This deliverance was above all that they could hope for; as if a man dreamed of ſomething like it, but which he ſaw not when he was awake, for ſuch are the Chymera's which the Imagination then forms, and which fall not under the notice of our ſenſes; ſuch a thing was never heard or ſeen before*Monſieu. Charles in loc..
The return of comfort to a Soul that was even expiring in grief and ſadneſs, is like the raiſing of Lazarus to his mourning Siſters; they thought that if the Lord had been there, he had not died; but they did not in the leaſt think that he ſhould be raiſed again. The review of our former miſeries does encreaſe the ſenſe of preſent happineſs; the light which the Grace of the Goſpel brought into the world, and that diſſipated the obſcurities that compaſſed it about, made the Apoſtles full of admiration, and of wonder; when they thought of their former ignorance and error, and the light and knowledg that God had given them, ever are they wondring at the Riches of his Grace, that inſtead of the corruption in which they were plunged, gave them Sanctification, Joy and Hope: What a ſurprize was it to the poor Shepherds that were in the field, watching their flock by night, Luk. 2.9. to ſee an Angel and the Glory of the Lord ſhining round about them! To ſee ſuch a Glory when they thought of nothing leſs, nor did expect ſo great a Grace*Claude Traitte de la Compoſition d'un Sermon! p. 267. but 'tis uſual with God to beſtow the moſt eminent favours when men do not look for them; as Chriſt came to ſeek Sinners when they thought not of him, and when their minds were filled with other objects, they were afraid; for great objects, when they preſent themſelves ſuddenly to us, uſually give us much aſtoniſhment; for our ſpirit on theſe occaſions has not the liberty to uſe its forces, and they are moſt frequently diſſipated, and that diſſipation cauſes fear; when a ſoul has long had in it ſelf the ſentence of condemnation, a pardon from God is very comfortable; our former darkneſs does encreaſe our preſent comfort, as ſhadows ſet off the light.
2. Joy ariſes from the poſſeſſion of a preſent good: Thus is the preſence of God unſpeakably ſweet to a ſoul from which he was once departed: I. As it now thinks upon him as reconciled: 2. As it has by faith poſſeſſion of Chriſt, by whom his favour is reſtored; as our ſadneſs came by unbelief, ſo does our joy by faith. When it was in anguiſh, every thought of God was terrible and amazing, but now nothing is ſo refreſhing, ſo deſirable, ſo ſatisfying, as to think of him. Pſal. 94.19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my ſoul. Now the poor finner does not look upon him as an enemy, but as a Father; ſees no more in his hand a flaming Sword, but a Scepter of Grace; hears no more his angry voice, but his gentle comfortable Calls and Invitations; according to that in Iſa. 66.13. As one whom his mother comforteth, ſo will I comfort you, and ye ſhall be comforted; and when ye ſee this, your heart ſhall rejoyce, and your bones ſhall flouriſh like an herb. Oh what a joy is it to the ſoul to find God with it! to behold the wonders of his pardoning mercy! to ſee that all its unbelief, all its impatience, all its murmurings in its wilderneſs-condition, ſhall not finally obſtruct its Journey to the Land of Promiſe; to be pardoned, when they thought themſelves actually dying in their guilt, does aggravate the mercy of eſcape. 'Tis true, God loves his people even when he is angry with them; he deſigns their good by the ſharpeſt and ſevereſt ſtrokes; and when he withdraws, 'tis that they may give a better welcome to him at his return; when our lower Region is moſt cloudy, the Sun is ſtill full of light; but it is pleaſant to us to ſee the clouds vaniſh, and the sky clear, and to be refreſhed with his inlivening beams again. God indeed is the ſame for ever; our diſtreſſes, our fears, and our troubles, do not alter his kindneſs; theſe ſeveral variations in us, make no change in him; no more than the ſeveral alterations in the air, infer a diverſity in the Sun, which is one and the ſame it ſelf, tho the changes be multiplied here below; but yet even Paternal wrath is wrath ſtill, and his Love is what we ought earneſtly to deſire, and at the manifeſtation of which we ſhould greatly rejoyce. It was once the ſaying of Mr. Peacock under great diſtreſs of Conſcience, Oh God reconcile me to thee, that I may taſt one dram of thy