The Believer’s Joy and the Hypocrite’s¹

Thomas Boston

It is evident from Matthew 13:20 that a hypocrite may have a joy in spiritual things, and it is confirmed by the case of many deluded souls who, as well as sorrows, may have joys which are unsound as well as themselves.

1. True spiritual joy rises in the heart ordinarily after the Word has had an

¹An edited extract from Boston’s Works, vol 2. It is the conclusion of a section discussing “spiritual joy, or joy in the Holy Ghost . . . a benefit flowing from justification”.

effect on the heart: to rend it because of sin. “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy” (Ps 126:5). “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Mt 5:4). But delusive joy springs up more quickly, while as yet the heart is not rent for sin, at least not from it (see Mt 13:20, compare Jer 4:3). The husbandman is at much pains before he can expect a crop, but weeds will grow up without pains or labour.

1. True spiritual joy comes by the Word, when it is rightly understood; but delusive joy comes either without the Word or by misunderstanding it. The channel of divine communication is the Word of God (Is 59:21). That joy which comes by pretended revelations, dreams, or impressions, without the Word or any regard to it, is most likely to be the effect of a heated fancy; and people had need to beware of being beguiled by these things. The written Word is particularly the channel of spiritual joy. “These things write we unto you, that your joy may be full” (1 Jn 1:4). And if an angel from heaven would speak joy to someone whom the written Word does not give ground of joy to, it would be but a deceit. “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Is 8:20).

2. True spiritual joy is lasting, but delusive joy vanishes away; it comes to nothing, because it lacks a root (Mt 13:20,21). It lasts for a time, and when that is over it is extinguished. “Ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light” (Jn 5:35). I accept that a child of God may lose his joy too, but here lies the difference: the ground of the believer’s joy, his sense of interest in Christ, is sometimes removed out of his sight, and so he must lose his joy. But though the ground of the hypocrite’s joy may continue – namely, his fancied interest in the favour of God and the privileges of the gospel – yet the joy goes. Those things grow stale and sapless with him which mightily affected him when they were new to him.

3. True spiritual joy humbles the soul and fills it with high and honourable thoughts of God, but delusion never ceases to puff up. “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen 28:17). “Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped” (Ex 34:8) (see also 2 Cor 12:11, compare Col 2:18). For all divine communications tend to empty men of themselves, to make Christ and His free grace everything to them; and holy familiarity with God impresses an awe on one’s spirit – the more one sees of God, the more he must admire and adore Him. But nature will always build up nature.

4. True spiritual joy is sanctifying; it makes one more tender and holy, the more one has of it. Yet delusion will never sanctify (Phil 3:3). Delusion is a cover to, and a nourisher of, inward lusts, which get peaceable shelter under delusion. But true spiritual joy makes one active in the duties of

universal obedience. “I will run the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart” (Ps 119:32). And it makes one tender in moral duties towards God and towards man.

Inferences. 1. Unjustified persons cannot intermeddle with this joy, for it is a benefit that flows from justification. It is a privilege restricted to the saints; children’s bread is not cast to the dogs. Those not justified may rejoice in the worldly comforts they have, saying, This clothing or this money is mine; but they cannot say, This God is mine.

1. When created streams are dried up, the joy of the ungodly is completely gone; but it is not so with the godly. “Is not my help in me? And is wisdom driven quite from me?” (Job 6:13, compare Hab 3:17,18). The great ground of the saints’ joy, and the objects of it, are beyond the reach of men, so that they cannot take these blessings from them.

2. Most groundless is the prejudice against religion, that it is a melancholy thing. “Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace” (Prov 3:17). No one has such reason to rejoice as the believer has. If the poor wretched and condemned creature has more ground to rejoice than he that is pardoned and enriched with his prince’s favour, then the wicked has as much ground to rejoice as the believer who is justified by grace. If the ungodly saw their state, they would never rejoice; and if the godly saw theirs, they would never despond.

3. God will not allow His children to harden themselves in sorrow and refuse to be comforted. “Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil 4:4). As a refusal to be comforted is uncomfortable for themselves, it is dishonouring to God and is the fruit of unbelief.

4. Unconverted sinners, let the joy of religion draw you to it. Come to Christ, in a way of believing on Him, that you may be justified. Close with the way of holiness, in renouncing all known sin and complying with all known duty, that you may have this spiritual joy (2 Cor 1:12).

5. Let the godly strive to attain this spiritual joy, and to maintain it for God’s honour, and for their own comfort and usefulness.

It is more easy to keep the enemy out of the town than to get him out when he is come into it. . . It is an easy thing to keep a stone on the top of an hill while it lies there, but when once it begins to roll down it is a hard thing to stay it, and you cannot say how far it shall go. How many there are that say when they are tempted, I will yield but once, I will yield but a little, and I will never yield again. . . but your once yielding, and your yielding but a little, engages your heart to the whole work. You should watch and pray against temptation: “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation”.

There is no small sin because [it is] committed against the great God; there is no blessing small because [it is] received from the great God. William Bridge