Ver. 19, 2 0. &C. xxv °h Chapter of St. NI A T TR E w. i o 5 kers of Chrifls Sufferings ; that when bis Glory 'hall be revealed, ye may be glad alfo with exceeding joy. .so yude : Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to prefent you faultlefs before the pretnce Of his glory, with exceeding joy. The fùlners of our joy is fufpended till then, that we may long much for that day : 'Twill be a glad day to all Faithful ones. Joy, 'tis pies animi in basso adepto ; there is an aggregation of all good for Soul and Body : If the hope of this bleffed Effate breedeth joy, what will enjoyment, what will Fruition do ? if a glimpfe or talk be fo fweet; what will the full enjoyment be ? Rom. S: 2. lit deep troubles; yet we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God. r Pet. r. 8. Whom. having not feen ye love : in whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoyce with joy unfpeaksble, änd full of glory. Their Hearts are now and then filled with filch a joy as they can hardly contain and keep within doors, when they have but a well grounded hope, or affurance of the full poffeflion of it. (3.). In the Company of the Bleffed. 'Tis comfortable to meet with ftë Saints of God now, though it be But in a Mourning Duty but the Communion of Saints there, is quite another thing ; they are our everlafling Companions ; they, are free from all fin and weaknefs, Ileb. r 2.23. Efpecially 'twill be a delight to them whom we have been a means to bring home to God; i Thef. z. i9, 2ó. For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoycing ? are not even ye, in the pretence of thé Lord fefiis Chrift at his coming ? for ye are our glory andjoy. And Phil. s. 16: That Imay rejoyce In the day of Chrift, that I have not laboured in vain, nor run in vain. The Glory that [hall be put upon gracious Souls at the day ofJudgement, will add to the Glory and joy of thofe faithful Minifters, by whofe labours they have been gained- to God. Secondly, 'Tis called the joy of the Lord : That is, either provided by him, called my joy, by Chrift, Yoh. 15. r 1. This by way of Purchafe, Allowance and Gift, digni- fied as one of thofe whom the Lord delighteth to honour, Efth. 6. 6. or fuels as he himfelf poffeffeth. Jefus Chrift himfelf had his joy fit before him, Heb. 2. 2. that happy and glorious Effate that happened upon his Sufferings ; to this he nviteth us, into his own joy: Men are not wont to treat their Servants 'fo, as to let them enter into their joy : Luk. 17. 7. 'Which of you having a Servant plowing, or feeding Cattle, will fay unto him by and by, when he is come from the Field,- Go, and fit down to meat? No, but Make ready : But Chrift, Luk. 12. i7. wi/l'pñake them fit down to meat, and he will come forth and ferve them. In the Civil Law, Accubitus Servi á Domino invitati; 'twas a Token of Manumiffion : Now Chrift will bring us into his joy, Luk. 22. 30. That ye may eat and drink at my Table, in -my Kingdom, and fit on Thrones judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. Jolt 17. 24. Father, I will, that thole whom thou haft given me, may be where I am, and behold my Glory. Röm. 8. 17. If we fuf- fer with him, we may alfà be glorified together. o Tim. 2. 12. If we flier with him, we fhall reign with him. VVe are fharers in all the happinefs that he enjoyeth; and are partakers of the fame Glory, and the fame Kingdom, -and the fame yoy. thirdly, VVe enter into it. 'Tis an Hebraifm, filch as that, Pfal. 69. 27. Let them not come into thy- Righteoufnefs : that is, be partakers of it. So Pfal. 59.1 r. not enter into my raft; that is, partake of it: Sd. the Servant entereth into his Lords joy'; ut Pofeffor fit gaudü, non tantam Speltatorl- 'However, it noteth the higheff and fulleft participation ; they enter into the bleffed -ftàte of eternal joy, and it abidéth for ever with them, in a full, conftant, uninterrupted joy. VVe [hall have as much as we can hold, and we (hall hold more than now we do. a. V S E, It informeth us, that 'fir good to be Chrilts Servants, and to be faithful in his work. See how ready the Lord is to reward our little lorry fervice : Caine and.receive the fruit of my bounty, and the reward ofyour fidelity. VVho would not ferve filch a Mailer . 2. Confider it : This doth make up all the fhame our Trials : VVe have enough in hand for all the fer for his fervice ; the inward peace that we have, on : But our great Reward when we and he meet couragements dead, and be enough to allay all the cenfures of men. 3. To quicken us to Diligence, let us often think of this. VVhen God in- n tended and difgrace that can be in pains and fhame that we fuf- and the fente of his Approbati- together, fhould ftrike all dif- forrows of this life, and the
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