Trouble of the Mind and the Disease of Melancholy, Discourse · Part 3 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII.
Of the further Properties of the Joy that comes to a Soul after long deſertion, 'Tis Irreſiſtible, tho uſually Gradual; it revives the body and the natural ſpirits. It fills the late mourner with the hope of Glory, and cauſes him to expreſs his delight to others. From all which we may juſtly admire the Wiſdom of the Divine Providence.
7. THis Joy is Irreſiſtible. As all the darkneſs of the Night cannot hinder the approach of the welcome day; ſo neither can all our doubts, nor our fears, nor all the horrors of the Night hinder the beams of God's favour, when he is pleaſed to ſhine upon us. Job 34.29. When he giveth quietneſs, who then can make trouble? Notwithſtanding all the directions and the helps that our Miniſters, or our friends give us in our trouble, we refuſe to be comforted; but when he ſpeaks the word, we muſt obey. He creates the fruit of the lips, peace, peace; and we can no more reſiſt his Almighty power, than the firſt Chaos could withſtand his Command, when in the Language of a God he ſpoke, and ſaid, Let there be Light. (Our eſcape from our Spiritual troubles bears ſome proportion with the Reſurrection of our Lord from the Dead; as that was owing not to a power ordinary, or created, ſo neither is ours; but to a power that is Coeleſtial and Divine. It was not, as*Claude Traite de Jeſus Chriſt Liv. v. 12. one obſerves, the effect of the Power of God in the ways of nature, ſuch as is the Riſing of the Sun, the Return of Seaſons, the Fruitfulneſs of the Earth; but the effect of a power altogether Infinite and Supernatural; it is not according to the uſual Laws of Nature, or the courſe of Ordinary Providence.
8. This Joy is uſually Gradual, and not all at once: I ſay uſually, for ſometimes perſons in great diſtreſs and agonies of ſoul, have been ſuddenly relieved in their darkeſt Night, and in the deepeſt Dungeon a great Light has ſhined upon them; ſo that thoſe that have one hour cried out, they were damned, and loſt; have the next triumphed in the hope of glory; and from the fear of Hell have come to a glorious view of Heaven to their own exceeding comfort, and the comfort of all that heard them. But tho God may do what he pleaſes, this is not his ordinary way; as the Night comes, and the Sun goes down by degrees, ſo does the morning come, and the Sun ariſe by the ſame degrees; as it rarely happens that any fall into great diſtreſs of Conſcience, on a ſudden, ſome leſſer afflictions make way for greater ſtrokes; ſo ſeldom are any comforted immediately, but their comfort comes like the break of day; there are ſome faint ſtreaks of light, ſome little ſupports, and quiet hopes before the Sun ariſe. And God in this accommodates himſelf to the weakneſs of our nature; for a ſudden paſſage from a great Affliction to a great Joy, is a thing which our tender nature is hardly capable to bear; and uſually the Conſciences of thoſe that have been very long terrified and afflicted, begin to be calm; as the humours of the body, that have been diſordered, return to their Ancient courſe; for ſo long as the Spirits and the Blood are diſordered, ſo long the Soul will unavoidably be in ſome unpleaſant agitation.
