The rule of rejoycing, or, A direction for mirth in a sermon preached upon Trinity-Sunday, being the 18th of June in the year of our Lord 1671 / by John Straight ...

Obs. Rejoycing in the Lord is the only true rejoycing.

[Obs.] Illud est verum acsummum gaudium (saith S. Bernard) * 1.1 quod non de Creatura, sed de Creatore concipitur; quod cum acceperis, nemo tollet a••te; cui aliunde comparata, omnis jucunditas moeror est, omnis suavitas dolor est, omne dulce amarum est, omne decorum foedum est, omne postremo quod delectari potest, molestum est. That is true and excellent joy indeed (saith that Father) which is conceived in the Creator, and not in the Creature; which when thou hast received, no man can take from thee; to which, if all other rejoycing and pleasure be compared, they be but painfulness, all other sweetness but sadness, all other de∣lightsomness but dulness, all other comliness but filthi∣ness; and in a word, all other mirth but madness.

The comfort which the Soul feels in Gods favour, in the pardon of sin, is that which indeed deserves to be ter∣med Joy and Rejoycing.

[Reas. 1] And that first, Because it will overcome and swallow up all other occasions of Sadness and Discouragement; it sweetens all afflictions whatsoever; it resolves the Soul, that how sharp soever they are in a present sense, yet they are the Lords Chastenings to prevent future Con∣demnation; for when we are judged (saith the Apostle) we are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be con∣demned with the world.

[unspec 2] Secondly, Rejoycing in the Lord is the only true Re∣joycing, because it is lasting; it abides by us when all o∣ther joyes forsake us: Christ commends it to his Disci∣ples, by the name of a Joy which no man could take from * 1.2 them. It may indeed, I confess, sometime be interrupt∣ed and overclouded with sad Passions, but it can never be clean extinguished. God doth sometime so hide away his face from his dearest ones, for their humiliation, that they are troubled, and that not a little; but it is an ab∣solute and never-failing truth, that he will turn again and quicken them, that his people may rejoyce in him. As for * 1.3 the joy that is in outward things, as in the wealth, ho∣nour, pleasure and glory of this Life, it is but vanishing, like the noise of Thorns under a Pot, as the wise man tells * 1.4 us, which crackle and blaze exceedingly for a while, but are quickly out. It is a short rejoycing, even a joy but for a moment, as Zophar tells us; The rejoycing of the * 1.5 wicked is short (saith he) and the joy of Hypocrites is but a moment. As the things themselves are transitory and un∣certain, so must that joy that is taken in them be; Vanity it self is not more light. And then, for the most part, these shallow, and soon drying Streams of outward joy, they do empty themselves into a Sea of Heaviness: They are as a short Winters day, the fairness whereof, in re∣gard of some breakings out of the Sun, is at last swallow∣ed up into a gloomy and tempestuous night. But that Light which is sown for the righteous (as the Psalmist * 1.6 speaketh) and that Joy which is prepared for the upright in heart, though it be sometime darkned, yet it never goes out: It doth alwayes scatter and disperse, like the

Sun in his strength, all Clouds of Affrightment, and all Mists of Discontentment whatsoever. This relieves the Soul, whenas other joyes do deceive a man, like a Brook, as holy Job speaks, which, when we want water, is dry, and when we have no need, overflows. This Joy there∣fore, * 1.7 is the only true Joy: This rejoycing in the Lord, is the only true rejoycing.

[Ʋse.] This Doctrine is a Direction for the guiding and order∣ing of our Desires in the matter of joy. Our Nature affects joy; it is every mans wish, if he could, to have a glad heart; but in the point it self touching joy, and concerning gladness, therein generally we mistake. One man placeth his joy in this, that his Substance is great, * 1.8 and that his hand hath gotten much, as Job speaks: Ano∣ther is glad with Haman, for his great Promotion: A Ta∣ble * 1.9 richly deck'd, an overflowing Cup, and a faring de∣liciously every day, there is the Epicures joy: They most dote upon that mad Mirth which Solomon speaks of; * 1.10 and if they may live in pleasures and wantonness, ma∣king to morrow as to day, and have their Houses peace∣able, and without fear, without any Rod of God upon them, then they are glad; and many Fools are apt to think them happy who live thus: O, say they, they live a brave life, as men enjoying their imagined feli∣city. But alas! how much are men deceived herein? what are all those joys in comparison of this we are now treating of? Indeed if it be rightly considered, what true comfort can a man take in any thing, so long as he knoweth not how the case standeth between God and his own Soul? What true comfort, I say, can any man have, so long as he knows not what shall become of him at the day of the great account and reckoning for his sins? Howsoever the Devil teacheth men to forget the consideration hereof, that so he may lead them on like an Oxe to the slaughter, or as a Fool that goes to the Stocks for correction, not knowing that they are in danger: Yet if ever at any time the Conscience be a little awakened to think on this, the very remembrance of it is like the

