" THE NATuRE.or love of God the pardon of thy sins, and assure thee of thy part in these joys ! What then will thy joy be, when the actual possession shall convince thee of' thy title, and thou shalt be in heaven before thou art well aware? 14. And it is not thy joy only it is a mutual joy, as well as a mutual love. Is there joy in heaven at thy conversion, and will there be none at thy glorification ? not the angels welcome thee thi- ther, and congratulate thy. safe arrival? -Yea, it is the joy of Jesus Christ ; for now he bath the end of his undertaking, labour,sbffering, dying, when we have our joys; "when he.;is glorified in his saints, änd admired in all them that believe;(g) when he sees of the travail of his soul, and is satisfied. "(h) This is Christ's harvest, when he shall reap the fruit of his labours ; and it will not repent him concerning his sufferings, but he will rejoice over his purchased inheritance, and his people will rejoice in him. Yea, the Father himself puts on joy too, in our joy. "As we grieve his Spirit,(i) and 4veary him with our ini- quities ;(/c) so is he rejoiced in our good." O- how quickly does he now spy a returning prodigal, even afar off! How _does- he run and meet him ! And with what compassion does he "fall on his neck, and kiss him, and put on him the best robe, and a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and kills the fat - ted calf to eat and be Terry. "(1) This is indeed a happy; meeting ; but nothing., to the embracing and joy of that last and great meeting. Yea, more; as God doth mutually love and joy, so he makes this his rest, as it is our rest. What an eternal sabbatism, when the work of redemption, sanctification, preser- vation, glorification, is all finished and perfected for ever ! "The Lord thy God in, the midst of -thee is mighty. He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy, He will rest in his love, He will joy over thee with singing. "(m) Well may we then rejoice in our . (g) 2 Thess. i. 10. (h) Isa. lüi. 11.. (i) Eph. iv. 30 (k) Isa. xliu. 24. (l) Luke xv. 20---23. (m) Zeph. iii. 17.
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