Classic Sermon Outlines
The Pleasantness of the Godly Life
2. The privileges secured and procured. They are discharged from debts of sin; they have "the Spirit of God witnessing with their spirits that they are the children of God"; they have access to the throne of grace; they have a good conscience; they have the earnests and foretastes of glory.
C. The Experience of the Godly.
1. They find the rules and dictates of godliness agreeable and pleasant. They have found the rules and dictates of godliness very agreeable, both to right reason and to their true interest and therefore pleasant. They have found all of God's precepts to be right and reasonable and equitable.
2. They have found the exercise of devotion comfortable and pleasant. If there be a heaven upon earth it is in communion with God; in hearing from Him and in speaking to Him, in receiving the tokens of His favor and communications of His grace.
3. They find that pains and trouble are overcome by the pleasure of godliness. For this we may appeal to the martyrs and other sufferers for the name of Christ whose spiritual joys made their bonds for Christ easy and made their prisons their delectable orchards.
4, They find that the closer they keep to the ways of godliness the greater the pleasantness. The more godliness prevails the greater is the pleasure. What disquiet and discomfort wisdom's children have is the result of deviation from wisdom's ways or their slothfulness and trifling in these ways.
IlI. THE VINDICATION OF THE PLEASANTNESS OF THE GODLY LIFE.
A. The Misrepresentations of the Enemies of God.
1. The manner of misrepresentation. They suggest that Christ's yoke is heavy and His commandments grievous; to be godly is to bid adieu to all pleasure and delight and to turn tormentors to ourselves.
2. The answer. These enemies know not whereof they speak. Now in answer to these calumnies we have this to say that the matter is not so. Those who speak thus of godliness "speak evil of the things that they understand not."
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