Grace, by which my miſerable ſoul may receive comfort! Such was his longing after him; and afterwards when the ſtorm began to ceaſe, being put in mind of God's mercy to him, he ſaid. Oh the Sea is not ſo full if water, nor the Sun of light, as God is of Goodneſs; his Mercy is ten thouſand times more! The good man long'd but for a drop before, and he had given him full draughts of Conſolation; ſo far are the ways of God above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts; in our ſore trials we think of God as a frowning Judge, but when we are deliver'd, we ſee him to be our beſt friend; that he is really kind to us, of whom we were ſo much afraid; who can expreſs the joy of having him at peace with us! There is a Heaven in the ſmiles of a Reconciled God. Figure to your ſelves, as one expreſſes itDe Lang-Treize Sermons, pag. 850., a perſon that is condemned to death for his Crimes, and who at the ſame time that he prepares to undergo it, ſees an Herald from the King bringing his pardon in his hand, and ſtops the Execution, by crying, Mercy, mercy, to the miſerable man! with what tranſports of joy does the poor Malefactor ſee this Meſſenger, and hear theſe tidings! ſuch and ſo pleaſant is the joy, that a deſerted Chriſtian finds after he heard the ſentence of ruin, and ſaw it near, when the Law condemned him, and his Conſcience ecchoed to the voice of the Law, to find that he is abſolved, that the Sentence is reverſed, and the ſins that made him afraid, are blotted out, then it is that the mourning foul dares to look up to God, as being no more at war with him, nor afraid of the Thunder of his Power; then it is refreſht with his ſweet and amiable Attributes, and then the diſorders and the pangs that it felt within, are vaniſht, and all is quiet; then it dwells not as in the ſhadow of death, nor as on the borders of eternal grief.
Secondly, As the deſerted ſoul does by faith obtain a poſſeſſion of Chriſt, ſo it is full of joy; and Chriſt is both the Object and the Author of it; he has purchas'd it by his own blood, and has born our griefs, that we might not mourn for ever; the having of him is a conſtant inexhauſtible ſource of joy to the believer, to be poſſeſſed of this Saviour, who is the brightneſs of the glory, and the expreſs Image of the Father. His Word, his Wiſdom, his Love, and his Goodwill, the Treaſury of his Graces, in whom his Fulneſs dwells; this Divine Saviour is our Light that chaſes away the darkneſs of our night, and who with his Gracious hand dries our eyes; this is that Glorious Sun that ariſes with healing on his wings; that not only chears our hearts, but cures our wounds, diſpells the night, and makes the voice of ſighing to expire at the firſt dawning of the day; this is the Tree of Life, the Coeleſtial Manna, that gives us Immortality*See Daille on Phil. IV. v. IV. This is our David that defeats our Enemies; our Solomon that eſtabliſhes among us a ſweet and inviolable peace; he expiates our Crimes, and gives our minds reſt; he ſaves us from the wrath to come; he delivers us from our ſins, from Hell, from our ſlaviſh fears, and cauſes us at length in our darkeſt and moſt tempeſtuous nights to hear his Voice, ſaying, It is I, be not afraid. We are firſt ſadned by unbelief, and faith doth firſt revive us; and this faith is attended with joy and peace; when the poor deſerted ſoul begins to apprehend its Intereſt in Chriſt, how are all its apprehenſions changed, ſaying, Heretofore in my terrible anguiſh I thought that he was my certain enemy, that I had no portion in his Blood, nor any ſhare in his Interceſſion: That as I was under unbelief, ſo I ſhould be vaſtly more miſerable than thoſe that never heard of him, than Heathens and Pagans, and all the reſt of men to whom the Goſpel never came; I then thought and was fully perſwaded, that I ſhould not hear of him with comfort any more; I then thought that I ſhould ſee him coming in the Clouds to my terror; that I ſhould be placed at his left hand; and from thence be commanded to depart, and now he is come in a way of mercy and of love: He has pleaded for me, when I had nothing to ſay for my ſelf; and his Word has calmed the ſtorms that made me ſo much afraid. He caſt an eye of Love upon me, when I expected nothing but his frowns; now can I go and pray in his Encouraging Name; and now I have hope when I pray; his Satisfaction and his Interceſſion are both the conſtant fountains of my joy.
