OF THE JOY OF GOD
John Gill
Joy, which is often attributed
to God in the scriptures, bears some resemblance to the affection of joy in men;
but is, by some philosophers {1}, denied of him; and, indeed, is not to be
considered as a passion in him, as in them; and particularly, when
in its height, or at an excess; as it is a transport of the mind, and carries
it out of, and beyond itself, as it were; as in the cases of Jacob, when the
news of his son Joseph's being alive were brought him; and of the disciples,
when they heard of the resurrection of Christ, believed not for joy: and,
indeed, all affections that are ascribed to God, are ascribed to him, not as in
themselves, but as to their effects; such and such effects
being done by men, when so and so affected. Hence when similar ones are done by
God, the like affections are ascribed to him; and this of joy is expressed by
him in very different effects; as in inflicting punishment, as well as in
conferring benefits; in the one he rejoices in the glory of his justice and
holiness; and in the other, in the displays of his grace and goodness; see #De
28:63. Though joy, as ascribed to God, seems to be no other
than delight and complacency in persons and things; so some philosophers and
schoolmen make them to be the same; or, however, take joy to be a species of
delight; only they observe a difference, with respect to brute animals, in whom
there is delight, but not joy {2}; it is also made a question with them {3}
whether delight is a passion? but my business with it is only as
it concerns God, and is predicated of him; and who may be said,
1. To rejoice and take delight
and complacency in himself, in his own nature, and the perfections of it; in
which there is an all-sufficiency, and so a fulness of content and
satisfaction; and he rests infinitely well pleased in himself. Hence Aquinas
{4}, who defines joy and delight a certain quietation, or rest
of the will, in what is willed by it; observes, that God must greatly rest
quiet and satisfied in himself, which is his principal "volitum", or
what is willed by him, as having all-sufficiency in him, and therefore by his
own will greatly rejoices and delights in himself: and though he makes joy and
delight in some respect to differ; delight flowing from a good really conjoined; and joy being not only of that, but of something
exterior; hence, he says, it is plain God properly delights in himself; but rejoices
in himself and others. So the Jews {5} interpret #1Ch 16:27 "gladness in
his place", of joy in himself.
2. He rejoices and takes
delight and complacency in his works, #Ps 104:31. In the works
of creation, which, when he had finished, he not only rested from them, but
rested in them, with delight and pleasure; he looked them over, and pronounced
them all very good; and he still appears to have pleasure in them, by his
continuance of them in being, by upholding all things by the word of his power:
he rejoices and delights in the works of his providence, in which he is always
concerned, #Joh 5:17. These, so far as they are known by
men, yield an unspeakable delight and pleasure in the contemplation of them;
and especially when they will be manifest; and though they are now, many of
them, unsearchable and past finding out, yet there is a depth of riches, both
of the wisdom and knowledge of God in them; but what delight must God take in
them, being all according to his sovereign will and pleasure; by whom they are seen and known in their beauty, harmony, and
connection; and the springs and causes of them, and the several ends answered
by them? God rejoices and takes delight particularly in the great work of
redemption, contrived by his infinite wisdom, and wrought out by his Son;
partly because of his own glory displayed therein; as of his love, grace, and
mercy, so of his truth and faithfulness, holiness and
justice; and partly because of the salvation of his people, secured thereby; a
thing his heart was set upon from everlasting; what he resolved should be, and
what he appointed them to: he rejoices and delights in his work of grace on the
hearts of his people: this is their beauty, even the beauty of holiness, which
he, the king, greatly desires; by which they are all glorious within, and well
pleasing in his sight; he delights in the graces which he
himself, by his Spirit, has wrought in them, and in the exercise of those
graces, as drawn forth by him, their faith, hope, love, fear, &c. "The
Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his
mercy", #Ps 147:11 #So 4:9,10. And so all his people, as they are his
workmanship, his poem, curiously wrought by him; the works of his hands, in
whom, and whereby he is glorified; he rejoices in them, and
blesses on account of them, #Isa 19:25 60:21. Wherefore,
3. He may be truly said to
rejoice, delight, and take pleasure in his people, as he often is; they are his
Hephzibah, in whom he delights; his Beulah, to whom he is married;
and therefore, as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so does the Lord
rejoice over them, #Ps 149:4 Isa 62:4,5 not in all men; for there are some in
whom he has no joy, vessels in whom he has no delight and pleasure, #Isa 9:17
27:11 Mal 1:10 but his special covenant people, #Jer 32:38-41 and these not as
creatures, and still less as sinful creatures, either as considered in Adam, or
in themselves, guilty and defiled; but as in Christ, in whom
God is well pleased, and in all that are in him, as chosen in him, and given to
him; so God the Father rejoiced in them from everlasting; for as his love to
them, so his joy in them, is so early, it being a love of complacency and
delight; and of which joy there are new expressions in conversion; see #Lu
15:7,9,22-24. And likewise the Son of God, was from all eternity rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth; and his delights were with
the sons of men, #Pr 8:31 and which joy he felt under all his sorrows and
sufferings, when working out their salvation, #Heb 12:2 and which he expresses
at their conversion; that being the time of finding his lost people; and,
indeed, the day of his open espousals to them, and so of the gladness of his
heart, #Lu 15:3-5 So 3:11 and they will also be his joy, and crown
of rejoicing, in the last day; when they shall be introduced into his presence,
not only with joy and gladness in themselves, but with it in him, who will
present them before his Father and himself, with exceeding joy, #Ps 45:13,14
Jude 1:24 and this joy over them, both in him and his divine Father, is to do
them good, and issues in it; to bestow benefits upon them, grace here, and
glory hereafter; to beautify them with salvation; to make
them prosperous, especially in spiritual things, in which prosperity he takes
pleasure; and in making all things work together for their good, #Jer 32:41 #Ps
149:4 35:27 which joy is full; there is a redundancy, an overflow of it; it is
hearty and sincere, is the strength and security of the saints, and will remain
for ever, #Ne 8:10 Zep 3:17.
{1} Sallustius de Diis, c. 14.
Plato in Philebo. p. 384.
{2} Aquin. Sum. Theolog. prima
2 par. Quaest. 31. art. 3. & Avicenna in ibid.
{3} Ibid. art. 1. &
Aristot. apud ibid.
{4} Contr. Gentiles, l. 1. c.
90.
{5} R.
Joseph Albo in Sepher Ikkarim, l. 2. c. 15.