October 26, 2012

• "Too long, alas! I vainly sought for happiness below ... " | letter 150 on fighting for joy

   

  "Surely the land of Canaan floweth with milk and honey,
  and this cluster of grapes is the fruit of it."
  Numbers xiii. 27.

  HYMN 91 from John Berridge's "Sion's Songs"

  1 Too long, alas! I vainly sought
  For happiness below,
  But earthly comforts, dearly bought,
  No solid good bestow.

  2 If blest with plenty, still my mind,
  Sick and consumptive grew;
  I fed on ashes, drank the wind; *
  And what can such food do?

  3 My carcase may be fitly fed
  With what this earth supplies;
  My spirit needs some better bread,
  Or sick it grows and dies.

  4 At length through Jesus' grace I found
  The good and promis'd land,
  Where milk and honey much abound,
  And grapes in clusters stand.

  

  5 My soul has tasted of the grapes,
  And now it longs to go,
  Where my dear Lord his vineyard keeps,
  And all the clusters grow,

  6 Upon the true and living vine
  My famish'd soul would feast,
  And banquet on the fruit divine,
  An everlasting guest.

  7 And wouldst thou feed on Canaan's store
  When all thy days are past?
  Then taste it on this earthly shore,
  Or thou wilt never taste.

  * Isa. xliv. 20. ; Hosea xii. 1.

  From John Berridge's Preface to "Sion's Songs" ...

  These Hymns are likely to please no one who is pleased with himself.
  They are designed to set a man at variance with himself,
  and to shew that his worst foes are lodged in his own breast.
  Nor yet will they satisfy a Laodicean professor, who is neither cold nor hot,
  and seemeth to be rich, but is poor, having a head full of knowledge,
  and a heart full of mammon, talking bravely of the doctrines of faith,
  but a stranger to holiness and the life of faith. My kindly readers must be such
  as feel they have no spiritual supplies in themselves, nor ability to lay up stores
  for a future supply, and therefore live as daily pensioners on the Saviour's
  bounty; having vital union with him by faith, producing conformity to him,
  and centering all their hopes in him, whilst receiving all supplies from him.

  

  Do you wish to sing as angels sing? Ask of God a heavenly mind.
  A harp must be tuned, before it makes good music.
  And when the heart is put in tune, well warmed with the love of God,
  singing proves delightsome service, and a heavenly feast.
  But genuine praise cannot be offered unto God,
  while saucy merit roosts in man, who thanks another for only
  paying us what is our due? And if eternal life is not the gift of God,
  but wages due for service, no need to thank him for his heaven.
  Since merit has prevailed much among us, psalm-singing is become a vulgar
  business in our churches. This tax of praise is collected chiefly from
  an organ, or a solitary clerk, or some bawling voices in a singing
  loft. The congregation may listen if they please, or talk in whispers,
  or take a gentle nap. By feeling ourselves monuments of
  mercy, spared, fed, and redeemed by it, we learn to love and praise
  the Author of such mercy.

  * * *

  Are you feeding on ashes and drinking the wind?

  ---

  Related:

  my other letters on assurance & fighting for joy including:

  • Letter 25 on assurance and fighting for joy (a strong craving ≠ His joy)
  • five years ago ~ for your joy (AND an inheritance | Richard Sibbes & the Sealing of the Spirit) ~ Letter 136
  • Canaan's Cluster, Eschol's Vine | Letter 138 on assurance & joy
  • you drink, but you never have your fill... | letter 145 on assurance & fighting for joy

  The Father's Inheritance (Eleven days' journey ~ A lamentation & an exhortation)
  birthday reflection: "the great & glorious possibilities" ~ "Now therefore, give me this mountain"
  don't waste your new year ~ teach us, satisfy us, make us glad (Psalm 90:12-15)
  Finding pleasure in Him
  Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from Jonathan Edwards
  Moderation in pursuing God? An answer from George Whitefield
  How's your spiritual appetite? (Jonathan Edwards)
  a little child set in our midst leads us into the New Year
  this earthly manna ~ the Christian hedonist's plea
  Linger, linger, linger – so you might know God's love
  Advent # 5 WHY HAS JESUS COME? So we might draw near to God | Even a Vapor (why Naphtali? ~ revisited)
  Two Fountains ~ Where are you drinking? What is flowing? Don't waste your drinking!
  "Saving faith is wanting Jesus" ~ Are you loving His appearing or this present world?
  consider ... our ways, the great cloud of witnesses, Susanna Anthony
  What is a nominal Christian?

  HT for the text source of John Berridge's "Sion's Songs, or Hymns Composed for the Use of Them that Love and Follow the Lord Jesus Christ in Sincerity": http://archive.org/stream/wholeworksofrevj00berruoft/wholeworksofrevj00berruoft_djvu.txt

  Charles Spurgeon's mini biography of John Berridge (1716-1793) can be found at http://www.spurgeon.org/misc/ep07.htm.

  Photo credits:

  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jollain_The_Spies_Return_from_Canaan.jpg  / {{PD-Art|PD-old-70}}
  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carl_Fr%C3%B6schl_S%C3%BCsse_Trauben.jpg / {{PD-Art|PD-old-70}}
  Work found at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Psalterion_001.jpg / Public Domain

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