98 1 PETEii, 1. 8, g. [1155.
THE christian's HAPPINESS.
1 Pet. i. 8, 9. JVhoin having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye set him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeak- able,and full of glory ; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls,
THE world often wonder that Christians do not conform to the vices of the age "" —
And are yet more surprised that any should be willing to suffer for the sake of their religion —
But every Christian is actuated by a principle of love to Christ —
This principle even gathers strength from the op- position it meets with —
The Apostle is writing to those who were in hea- viness through manifold temptations —
He declares, however, that their trials were pro- moting their eternal good —
He then shews that they were supported under them by their attachment to Christ —
In his words we may see,
I. The state of true Christians —
Christians cannot be distinguished better by any thing, than by their regard to their Divine Master :
1 . They love Christ —
[Once, like the ungodly around them, they were enemies to Christ and his cross ^ —
They " saw no beauty in him, for which he is to be de- sired "^ " —
But now he is truly precious to their souls ^ — They claim him as their best friend and portion ' — This is the character of every true Christian ' — If any answer not to this character, they are, and must be, accursed s — ]
2. They rejoice in Christ —
[They have a good hope, if not a full assurance, of an in- terest in him —
They have access to him in their secret duties —
They
MPct.iv.4. *Phil.iii. Ja. •" Isai. liii.2.
* 1 Pet. ii. /. * Cant. v. 10. ' Eph. vi. 24.
8 1 Cor. xvi. 23.
1155.] THE christian's HAPPINESS. 90
They receive strengthening and refreshing Communications
from him —
They rejoice in him, as their faithful and ahnighty Friend "^ — Their joy in him is "incapable of being fully declared'" — It is a "glorified" joy, such as the saints in heaven
possess ^ —
Every Christian indeed does not experience the same niea-
sui'e of joy ; nor is any one at all times alike joyful —
But no one is a Christian, who does not esteem the light- of
the Redeemer's countenance above every other good ' — ]
That their felicity may be more generally experi- enced, we proceed to state,
II. The means by which they attain it —
Paul was favoured with a sight of Christ at the time of his conversion —
But this is not the way in which the Christian's state is attained —
[Many suppose, that if they could have apersonal inter- view with Christ, they should love him, and rejoice in him —
But a sight of him with the bodily eyes only never pro- duced this effect —
Many who even heard his discourses, and beheld his mira- cles, were amongst his bitterest enemies —
The Christians to whom St. Peter wrote had never seen Christ—
The Apostle Iwice mentions this circumstance, to shew that their regard for him did not arise from any personal acquaintance with him — ]
Faith is the only mean whereby we are brought to this love and joy —
[It is only by faith that we can behold the excellency of Christ —
that we can apply his merits to our- selves—
that we can receive his gracious com- munications '" —
Repentance will lead to this state.; and obedience spring from it —
But it is faith only that will prevail to bring us into it" — ]
To increase our ardour in pressing forward to this state, let us consider,
III. The blessedness of those who have attained it — ■
The
'' Phil. iv. 4. ^ e:)iix.XscX>irii). ^ 2z^c\xi7U.hv,.
' Ts. iv. d. & Ixxiii. 25. '' Eph. iii. 1/. " Rom. xv.13.