9. This joy has a pleaſant influence on the Body, and revives that, with the reviving mind; they fall ſick and droop, and they recover and rejoyce together. When God is our God, it cauſes health in our Countenances, as well as pleaſure in our Hearts; and though I know that abundance of poor people, that have been long amazed with the fear of God's Wrath, have very feeble, ſickly Bodies to the day of death; yet this calmneſs and peace of mind does greatly mitigate their pains, and pour Honey and Sweetneſs into the moſt bitter Cup: For what is it that makes affliction, in trouble of mind, to be ſo intollerable, but that the afflicted perſon looks upon it as the beginning of ſorrows, as a few drops before a more dreadful ſtorm, and as the introduction to hell and woe? But when the ſting of guilt is removed, and ſin is pardoned, the yoak ſits very eaſie on their ſhoulders, that uſed to gall them before. Prov. 15.13. A merry beart maketh a chearful countenance. Joy as well as grief, cannot be diſſembled, if it be real and very ſtrong. Joy in the Heart, is like the Rain at the Root of the Graſs, it will, after being moiſtned to the bottom, appear much more green and flouriſhing. Prov. 17.22. A merry heart doth good like a medicine. Even that chearfulneſs which ariſes from natural and ordinary Cauſes, is very healthful, and adds very much to the ſtrength and vigour of the body; much more then will that joy promote it, which is founded on the Word of God, and on the hope of his Acceptance. And no queſtion David had a reſpect to this, when he ſaid, Pſal. 51.8. Make me to hear joy and gladneſs, that the bones which thou haſt broken may rejoyce. Pſ. 35.10. All my bones ſhall ſay, Lord, who is like to thee, which delivereſt the poor from him that is too ſtrong for him; and the needy from him that ſpoileth him! No troubles waſt our natural ſpirits more than our inward griefs and fears; no joys refreſh and make them more ſprightly than the joys of our Souls. See Job 33.19, to 26. God is gracious unto him, and ſaith, Deliver him from going down into the pit. I have found a ranſome, his fleſh ſhall be freſher than a childs, he ſhall return to the days of his youth, he ſhall pray unto God, and he will be favourable to him, and he ſhall ſee his face with joy. Thoſe that have writ of Long Life, and the means to obtain it, adviſe us to keep our minds always full of ſplendid and illuſtrious objects, of Hiſtories, and the contemplations of Nature, and the like; but the beſt Medicine is a quiet Conſcience: And tho all our Religion will not, indeed, ſave us from ſickneſs, yet it will enable us to bear it; not to be too much concerned and overwhelmed with the manifold and unavoidable Calamities of this mortal Life. This is Joy, indeed, that will recreate our ſouls and our bodies too; that will prepare the one for its paſſage to Glory, and the other for its lying in the Grave. Thus our ſoul, which is our glory, ſhall rejoyce, and our fleſh alſo ſhall reſt in hope, Pſal. 16.9. and both at length, as they have mourn'd, ſo rejoyce together, and that for evermore: For when God is pleaſed to ſpeak, and to help us both in our bodies and our ſouls, 'tis multiplied Salvation, and many thouſand Cures in one.
The third General is, that Joy ariſes from the hope of ſome future Good; and this good muſt be both very agreeable to the ſoul, and very certain: For if it be not ſo, there cannot be any other than a weak and a trembling joy. There is a great pleaſure in expectation of what is to come, if it be great, and laſting, and attainable; now to one that hath the returning-ſenſe of God's favour, 'tis-very pleaſant to look for that hour or day, or rather for that chearful Eternity, when he ſhall have the ſame reviving ſmiles of his heavenly Father in a more bright and conſpicuous manner; when not only the night of weeping is gone, but that morning is come which ſhall ſhine more and more to a perfect day. And thus will the comfortable perſon ſay, If the taſt that I have now of God be ſo ſweet, Oh! what will the full enjoyment of him be! If in this ſtrange Land, I am entertained, as with the Bread of Angels, What Feaſts will refreſh me when I am at home! when I am paſt the Storms, and beyond the Grave, and Sin and Tears ſhall give me no further moleſtation! The firſt Fruits make them to long for the full Harveſt; thus ſays the Apoſtle, We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God; and this made the Church to ſay, Make haſt, O my beloved, and be thou like a Roe, or a young Hart upon the mountains of ſpices. Expectation of any main event (as one ſays) is a great advantage to a wiſe heart. If the fiery Chariot had fetcht away Elias unlookt for, we ſhould have doubted of the favour of his Tranſportation.
