{"id":3001,"date":"2014-09-20T08:02:17","date_gmt":"2014-09-20T08:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=3001"},"modified":"2014-09-20T08:02:17","modified_gmt":"2014-09-20T08:02:17","slug":"bitter-and-sweet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/?p=3001","title":{"rendered":"Bitter and Sweet!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bitter and Sweet!<\/strong><\/p>\n

James Smith
\nReal religion is a personal <\/em>thing. Every man’s religion must be his own \u2014 produced in his own heart by the Spirit of God, and nourished by the word and prayer. In every man’s religion, there is something distinguishing, and something only known to himself. To every believer the proverb may be applied, “Each heart knows its own bitterness<\/em> \u2014 and no one else can fully share its joy<\/em>.” Proverbs 14:10.<\/p>\n

Every Christian has some HIDDEN SORROW<\/strong>. “Each heart knows its own bitterness<\/em>” \u2014 his secret <\/em>bitterness. It may vary <\/em>at different times, and under different circumstances \u2014 but still there it is.<\/p>\n

At one time it may be sorrow for sin<\/em>, some besetting sin, or the sins of the past life, brought and placed in review before the mind, by the Holy Spirit. Sin is a root of bitterness<\/em>, and is sure to bear bitter fruit.<\/p>\n

At another time it may be reflection on the past life, so many mercies abused<\/em>, so many duties neglected, so many opportunities for usefulness lost \u2014 such reflections awaken bitter sorrow.<\/p>\n

Or it may be secret and terrible thoughts<\/em>, which agitate and torment the soul. They are at times the most filthy, base, degrading, and abominable! They spring up, work within, and torment us when on our knees in prayer, when reading God’s word, and when attending upon the ordinances of the gospel. The more sacred and solemn the employment \u2014 the more powerful and horrible they are. We dare not utter them, or speak of them to anyone, for we imagine that ours is a singular case, and that they indicate desperate wickedness.<\/p>\n

Then there are violent temptations<\/em>, secret and powerful solicitations to evil. Sometimes to curse God. Sometimes to blaspheme Christ. Sometimes to speak against the Holy Spirit. Sometimes to indulge the lusts of the flesh. O the violent, terrible, and frightful temptations, from which the Lord’s people often suffer! They cause bitterness of heart with a witness.<\/p>\n

Then at times the Lord hides his face<\/em>, we have no enjoyment of his presence in the closet, in his worship, or in any of our means of grace. There is no liberty in prayer, nor answers to prayer. At times no heart <\/em>to pray, for the soul is so discouraged that it thinks that it is of no use <\/em>for it to pray. There is a painful sense of need, a searching after the Lord, a sighing and sorrowing for the presence of the Lord; but he hides his face, and we are troubled.<\/p>\n

Then there is indwelling sin<\/em> \u2014 the deep and powerful corruption of our nature, which works and mixes itself with all that we do, and spoils all that we attempt to perform. This evil is present with us \u2014 always<\/em> and everywhere <\/em>present! It strives with everything good, and opposes everything gracious \u2014 so that we cannot do the things that we would. It mixes with our prayers and praises, and works when we endeavor to meditate on God’s word, or hear the gospel to profit! It often makes us cry out, “O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death!”<\/p>\n

Sometimes a bitter word <\/em>spoken, either by ourselves or others, will cause much heart sorrow. It fixes in the memory, revolves in the mind, and proves a mental rack on which the soul is tortured.<\/p>\n

Besides all these sinful things \u2014 almost every believer has some secret source of bitterness in the family<\/em> \u2014 it may be a wife<\/em>, whose temper, whose tongue, or whose conduct, wounds him to the very soul, and pierces him through with many sorrows. Or a carnal husband<\/em>, an undutiful child<\/em>, or an unnatural parent<\/em>. O how many Christians have sources of bitterness in their families, of which they dare not speak to others; but in consequence of which, they bleed inwardly, sighing and sorrowing before God!<\/p>\n

Others have secret causes of sorrow in business<\/em>, in the church <\/em>of God, or in their social <\/em>relations; but every heart has emphatically \u2014 its own <\/em>bitterness. The cup from which it drinks, and drinks often \u2014 contain draughts of wormwood and gall.<\/p>\n

What bitter thoughts <\/em>are generated, what bitter feelings <\/em>are produced, and what bitter regrets <\/em>are felt \u2014 by many of Zion’s pilgrims in the secrets of the soul.<\/p>\n

But it is not all bitter, there are also HIDDEN JOYS<\/strong>. “No one else can fully share its joy<\/em>.” No stranger <\/em>can understand it, share it, or at times even disturb it.<\/p>\n

There is the joy of salvation<\/em> \u2014 when after conviction, depression, seeking, sighing, and sorrowing \u2014 the Lord appears and says unto the soul, “I am your salvation!”<\/p>\n

There is the joy of faith<\/em> \u2014 when we are enabled to claim, appropriate, and plead the promises. Then we see their suitability, taste their sweetness, and feel their power. We draw water with joy out of these wells of salvation<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Then there is the joy produced by a believing view of Jesus<\/em> \u2014 when the Holy Spirit reveals his glory and beauty to us \u2014 filling our minds with the sweetest thoughts, and our hearts with the choicest delight.
\nO how glorious is his person<\/em>,
\nhow excellent is his love<\/em>,
\nhow perfect is his work<\/em>,
\nhow precious is his blood<\/em>,
\nhow sweet is his voice<\/em>, and
\nhow ravishing is the thought of being with him <\/em>forever!<\/p>\n

