Fellowship in Joy

“REJOICE WITH THEM THAT DO REJOICE.” — Romans xii. 15,

IT is supposed that some are rejoicing, and this is a happy supposition: you are invited to sympathize with them, and this is a happy duty.

Sympathy is a duty of our common humanity, but far more of our regenerated manhood. Those who are one in the higher life should show their holy unity by true fellow-feeling.

Joyful sympathy is doubly due when the joy is spiritual and eternal.

I invite you to this joy because of those who have lately been brought to Jesus, and are now to be added to the church. The occasion is joyous; let the joy spread all around.

I. KEJOICE WITH THE CONVERTS.

1. Some delivered from lives of grievous sin. All

saved from that which would have ruined
them eternally, but certain of them from
faults which injure men in society.

2. Some of them rescued from agonizing fear and

deep despair. Could you have seen them
under conviction you would indeed rejoice
to behold them free and happy.
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3. Some of them have been brought into great

peace and joy. The blissful experience of their first love should charm us into sympathetic delight.

4. Some of them are aged. These are called at

the eleventh hour. Rejoice that they are
saved from imminent peril.

5. Some of them are young, with years of happy

service before them.

6. Each case is special, in some we think of what

they would have been, and in others of

what they will be.

There is great gladness in these new-born ones, and shall we be indifferent? Let us welcome them with hearty joy.

II. REJOICE WITH THEIR FRIENDS.

1. Some have prayed long for them, and now their

prayers are heard.

2. Some have been very anxious, have seen much

to mourn over in the past, and feared much of evil in the future.

3. Some are relatives with a peculiar interest in

these saved ones. Parents, children, brothers, etc.

4. Some are expecting, and in certain cases already receiving, much comfort from these newly-saved ones. They have already brightened the family circle, and made heavy hearts glad. Holy parents have no greater joy than to see their

children walking in the truth. Do we not share

their joy?

III. REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO BROUGHT THEM TO JfiSUa

The spiritual parents of these con verts are glad.

The Pastor, Evangelist, Missionary, Author. The Parent, elder sister, or other loving relation. The teacher in the Sabbath School or Bible

Class.
The Friend who wrote or spoke to them of

Jesus.

What a joy belongs to those who by personal effort win souls!

Endeavor to win the same joy for yourself, and meanwhile be glad that others have it.

IV. REJOICE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT.

1. He sees his strivings successful.

2. He sees his instructions accepted.

3. He sees his quickening power operating in new

life.

4. He sees the renewed mind yielding to his divine

guidance.

5. He sees the heart comforted by his grace. Let us rejoice in the love of the Spirit.

V. REJOICE WITH THE ANGELS.

They have noted the repentance of the returning sinner.

They will henceforth joyfully guard the
footsteps of the pilgrim.

They expect his life-long perseverance, or their joy would be premature. He is and will be for ever their fellow-servant

They look one day to bear him home to glory.

The evil angel makes us groan; should not the joy of good angels make us sing in harmony with their delight?

VI. REJOICE WITH THE LORD JESUS.

1. His joy is proportioned to the ruin from which

he has saved his redeemed ones.

2. His joy is proportioned to the cost of their redemption.

3. His joy is proportioned to the love which he

bears to them.

4. His joy is proportioned to their future happiness, and to the glory which their salvation will bring to him.

Do you find it hard to rejoice with these newlr baptized believers? Let me urge you to do so, for — You have your own sorrows, and this communion of joy will prevent brooding too

much over them. You will renew the love of your espousals by

communion with these young ones. It will comfort you for your own erring ones

if you rejoice with the friends of converts. It will forbid envy if you rejoice with worlcc .<

who are successful. It will elevate your spirit if you endeavor to

rejoice with the Holy Spirit and the angels. It will fit you to partake in a like success if

you rejoice with Jesus, the Sinner’s Friend.

SYMPATHETICS.

About three hundred years after the time of the Apostles, Cains Marius Victorius, an old pagan, was converted from his impiety and brought over to the Christian faith; and when the people of God heard this, there was a wonderful rejoicing, and shouting, and leaping for gladness, and psalms were sung in every church, while the people joyously said one to another, “Gains Marius Victorius is become a Christian! Caius Marius Victorius is become a Christian!”

Mr. Haslam, telling the story of his conversion, says: “[ do not remember all I said, but I felt a wonderful light and joy coming into my soul. Whether it was something in my words, or my manner, or my look, 1 know not; but all of a sudden a local preacher, who happened to be in the congregation, stood up, and putting up his arms, shouted out in Cornish manner, The parson is converted! the parson is converted! Hallelujah! ‘And in another moment his voice was lost in the shouts and praises of three or four hundred of the congregation. In stead of rebuking this extraordinary ’ brawling,’ as I should have done in a former time, I joined in the outburst of praise: and to make it more orderly, I I gave out the Doxology — ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow ’ — which the people sung with heart and voice, over and over again.”

An ungodly youth accompanied his parents to hear a certain minister. The subject of the discourse was the heavenly state. On returning home, the joungman expressed his admiration of the preacher’s talents; “But,1’ said he, turning to his mother, “I was surprised that you and my father were in tears.” “Ah, my son! “replied the anxious mother,” I did weep, not because I feared my own personal interest in the subject, or that of your father; but I wept for fear that you, my beloved child, would be for ever banished from the blessedness of heaven.” “I supposed,1’ said the father, turning to his wife, “that those were your reflections, the same concern for our dear son made me weep also.” These tender remarks found their way to the young man’s heart, and led him to repentance. — Arvine.