4. This Morning-Joy will expreſs it ſelf. As our griefs cauſe us to groan and ſigh, ſo does this make us in an open pleaſant way, to manifeſt our gladneſs. The reviving ſenſe of God's favour, does ſo fill our hearts, that we cannot, without diſhonour to him, and prejudice to our ſelves, conceal, or ſtifle it. When we apprehend our ſelves to be happy, we take a peculiar pleaſure in communicating to others the notice of that happineſs; and are much more pleaſed by ſuch a communication. This Joy is always attended with an expreſſion of the Mercies of our Deliverer, that we cannot but ſay to our Brethren, Come and behold what God has wrought for us! Behold what Salvation his own Arm and Power has accompliſhed! ſo Pſal. 51.12. Reſtore to me the joy of thy ſalvation, and uphold me with thy free ſpirit; then will I teach tranſgreſſors, and ſinners ſhall be converted unto thee. Then I ſhall be able to tell them, That thy ways, however rugged they ſeem to be for a while, yet are at length even and pleaſant ways; That they lead to Life and Happineſs and beholding the beams of thy Love, that make me ſo pleaſant and ſo chearful, they ſhall by ſuch a ſight, be incouraged alſo to Religion. And to the ſame purpoſe, Pſal. 16.9. My heart is glad, and my glory rejoyceth: His inward Joy was not able to contain it ſelf. We teſtify our pleaſure on lower occaſions, even at the gratification of our ſenſes; when our Ear is filled with harmonious melody; when our Eye is fixed upon admirable and beauteous objects; when our Smell is recreated with agreeable odours; and our taſt is ſo, by the delicacy and rareneſs of Proviſions; and much more will our ſoul ſhew its delight, when its faculties that are of a more exquiſite conſtitution, meet with things that are in all reſpects agreeable and pleaſant to them; and in God they meet with all thoſe: with his Light our Underſtanding is refreſh'd, and ſo is our Will, with his Goodneſs and his Love. So in Pſal. 126.1, 2. When the Lord turn'd again the captivity of Sion, then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with ſinging. It was a ſign their hearts were very ſull of joy, ſeeing the mouth and the tongue poured it out in ſo great abundance; nay, their Neighbours could not but take notice of it, They ſaid among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them, far beyond the methods of an ordinary Providence. Their Liberty was ſtrange and miraculous, that ſurpaſſed all Imaginable Reaſons; and, behold, as people take delight to go over and over again with a pleaſant thing, they Eccho to this ſaying of the Heathens, ſaying, Verſe 3. The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Others knew it only by report, that God had been ſo good to them; but they by ſweet experience. In the delivered people, it was, indeed, an inward Jubilation, with a loud Cry, and Song of Triumph; as when God is withdrawn, we are forced to ſpeak in the anguiſh and bitterneſs of our Souls; ſo when he returns, the return is ſo pleaſant, that we cannot hold our tongues. In our troubles there is a latent grief, ſo ſinking and ſo very ſad, that no words can expreſs; ſo in the good hope of God's acceptance, there is a ſweetneſs that cannot be declared; Ye rejoyce with joy unſpeakable and full of glory, 1 Pet. 1.8. We dare not give a particular relation of our grievous ſufferings, leſt we ſhould diſcourage many poor people, that are apt enough of themſelves to ſink and be diſcouraged: or if we would, we cannot, they are ſo very terrible. So the ſight of God, after long darkneſs, fills us with wonder, and with pleaſing aſtoniſhment; we feel we are delighted, but we cannot fully tell what it is to be ſo ; and ſometimes we are in ſuch tranſporting joys, that like the bleſſed Apoſtle, when he had the view of Paradiſe, whether we are in the Body or out of it, we ſcarcely know; The poor ſoul is ſo tranſported, that it is every way ſurrounded with delight. Will God dwell in ſuch an heart as mine, that has been ſo full of murmurings, and ſo full of unbelief! Will he pardon and accept of me! Shall I that was doomed to dye, in my own ſad thoughts, have the hope of glory! and inſtead of my ſlaviſh fears from the dread of Hell, have the ſight of Heaven! Shall I be his Favourite, of whom I had ſuch hard and unbecoming thoughts! Oh! what Grace is this! how unlook'd for! how undeſerved! and yet how ſuitable? Is this the manner of men, O Lord God! Is this thy kind uſage of a poor ſinner, and of ſo great a ſinner as I have been! This is Grace indeed! this is all free Love and Mercy! How can this be paſt over in ſilence? Such a perſon eſcaped after ſuch apprehenſions of ſo near a danger, is like the Lame Man that was healed, He leaping up, ſtood and walked, and entred into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praiſing God. And all the people ſaw him walking and praiſing God, Acts 3.8, 9. and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which happened unto him. As inward anguiſh cauſes the diſtreſſed many times to roar out vehemently; ſo heavy is the load that preſſes them, on the contrary, when the fear of Wrath is removed, they rejoyce with ſhouting, and with a loud voice, like thoſe that Conquer, or reap the Harveſt: For as when a Man is under inward anguiſh and tribulation, he looks upon himſelf as a Beacon fired on a Hill, to give warning to others, and to ſhew them the danger of Sin; ſo when he comes to peace and hope again, he wiſhes that he might be placed as on a Mountain, and enabled to trumpet out to all the World the Riches of the Grace of God; that as none may preſume when they ſee his miſery, ſo none may deſpair when they ſee his ſafety, and his eſcape from that miſery.
