rejoice in his crown and dignity, in his victories and treasures, or in any worldly good. He enjoyed God in them, who was the joy of his heart. He only valued the gifts, for the sake of the giver: for he made use of them by faith; and then they were the means of bringing him near to God, and of keeping up communion with God. Whatever does this is a great blessing: And every thing should do this to a believer. While he lives, like a child of God, he exercises his faith for spirituals and temporals; and his heavenly Father blesses him according to his word, wherein he hath caused him to put his trust, and gives him continual matter for joy and thankfulness.

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This is the portion of the Lord's people. He has entailed it on them. It comes to them by inheritance: And thou art bound, O my soul, to make use of it. Thy duty and interest call upon thee to enjoy much of it. Thy gratitude for the exceeding great mercies of the Father's love cannot be so properly shewn, as by rejoicing in him; for the thankful heart cannot but be joyful. It feels happy in God. My meditation of him, says a grateful soul, shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord. This is a just tribute, which the Father expects, and which the holy Spirit enables his children to return him. "Blessed is people that know the joyful sound, they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy counte"nance: IN THY NAME shall they rejoice all the day, ❝ and in thy righteousness shall they be exalted." These are great privileges, which God has promised and does bestow upon his people. It is true they do not all alike rejoice with great joy; but they all ought. When their faith is weak, their joy is little.. But they have the same right to believe, and to rejoice in believing. There is the same provision made for the whole family and household of faith. They are interested in the same covenant, have the same promises, and the same faithfulness to make them good. They have perfect secu rity given them, that they may trust and not be afraid. The people who know the joyful sound of a free grace

salvation, have good reason to believe without doubt or wavering. By such a faith they will see God perfectly reconciled to them, and will behold the light of his countenance shining on them in love. A blessed sight! To see it clearly is glory begun, to walk in it is glory increasing. What is it but heaven, to rejoice all the day long! But then it must be IN THY NAME, in the incarnate word, in Jehovah Jesus; by faith in whose righteousness they shall be exalted, as high as a creature can be-being justified' freely and fully they have access into this perfect grace wherein they stand, and they rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and not only so, but they rejoice in the way to glory, in tribulations also, knowing that all things are working together for their present, and for their eternal enjoyment of God.

For their encouragement thus to rejoice in the Lord he has promised them, that the joy which he gives shall not be taken away, which is

Fifthly, Another great privilege. True joy is the gift of God. Is a grace of the Spirit of God. It has God for its author, and God for its object: and it has this prerogative annexed to it, that no one can destroy this gift of grace. The Lord Christ declares, that he will not suffer any creature to take away what he bestows. What a rich cordial was this to his dejected apostles ? They were mourning upon account of his leaving them and were sadly cast down, as men without hope. But he revives their drooping hearts with a promise-" I "will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh from you." This is indeed strong consolation: for it is one of the streams, which maketh glad the city of God-a stream that never fails --it runs out of the ocean of free grace, and none can stop its running back into it. Not as the world giveth. give I unto you, says Jesus. The world giveth, empty joys, continueth them by an uncertain tenure, at last takes away all its gifts, and leaves its deluded votary to suffer the vengence of eternal fire. Whereas Christ gives what is truly good, solid and lasting. His

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gifts are without repentance. He is of one mind in continuing, as well as in giving; for his motives are in and of himself, and always the same. His own mere love, his free grace, and the good pleasure of his own will dispose him to give and to continue his favours ; and his one end is his own glory. Therefore he will not take away the joy, which he has given, and he will suffer no one to take it away. He secures by his power what he gives by his love. Such is the believer's right to rejoice in the Lord always. His title is indefeasible. God has freely given him in Christ all the good that can make him happy: and he enjoys it, and is happy so far as he lives by faith. While he goes on from faith to faith his joys increase. Growing faith brings him in a richer harvest of joy. And he is commanded still to proceed, until his joy be full, which is a

