view them too much, nor meditate upon them too long; for they enter into the very essence of all true joy. Study the Gospel method of making reconciliation for iniquity, which was the work of Immanuel, and of reconciling man to God, which is the work of the Holy Spirit. Has he done this in thee, and art thou reconciled to God? Is thy conscience at peace, is thine heart happy through faith in the atonement and righteousness of thy Saviour? Art thou satisfied of thy perfect acceptance in the beloved? Dost thou therefore obey thy Father out of gratitude, and go to duty to meet him, and to have fellowship with him in his love, and to glorify him for it. Dost thou find his presence? Is he with thee in all means, and art thou seeking in them for nearer and more intimate communion with him? Since this is thy case, what return wilt thou make for such inestimable favours? Surely thou wilt be glad in the Lord, and wilt rejoice in the God of thy salvation. Being at peace with him, and a partaker of his lovewaiting for the establishing of this peace and love in the way of obedience, and expecting more communion with thy God in the way of duty, who can have greater reason to rejoice? A saved sinner, delivered by mere grace from wrath and hell, entitled to all spiritual blessings from Christ Jesus, and already admitted to partake of them, may sing and make melody in his heart all the way to heaven. And yet alas! how often art thou, O my soul, in heaviness, walking in distress and cast down, as if thy hope of rejoicing was in vain. And this is not thy case alone. It is too common. How many of God's children spend their days in a mournful frame, and seem to forget their high calling and undoubted title to the fulness of joy. Meditate a little upon the ingratitude of this behaviour, and may the Gospel motives to rejoice in the Lord always be the means of saving thee from an unthankful and mournful temper.

First observe, he requires it of thee. The Scripture speaks much of the holy joy of believers, and calls for

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it. They are in duty bound to be glad in their God, as much as to pray to him: For he is always bestowing mercies upon them, which demand their everlasting tribute of thanks: and they cannot be thankful without being joyful. How closely were these two united in the holy Psalmist? None ever more famous for praising God, or for rejoicing in God. What he felt bimself he often exhorts the redeemed to experience: Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright: Light is sown for the righ"teous, and gladness for the upright in heart: Rejoice "in the Lord ye righteous, and give thanks at the re"membrance of his holiness:" Remember his righte ousness and holiness, how great they are, and how great the grace is, which has found out a way to make you righteous and holy: Remember those blessings with faith, and your hearts will be glad, and your mouth will praise God with joyful lips. What a sense had the prophet of those blessings, when he broke forth into this acknowledgment? "I will greatly rejoice in the "Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he "hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he "hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a "bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as "a bride adorneth herself with her jewels." These are the wedding garments, with which the heavenly bridegroom adorns his church, and in which he introduces her to the eternal banquet of love. Blessed are they who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.. Blessed are they indeed: for they are arrayed in royal robes; their souls are all glorious with the beauties of Immanuel, with his divine righteousness and matchless graces. They have reason now to rejoice greatly: For they shall soon come to Sion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away for

ever.

These Scriptures prove evidently, that believers are called upon to rejoice; It is their bounden duty to be glad in their God, for they are not living like his

children, and making up their happiness in their Father's love, unless they are rejoicing in his rich and everlasting blessings: For

Secondly, Joy arises from the sense of some good. Joy in God arises from the sense of his being our chief good, and of our interest in him. And this is the joy of faith: Which is not in the least like the light frothy joy of the sensualist, nor the wanton mirth of the unthinking multitude. It is not drawn, as worldly joy is, from vain perishing things, but from the word of God, which standeth fast for ever. It springs from the revelation of grace and mercy in Jesus; and from giving credit to it. Whoever honours its testimony, as the truth of God, will be convinced, that he trusting to the atonement of Jesus shall never perish, and trusting to the righteousness of Jesus shall have everlasting life. Hence come joy and peace in believing. The conscience is reconciled to God, and is at peace. The heart is made sensible of the love of God, and rejoices in him. This was the experience of the sweet singer of Israel in the 33d Psalm: " Our heart shall rejoice in the Lord, BECAUSE we have trusted in his holy name." This

