tickle the fancy, gratify the reason; but there is no joy that can fill all the heart, but the joy of the Lord. (Zach. iii. 14) 2. Alway: rejoice 'evermore.' (1 Thess. v. 16) All other joys have their periods and vacations; they flow and ebb; they blossom and wither. In a fit of sickness, in a pang ot conscience, under a sentence of death, they are all as the white of an egg, without any savour. But no condition is imaginable, wherein a conscionable believer hath not a foundation of joy in Christ. This tree of life hath fruit on it' for every month.' (Rev. xxi. 2) The Comforter he sends, abides with us for ever.' (John xiv. 16) The joy he gives, none can take away.' (John xvi. 22) Though God's people have many causes of sorrow in themselves, strong corruptions, hard hearts, little strength, weak graces, many temptations ;yet, in Christ, they have still matter of rejoicing; in the constancy of his love, in the abundance of his pardoning mercy, in the fulness of his spirit, in the sufficiency of his grace, in the fidelity of his promise, in the validity of his purchase, in the vigilancy of his eye, in the readiness of his help, in the perpetuity of his intercession. We disparage so good a Lord, discredit his service, disquiet ourselves, discourage others, grieve his spirit, expose his ways to prejudice and reproach, weaken our hands in his service and our hearts in love, when we pine and languish under groundless perplexity, and waste that time which should be spent in his work, about our jealousies of his favour. 3. With trembling and holy reverence, "Res severa est verum gaudium;" without levity, without wantonness, without presumption, without arrogance. (Psalm ii. 11) So rejoice in him, as withal to fear to offend him, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling;' even for this very reason, because he is so gracious as to give us both to will and to do of his own good pleasure. (Phil. ii. 12, 13) 4. With improvement of this joy: 1. Unto thankfulness for Christ, and any thing of Christ in ourselves; having tasted that the Lord is gracious, let us ever be speaking good of his name; though our measures are not so great as some other men's, yet we may not esteem any thing of salvation small or little; it will grow unto perfection. 2 In eundem hominem non convenire gaudium et silentium: Pacatus in Panegyr. 2. Unto more cheerful service. The more we triumph in his victory, the more we shall abound in his work. (1 Cor.. xv. 57, 58) The joy of the Lord is our strength. (Nehem. viii. 10) "Return to thy rest, O my soul;" there is David's. joy:—“I will walk before the Lord ;" there is the work of that joy. (Psalm cxvi. 8, 9) None are more fruitful in his service, than they who are most joyful in his favour. 3. Unto consolation against any other evils; though we have not the wealth, health, gifts, employments, honours that others have; yet if Christ have given us himself, his blood to redeem us, his spirit to quicken us, his grace to renew us, his peace to comfort us; should such "consolations seem small unto us?" (Job xv. 11) What wants are there, which the joy of the Lord doth not compensate? What sufferings are there, which the joy of the Lord doth not swallow up? Would we exchange Christ, if we might have all the world without him? and shall we be displeased, if we have not all the world with him? Nay, have we not in him all other things more eminently, sweetly, purely, richly to enjoy, than in all the creatures besides? "Fidelibus totus mundus divitiarum est." Doth thy journey to heaven displease thee, because the way haply is deep and stony? Admit it were a carpet-way, like Salisbury-plain, haply there thou wouldst loiter more, haply there thou wouldst be more assaulted; whereas, in a deeper way, thou art more careful of thyself, and more secure against thine enemies. Lastly, Unto a zealous provocation of others to come in and be partakers of the same joy. In times of festivity, men use to call their neighbours under their vines and fig-trees. (Zach. iii. 10) The Lord Jesus is the feast' of his servants. (1 Cor. v. 7, 8) Unto him, therefore, we should invite one another, as Andrew did Simon, and Philip Nathanael. (John i. 41, 45) Joy is, of all affections, the most communicative a: it leaps out into the eyes, the feet, the tongue; stays not in one private bosom ; but as it is able, sheds itself abroad into the bosoms of many others. It was not enough for David to express his own joy by dancing before the ark; but he "deals amongst all the people cakes of bread, pieces of flesh, ■ Non se capit exundantis lætitiæ magnitudo, sed reclusis pectorum latebris, foris prominet: Naz. panegyr. flagons of wine," that the whole multitude of Israel might rejoice in the ark of God as well as he. (2 Sam. vi. 14, 19) I will shut up all with removing two obstacles which seem to stand in the way of this joy. 1. If I must alway rejoice, how then, or when, shall I sorrow for sin ?