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4< FOR WHATSOEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN AFORETIME WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE THROUGH PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE.” — Romans XV. 4.

THIS is the text from which old Hugh Latimer was wont to preach continually in his latter days. Certainly it gave him plenty of sea-room.

The apostle declares that the Old Testament Scriptures are meant to teach New Testament believers.

Things written aforetime were written for our time.

The Old Testament is not outworn; apostles learned from it.

Nor has its authority ceased; it still teaches with certainty

Nor has its divine power departed; for it works the graces of the Spirit in those who receive it; pa tience, com fort, hope.

In this verse the Holy Ghost sets his seal upon the Old Testament, and for ever enters his protest against all undervaluing of that sacred volume.

The Holy Scriptures produce and ripen the noblest graces.

Let us carefully consider —

I THE PaTlEXCK OF THE SCRIPTURES.

1 Such as they inculcate.
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PATIENCE, COMFORT A^D HOPE. 51

Patience under every appointment of the divine will.

Patience under human persecution and satanic opposition.

Patience under brotherly burdens. Gal vi. 2.

Patience in waiting for divine promises to be fulfilled.

2. Such as they exhibit in examples.

Job under divers afflictions triumphantly patient.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob patiently wai tingas sojourners with God, embracing the covenant promise in a strange land.

Joseph patiently- forgiving the unkindness of his brethren, and bearing the false accusation of his master.

David in many trials and under many reproaches, patiently waiting for the crown, and refusing to injure his persecutor.

Our Saviour patient under all the many forms of trial.

3. Such as they produce by their influence.

By calling us to the holiness which involves trial.

By revealing the design of God in our tribulations, and so sustaining the soul in steadfast resolve.

By declaring to us promises as to the future which make us cheerfully endure present griefs.

II. THE COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES,

1. Such as they inculcate.

They bid us to rise above fear Ps. xlri 1-3. They urge us to think little of all transient

things.

They command us to find our joy in God. They stimulate us to rejoice under tribulations,

because they make us like the prophets of

old.

2. Such as they exhibit,

Enoch walking with God. Abraham finding God his shield and exceeding great reward.

David strengthening himself in God.
Hezekiah spreading his letter before the

Lord.

Many other cases are recorded, and these stimulate our courage.

3. Such as they produce.

The Holy Spirit as the Comforter uses them to that end.

Their own character adapts them to that end.

They comfort us by their gentleness, certainty, fulness, graciousness, adaptation, personality, etc.

Our joyous experience is the best testimony to the consoling power ot the Holy Scriptures.

III. THE HOPE OF THE SCRIPTURES.

Scripture is intended to work in us a good hope.

A people with a hope will purify themselves, and will in many other ways rise to a high and noble character

By the hope of the Scriptures we understand —

1. Such a hope as they hold forth.

The hope of salvation 1 Thess. v 8.

“The blessed hope, and the appearing c* our

Lord. Titus ii 13. The hope of the resurrection ol the dead.

Acts xxiii. 6

The hope of glory Col i. 27.

This is a good hope, a lively hope, the hope set before us in the gospel.

2. Such a hope as they exhibit in the lives of

saints. A whole martyrology will be found in Heb. xi.

3. Such a hope as they produce.

We see what God has done for his people, and

therefore hope. We believe the promises through the Word,

and therefore hope. We enjoy present blessings, and therefore

hope.

Let us hold constant fellowship with the God ot patience and consolation, who is also the God of hope; and let us rise from stage to stage of joy as the order of the words suggests,

COMFORTS.

How much important matter do we find condensed in this single verse! What a light and glory does it throw on the Word of God! It has been well noted, that we have here its authority, as it is a written word, Us antiquity, as it was written aforetime; its utility, as it is written for our learning. We may also infer from what immediately follows, its Divine origin, for, if by means of the Holy Scriptures, and the accompanying lively power of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah lix. 21), God imparts to our soul patience, and comfort, and hope, it is because he is himself, as the apostle here expressly teaches, the God of patience and comfort, and tJie God of hope (verse 13). He is the fountain of these gifts and graces, which by the channel of his inspired Word flow down into our hearts and lives, to strengthen them for his service. Nor must we fail to notice the gracious method of their communication, their regular development within us, as we find this to be the order of their course — 1, patience, 2, comfort; 3, hope. From a cal rn sense of inward peace and comfort we are led by the same spirit to feel a blessed, and, it may be, a joyous hope. But, in order to this, there must al ways be in us the groundwork of patience, in our suffering or doing the will of God, — James Ford.

Oliver Cromwell once read aloud Phil, iv 11 — 13, and then remarked, 4- There, in the day when my poor child died, this Scripture did go nigh to save my life.

When George Peabody was staying at Sir Charles Reed’s house, he saw the youngest child bringing to his father a large Bible for family prayers. Mr. Peabody said, “Ah! my boy, you carry the Bible now; but the time is coming when you will find that the Bible must carry you.’’

“Speak to me now in Scripture language alone,” said a dying Christian. “1 can trust the words 01 God; but when they are the words of man, it costs me an effort to think whether I may trust them.”

G. S- Bowes.

As an instance of the patience, comfort, and hope, which come from the gospel, note the following from Dr Payson: — Christians might avoid much trouble if they would believe that God is able to make them happy without anything else. God has been depriving me of one blessing after another; but as every one was removed, he has come in and tilled up its place; and now, when I am a cripple, and not able to move, I am happier than ever I was in my life before, or ever expected to be. If 1 bad believed this twenty years ago, I might have Deen spared much anxiety.