360 RIGHT REJOICING. tifying the irregularities, and supplying the defects, lest Satan should take possession of their souls, by carnality, selfishness, and pride, when they thought they had conquered him, by dispossess- ing him of men's bodies. ' 1II. By this you may understand what joy it is that Christ al- loweth and commandeth them. 1. As to themselves, to kill their pride, and to increase their kindly joy and thankfulness, and to advance their estimation of the riches of the gospel, and rectify their judgment of the work and kingdom of their Lord, he calls them to mind that higher mercy, which is worthy of their greatest joy. An interest in heaven is another kind of mercy than healing the sick, or casting out devils here on earth. 2. In reference to his honor, he would have them first look at the greatest of his gifts, and not forget the glory which he finally intends them, while they are taken up with these wonders in the way ; for his greatest honor ariseth from his greatest mercies. 3. As to the degrees oftheir rejoicing, he would not have them give the greater share tq the lesser mercy, but to rejoice so much more in their heavenly interest, as that all other joy should be as none in comparison of it ; so that this " Rejoice not in this," &c. is as much as if he had said, ' Let your rejoicing in this power over the devils be as nothing in comparison of your rejoicing that your names are written in heaven. Just as he forbiddeth care and labor for these earthly things, when he saith, " Care not what ye shall eat," &c. (Matt. vi. 25.) "Labor not for the meat that perisheth, but for that which endureth to everlasting life, which the Son of man will give you;" John vi. 27. Our care and labor for earthly things must be nothing, in comparison of the care and labor we are at for heaven ; and so our joy, in the greatest of these outward mercies, should be as nothing, in comparison of our joy in higher things. 4. As to thenature and order of the thing, he alloweth them no joy in this, or any temporal or created thing whatsoever, but as it proceedeth from God, and tendeth to him as our ultimate end. We must not rejoice in our victories over Satan, or any other en- emy, for itself, and as our end, but as it is a means to the glory of God and men's. salvation. In all which, it is evident- that Christ Both but regulate end advance their joy, and calleth them first to rejoice in that which is their end . and all, and animateth all their lower mercies : he then alloweth and requireth them to rejoice, even in this, which he seemed to forbid them to rejoice in, viz. that the devils were subject to them, so they do it in due subor- dination to its end. The only difficulty in the preceptive part of the text is, what is
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