your hearts, and yet will be still questioning whether you have them or no, and whether the kingdom shall be yours, your weakness and inconsiderateness causeth your own sorrows. And when you have sinfully bred your doubts, will you insist on them to excuse your following sins? 2. Are you not sure that Christ and his benefits are yours? I am sure they are yours, or may be if you will: and nothing but your continued refusal can deprive you of them. For this is the very tenor of the promise. And if you will not have Christ and his offered benefits, why do you so dissemble as to take on you to mourn because you have them not? But if you are willing they are yours. . Object. But (you will say) if we had nothing but cause of comfort, we would rejoice: but we have cause of sorrow also. How can we live comfortably under so much sin and suffering?' Answ. By this account you will never rejoice till you come to heaven; for you will never be free from sin and suffering till then. Nay, it seems you would have no man else rejoice, and so would banish all comfort from the world. For there is no man without sin and suffering. But what can there be of any weight to prohibit a sincere belief from seasonable, spiritual rejoicing? Have you sin? It is not gross and reigning sin. And sinful infirmities the best of the saints on earth have had. As your sin must be your moderate sorrow, so the pardon of it, and the degree of mortification which you have attained, and the promise you have full deliverance, should be the matter of your greater joy. Are your graces weak? Be humbled in the sense of that your weakness, but rejoice more that they are sincere and will be perfect. Are your afflictions great? Be humbled under them. But rejoice more that they are but fatherly chastisements, proceeding from love, and tending to your greater good; and that you are saved from the consuming fire, and shall live in everlasting rest, where affliction shall be known no more. Is it possible for that man that hath the love of God, and shall have heaven for ever, to have any suffering that should weigh down these, and be matter to him of greater sorrow than this of joy? Can you imagine that there is more evil in your infirmities and sufferings than there is good in God, and happiness in heaven? Is it reason and equity that you should look at sin only, and not at grace? and at what you want only, and not at what you have received? Seeing you have more cause of joy than sorrow, should you not distribute your affections proportionable as there is cause? I dissuade you not from seasonable, moderate sorrows. But should not your joy be much greater, as long as the cause of it is much greater? 4. And here I would entreat you to consider well of the tenor of God's commands concerning this matter in the Gospel, and of the examples of the saints there left on record. And then tell me which course it is that God is best pleased with; your cheerful or your dejected course of life! I find that though I pity the sad and miserable, yet I had rather myself have a cheerful than a drooping, grieving, troubled companion and friend. Because I desire one suitable to myself in the state I would be in; and I delight in the welfare, and not in the distress and misery of my friend. And surely God that is love itself, and hath created joy in man to be his happiness, and hath placed so much of misery in sorrow, can never be so delighted in our distress and trouble, as in our content and joy. As he hath sworn that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they repent and live; so we may boldly conclude that he takes no pleasure in the anguish and dejectedness of his children, but rather that they walk in love and cheerful obedience before him, But his word will fully and plainly tell you what temper it is that is most pleasing to him. It is a light and easy burden that Christ doth call us to bear; and it is his office to ease us, and give us that labour and are heavy laden with burdens of our own; Matt. xi. 28, 29. He was anointed to preach the Gospel, or glad tidings of salvation to the poor; and sent to "heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord;" Luke iv. 18, 19. When he was to leave the world, how carefully did he provide for the comfort of his disciples! Commanding them not to "let their hearts be troubled” (John xiv. 1.), and promising to send the Comforter to them, and that he would come to them, and not leave them comfortless; ver. 16. 18.26. Repeating it again, ver. 27, 28. "Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither be afraid." Nay, he engageth 66 them as they "love him to rejoice, even because he went unto the Father." He engageth them in the dearest love to one another that their lives might be the more comfortable. He foretelleth them of his sufferings and of their own, lest being surprised their sorrow should be the more. He promiseth them that their "sorrow shall be turned into joy" (John xvi. 20.), and that " in him they shall have peace, when in the world they shall have tribulation” (ver. 33.), directing them to prayer, and promising to hear them, that "their joy may be full" (ver. 24.), and promiseth that "none shall take it from them" (ver. 22.), telling them of the "mansions that he prepareth for them," and that it "is his will that they be with him, and behold his glory," that nothing might be wanting to their joy; John xiv. 2,3. xvii. 23, 24. When he apappeareth to them after his resurrection, his salutation is, Peace be unto you;" chap. xx. 19. 21.26. The abounding and multiplying of his holy peace, is the desire and salutation of Paul to the churches in all his epistles. Gal. vi. 16. Ephes. vi. 23. Rom. xv. 33. 1 Cor. i. 3. Rom. i. 7. Gal.i.3. Phil. i. 2. Col. i. 2. 2 Thess. i. 2. 1 Tim. i. 2. Tit. i. 4. Philem. 3. So Peter, 1 Pet. i. 2. ii. 1, 2. 2 John 3. 