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is a good reason. Whoever trusts in God will certainly rejoice in God: for by trusting in his word, and by depending upon his faithfulness, he cannot be disappointed of the good things, which God has promised. We have an instance of this in a trembling despairing sinner, who had drawn his dagger, and was plunging it into his heart. In that moment he heard of Jesus. It was given him to feel his want of a Saviour-Sirs, says he to Paul and Silas, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved and thy house. And they preached unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and REJOICED BELIEVING. O what a happy

change was here, and made by believing? The selfmurderer forgets his bloody design, and drops his dagger. Hears of a pardon and believes. His black despair gives way to sweet peace in God. His misery ends in the knowledge of a joyful salvation. How blessed are they that believe! God has pronounced them, and God will make them blessed. There is no misery deserved, but by faith they are saved from it; and no good promised, but by faith they may now enjoy it: They have therefore all the reason to rejoice,. that any person can have on this side of heaven. For,

Thirdly, This joy is distinguished from the vain joy of the world, by its author. It is the gift of God. It is one of the graces of the Spirit of God. St. Paul says, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy," &c.-love to God, and then rejoicing in God. When the Spirit of adoption enters into any heart, he manifests by believing the love of the Father, and thereby excites it into holy joy. He comes to make the soul happy in its return to God. It is the very end for which he is sent from the Father and the Son, and therefore it is called the joy of the Holy Ghost. It is his fruit, produced by his influence, and kept by his power. It is. like himself, of a spiritual and heavenly nature-a pure affection-in all goodness, and righteousness, and truth. He refines it from creature-delight, and exalts it above sensual pleasure; For it is the result of nearness to God, and the effect of fellowship with him: Which is:

Fourthly, another blessed ingredient in the joy of believers. It has God for its object.. It is joy in God as their God, their supreme good, known, believed in, and enjoyed. The Holy Spirit has consecrated their hearts for fellowship with him. He has brought a free pardon for past apostasy, and full power to dethrone creature-love. And he abides in their hearts to subdue it. He enlightens their understandings to see the vanity of the creature, and the fulness of God, and he enables. them to reject every thing, that promises them happiness if they cannot enjoy God in it. Thus he keeps

their hearts chaste and fixed upon God. Their joy becomes simple, as their faith is: For this looks at the finished salvation, and resting entirely upon it, sees God perfectly reconciled; thereby it lays a sure foundation for their joy in God; because they now know him by faith to be their God, and can see their interest in all the blessings of his love in Jesus. This is the fountain head of joy, from whence flow rivers of pleasure for evermore. The nearer they live to the fountain head, the more communion they have with God: Their hearts become purer and holier, and their joys are more spiritual and heavenly.

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This is the only remedy for the miseries, with which the world abounds. Men are uneasy, seek for joy, and cannot find it; because they seek where it is not. They go to broken cisterns which cannot hold it. They are disappointed, and wonder. But still go on, spending their days in this vain pursuit. They do not attain true joy. It flies from them, and at last they lie down in sorrow. What thanks then art thou bound, O my soul, to return unto thy God who has saved thee from this delusion! What a mercy it is, that thou hast been led to the fountain of joy! O live near it, and from it derive all thy streams. Seek them all in God, and seek them in faith upon the warrant of the divine promise. He has said, "The meek shall increase their joy in the "Lord, they shall have it and increase it.” The more meek and lowly thou art, the more wilt thou be joyful in God. Pray then for growing humility, that thou mayest experience the sweetness of this ScriptureRejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice" there is always a matter of joy in the Lord. What a fulness did he find, who testifies of it thus-" My joy "shall be in the Lord-God is the gladness of my joy "-all my springs are in thee-for thou art my exceed "ing joy." Happy prince! All his springs came from God and led him to God. He did not draw his happiness from the brooks, but from the fountain. The brooks dry up, but the fountain cannot. He did not

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