THE Fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery, and exposed man to “all the miseries of this life, to death itself and to the pains of hell for ever” (Shorter Catechism, Question 19). And it is made abundantly evident in the experience of sinners in all generations and throughout the entire world that sufferings and sorrows are common to all, although many delude themselves during some stage of their sojourn here that worthwhile joy is to be found in things of earth and the pleasures of sin, when in reality this joy is delusive, vain, and fleeting. The preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us of his own experience in this respect, in the following words, “I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth, therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity” (Eccles. ii, 6). But spiritual, soul joy alone is true joy and neither vain nor delusive. It comes down from heaven, and is of necessity a fruit of spiritual blessing and related to things of a heavenly nature; for “A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven” (John iii, 27). Therefore those who in this world of sin and sorrow have the blessed experience of spiritual joy, the Holy Ghost is the author of it, inasmuch as “joy in the Holy Ghost” is one of the precious benefits of the Kingdom of God.
The first experience of spiritual joy is in believing.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing . . .” (Rom. xv, 13). We as sinners, wretched and miserable by nature, must be brought to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, as the “Man of sorrows” and the Saviour of the lost, by the Holy Spirit’s work, in order to taste of the joy that enters the soul, when through faith in Christ, the sin-laden conscience is cleansed and pacified by His most precious blood. This is to the believing sinner a day of salvation and deliverance, and the soul rejoices and is glad in it. And so there can be no spiritual joy apart from a believing interest in Jesus.
The fact that Christ is preached has the effect of begetting joy in the hearts of God’s people.
Paul, while himself in bonds at Rome as a prisoner of Jesus Christ, in writing to the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, expresses himself thus, “. . . Christ is preached; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice” (Phil. i, 18). And so he had joy on this account, even while prevented from preaching himself or hearing others preach Christ. It was a consoling consideration to him that the wonderful Person and work of his Redeemer and Master were being made known by preaching, to lost and needy sinners here and there throughout the world. And all true believers in Christ, whatever their circumstances, do, more or less, participate in this joy given to the Apostle, when they contemplate not only the truth as it is in Jesus exhibited through the preaching of the Gospel, but also the great end of this preaching, even the salvation of sinners and the sustaining and building up of saints in their most holy faith.
The forwardness of others to worship and honour God may well give joy to the believer;
as in the case of David, when he said, “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Ps. cxxii, 1). He entertained a special love in his heart for the habitation of God’s house; and eminent man though he was, he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of his God than dwell in tents of wickedness. And so when others expressed a desire to go into the house of the Lord, presumably to worship and honour Him, and extended an invitation to David to accompany them, he was glad; it rejoiced his heart that others were forward and genuinely concerned to seek the blessed and gracious face of the God of Israel. Would not such an invitation from others to-day give joy to the discouraged heart of many a child of God throughout the land, who sighs and cries on account of how the house of God and His worship are forsaken, and how few are seeking the way to Zion?
When the Lord speaks by way of promise, and in power, to His people, they have cause for joy.
When the Lord began to indicate to the Jews in their Babylonish captivity that the time of their deliverance was at hand and that he was soon to return to them in mercy and loving kindness, the prophet Zechariah writes of these things thus, “Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon (ii, 7), and “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord” (ii, 10). And so God’s promise, “I will dwell in the midst of thee” was abundant reason for His Church then to rejoice, inasmuch as divine faithfulness and power were behind the promise and God’s favour and blessing were thus assuredly on the way. And how precious and sweet is the promise of God to His tried and distressed children, when the expectation of deliverance is held out to them by their Covenant God in Christ, “who is faithful who promised!” Surely they have reason to emulate tried and sorrowful Jeremiah, who said to the Lord, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart . . .” (Jer. xv, 16). Truly this was spiritual joy from heaven, through the words of God, which filled the grieved and broken heart of blessed Jeremiah. The promises of God were his comfort; and so they are to the poor afflicted Christian in every age, when God speaks to their case and in their hearts.
And finally, there is a rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
granted to the justified people of God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; by whom we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God” (Rom. v, 1, 2). When this hope is enlarged and abounds in the soul by the power of the Holy Ghost, then the believer is enabled humbly to look forward with a gracious expectation and secret soul joy to an abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom and to a participation in the full enjoyment of the revelation of the glory of the God of salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. This hope itself, a precious grace of the Spirit, and all the consolation it brings into the heart, is that in which the believer has surely reason to joy and to rejoice, on his way even through “fire and water,” to the great Eternity.