Every Christian Has HIDDEN SORROWS...But There Are Also HIDDEN JOYS.

Every Christian has some HIDDEN SORROW.

"Each heart knows its own bitterness" --
his secret bitterness. It may vary at different
times, and under different circumstances --
but still there it is.

At one time it may be sorrow for sin,
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, and
 is sure to bear bitter fruit.

At another time it may be reflection on
the past life, so many mercies abused,
so many duties neglected, so many
opportunities for usefulness lost --
such reflections awaken bitter sorrow.

Or it may be secret and terrible thoughts,
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 --
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.

Then there are violent temptations,
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.

Then at times the LORD hides HIS face,
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 
to pray, for the soul is so discouraged
that it thinks that it is of no use 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.

Then there is indwelling sin --
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--
always and everywhere present!

It strives with everything good,
and opposes everything gracious --
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!"   (Romans 7:24)

Sometimes a bitter word 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.

Besides all these sinful things --
almost every believer has some secret
source of bitterness in the family--
it may be a wife, whose temper, whose
tongue, or whose conduct, wounds him
to the very soul, and pierces him through
with many sorrows.

Or a carnal husband, an undutiful child,
or an unnatural parent. 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!

What bitter thoughts are generated,
what bitter feelings are produced,
and what bitter regrets are felt --
by many of Zion's pilgrims
in the secrets of the soul.

But it is not all bitter, there are
also HIDDEN JOYS.
"No one else can fully share its joy."
No stranger can understand it,
share it, or at times even disturb it.

There is the joy of salvation --
when after conviction, depression,
seeking, sighing, and sorrowing --
the LORD appears and says unto the soul,
"I AM your SALVATION!"

There is the joy of faith--
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.

Then there is the joy produced by
a believing view of JESUS--
when the HOLY SPIRIT reveals
HIS glory and beauty to us--
filling our minds with the sweetest thoughts,
and our hearts with the choicest delight.

O how glorious is HIS person,
how excellent is HIS love,
how perfect is HIS work,
how precious is HIS blood,
how sweet is HIS voice, and
how ravishing is the thought of being
with HIM forever!

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--
and we rejoice in HIM with joy
unspeakable and full of glory.

And at times in communion with GOD--
we have exquisite joy. Now a holy stillness,
a sweet composure, a calm deep happiness--
while we converse with GOD, as a man
does with his friend.

Then a devout ecstasy, 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 . . .
ravished with HIS love,
delighted with HIS grace, and
overwhelmed with a sense of HIS
wondrous condescension!