Tears of Joy and Gratitude unto God Most High

"And he sought where to weep." -Genesis 43:30 [KJV]

To weep! What! when he saw his beloved brother Benjamin, and heard that his affectionate aged father was alive and well! Yes: the sight of the one, and the news of the other, created such an ecstasy of joy in his heart, as was too great to bear. He sought where to vent it by tears. O, had one followed good Joseph to his chamber, and heard what passed there between his God and his soul! Methinks I see the dear man fall prostrate, crying out in a flood of grateful, joyful tears, O, what a God do I serve! 

What amazing scenes of His providence have opened to my view! How has the Lord appeared graciously in my behalf! how strangely has He exalted me in life! and now, to crown all, and complete my happiness, I see my beloved brother, and hear of the welfare of my honoured father. Doubtless he wept, he prayed; he praised, he rejoiced, he loved, he adored his God, his kind preserver, his bountiful benefactor, his dear Saviour. Methinks, one cannot meditate on Joseph’s conduct, without calling to mind some sweet, weeping seasons of spiritual joy, our souls have been favoured with. 

When, in some highly favoured moments, the blessed Spirit has brought some joyful tidings of, and some love-tokens from our once crucified, but ever living Brother in flesh, Jesus; O then, what joy has sprung up in our souls! Too big for utterance! When He has assured us of His love to us; that we shall soon see Him as He is, be with Him where He is, and eternally enjoy Him, and His Father, and our Father, in glory: O the rapture of this faith! Thus, we are ready to fly from the world, and all its concerns, and leave even our brethren in Christ too. 

We seek to be alone, to pour out our souls; to give vent to our joy, in a flood of joyful, loving, grateful tears. Then, like the disciples on the mount, we cry out, It is good to be here. This is sweet. Methinks, my soul is drowned in tears of love! Now, are we not ready to wish, O that it were always thus with me! But neither Joseph, you, nor I, could live under such melting frames—such ecstasy, and in such rapture. The body could not support them: my weak body could not. Neither are they always good for the soul to be in. 

If so, we should be always favoured with them. This we are fully assured of: for, “no good thing will the Lord withhold from them who walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11.) But these, God withholds. You never read of one saint in the Bible, always in an ecstasy of joy. “He Who freely gave us His Son, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” -Romans 8:32. 

 

Dear Saviour, when we feel Thy love, 

Our hearts oft weep for joy: 

We long to be with Thee above, 

Where passions never cloy.

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)

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