Inf. 1. The Wiſdom and the Beauty of the Divine Providence. That as in the World there is a comfortable Succeſſion of Night and Day, ſo in his Servants mourning, after the Sorrows of the Night, the Joy of the morning comes; this Night comes, and this morning dawns when it is moſt proper for it ſo to do. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time, Eccl. 3.11. The Storms, and Rain, and Cold of Winter, are as beneficial to the Univerſe, as the Summers heat. Tho we from our Self-love, judge of God, either with more admiring, or leſs becoming Thoughts, as he deals well or ill with us; but it is not particular Churches, nor particular Perſons that God only regards, but his whole Creation; his Providences to us contribute to the good of that. We know not to what uſes God will put us; but it ought ſomething to ſupport us to think in what ſtate ſoever we are, we are ſerving his Deſign; how preſſing, and how violent ſoever our Dangers and Tribulations are, he can ſave us even by methods contrary to thoſe which our Reaſon apprehends; by throwing us down, he can make us to be more eſtabliſhed; and by ſeeming ſo deſtroy us, promote our welfare; he can make unlikely things to advance his purpoſe. 'Tis many times more dark juſt before the break of day; and the going back of the Sun on the Dial of Ahaz, was to be a ſign of Hezekiah's longer Life, Iſaiah 38.8. Therefore (if you will allow me a ſmall digreſſion) 'tis a very evil thing for men to cenſure the Providence of God, becauſe of the preſent Miſeries that he ſuffers his Servants to be afflicted with; there are many that think it a piece of Zealous Loyalty not to blame their Superiors for the higher Matters of Government, which are above their reach, and yet dare to Arraign at their Bar the Supreme Ruler of the World; if what he does be not according to the Model of their Fancies, or ſuitable to their Imaginations; or becauſe, whileſt others are gratified, their Humours are croſt and diſappointed; not conſidering that the difference and variety of Circumſtances amongſt particular Men are neceſſary to the general and publick Good. To cenſure God, and to reflect upon his Conduct, is as if a Country Clown who never travelled beyond the Smoak of his own Cottage, ſhould condemn the Proclamation of a King, or the Votes of a Parliament, when he does not know the great Reaſons of State that theſe Actions depend upon. But as St. Baſil obſerves, When Men are firſt croſſed in their Worldly Affairs, they begin for want of Patience to doubt, whether God in very deed regardeth the things of this World, whether he take notice of particular Men; when they ſee no end of their Miſeries, but one evil continually is attended with another, they are blaſphemouſly apt to think there is no God. God can bring Affliction to try and manifeſt the Graces of his People; as the Stars, that are a chief part of the Glory of the Worlds, are then moſt illuſtrious and viſible when the day is gone; and then he makes the Sun to riſe again, that diſplays new Objects to us. The Rods of God are many times very ſharp, but at laſt we ſhall find that they were dipt in Honey, and managed with Love. The Conduct of Providence is always Wiſe and Good, but very often Myſterious and Unfathomable, and in nothing more ſo, then in his bringing abundance of his Servants to Heaven by the very Gates of Hell; and in ſuffering Satan to buffet and to vex them, that they may triumph over him in the latter end. He makes them to be in great perplexities, that the ſweet wonders of his deliverance may the more appear. We went through fire and through water; but thou broughteſt us out into a wealthy place, Pſal. 66.12. Thus he preſerved Moſes in a Cradle of Bullruſhes, and would not ſuffer the great Infant to periſh, though he was