—I answer; These two do sweetly consist. As the passover was a feast, yet eaten with bitter herbs; so Christ our passover may be feasted upon with a bitter sense of our own sins. As, in the spring, many a sweet flower falls, and yet the sun shines all the while; so there may be sweet flowers of godly sorrow, and the sun of righteousness still shine on the soul. None do more mourn for offending Christ, than those who do most rejoice in the fruition of him. 2. But what shall we say of wounded and afflicted consciences, lying under the buffets of Satan, under divine desertions, sinking under temptations, and wrestling with the sense and fear of wrath? can these rejoice at all, much less always? It is true, when God hides his face, none can behold him; in such a shipwreck neither sun nor stars will appear. But yet, 1. There is the matter and foundation of true joy, the seed of comfort; "light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart." (Psalm xcvii. 11) 2. These sorrows are many times preparations for more joy, as the sorrow of a travailing woman. (John xvi. 20) Black roots bear beautiful flowers. The whale that swallowed Jonah, carried him to the shore. Dark colours make way to an overlaying of gold. The more a stone is wounded by the hand of the engraver, the more beauty is superinduced upon it. Many times, where the Lord intends most comfort, he doth usher it in with more sorrow; as the angel first lamed Jacob, and then blessed him. 3. This very estate is far more eligible than the pleasures of sin; and therefore hath more delight in it. If you should ask a holy man in this case, "You see how severely Christ deals with you; will you not rather give over serving him, lamenting after him, languishing for want of him, and resume your wonted delights for sin again ?" what other answer would a good soul give, but as Christ to Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me.' Though there be but little reason that he should comfort me, yet there is great reason that I should serve him." The wounds : of Christ are better than the kiss of the world. It is much better being with a frowning father, than with a flattering foe. The worst estate of a saint is better than the best of a sinner the bitterest physick, than sweetest poison. As, in 'the midst of worldly laughter, the heart is sorrowful;' so in the midst of saddest temptations, the soul still concludes, It is good for me to draw nigh to Christ.' Let him deny me, let him delay me, let him desert me, let him destroy me; yet I will love him, and desire him still. As the blackest day is lighter than the brightest night; so the saddest day of a believer is more joyous than the sweetest night of a wicked man. We have thus considered the Lord Jesus as a present, a precious, a full, a pure, a rare, a various, a victorious, a perpetual, a proper good of his people; a Prince adorned with justice, with salvation, with humility, with despatch, with success and peace. We have shewed the folly of those who fix their delights upon empty creatures; the danger of those who are offended at the person, the cross, the grace, the doctrine, the sublimity, the simplicity, the sanctity, of the ways of Christ. We have exhorted his servants to rejoice in his person, in his mediation, in their knowledge of him, in the ordinances and instruments he hath appointed to bring unto that knowledge; in the service whereunto he calls us; in the graces wherewith he supplies us; in the light of his countenance; in the hope of his glory; in the fellowship of his sufferings; to rejoice in him fully, to rejoice in him alway, to rejoice with trembling, to improve this joy unto thankfulness for his benefits, unto cheerfulness in his service, unto consolation against all evil, unto the provocation of one another unto the same joy. "Now the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost; that the peace of God which passeth all understanding, may rule in our hearts; that we may rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory, receiving the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls. And the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever." Amen. TRUE GAIN, 1657. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE ROBERT TICHBORN, LORD MAYOR OF THE CITY OF LONDON, AND THE HONOURABLE COURT OF ALDERMEN. RIGHT HONOURABLE, с Being invited to preach before you, and the chief assembly of this great city, I thought it would not be an unseasonable argument to encourage citizens, (whose labours and employments have a special aspect into gain,) to look after the works of God, and the interests of their precious souls, upon the account of that a full, and great, and sure reward, which ever attendeth heavenly negotiations. We read in the scripture of an unabiding city, and a city which hath foundations off winged riches, which fly away; and of durable riches which stay by us: of the scheme, the pageant, the fashion of this world, which passeth over, and of ai massie, and eternal glory, which never fadeth away: of comforts which we leave behind us, and put off when we lie down to sleep, and of a' Comforter which abideth with us, and works which follow us, and are transportable into another country. Inasmuch, therefore, as the apostle telleth us, that we are ovμñoritas fellow citizens with the saints, and that we have oxirupa a traffick and negotiation in heaven; and inasmuch as when we go from hence, the earth, and all the contents thereof, will stay behind us, and nothing a 2 John v. 8. xiii. 14. h1 Cor. vii. 31. 1 John xiv. 16. P Eccles. i. 4. n b Psalm xix. 11. P d Heb. e Heb. xi. 10. c Prov. xi. 18. g Prov. viii. 18. k Psalm xlix. 17. m Rev. xiv. 13. Eph. ii. 19. • Phil. iii. 20. |