But 1.1 They judge amiss of Joy, and are much mistaken, thatb measure joy by outward laughter, and merriment. A sound substantial joy is one thing, and a tickling laughter is another thing: There is a pain sometime in the one, an ⟨p. 31⟩inward warmth in the other.* Any ridiculous toy may occasion the one, some weighty matter is necessarily the ground of the other. Whether delighteth a man more, or joyeth him more inwardly at the heart, a bag of gold given him, or an inheritance befallen him, that it may be, he scarce smileth at the receipt of, o• some idle jest told him that maketh him laugh till his heart ache, or till he almost burst again withal?c True joy, saith the Heathen man, is, though not a sad, yet a solid and a serious thing. And there is as much difference between idle merriment and sound joy, as between wanton dalliance and well grounded love. Wicked and worldly men may have some kind ofd superficial merriment, some kind of frothy and flashy mirth, such as may† wet the mouth, but not warm the heart, may smooth the brow, but not fill the breast; like ea slight dash of rain, that washeth the stalk, but wetteth not the root, and therefore doth the grass little good; or to use Solomons comparison, flike an handful of brush wood or sear thorns under the pot, that maketh a great noise, and giveth a great blaze, but heateth little, boileth nothing, leaveth the meat still asg raw as it was when it went in: But true, sound and substantial joy, such as that is that the godly have, (as is here said to belong to them) do such never attain to.
But 1.1 They iudge amisse of Ioy, and are much mistaken, thatb measure ioy by outward laughter, and merriment. A sound substantiall ioy is one thing, and a tickling laughter is another thing: There is a paine sometime in the one, an ⟨p. 31⟩inward warmth in the other.* Any ridiculous toy may occasion the one, some weightie matter is necessarily the ground of the other. Whether delighteth a man more, or ioyeth him more inwardly at the heart, a bag of gold giuen him, or an inheritance befallen him, that it may be, he scarce smileth at the receit of, o• some idle iest told him that maketh him laugh till his heart ake, or till he almost burst againe withall?c True ioy, saith the Heathen man, is, though not a sad, yet a solide and a serious thing. And there is as much difference betweene idle merriment and sound ioy, as betweene wanton daliance and well grounded loue. Wicked and worldly men may haue some kinde ofd superficiall merriment, some kinde of froathie and flashie mirth, such as may† wet the mouth, but not warme the heart, may smooth the brow, but not fill the brest; like ea slight dash of raine, that washeth the stalke, but wetteth not the roote, and therefore doth the grasse little good; or to vse Salomons comparison, flike an handfull of brush wood or seare thornes vnder the pot, that maketh a great noise, and giueth a great blase, but heateth little, boileth nothing, leaueth the meat still asg raw as it was when it went in: But true, sound and substantiall ioy, such as that is that the godly haue, (as is here said to belong to them) doe such neuer attaine to.
- 1Answer 1.
- bTu illum judicas gaudere, qui ridet? Aninus debet esse •lacer, &c. Sen. ep. 23.
- *Itaque rectè Cit. de Orat. l. 2. Ingenij fructus tenuissimus est risus. Et ibid. Locus & regio quasi ridiculi turpitudine & deformitate quadam continetur. Vide & Quintil. instit. l. 6. c. 3.
- cRes severa est verum gaudium. Sen. ep. 23.
- dCaetera hilaritates leves sunt; frontem remittunt, pectus non implent. Ibid.
- †[Greek or Hebrew]. Homer. Iliad. [Greek or Hebrew]〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Homer. Iliad. 〈non-Latin alphabet〉
- eHac quibus delectatur vulgus, tenuem quandam habent ac perfusoriam voluptatem. Sen. ib. i. leviter aspergentem, non & penetrantem. Lips.
- fStolidi risus, spinarum sub olla crepitus. Eccles. 7. 6. Ecquando ne vidisti flamma stipul• exortā, claro strepitu, largo fulgore, cito incremento, sedenim materiâ levi, caduco incendio, nullis reliqurijs. Apul. in apolog. L•titiae secularis [Greek or Hebrew] aptissima.Stolidi risus, spinarum sub olla crepitus. Eccles. 7. 6. Ecquando ne vidisti flamma stipul• exortā, claro strepitu, largo fulgore, cito incremento, sedenim materiâ levi, caduco incendio, nullis reliqurijs. Apul. in apolog. L•titiae secularis 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 aptissima.
- gPsal. 58. 9. Tractumà semicrudis carnibus ollâ extractis, priusquam ignis calorem senserint. Drus. proverb. class. 2. l.
