A man that hath no spiritual joy is drowned for the most part in the contentments of the world, drowned in riches and honours ; and these are like to strong waters immoderately taken, instead of cheering the spirits, [they] exhaust and kill them. He that hath the joy of heaven here by faith, is mortified to all other base delights, ' he only mindeth the things above, where Christ is,' Col. iii. 1. And therefore the exhortation, or rather command, ' Seek the things that are above,' hath this promise in fit method annexed to it, ' and then all other things shall be cast in upon you,' Mat. vi. -33. Riches and honours in the world ; and if not them, yet so much as is necessary, and mortification of our sins, and the lusts of the flesh.
Again, if we have fed upon spiritual things for our souls, (2.) we shall be thankful. That man that hath tasted how good and gi-acious the Lord hath been to him in this world, and how full of joy and comfort he will be to him in another world, in consideration of this, his soul cannot choose hut be thankful to God.
Here we see how to make this spiritual food fit for om* souls, that Christ provideth for us. And if there be such joy as we have said there is in spiritual things, what use should we make further of them, but labour fi'om hence (3.) to justify the irai/s of godliness apainst our own false and carnal hearts, and against the slanderous imputations of the uorld. 'When our hearts are ready to be false to us, and hanker after the contentments of
456 THE MARRIAGE FEAST [SeRMON II.
tlie world, and are ready to say the best contentments that they can enjoy is in the things below ; let us answer our base and false disputing hearts, that the ways of wisdom, the ways that God directs us to, they only are the ways of pleasure. And religion is that that makes the hearts of the children of men joyful ; and ' a good conscience only makes a continual feast,' Prov. xv. 15, so long as man liveth. But especial!}' at the hour of death, when all the comforts of the world cease, then conscience standeth our friend.
Obj. But the world's objection is, that of all kind of men in the world, those that profess religion are the most melancholy.
Ans. But if it be so, it is because they are not religious enough. Their sins are continually before their eyes. They have pardon for sin, and free- dom from the guilt of sin, but know it not. They have good things, and do not know them. And so in regard of spiritual comforts, God's people may have spiritual joy, and inward consolation, and yet not know of it. There may be such a time when they may be sad and droop, and that is when they apprehend God doth not look pleasantly upon them. But the true character of a Christian is to be cheerful, and none else can be truly- cheerful and joyous. Joy is usm-ped by others. There is no comfort in them that can be said to be real. All the joy of a man that is a carnal man is but as it were the joy of a traitor. He may come to the sacra- ments, and feast with the rest of God's people, but what mirth or joy can he have so long as the Master of the feast frowns upon him ? Where Christ is not, there God is not reconciled. No joy like that joy of him that is assured of the love of God in Christ. A man may sometime through ignorance want that joy that belongeth to him. ' Piejoice, ye righteous, and be glad,' Ps. xxxiii. 1. It belongeth to those that are in Christ and to the righteous to rejoice, for joy is all their portion. They only can justify the ways of God against all reproaches whatsoever. But the eyes of carnal men are so held in blindness, that they can see no joy, no comfort in this course. As it is said of Austin before his conversion, he was afraid to turn Christian indeed, lest he should want all those joys and pleasures that the world did then aiford him ; but after he was converted, then he could cry, ' Lord, I have staj-ed too long from thee,' and too long delayed from coming in to taste of the sweetness of Jesus Christ.*
Take a Christian at the worst, and he is better than another man, take him at the best. The worst condition of God's children far surpasseth the very best condition of graceless persons. The issue of things shall turn to his good that is a member of Christ, a child of God, an heu' of heaven. The evil of evils is taken away from him. Take him at the worst, he is an heir of heaven ; but take the wicked at the best,, he is not a child of God, he is a stranger to God, he is as a branch cut ofl", and as miserable a wretch as ever Belshazzar in the midst of his cups, trembling and quaking with fear and astonishment, when he saw the writing on the wall, Dan. v. 24, seq. When a man apprehends the wrath of God hanging over his head, though he were in the greatest feast in the world, and amongst those that make miith and jollity, yet seeing vengeance ready to seize upon him, it cannot but damp all his joy and all his carnal pleasures ; and there- fore only a Christian hath a true title to this feast.