By Rev Jonathan R. Anderson
(This sermon was preached on 1st January 1840)
“The joy of the Lord is your strength” — Nehemiah 8:10
The earth is full of apostates from God, creatures that are condemned to everlasting destruction, that know not at what moment, nor in what place, the sentence may be carried into execution. In such circumstances, we may wonder that there is any joy among the children of men; but, such is the infatuation which hath seized upon the world, that they seem to be in love with death, and to sport with destruction; and the language of most men practically is, what licentious infidels say speculatively, “Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.” To this charge, there are a few exceptions. There is a little flock, who appear to their fellowmen to have banished themselves from all mirth, and to have immured themselves in gloom and trouble; and yet, if truth be the balance, it will be found, that it is only among them that true joy is to be seen — they only have a title to this treasure — they only possess it, and they only are capable of enjoying it; and great and valuable are the fruits which they gather from it: for in the words of the text, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
In addressing you from these words, it is proposed, in dependence on the grace of God, to inquire:—
- 1st: Into the character of the people to whom they are addressed:
- 2nd: The nature of the joy that is commended to them, and
- 3rd: The import of the statement that his joy is their strength:
I. In regard to the character of the people here referred to, I observe, in the first place, that they are a people whom the Lord visits. By nature, they are in the same state of darkness, and bondage, and guilt, as the rest of mankind; and like them they are quite content with their state, and willing to remain in it. But that is because they are asleep, blind, dead. The Lord Christ by His Spirit visits them, and puts life into them, awakens them, opens their eyes, and lets them see their real condition, lets them feel their degradation, lets them know their servitude: and now they cry to Him out of their misery: “Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O Lord:” “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed.”
In the second place, they are a people whom the Lord redeems. The visit He pays to them is the result of His sovereign and eternal love. It is paid out of respect to the covenant which is made for their benefit; and though the first effect is alarm and grief, yet these are only the shakings of the whirlwind, the earthquake, and the fire, that precede and prepare the way for the still small voice. In regard to the redemption which Christ effects, I remark: (1) That it is by price. The objects of His love are the prisoners of Divine Justice; and from its nature, it cannot let them go without a ransom. The Lord Jesus in His love paid the ransom, even His own precious blood: “Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tradition from your fathers: but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without a blemish, and without spot.”
(2) The redemption which Christ effects is by power. The children of Israel could not move out of Egypt till the paschal lamb was slain, and its blood sprinkled on the lintels and door posts. But, after this had been done, they did not escape from their bondage, till the power of the Lord was awfully executed in laying prostrate their enemies. And just so, the price of His people’s redemption was paid when Christ offered up Himself, but it is not till the Spirit of the Lord go forth, and manifest His glorious power in releasing the soul, and subduing the enemy, that they go free; “That ye may know what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places.” “The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion.”
(3) The people referred to in the text are a people whom the Lord takes into covenant with Himself. A considerable time may elapse between the first awakening of the soul, and its actual deliverance out of the bondage
and misery of a fallen state, and a farther period may elapse, ere the individual is very clear about giving himself to the Lord. Not that there is any necessity for this delay: for all things are ready on the side of Christ: but darkness is gradually removed, pride is slowly broken, the world is reluctantly given up: and as the Lord designs to conquer the will, he lays the time for this: “Thy time was the time of love.”
But sooner or later, the Lord manifests Himself as in Christ the covenant God of His people, and enables them to give themselves up to be His people. The basis of this covenant is the Person, the work, and salvation of Christ, who hath the law of God within His heart, and who stands between God and his people, and mediates between them: “Although my house be not so with God; yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although He make it not to grow.”
Now, brethren, such are the people to whom it may be said, “The joy of the Lord is your strength:” if any other will meddle with these words, we have to say to them, ‘what have you to do with joy?’ You are full of such carnal joy as the world affords, and therefore to offer to you spiritual joy is like putting a jewel of gold in a swine’s snout.
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The people of whom I speak feel that by nature they are entire strangers to the joy of the Lord; and he that has not felt this, and does not habitually learn it, certainly knows not what that joy is.
