. ... . .... . 486 SERMONS upon Serlll2ß, lively Elevation of Joy, as a Recompence for the Pangs of the New Birth. God per - tnits Sorrows, that we may find the fuller Comfort. 'Bernard thinks, that the Joy of the Saints is greater than the Joy of Angels, becaufe they who have been kept, and not reffored, had never experience of any other Condition 5 however, his Reafon is notable : Placet fanuisfecuritas, fed ei magia qui timuit 5 jueunda omnibus lax, fed liberato de poteflate tenebraram jucnndior 5 trap /ìi de morte ad vitam,gratiam duplicat. The feelings of this joy are up and down, yet when the Joy is gone, the Right remaineth, and this Joy will be fulfilled. John 16.22. Te now have Sorrow, bat Iwill fie you again, and your Beart Hiatt rejoyce, and your goy no Man taketh from you. If we lofe it our felves, it is not utterly loft. The Sun is always moving, but it doth not al- ways thine, and difplay his Rays with a merry Countenance : So a Chritlian meeteth with many Rubs, but hill he holdeth on his courfe to Heaven 5 and therefore where Senfe faileth, Faith thould make Supply. 6. The Nature of Man is more acquainted with Sorrows, than with Pleafures. Men naturally are more fufceptible of Sorrow than of Joy. Partly, becaufe of the Prefages of a guilty Confcience. Heb. 2. 14. Through fear of Death, they were all their Life -time fabjeü to `Bondage. Men are more ingenious and inventive to torment themfelves, than they are to 51íd out Arguments of Joy. Partly, out of Ingratitude 5 Mal. 1.2. I have laved you, faith the Lord 5 yet ye fay, Wherein hail thon loved tea ? We grieve more for a mean Affii &ion, than we rejoyce in many great Blefl-rngs. As if the Humors of the Body be out of order, or one Joint break, this is enough to make us fink, and ill at cafe 5 fo one light AtAi &ion finks us. Partly, becaufe God hash laid this Burden of Sor- row upon us, to make us long for Heaven. Fewand evil are the Days of the Tears of ?JO Life. 7Jfe r. To {hew us the Goodnefs of God, who hath made our Wages a great part of our Work, and our Reward our Service. The Lord doth not require of us to lance and ga{h our felves 5 his Ways are not fowre Ways 5 he hath made it a part of our Duty and Homage to rejoyce in him. O that he fhould deal fo bountifully with us in this Life! The World might be a Bochim, and it is a `Beracha 5 it is indeed a Vale of Tears : But yet the Sun {hineth fometimes when it raineth. O how fhould this make us in love with the Service of God ! They are happy, that minifler in his pretence. It is a Requeft, Pfal. gó. 14. 0 fatty fy ns early with thy Mercy, that we may rejoyce, and be glad all oar days. Certainly God alloweth us to come with fuch Requefts, for he commandeth us to rejoyce : 1 Theff. 5. 16. Rejoyce evermore. We might weep evermore, yet he faith, 7 ejoyce evermore. Vfe 2. To take off the Slander brought on theWays of God, as if they were dark and uncomfortable, as if we fhouldabandon and renounce all Delight. O that wicked Men would but make experience ! God doth not require that you fhould renounce Delight, but change the Courfe of it. Joy is not abrogated, but preferred. Do not think the Pra &ice of Religion is fµ11 of fadnefs and heavinefs. Will you believe the Spies, that havebeen in the Land of Promife ? The Righteous are only fit to give Tetlimony to the Comfort of a converted Eflate 5 a Stranger intermeddleth not with their Joys. If any of God's Children be uncomfortable, it is becaufe they have not tailed deep enough of the Promifes, the Comforter fuffereth fome contradi &ion from their Hearts and Lulls : but what is this to your Eflate? The Souls of wicked Men are {kill under Bondage. 5 in the midtt of their greateft Joys, their Pleafures are mixed with Fear } as Belgzzar was loon put out of his Mirth. Zlfe 3. Let us defpire the dreggy Delights of the World. We are empty by Na- ture,, anel,.woçklly; Joy filleth not but with Wind. Since Chritt hath made fuch Provifioq for tutr, Çpnfolation, why fhould we feek it elfewhere? God hash fórbid no Joy bp; ,w,hat,is hurtful. Outward Mercies bring in fome Joy, but not a full Joy. Gódlinefs doth not unman us, and hinder the Courfe of any true natural Affeslion. But nQ outward thing thould be our chief Joy 5 a light Touch is belt. z Cor. 7. go. They that rejoice, fhould be as if they rejoyced not. Firft we have an late - reft, then a, comfortable Life of the Creatures. Haft thou Wealth, Power, Greatnefs? Do not bind up thy Heart with thefe Things, they will be gone, and then thy Joy will be gone too. Wheq they take up too much of our Affecäions, they are Curfes, and will prove. our Sorrow. Ecclef. 7.6. As the cracking of Thorns under a Pot, fo is the Laughter
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=