A30592:701
Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…
Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of a self-denying heart, delivered in a treatise upon Hebrews II, 25, 26 / by Jeremiah Burroughs.
London: printed by John Field, 1650
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It is not so much to be merry and joyful over their cups; the people of God cannot be merry and joyful in sensual delights, but put them into afflictions and hardships, and they can be cheerful more then you, they are not so dumpish and sad as the men of the world think they are. Christ said, I have meat to eat of which you know not of: The light of the candle is fed with stinking tallow, but the light of the Sun hath influence from Heaven to feed it, and so is not soon blown out: And so the joys of Gods people have other matter to feed them, and are not so soon puffed out as the joys of the world.
It is not so much to be merry and joyful over their cups; the people of God cannot be merry and joyful in sensual delights, but put them into afflictions and hardships, and they can be chearful more then you, they are not so dumpish and sad as the men of the world think they are. Christ said, I have meat to eat of which you know not of: The light of the candle is fed with stinking tallow, but the light of the Sun hath influence from Heaven to feed it, and so is not soon blown out: And so the joys of Gods people have other matter to feed them, and are not so soon puffed out as the joys of the world.
Sixthly, in the people of God there should be seriousness mixed with cheerfulness, and the mixture 1of both these makes Religion beautiful; for if professors of Religion will be merry, they presently run into a lightness, and vanity of Spirit; and if they think to be serious, they presently grow dumpish and sullen; but if we could do so, be so cheerful in our way, as to manifest seriousness, and so serious, as to manifest cheerfulness, this will be a mighty convincement to the world.
Sixthly, in the people of God there should be seriousness mixed with chearfulness, and the mixture 1of both these makes Religion beautiful; for if professors of Religion will be merry, they presently run into a lightness, and vanity of Spirit; and if they think to be serious, they presently grow dumpish and sullen; but if we could do so, be so chearful in our way, as to manifest seriousness, and so serious, as to manifest chearfulness, this will be a mighty convincement to the world.