Sixth privilege, peculiar to joy in God. Other springs fail. They are often dry. And when they run the fullest he that drinks of their water thirsts the more. But joy in God has a satisfying fulness. The fountain is always full, yea is always running over; and all the streams bring happy peace, and holy joy. The more a man drinks thereof the more sober and spiritual he becomes; for whatever flows out of this fountain is grace, sanctifying grace; the more we partake of it we grow more like it. There is in it the divine property of conforming and assimilating us to itself: for it weakens the corruption of nature, and strengthens the faculties of the new-man; and as these grow stronger, they cleave closer to God, and have more fellowship with him. By which means they partake more of his joy. A happy partaker of it declares" In thy presence is the fulness of joy." And therefore he prays-" Make me full of "joy with thy countenance"-the presence of God with me, and his loving countenance shining upon me is the fullest joy upon earth. And this comes from the of the Holy Spirit, and is received by faith. Our Lord says to his disciples-" These things have I spoken "unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that

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your joy might be full." His end in speaking was to give them good reason to rejoice, and to continue rejoicing, and if they received what he spake with full assurance, as they ought to do, it would produce in them a fulness of joy. And this would be so much to his honour and to their profit, that he commands them to ask it of the Father in his name-" Ask, and ye "shall receive, that your joy may be full." To the same purpose the apostle John, treating of the person of God incarnate, through whom we have fellowship with the Father in all the blessings of his love, says, "These

things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." His design in writing was to lead them to nearer fellowship with the blessed Trinity, and to stir them up to seek in it their fulness of joy and they have it full, who, satisfied of their title to the Father's blessings, are receiving them freely out of the Son's fulness by the grace of the Spirit. It becometh them well to rejoice: for in the same blessings, there is fulness of joy for evermore, joy unspeakable, and full of glory.

Put all these considerations together, and then see, O my soul, what a rich provision thy God has made for the joy of thy heart. Admire and adore him for his great salvation, for delivering thee from sin and sorrow, and for the free gift of righteousness and life eternal. To pardon, to justify, to glorify such an one, as thou art, O what divine and infinite grace! What wilt thou return him for manifesting his love to thee, and for engaging thy love to him? How great is thy debt for admitting thee to fellowship with him, as thy God and Father, and for the gracious communications of his love to thee in Jesus! What a subject is here before thee for delightful praise! Look at it in any true light, thou hast reason to be glad with exceeding great joy. God the infinite fountain of good, is thy God. He rejoices in thee, therefore thou shouldest rejoice in him.

He has loved thee freely: how canst thou be sensible of this without loving him? His love has blessed thee with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus: whilst thou art

receiving them out of his fulness, how canst thou refuse to thank him with joyful lips? he says, that he rejoices over thee to do thee good; the belief of this should fill thy heart with joy and gladness. Indeed there is nothing in God, but what should be to thee matter of rejoicing. His faithfulness and justice are on thy side, as well as his never failing compassions: for he is thy God, thy covenant God, he has given his Son for thee and his Spirit to thee: by his grace thou hast been called to enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son, and to partake of their covenant blessings. It is thy privilege to be improving this fellowship, and even upon earth to be tasting of the joys of heaven. May thy faith bring thee in a rich feast, yea a fulness of joy tilk thy cup run over with the rivers of pleasure, which are at God's right hand for evermore.

Remember, O my soul, it is thy duty and thy privilege thus to rejoice in God. It is thine interest, and thy happiness. Thy God requires it of thee as the grateful acknowledgment of his favours: They are all of grace, inestimably rich and everlasting. He would have thee to honour him for the gifts by rejoicing in the giver. Joy is the sense of his goodness to thee: and canst thou receive the present, and live in hopes of the eternal blessings of his goodness, and yet be without a joyful sense of them? Examine well, and try thyself. How is thy heart? Is it happy in God? Is it happy in nothing but God? Whatever a man puts his trust in, from that he expects his happiness. In what then dost thou trust? Certainly thou wilt say, my trust is in the mercy of God for ever and ever. And should not he be the only matter of thy joy, who is the only ground of thy faith? If he be, then why art thou so often cast down, O my soul, and why art thou so disquieted within me? How many dejections, what great sorrows, and what frequent heaviness dost thou experience. From whence come they? Joy is sown for thee. The sower is the Son of man. The Father has promised it, and bestowed it on thee for thy portion thou hast