October 25

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice.—Philippians 4:4.

We know that to many this saying seems impossible. "For how is it possible," says some one, "that he who is but a man, can continually rejoice? To rejoice is no hard matter, but to rejoice continually, this seems to me to be impossible." For many are the causes of sadness, which surround us on all sides. A man has lost either a son, or a wife, or a beloved friend, more necessary to him than all kindred; or he has to sustain the loss of wealth; or he has fallen into sickness; or he has to bear some other change of fortune; or to grieve for contemptuous treatment which he did not deserve; or famine, or pestilence, or some intolerable exaction, or circumstances in his family trouble him;—nay, there is no saying how many circumstances of a public or private nature are accustomed to occasion us grief. How then, he may say, is it possible to rejoice always? Yea, O man! it is possible; and if it were not so, Paul would not have given the exhortation; nor would a man endowed with spiritual wisdom have offered such counsel; and for this reason I have constantly said to you, and will not cease to say, that what ye could no-

27* where else have learnt from any other, that wisdom ye may here meditate. For mankind are universally desirous of pleasure, and of rejoicing, and for this they do all, say all, and undertake all things. Therefore it is, that the merchant goes on a voyage, in order that he may amass wealth; and he amasses wealth, to the end that he may rejoice over what he has treasured up. The soldier also for this reason exercises his warfare, and the husbandman his husbandry; for this each man plies his art. Those also who love dominion, love it for this end, that they may obtain glory; and they desire to obtain glory, that they may rejoice; and any one may perceive that each of our undertakings is directed to this point, and that every man looking to this makes haste to go towards it through a variety of means. But nothing, indeed, of this life, save this saying of Paul alone, brief and simple as it is, will open to us this very treasure.

For many words are not needed, nor a long round of argument, but if we only consider his expression, we shall find the way that leads to it. He does not simply say, Rejoice always; but he adds the cause of the continual pleasure, saying, Rejoice in the Lord always. He who rejoices in the Lord, can not be deprived of the pleasure by any thing that may happen. For all other things in which we rejoice are mutable, liable to become fugitive, and subject to variation. And not only does this grievous circumstance attend them, but moreover while they remain, they do not afford us a pleasure sufficient to repel and conceal the sadness that comes upon us from other quarters. But the fear of God contains both these requisites. It is firm and immovable, and sheds so much gladness that we can admit no sense of other evils. For the man who fears God as he ought, and trusts in him, gathers from the very root of pleasure, and has possession of the whole fountain of joy. And as a spark falling upon a wide ocean quickly disappears, so whatever events happen to the man who fears God, these, falling as it were upon an immense ocean of joy, are quenched and destroyed! This indeed is most to be wondered at, that whilst things which minister sadness are present, the man should remain joyful. For if there was nothing to produce grief, it would be no great matter to him that he was able continually to rejoice. But that at a time when he is urged to sadness by the pressure of many things, he is superior to all these, this is truly a matter for astonishment! And as no one would have wondered that the three children were not burnt, if they had remained far off from the furnace of Babylon!—for the circumstance that astonished all was, that having been so long in such close contact with the fire, they left it more free from hurt than those who had not been in contact with it;—so also we are able to say of the saints, that if no temptation had fastened itself upon them, we should not have wondered at their continual rejoicing. But the point worthy of admiration, and that which surpasses human nature, is this, that being encircled on all sides with innumerable waves, they are placed in a far better condition than those who enjoy an entire calm!

"All fullness of peace, all fullness of joy, And spiritual bliss that never shall cloy: To us it is given in Jesus to know A kingdom of heaven, a heaven below."