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The people of whom I speak have a feeling of utter desolation, in the absence of the joy of the Lord. If people that are distressed about their sin and misery, can be satisfied with anything which the world affords, or anything but what comes from the Lord Himself, and flows through covenant connection with Him; nay, if they do not feel that the more abundant worldly good is, the more desolate they are, it is plain their distress is not of the right kind. What would you think of the wife, who should be content with any one as a substitute for her absent husband? So the soul, when it is truly awakened, feels itself a widow, and an orphan, and none but the Lord Himself can be to it a Husband, and a Father.
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The people of whom I speak, have a conviction that nothing but the joy of the Lord will satisfy them. The idea sometimes occurs to people, that they are so far gone, so sunk in guilt, so far gone in sin, that there is nothing for them, but the blackness of darkness for ever. But these people found this idea, not on what they see in the Lord, but on what they see in themselves, and were they to look to Him, they would see as much cause of hope, as now they see of despondency.
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The people of whom I speak have hope that they shall obtain the joy
of the Lord. This is founded on His sovereignty in giving, on Christ the channel through which it is given, on the Spirit by whom it is given, in other words on the provision of the covenant of grace. The hope is sometimes very faint, for a time altogether overborne, for a time lost in the darkness of the soul, but it will appear again: “But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” “Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High.”
In the Second place, attend to the joy of which the text speaks. Joy is a very delightful affection of the soul, which arises on the view, the possession, or the prospect of some good. The joy of the Lord, as its name imports, is a very excellent, very pure, and very precious species of joy.
Let us consider, 1st, the nature of this joy. It is supernatural — spiritual — holy — sin mars it exceedingly — it is joined with trembling — it is very sweet; it is satisfying — it is eternal.
2nd. The object of this joy. The Lord in His glory. In getting to an apprehension of this object, as indeed of every other which it embraces, the soul has to go through darkness and conflict and affliction. In seeking after the glory of His Being, one has often to encounter the thick darkness of atheism: for the heart is by nature an atheistical heart, saying and wishing it were true. “There is no God.” Satan is the enemy of God’s very Being, and therefore labours to hide this foundation truth: “Behold I go forward, but He is not there; and backward, but I cannot perceive Him: on the left hand, where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him: He hideth Himself on the right hand that I cannot see Him!” But it usually happens, that those who go through the thickest darkness experience the sweetest joy in the discovery of God. We value and enjoy most that which has been lost. Then, in addition to the glory of His Being, there is an apprehension of the glory of His character. “How great is His goodness, how great is His beauty!”
(2) The soul rejoices in the love of the Lord. The first feeling that arises on the discovery of the Divine glory is fear, and shame, and grief: for the conscience testifies that mountains of guilt stand between the soul, and that glory. The love of God here interposes, and discovers the way opened up in Jesus Christ whereby it may flow forth, in bestowing upon the sinner through Him, forgiveness of sin, acceptance as righteous, adoption into his family, a title to eternal life, so that the soul is enabled to
rejoice in the Lord’s love! “Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us.”
(3) The soul rejoices in the counsels of the Lord — eternal, covenant — faithful.
(4) The soul rejoices in the word of the Lord. “I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil,” — its truth — its certainty — its purity — its suitableness — its sweetness.
(5) The soul rejoices in the works of the Lord: “For thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands.” His works of creation, of providence, of grace, and of judgment.
The Lord as the object of spiritual joy is revealed only in Christ: there His glory shines, there His love is manifested: there His counsels are made known: “And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.”
He is apprehended and enjoyed only by the Spirit, and hence it is called joy in the Holy Ghost.
3rd; The spring of this joy. It is the Lord (1st) in His All sufficiency: (2nd) in His gracious character: (3rd) in His promise: (4th) in His faithfulness
4th; The end of this joy — it is the glory of the Lord.
III. The import of the statement, that the joy of the Lord is His people’s strength.
This joy is their strength, (1st) for duty, (2nd) for privilege, (3rd) for conflict, (4th) for danger, (5th) for time, in death, and through eternity.