beholding of the hand upon the Wall to Belshazzar, * 1.11 which when he saw it, put him quite out of his humour of Jollity; it was not the presence of his Princes, nor the company of his Wives and Concubines, nor the be∣holding of the Golden Vessels which he had taken out of the Temple of the Lord, nor the pleasing taste of the Wine which was before him, none of these could keep his countenance from changing, nor his thoughts from troubling him. Nothing indeed can overcome the ter∣rour and amazement which is wont to astonish the Soul guilty of sin in its own apprehension, and sensible of the terrour of the Lord, and yet ignorant withall, and with∣out all manner of assurance to be pardoned. Think, Oh think seriously with thy self in what a case thy Soul will be, when as thou art breathing out thy last Breath, and art even ready to be driven out of the world by a violent and tormenting sickness; when thou shalt see the sins of thy Life mustering together before thee, and the just wrath of God ready to seize upon thee, and Hell in thy own conceit even wide gaping to receive thee, and yet hast no feeling of this joy issuing out of the knowledge of Gods being graciously reconciled to thee in his Son. Oh then (Dear Christians) let us labour for this joy above all; let us never give any rest to our thoughts, till we be brought to hear of this gladness in the Lord: A Dram of this is better than all the mirth in the world beside, and shall be a secret comfort of thy Soul, when all that the Earth affords, cannot yield thee so much as a drop of true refreshing.

Wicked joys are like those Locusts, upon whose heads were not Crowns, but as if it were Crowns (not of * 1.12 Gold, but) like Gold: their Faces were (not, but) as it were Faces of men; their Hairs (not indeed, but) as it were the Hairs of Women; their Brestplates, as it were Brestplates of Iron: All these were shadowy and similitudi∣nary; but there were stings in their Tails, as you may see at the 10th. verse, not as it were, but true stings in∣deed. Gaudent falsis bonis, pereunt veris tormentis; Men

call for mirth and jollity here, as the Philistims did for Sampson, to make them sport, and it pulls down the * 1.13 House upon their heads. It is better (saith S. Gregory) in the words of Solomon, to enter into the house of mourn∣ing, than the habitation of such rejoycing. How foolish is it for a little tickling of the Palat, to hazard eternal comfort? to adventure our drowning in eternal perdi∣tion? Let us therefore (beloved Brethren) think of the joy of this world as it deserves, viz. with contempt; for alas, how little can it do for us? and that little, with what deceit? What is thy heart the better? or what the merrier for all these false joys wherewith at any time it hath befriended thee? When did it offer Honey, but it * 1.14 brought a Sting withal? When did it tender thee Milk and Slumber, without a Nail and a Hammer? Just like Joabs Kiss, it is still attended with a secret Stab. It is no good purchase, to procure an endless wo, for a little * 1.15 sliding shadow of contentment. Believe them that have bought their experience dear. It is better to avoid this joy, ante gustum, quam post fastidium, before we have tasted it, than after we have surfeited on it. The more hold we take of this, the more we lose our hold upon God. Turn ye therefore, my beloved Brethren, from this vain, false, and short joy that seeks you, and seek that joy of verity, that joy in the Lord, which shall for ever content, and never cloy you.

[Quest.] But what (may some man say) may we not rejoyce at all in temporal things? May we not chearfully enjoy those outward things that God hath been pleased to be∣stow upon us?

[Answ.] Yes Beloved, I deny not but you may, so as you take these two Cautions along with you:

First, You must have a diligent care to prevent Ex∣cess. Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do else, * 1.16 all must be done to the Glory of God. Gluttony and Drunkenness are the works of Darkness, contrary to ho∣nest walking; you must take heed therefore lest at at any time your hearts be oppressed with them.

Secondly, You may rejoyce in the enjoyment of these outward things, always provided that God be not banish∣ed out of your thoughts: We may be merry, but God must be by: we may please our selves, so long as we dis∣please not him. All our joy is not reserved for the next life, some is afforded us on earth; Gods greater Light doth not extinguish the less. Friends, Children, Wine, Oyl, Health, Liberty, Competency, are not given us for discontent; we may not make them indeed Gods Ri∣vals, but we may rejoyce in them as Gods Blessings. In themselves, they are nothing; in him, they are worth our joy. They wrong Christians, that forbid them mirth: The Gospel is not such dull Metal, but the Ti∣dings of joy to all Believers. When the Lord hath * 1.17 made us happy, he gives us no thanks to make our selves miserable. If we find God reconciled, Christ our Ad∣vocate, the Holy Spirit our Comforter, if we have peace in our Conscience, and in Heaven an Inheritance, we should be both angry and ashamed at our selves, to ask on earth that Question, Why art thou sad, or cast down, Oh my Soul! If we be in Christ, our very bread * 1.18 is a Symbole of the Bread of Life; and our Wine and Beer, a Token of that Cup we shall drink in Heaven. What should discomfort us, if the Lord be with us? Only let's be sure, that our Delights exclude not the Presence of God. Rejoyce we may; nay, rejoyce we must; it is our duty enjoyned by the Apostle; but look we to the Limitation, that the Lord be in it. Rejoyce in the Lord.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Bern. in Serm.
• * 1.2

  Joh. 16. 22.
• * 1.3

  Psal. 71. 20.
• * 1.4

  Ecc. 7. 8.
• * 1.5

  Job 20. 5.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 97. 11.
• * 1.7

  Job 6. 15.
• * 1.8

  Job 31. 25.
• * 1.9

  Esth. 5. 11.
• * 1.10

  Eccl. 2. 2.
• * 1.11

  Dan. 5. 6.
• * 1.12

  Rev. 9. 7.
• * 1.13

  Jud. 16. 25.
• * 1.14

  Jud. 4. 21.
• * 1.15

  2 Sam. 20. 9.
• * 1.16

  1 Cor. 10. 31. Rom. 13. 13. Luke 21. 34
• * 1.17

  Luke 2. 10.
• * 1.18

  Psal. 42. 11.