RIGHT REJOICING. .365 them. And thousands shall wish that they had never known them; and that they had rather been the lowest and obscurest persons, than, by the temptations of prosperity, to have been led into that misery. And should you not be very cautelous in your rejoicing in that which you may - possibly wish you had never known ? You see then the reasons for the prohibition, " Re- joice not." II. But, on the contrary, that the precept " Rejoice that your names are written in heaven," is backed with such reasons from the nature of the thing, as should much excite us to the practice, is a truth so manifest, that a tedious demonstration of it misfit seem at best unnecessary, and so an error in these straits of time. 1. What should be rejoiced in, if not the Lord of life himself, who is the everlasting joy and glory of the saints ? Iffelicity itself cannot make us happy, and life itself is insufficient to quicken us! the sun itself cannot illuminate us, it is in vain to expect this light, this life, this happiness and joy from any other. From others we may have joy derivatively at the second hand, but only from God as the original and, first cause. Other things may be means of the conveyance, but God is the matter of our joy. A creature may be his medicine, but he is our life and health itself. Comfort may be offered by others, but it is he that gives it. Others may direct us to it, but hA effecteth it. If God be not to be rejoiced in, the affection of joy is made in vain ; for he is goodness itself, and there is nothing lovely or delectable but what is in him. And what is heaven but the fruition of God ? 2. It is congruous that we now rejoice in that whichwe must everlastingly rejoice in. Heaven is the state of everlasting joy, and therefore the foresight of it by faith is the only way to rational, solid comfort here. If you knew the place in which you should live but an hundred years in earthly pleasures, or the friend in whom you should as long have sweet delight, the foreknowledge ofit would make that place and friend more delightful to you than any other. Mutable joys are the shame of man, and show his levity or folly in choosing these things to comfort him that are insufficient to perform it. But if your heavenly interest be the matter of your joy, -you may rejoice to- morrow as well as to-day, and tht next day as well as to-morrow, and the next year as well as this. If prosperity be your joy, your joy must be short, for your worldly prosperity will be so.. If victory and dignity, and overtopping others, be, your joy, it will be short; for death is ready to leave the conqueror, the honorable, the prince, with the conquered and the meanest subject. If the solemnity and feast- ingofsuch aday as this should be the greatest matter of yourjoy, the day will have a night, and the feast an end, and so will your
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=