Our souls are now full of Christ. We can think of nothing else, speak of nothing else, enjoy nothing else. Jesus is all fair, all lovely, all glorious \u2014 and we rejoice in him with joy unspeakable and full of glory.<\/p>\n

And at times in communion with God<\/em> \u2014 we have exquisite joy. Now a holy stillness, a sweet composure, a calm deep happiness \u2014 while we converse with God, as a man does with his friend. Then a devout<\/em> ecstasy<\/em>, when the thoughts, the affections, and the whole soul, seem too happy to be still. We want all to be as happy. We want all to unite in praising and blessing the Lord. We are then . . .
\nravished with his love,
\ndelighted with his grace, and
\noverwhelmed with a sense of his wondrous condescension!<\/p>\n

Occasionally we have foretastes of glory<\/em>, we almost seem to see the pearly gates, we could almost imagine we were walking under the shade of the jasper walls, and could hear the distant sounds of the songs of the glorified. The soul fills with love to God, overflows with gratitude, and tastes of the pleasures which are at God’s right hand. Now we know <\/em>there is a Heaven, for we are impressed with a sense of its glory, we taste some of its fruits, and are almost like Paul, who said, “Whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell \u2014 God knows.”<\/p>\n

If believers know more or less of what the Lord’s love visits <\/em>mean, when Jesus comes to manifest himself unto us as He does not unto the world \u2014 when be comes, that He may sup with us, and we with him. Then we can say with the Spouse, “My beloved is mine \u2014 and I am his!”<\/p>\n

Yes, we can go farther than this, and say, “I am my beloved’s \u2014 and his desire <\/em>is towards me.” We cannot, we dare not doubt his love, or our saving interest in him. We are wholly taken up with him, and to . . .
\nsee his face,
\ntaste his love,
\nand enjoy his presence \u2014
\nis all the Heaven we desire!<\/p>\n

These are joys which sanctify and satisfy the soul. They are generally enjoyed in secret<\/em> \u2014 no stranger can intrude or understand them. For the loving Lord, and his beloved child \u2014 enjoy themselves alone, and appear to win<\/em>, and to fill <\/em>each other’s hearts.<\/p>\n

There are then secret SORROWS in religion<\/em>. Yes, heart <\/em>sorrows \u2014 sorrows which no one is privy to or suspects \u2014 but those who endure them. They sigh and cry before God. They mourn alone. They suffer martyrdom within. Between . . .
\nSatan, the world, and their own hearts;
\nthe mysterious dealings of God in his providence and grace;
\nthe trials of business coming in contact with a tender and honest conscience;
\nthe troubles of of the domestic circle, (and how bitter they are at times, God only knows!)
\nand the sin which does so easily beset <\/em>them \u2014
\nthe Lord’s people find much bitterness, and bitterness which their own hearts alone know.<\/p>\n

There are secret JOYS in religion too. Pleasure unknown to all \u2014 but believers themselves. Joy that is solid, substantial, and durable. Joy often, in the midst <\/em>of sorrow, for when all without is dark and dreary \u2014 then the candle of the Lord often shines brightest within. Joy, that is more than enough to counter-balance all the sorrows we endure.<\/p>\n

The joy of hope<\/em> \u2014 looking forward into the future; and the joy of possession \u2014 when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us.<\/p>\n

Our sorrows <\/em>and our joys <\/em>are alike peculiar unto ourselves; but our sorrows all end at death \u2014 while our joys will last forever!<\/p>\n

Reader, do you know anything of this experience <\/em>in your own soul? All of the Lord’s people do, more or less. All are not alike deeply taught<\/em>, nor deeply tried<\/em> \u2014 but all know what sorrow <\/em>for sin is, and what the joy<\/em> of salvation is. All have some peculiar cause of bitterness<\/em> \u2014 and all hidden sources of joy<\/em>.<\/p>\n

If you are quite a stranger to them \u2014 can you be a Christian? What a question is this? Not a Christian! Why if you are not, you are an unbeliever, and Jesus has said, “He who believes not \u2014 shall be damned!” If you are not a Christian, you do not believe on the Son of God, and He said, “He who does not believe \u2014 is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”<\/p>\n

But do not write bitter things against yourself, because you have not passed through all <\/em>that I have written \u2014 but rather bless God that you have escaped the bitter, and look forward to the enjoyment of the sweet \u2014 for there is unspeakable joy and endless glory before you!<\/p>\n

Boast not, O sons of earth,
\nNor look with scornful eyes,
\nAbove your highest mirth,
\nOur saddest hours we prize.
\nFor though our cup seems filled with gall,
\nThere’s something secret<\/em>, sweetens all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bitter and Sweet! James Smith Real religion is a personal thing. Every man’s religion must be his own \u2014 produced in his own heart by the Spirit of God, and nourished by the word and prayer. In every man’s religion, there is something distinguishing, and something only known to himself. To every believer the proverb […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-author-james-smith","category-christ-his-person-and-excellencies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3001"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3003,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3001\/revisions\/3003"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}