184 SERMONS upon Serm.21. 2. In what manner he would have it received, merrXegcquivxv, fulfilled in them. The Joy is full, becaufe the Objea is infine, we can delire nothing beyond him. Delire anfwereth to Motion, Joy to Weft 5 when we can go no further, there we refl. What can we delre beyond God ? As 13.52. The Difeiples were filled with Toy, and with the Holy Ghoft, their Hearts could hold no more. Narrow Veffels are Coon filled with the Ocean : It is a full Joy, not in it felf, but with refpea to Worldly joy. Worldly Joy is fcanty, unftable and vanifhing, it cannot fatisfy nor fecure the Heart ; take. away the Creatures from the Worldling, and you take away his Joy, the Objeét lieth without him : But, John 16.22. Tour Joy Jhall no Alan take from you ; they cannot plundtr you of Peace of Confcience, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft. This ravilheth the Heart. 1 Pet. r. 8. Te, rejoice with yoy nnfpeakable and full of Glory. Phil. 4. y. The Peace of God that path ad unilerflanding, keep your Hearts and Minds through Jefus Chrifl : It is better felt than expreffed ; a Creature worketh it not, but a Divine Ope ration. Paul heard in Heaven, gga'rr gH a in, unfpeakáble Words : So this being a foretafte of 'Heaven, cannot be conceived and expreffed ; you cannot imagine how fweet it is, and 1hll it increafeth till we come to Heaven, and lofe our felves in theft Eternal Ravifhments. 3. It is inward for the quality of it, is iceu-roîs, it is wrought in the midit of Aflfi- &ions ; there is fweetnefs within, when bitternefs round about us ; like the Wood that was thrown in at Marah, it maketh bitter Waters fweet, Exod. 15. 2 5. Saints are fed with hidden Manna, Rev. 2. 17. Their Life is hid, and their Joy is hidden. r Per 1.6. Wherein ye greatly rejoice; tho now for a Serfon, if need be, ye are in heavinefi throughmanifold Temptations. Without there are Perfecutions, Temptations, AHliaions from Satan and the World ; and within Joy : they have Meat and Drink, which the World knoweth not of; the World Ceeth it not, and therefore the World will not believe it. . Secondly; How much Chris Heart is fet upon it. It appears by the Provifion he made for them ; when he departed, he left the Comforter ; John 14. 19. 1 will not leave you comfortlefs, 1 will come unto you. John 15. 11. Thtfe things have I fpoken to you, that my Joy might remain in you, and that your Joy may be full. He doth not fay, that my Authority may remain over you, but my Joy ; and if we would makeChrift's Heart glad, or our own, we mutt obey his Commandments : for when he injoineth Obedience to his Difciples, it is, that he may rejoice in our Comfort. In his Inftru- tlions he teacheth them how to pray : John 16. 24. 44 and ye fhiall receive, that your Joy may be fall 5 and now he prayeth himfelf, that they have my Joy fallled in them - /elves. Chrift maketh this to be his main Work and Aim, that in this Life we might have Peace of Confcience, and Joy in the Holy Ghoft, and in the Life to come Joy for evermore. Now left ye fhould think, this was only for the twelve Apoftles, you flail fee it was the end of the whole Word : the Scriptures were written, Rom. 15.4. That we through patience and comfort of them might have hope. The whole Miniftry of the Church, ferveth to the fulfilling of this Joy. Thirdly 5 Reafons why Chrift was fo follicitous about this Matter. r. Becaufe of the great ufe of it in the Spiritual Life, to make us to do, and to Gtffer. Nehem. 8. so. The Joy of the Lord is your firength : This is as Oil to the Wheels. It is a Queftion which is molt ufeful, Godly Joy, or Godly Sorrow; Sor- row maketh us ferions, Joy alive. But what fhould I divide what God hath joined ; Gaudium ineffabile cum fufpiriis enarrabilibus, both are wrought by the fame Spirit; he is a Comforter, and he defcended in the Form of a Mourning Dove. But certainly Joy Both more quicken us in well.doing, it rendreth the Functions of Body and Mind free and vigorous, that we may walk with alacrity and good Confcience. The Joy that we prefs you to, is not a wantonnefs, by which we colt away all Care and Labour, and give our felves up to Eafe and Lifts, as thofe do that make their Life to be nothing elfe but a Recreation; but fuch a Joy, as maketh us go about our Duties and Cal- lings with comfort. This is fweet, when a Man, out of the Refrethings of the Spirit, can go about the Bufinefs which God hath given him to do, with delight. Ads 2o. 24. Neither count I my Life dear to me, fo I might AO my Courfe with Joy, and the Mi- nifiry which I have received of the Lord Jefus, to teflify the Gofpel of the Grace of. God. As the Eunuch went bis way rejoicing, Abts 8.39. not like flow Affes that go by com- pullion, but like generous Hones, that delight in their ftrength and fwiftnefs ; to take . pleafure
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