A Powerful Joy

Thomas Manton wrote some very thoughtful remarks on the joy Christians experience in this life, especially in affliction.  With profound insight, he compared the comfort and encouragement God gives with what the world offers.  The joy of the world is only temporary, and often ends in sorrow.  Getting drunk results in a hangover, if not something more deadly.  But the joys of the Christian “end well,” as Manton put it.  The enjoyments of the world enslave those who use them.  There is no lasting satisfaction in them and often much hurt and danger.  In contrast, the delights of God are pure and have great power to uplift us in the midst of adversity.