March 14

Wherein ye greatly rejoice. - 1 Peter 1:6.

IN what? This is the question, and it is answered,-“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice.” What then are we to do with all this? Leaving other particulars, we only observe two things.

First, The Christian’s joy is not unfounded. There is a sufficient ground for it. It is not the picture of imagination; it is not the vision of enthusiasm; it is not the dream of fanaticism; it is not the expectation of folly. No, it is well grounded. The whole of the religion of Jesus is a reasonable service; and the Christian is able to give “a reason for the hope that is in him;” at least he has a reason, though he may not always be able to express it properly and satisfactorily. Is there, then, not a cause? Let us therefore look back again on the preceding verses, and see whether there is not enough to excite and more than justify the Christian’s joy.

Observe, Secondly, That as this joy is not groundless, so it is founded principally upon spiritual and eternal things. For all the things here referred to are of the same nature. There is not one thing here mentioned, however otherwise valuable, that appertains to his outward condition. Not that a Christian is to be regardless of these outward blessings and comforts. The Christian does not undervalue, he feels the importance of them as long as he is here. But, after all, what is time to eternity? What is the body to the soul?

“To thee we owe our life and friends,

Our health and safe abode;

Thanks to thy name for meaner things,

But they are not my God.”

“Give what thou canst, without thee we are poor,

And, with thee, rich, take what thou wilt away.”

Yes, the Christian can say,-

“Were I possessor of the earth,

And call’d the stars my own,

Without thy graces and thyself

I were a wretch undone.”

Let us, therefore, call to our remembrance, that when the disciples returned from a preaching-tour, and said to the Saviour, “Lord, the very devils are subject to us through thy word,” “I know it,” says he; “I saw Satan falling from heaven;” “but,” adds he, “in this rejoice not”-that is, in your external gifts and miraculous achievements-“in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Yes, “he is the freeman,” as Cowper says, “whom the truth makes free.”

We are never to think that we prosper, unless our souls prosper; we are never to think that we are rich, unless we are “rich towards God;” never to think that we are blessed, unless we are “blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;” or think that we are authorized greatly to rejoice, unless we are able to say with some humble hope, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, revealed in heaven for you who are kept by the power of God, reserved through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time.” “Wherein,” says the apostle, addressing believers, “ye greatly rejoice.”