f. Verfi. An Expofition upon the Boomof J O B. Chap.3. And by thiseiceec we may make proofof grace here.If thou, haft found Chrift in Ordinances, inDuties,in Meditation, in Prayer-in the promifes; for here, in thefe'things,the longing foul digs after Chrift; joy will at one time or other fill thy heart, yea thy heart will leap for joy, thou wilt rejoyce inSpirit, as Chrijf did in his F ather,LuJ<ea9.21. For this joyis afruit ofthe Spirit(Gal. 5.22.) aril one ofihe firft fruits.And God feldome miffes to give the foul a tali of this joy at the firft, or prefenYly after converfion, though afterwards clouds may come over us, or at leaf} our light of joy not be fo clear. Further, If aman long after any truth,and digs it,how exceed- ing joyful will he be when he can find that truth ? When a Philo fòpher had found out the refolution ofa queftion in. the Mathema- ' i1rd imr es: ticks, he was fo ravifht with it, that he ran about crying,' have found it, I havefound it. Surely the finding of one Divine truth (which is the mind of Chrift)(houldaffea us more then the corn pleat knowledge ofall that is knowable , or can be known in the whole courfe of Nature. Every truth is beautiful,but the truths of God are beauty. Thus-we may try our defires;inall their purfuits, by this iffue of them, joy in finding the things which we púrfue. ,Laftly obferve,that as he doth rejoyce,fo this joy anfwers to the &fire in the degree ofit: Proportionably to our delires and endea-- yours in locking, are our joyes and comforts when we have found. There is not only a joy,buta proportionable joy;the defire was ve- ry great, and the endeavour was great, and now the joy comes up to both,t hat is very great too;not only do they rejoyce,but they rejoyce exceedingly ; they rejoyce, fo as they skip for joy : that is (_I am fure it ought to bc)more apparant incur regular delires after things good for us, then in our regular delires after things which are hurtful to us. Ifthat exceeding defire after death will produce .exceeding joy in death,then exceedingdefireafter life and fpiritual good things will work exceeding joy when we have found them : Defire is that which widens the veffel'to take in abundance of joy; large defiresafter any thingopen the heart,and inlarge the faculties to take in abundance of joy, when we have foundthe thing which we defire.' J O B.
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