in manifeſt danger, either to be carried away by the force of the Water, or to be devoured by Crocodiles, with which that River did abound. So was Noah preſerved in the Ark, not by any Art in Navigation, but by the Government and Conduct of God himſelf. He haſtens deliverance many times, when it ſeems to be at the remoteſt diſtance; In the Evening it ſhall be light, in a ſeaſon when it was not to be expected. In all his works of Nature and of Grace, he makes things, that having a ſeeming contrariety to what he deſigns, to further his deſign. Thus (ſome obſerve) the Earth hangs upon nothing in the midſt of the fluid Air, though it be the moſt heavy of all the Elements; he renders it fruitful for the Production of all neceſſary things, though it be of it ſelf cold and dry; and ſo the Sea, which by its ſcituation is above the Earth, and does ſeem to threaten it with new deluges, yet is kept in its own Channels, for after it has been raiſed even to the Clouds in threatning Waves, its fury dies again into a Calm, and obſerves the bounds that God has ſet it: Thus our Lord Jeſus alſo works; By being Tempted, he Conquer'd the Tempter; and by Dying, he ſubdued Death; and ſo at the ſending of the Spirit, firſt the Houſe ſhook and trembled, and then it was filled with the Glory of the Lord: Firſt, deep Sorrows, and then as mighty Joys. Firſt, John, Rev. 14.2. heard a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, and then the voice of harpers harping with their harps, and that ſang a new ſong before the throne. A due conſideration of the Providences of God will keep us from the abſurd Opinion of the Heathens, That the Deity envied the felicity of Men, and that he who was moſt proſperous, was near to a ſudden overthrow: And even the Learned Men among them were ſo apprehenſive of it, that they durſt not acknowledg their own, tho but ordinary welfare, without an excuſe. See inſtances of this, in Dr. Caſaubon's Original Cauſe of Temporal Evils. Upon this account Auguſtus, in whoſe days the Saviour of the World was born, once in the year turned Beggar, and received Alms of ſuch of the Common people as would give him; He miſtruſted his own felicity, and dreaded that, ſo frightful in thoſe days, Invidiam Numinis. The Heathens had but parcels of the Scripture, and thoſe too by Tradition much adulterated; no wonder if they made a contrary uſe of it; and by ſad experience, finding the effects of Adam's, Fall, and God's Curſe, and not well informed of all particulars, the Devil alſo being buſie with them, as he was with Eve, to promote a miſapprehenſion of God, as if he were envious*See Dr. Caſaubon, p. 27.; whereas upon due conſideration, what in the Judgment of blind and corrupt nature ſeemed envy and malignity, will appear Mercy, being uſed by God as a profitable Medicine, or Antidote againſt the greateſt and moſt dangerous infection of the Soul; for croſſes and afflictions in this World, are not effects of envy in the ſupreme diſpenſer of all things; but Arguments of his Goodneſs and Providence. All things ſhall work together for good to them that love God, Rom. 8.28. Sickneſs and Health, Poverty and Riches Anguiſh, and Fear, and Horror, ſhall contribute to their Salvation; and in the moſt fiery Furnaces, and the moſt painful Troubles, they ſhall find the refreſhments of his Grace. His Providences work together; they are in Concert, and are not to be taken apart, like Compoſition of divers Ingredients; for there are ſome that, if taken alone, might kill the patient; but when they are joyned with others, which by their contrary qualities temper their exceſs, they do marvellous things, being counterpoized†Fragmens de Morus, p. 62. God many times lets our darkneſs ſtay long, that we may know what a pleaſant thing it is to ſee the light.