3. This joy that comes after a night of ſad and mournful deſertion, it the work of the bleſſed Spirit; who is ſtiled by way of Eminency, the Comforter: and Peace is one of the fruits of the Spirit; he cauſes us to cloſe with Chriſt, and to embrace the Promiſes: He aſſiſts our weakneſs, and teaches us to pray: He convinces us of ſin, and lays us low, that he may raiſe us up again: He humbles, and purifies, and fits our hearts for laſting and abiding joys; this joy is not the product of a natural temper, but a diſpoſition that hath its Original from Heaven, and leads us thither; it is not the pleaſant motion of our natural ſpirits, to which it owes its birth, but as our grief was in our ſouls, ſo the joy is in the ſame: as our Conſciences were diſquieted, ſo it is in them that he works a ſtillneſs and repoſe.
4. This Joy revives our Graces: In this mournful Night we were quite blaſted with the violence and fury of the ſtorm: We were like the Ground in Winter, deſtitute and forlorn, and no fruit appeared: but the manifeſtation of God's favour is to us as the return of Spring, Cant. 2.11. For lo the Winter is paſt, the Rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the Earth, the time of the ſinging of Birds is come, and the voice of the Turtle is beard in our Land. The Fig-tree putteth forth her green Figs, and the Vines with the tender Grape give a good ſmell. That ſolitary ſeaſon is now gone, wherein nothing but doubts and fears, and deſpondence, and accuſations, did overwhelm the ſoul; the floods that kept it under, are dried, and there is now a chearful and a pleaſant alteration: the Clouds are vaniſht, and the Sky is bright: and a new World and face of things does now appear: His return to his Ancient Mercies is like Noah's entrance into the World after it had been cleanſed and waſhed by the Deluge. God's Favour makes our Tears to be as the gentle dew of Night, which with the warining kindly beams of the Sun, makes the Plants and Herbs, the Gardens and the Flowers, to look more freſh and green. When God departs, our weakneſs to what is good encreaſes; we have no power left, but the joy of the Lord is our ſtrength, Neh. 8.10. This is like the return of health, and good digeſtion, to one that has been long ſick; it cauſes a new ferment and motion in the blood, and makes all his actions to be accompanied with more life and vigor; men under ſtrange fears and amazement are incapable of ſervice; and when we are deſerted, ſo are we. When we apprehend our ſelves to be caſtaways, we offer the bread of mourners, if we offer at all; but none of our Sacrifices are with joy and gladneſs of heart. A man whoſe bones are broken, cannot go about his work; and when our ſpitits are wounded, if we work at all, we do but lamely ſet about it. We may halt a little, but we cannot run the way of God's Commands. Our ſorrows make us ſerious, and thoughtful, but 'tis joy that makes us active; 'tis the oyl of gladneſs that cauſes our wheels to move, and us to advance forward, as in the Chariots of Aminadab. One that is hungry or a thirſt, uſes but feeble endeavours, to what he does that is newly refreſht.
