as he would make us. He will take a Delight in what he himself hath wrought, and perfect his own Image, not only in Wifdom and Goodnefs, but in Blifs and Happiness. And indeed, befides all this, there is,

5. A Fulness of Joy which the Scripture fpeaks of, Job. xvi. 24. Hitherto bave you asked nothing in my Name: Afk, and you shall receive, that your Foy may be full. The Joy that they had fince Chrift was revealed, exceeded all that was before: But after he went to Heaven, and was poffeffed of his Throne, and became the Lord of all; it arose to a greater Height, and filled the Souls of those who believed on him, with fweeter and more abundant Confolation. And this Joy arose out of the former Things which I have mentioned, and feveral other Caufes. As,

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Ift, From the Fulnefs of Wisdom and Underftanding, which was communicated to them, ae cording to that Paffage of St. John, 1 Epift. Chap. 1. 4. These things write I unto you, that your Foy may be full; i. e. Thofe Things which they had feen, and heard, and handled of the Word of Life; thofe Things which they were fure and certain of by their very Senfes, the Apoftles gave Notice of to others, that they might have the fuller Joy in Chrift Jefus. There is an extraordinary Delight, which the Mind takes in Knowledge: But as much as the Knowledge of Chrift exceeds all others, with fo much greater Pleafure muft it needs ravish the Underftanding of thofe in whom it is. It is impoffible but their Spirits fhould overflow with Joy, when

they

they reflect upon the Glory in which our Lord fits, and the Power he hath with God, and his tender Compaffion to all his Subjects, with all the reft that I have already touched,but would require a Volume to explain fo fully as the Matter deferves. Let it fuffice briefly to tell you,

2dly, That from our hearty Love to God and our Saviour, there flows a great Joy and Confolation of Spirit. Do but remember thofe Words I quoted before, Calof. ii. 2. where the Apoftle prays, their Hearts may be comforted, being knit together in Love: And you will conclude, that if the Love they had one to another of which he there fpeaks) was fo fweet; then Love to God, which is produced, as well as the other, from the great Love to us, muft be of a far bet ter Relifh, and yield a more delicious Joy to thofe, whofe Hearts are not Strangers to it. And

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3dly, From Piety alfo there arifes much Joy; as you may collect from thofe Words, Acts ix. 31. Then bad the Churches reft through all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the Fear of God, and the Comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. The Comfort, you fee, or Joy of the Holy Ghost, was a Companion of walking in the Fear of the Lord.

Hope alfo, 4thly, is another Spring from whence it flows. Rom. xv. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all Foy and Peace in believing, that ye may abound in Hope, &c. Where you fee, that God who hath given us good Hope,

doth

doth by that very Name fend great Joy into faithful Souls. And then this Joy causes them still more to abound in Hope: It being the Beginning of that which they hoped for. The like you read in the Place before-mentioned, 2 Thef. ii. 16. He hath given us everlasting Confolation, and good Hope through Grace. Where the last Phrafe explains the firft, telling us that good Hope is the Cause of never-failing Confo lation.

It arifes alfo, 5thly, from the Good which we behold in others; from their Repentance, or Increase in Piety. For if there be foy in Heaven among the Angels of God, at the Con verfion of a Sinner; fure there will be fome Joy on Earth, on fuch an Occafion, among them who are more immediately concern'd in it. And no lefs Joy is there, at the Progrefs they behold one another make in Piety and Good Works: According as the Apostle writes to the Corinthians, 2 Cor. vii. 4. Great is my glorying in you: I am filled with Comforte; and am exceeding joyful in all our Tribulations. This afforded a Fulness of Contentment to him, that he heard of their great Hatred of Sin; of their Indignation, of their Fear, of their vebement Defire, and of their Zeal; as you read V. II. which bred a great Joy in Titus allo. And in his Joy, the Apostle again conceived a new Satisfaction, band rejoiced more than he did before, v. 13. Therefore we were comforted in your Comfort; yea, and the more exceedingly joyed we in the foy of Titus, because his Spirit

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was refreshed by you all. This is a great Fulness of Joy, that is made bigger by the Increase of Joy to any body elfe. Great Satisfaction is in the midst of good Hearts, who feel themselves the better for the Satisfaction and Confolation that others' receive.

And, 6thly, This Joy is helped forward likewife by the Minifters of Chrift; who open the Gospel, and declare the Senfe and Meaning of it; who are ready to advise, and to administer Comfort and Counsel to those who are in need of it. Which made St. John fay, 2 Epift. 12. that he would write no farther, trusting to Speak to them face to face; that their foy might be full. By having his Prefence, that is, with them to fatisfy them in any Doubt; to encourage them in their Conflicts; to confirm them in their Faith; to ftir up their Love to God and their Brethren; by giving them a clearer Sight of all thofe Things, which God had revealed to the Apoftles by his Holy Spirit.

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You fee then, that Christianity teaches us to be more than contented; even to rejoice in the Lord alway; and again, faith the Apostle, I bid you rejoice, Phil. iv. 4. There is great Cause for it: We may be fo fatisfied, as to be pleased; and rest fo contented in our prefent Condition, as not to be without Delight: If we know what God is; and what our Lord is; and what he hath done for us already; and what he hath ftill promised to do: And if we love God, and be fenfible of his tranfcendent

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and inconceivable Love to us. If we have any Goodness in us, nay, any good Nature towards him who hath fo loved us; we cannot repinę and murmur, (as you fhall hear next Time) nor bring any Complaints against his Provi dence, as if he dealt hardly with us; efpe cially fince he hath fent the Holy Ghost to con firm our Hope, and to make us rejoice with Foy unfpeakable, and full of Glory.

PRAYER I

God, who baft not only endued me with Principles of Reason, and made me underftand that thou art the Sovereign Lord, who ordereft all Things as thou pleafeft; but also made me Partaker of a Glorious Revelation of thy Mind and Will in Chrift Fefus; by which I understand that thou art our Father, and haft a most tender Affection to us, and delighteft to order all Things with the most merciful Regard to our Good and Happiness: I caft down my self most humbly before thee; adoring, bleffing and praifing thy Divine Goodness, with a thankful Heart, which bath taken fuch Care for our Everlasting Salvati on, and likewife for our prefent Satisfaction and Contentment in every State and Condition of Life. How much do we owe thee, who baft open'd to us thy Secrets, and admitted us into thy Counfels;

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