The heart knoweth his own bitterness; and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.
Ver. 10. The heart knoweth his own bitterness] None can conceive the terrors and torments of a heart that lies under the sense of sin and fear of wrath. A little water in a leaden vessel is heavy. Some can bear in their grief better than others; but all that are under this affliction have their back burden. Job's "stroke was heavier than his groaning," Job 23:2 and yet his complaint was bitter too. Some holy men, as Mr Leaver, have desired to see their sin in the most ugly colours, and God hath heard them. But yet his hand was so heavy upon them that they went always mourning to their graves, and thought it fitter to leave it to God's wisdom to mingle the portion of sorrow than to be their own choosers. a
And the stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.] None but such as are of the "family of faith" Gal 6:10 can conceive the surpassing sweetness of spiritual joy. The cock on the dunghill knows not the worth of this jewel. It is joy "unspeakable"; 1Pe 1:8 such as none feel but those that stir up sighs "unutterable." Rom 8:26 It is joy "unspeakable, and full of glory," a hansel of heaven, a foretaste of eternal life. It is the peace that "passeth all understanding"; Php 4:7 they that have it understand not the full of it, nor can relate the one-half of it. Paul said somewhat to the point, when he said, "I do over abound exceedingly b with joy," but words are too weak to utter it. Father Latimer said somewhat, when he said it was the ‘deserts of the feast of a good conscience.' But sermo non valet exprimere, experimento opus est. c It is a thing fitter to be believed, than possible to be discoursed. Tell a man never so long what a sweet thing honey is, he can never believe you so well as if he himself tastes it. Those that never yet "tasted how good the Lord is," Psa 34:8 are far from intermeddling with the just man's joy. ‘The world wonders,' saith Mr Philpot, martyr, ‘how we can be so merry in such extreme misery; but our God is omnipotent, who turns misery into felicity. Believe me, there is no such joy in the world as the people of Christ have under the cross. I speak it by experience.' d Another holy martyr, Richard Collier, after his condemnation sang a psalm; wherefore the priests and the officers railed at him, saying, He was out of his wits. e
a Dr Sibbes.
b υπερπερισσευομαι, 2 Corinthians 7:4 .
c Chrysos.
d Acts and Mon ., fol. 1668.
e Ibid ., 1533.