3 John 14. The Gospel itself is a message of glad tidings; Luke viii. 1. Acts xiii. 32. And it is the work of the ministers of Christ, to preach peace to the sinful world through him (chap. x. 36), and to beseech them to be reconciled to God (2 Cor. v. 19, 20.), and to bring peace to the houses where any of the sons of peace abide; Matt. x. 12, 13. Luke x. 6. Triumphing joys and proclamations of peace were the entrance of Christ's kingdom. This angels proclaim, chap. ii. 14. “Glory be to God in the highest: on earth peace: good will towards men." This the new inspired disciples proclaim, chap. xix. 37, 38. "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, and praise God with a loud voice, for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord. Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest." What abundance of commands for rejoicing are in the Scripture! "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous : for praise is comely for the upright;" Psal. xxxi. 1. "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous, and give thanks at the rememberance of his holiness;" Psal. xcvii. 11, 12. "Rejoice evermore ;" 2 Thess. v. 16. Finally, my brethren, re 66 : 66 joice in the Lord;" Phil. iii. 1. "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice;" chap. iv. 4. 'Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God;" ver. 6. And thus are the godly ordinarily described, even in their deepest sufferings and distress. "Being justified by faith we have peace with God and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation;" Rom. v. 1, 2. Phil. iii. 3. It is the description of a regenerate man "to worship God in spirit: to rejoice in Christ Jesus; to have no confidence in the flesh." 1 Pet. i. 6. 8. It is the description of believers "to rejoice greatly in a Christ not seen, even with joy unspeakable and full of glory though for a season if need be, they may be in heaviness through manifold temptations." Even in the fiery trial we must rejoice, " as being partakers of the sufferings of Christ, that when his glory shall be revealed, we may be glad also with exceeding joy;" 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13. "When all manner of evil is spoken of us falsely, for the sake of Christ, and when we are hated of all men, and reproached, we must rejoice and be exceeding glad, and leap for joy, as knowing that our reward in heaven is great ;" Luke vi. 22, 23. Matt. v. 11, 12. The apostles were "as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing as having nothing, and yet possessing all things ;" 2 Cor. vi. 10. Rejoicing in their suffering for believers (Col. i. 24.), even when they were "beaten rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ;" Acts v. 39, 40. The rich must "rejoice in that he is made low," as well as the "brother of low degree in that he is exalted;" Jas. i.9,10. The eunuch, when he was but newly converted "went on his way rejoicing;" Acts viii. 39. "There was great joy in Samaria, when they had received the word of God;" Acts viii. 8. "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous. The statutes of God are the rejoicing of their heart;" Psal. cix. 111. xix. 8. "All those that trust in God should rejoice, and shout for joy, and all that love his name should be joyful in him ;" Psal. v. 11. xxxiii. 21. "Let the righteous be glad: let them rejoice before God, yea, let them exceedingly rejoice;" Psal. lxviii. 3. "Let us therefore desire to see the good of his chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of his nation, and glory with his inheritance;" Psal. cvi. 5. "Sing unto the Lord: sing psalms unto him: talk of all his wondrous works. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord;" Psal. cv, 1-3. "The saints shall shout aloud for joy ;" Psal. cxxxii. 9.16. "Be glad in the Lord, O ye righteous, and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart;" Psal. xxxii. 11. "Behold my servants shall rejoice: but ye shall be ashamed. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart: but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit;" Isa. lxv. 13, 14. per Abundance such what manner of you passages tell sons it is that God delighteth in, and what he would have you be and do. These I have recited to shame the godly out of their indecent troubles and dejectedness, as you would shew a child his face in a glass when he crieth, that he may see how he deformeth it. The very "kingdom of God consisteth in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. If you would live as is most pleasing unto God, and as beseemeth those that are indeed believers, let the joy of believers be (as far as possible) your ordinary frame. And if by sin you wound your souls, and bring smart upon yourselves, dwell not in that wounded, smarting state; but go to your Physician, and beg of God that he will " restore to you the joy of his salvation, and make you to hear the voice of joy and gladness," that your " broken heart and bones may rejoice;" Psal. li. 8. 12. And take notice throughout all the Scripture, whether you find the servants of God so much complaining of their want of assurance, and of their frequent doubtings of their . own sincerity and his love. I think you will find this a very rare thing in the ancient saints. They were sensible of sin as well as we; and they were as sensible of God's afflicting hand, and oft (as Job, David, Hezekiah, &c.) complained under it, perhaps with some excess, and too much questioning God's favour to them, as if he had forsaken them. But (besides and without any such affliction) to live in ordinary trouble of mind through the doubting of their sincerity, and of God's special love, and to be exercised in the complaining and disconsolate way as now abundance of Christians are, this I find little of in the Scripture saints. The reason was not because they had more holiness and less sin than many that now are thus cast down. For the Gospel time excelleth theirs in degrees of grace; and I think the greater |