5. This joy that comes in the Mornings, after a Night of weeping, is very pleaſant to the Soul, as it it then delivered from the inſultings and triumphs of the Devil: In that doleful Night, that evil ſpirit does continually terrifie and fright us; but when the morning comes, he that dreads the light flies away. Then it is in ſome meaſure with us, as it was with our Saviour in the Wilderneſs, When the Devil left him, Angels came and miniſtred unto him. Tho there is between him and us a vaſt diſparity; he conquered and was no way worſted by it; but we come bleeding from the field of Battel; our ſouls are defiled with his Temptations; and the hurts we receive in our Conflicts, do now and then pain us, and yield us remembrances of our ſin by their pain and ſmart, it may be, to our dying day: But however, it is a joy to us, to think that tho we were beſet on every ſide, yet we are eſcaped as a Bird out of the ſnare of the Fowler, The ſnare is broken, and we are eſcaped, Pſal. 124.7. God has brought our ſouls out of the deep Dungeon, and he that was our Gaoler had not power enough to keep us there; tho the deliverance that we have had, is ſo ſtrange, and ſo miraculous, that our going out is like that ſo Peter, Act. 12.9. He went out, and wiſt not that it was true which was done by the Angel, but thought he ſaw a Viſion. It was wonderful to Peter that had looked for a ſudden Execution on the next day, to come to his praying-friends in ſafety; and ſo it is to us, who thought our ſelves a while ago doom'd to die. The Devil hath winnow'd us; and, Oh that we could ſay, That our chaff is gone! This Archer hath ſorely ſhot at us, but thanks be to God, he hath not obtained his deſign, which was our total ruin. We have been in a very fiery furnace. Oh that it were with us as with the three Children that came out, and were not hurt at all. We have been in a den of Lions, in a howling Wilderneſs, but we have not periſht there; it is a pleaſure to us that we have now ſomething to anſwer the great accuſer of the Brethren; that now we can by faith in our great Captain, ward off his blows, and quench his fiery darts.
6. This joy that comes in the morning after deſertion, is from the propriety that we have in God, and in the Promiſes of the Goſpel; as David ſays, Pſal. 42. ult. He is the health of my countenance, and my God. 'Tis pleaſant to know that God is good; but more pleaſant to us when we taſte his Goodneſs: When we can ſay with the Bleſſed Virgin, Luk. 1.46, 47. My ſoul doth magnifie the Lord, and my ſpirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour, for he hath regarded the low eſtate of his handmaiden. 'Tis pleaſant to hear of Chriſt, but more pleaſant by far, when we with old Simeon embrace him in our Arms; and ſay with the Church, I am my beloved's, and he is mine. Then the ſoul will be cheared with perpetual delight, ſaying, Having God, I have enough: Enter into thy reſt, O my ſoul, for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee. When it can reflect and think of him as its own portion, then the ſorrows and darkneſs of the Night are gone; for it has God, that is all light, and with him is no darkneſs at all; and to ſee the light, and to poſſeſs it, is the ſame thing. There is, as one obſerves, a reflected and a direct Light, I ſee Palaces, and Mountains, and Towns, and Fields, and Trees, with a reflected Light; and hence it is, that I ſee them without poſſeſſing them; but I ſee the light of the Sun, and of the Stars, by direct rays, and in ſeeing them I poſſeſs; for to rejoice in the light of the Sun, and to poſſeſs it, is the ſame thing. We now ſee God indeed by a reflected light, which comes to us from the Creatures; and hence it is that all thoſe that ſee him, do not poſſeſs him; but in Heaven God will be ſeen without Vails and Reflexions. His light will be a direct light, which will fill us throughout; it was a comfort to the Patriarchs and holy men of old, to have the hope of Chriſt's appearance; they ſaw his day afar off, and they rejoyced; but how much more is it to that ſoul that has actually ſeen him come, and not only ſpreading his beams to remove the general darkneſs of the world, but ſhining with a peculiar light and heat into its ſelf. It is peculiarity that endears the moſt of things to us; our own Friends, our own Relations, our own Joys, are the moſt pleaſant. It is not from Chriſt's being ſingly conſidered as a Mediator, that we derive this comfort; but from the reflexion that we are able to make of our happineſs in him; it is that which creates the ſweeteſt motions in our hearts. Before this propriety, there may be a calmneſs of ſpirit, and leſſer degrees of Complacency, expreſſing themſelves in love, and hope, and deſire; but 'tis the actual poſſeſſion of a good as our own, that is the Parent of a real joy; the Chriſtian may find ſome comfort in beholding the Incarnation, the Sufferings, and the Promiſe of his ſecond Coming; but when the ſoul can ſay, He died and roſe again for me; this touches it with a very lively ſatisfaction, and makes it ſay as in Hab. 3.17.