20. 21.

But this is meant of God's word rightly understood, (if we mifunderftand it, it is not his word, but our own mistake); and such mistakes may have the quite contrary effect.

2. True peace cannot be maintained but by a holy tender nefs, and conftant ftruggle against fin: but falfe peace is maintained without it, 1 John iii. 3.

Inf. 1. The unconverted finner, and the untender Christian too, are in a very unfit cafe for a time of common calamity, If. lvii. 20. 21. Matth. xxv. 5. Only the man that has peace of confcience is prepared, I, xxxiii. 14. 15.

2. Let all who would have their confciences to be their friends, flee to the blood of Chrift, and lead a holy life.

3. Lastly, Let thofe that want it, labour to get it; and they that have it, be exercised to keep it.

III. Of Joy in the Holy Ghost.

SPIRITU AL joy, or joy in the Holy Ghost, is a benefit flowing from juftification.

Now to fhew firft of all what fpiritual joy is: Joy in general is a pleafing paffion, ariling from the enjoyinent, or hope of the enjoyment of a defired object. Spiritual joy is a joy arifing from the enjoyment, and hope of the enjoyment of spiritual bleffings.

Here I fhall fhew,

I. The fubjects of this joy, who they are that par

take of it,

I. The objects of it, or what they joy in.

III. The grounds of it.

IV. The author of it.

V. The means the Spirit makes ufe of to convey it into the hearts of the faints,

VI, The difference betwixt it and the hypocrites joy, VII. Lastly, Apply.

I. I shall confider the fubjects of this joy, who they are that partake of it.

1. It is peculiar to the faints; for they only are bleffed with fpiritual bleffings in Chrift Jefus, and no others can have true fpiritual joy, Phil. iii. 3. Any body may have a fenfitive joy, viz. in things grateful to their fenfes, Acts xiv. 17. Profane men may have a finful joy, a joy in fin, Prov, xv. 21. Hypocrites may have a delufive joy, which is a carnal joy in fpiritual things, Matth. xiii. 20. But faints only have the true fpiritual joy, or joy in the Holy Ghoit; for it is peculiar to the fubjects of Chrift's kingdom, Rom. xiv. 17.

2. Yet the faints have it not at all times, Pfal. li. 8. A child of God may be walking in darkness, going mourning without the fun, having no evidence of his intereft in Chrift: in fuch a cafe he cannot have this joy. It is true, there is a feed of joy, in the most bitter forrows of a fpirit, which will fpring up in due tim, Pfal. xcvii. 11. But it seems it may be the cafe of fome of the faints, never to have that joy till they get it in heaven, though I judge it very rare, efpecially under the New-teftament difpenfation, Heb. ii. 15:

II. I fhall fhew the objects of this joy, what they joy in.

1. The principal object is God in Chrift, Phil. iii. 3, 3: Rom. v. 11. They look to and remember God in Chrift, and joy in him. God out of Chrift is a moft terrible object, Heb. xii, ult. Our God is a confuming fire. And a finner can never truly rejoice in an abfolute God. But God in Chrift, reconciled to the foul, breathing out peace and love to the finner through a crucified Redeemer, is the chief and fundamental, the comprehenfive object of his joy.

2. The lefs principal, or fecondary object is two

fold.

(7.) The precious fpiritual privileges they have in hand, which they enjoy for the prefent in this life, as juftification, adoption, fanctification, peace with God, peace of confcience, accefs to God, and communion

with him, &c. In these they juftly joy, If. lxi. 10. Will a man rejoice in the favour of his prince? Sure then a faint may well rejoice in the favour of his God. (2.) The precious privileges they have in hope, Rom. v. 2.-Rejoice in hope of the glory of God. They have heaven and the eternal weight of glory in view: and this hope makes them fing the triumph before the victory. Yet are they not rafh and foolish; for it is a fure hope, and will never make one afhamed. One counts his riches, not only by what he has in hand, but by what he has in bills and bonds, and joys in the latter as well as the former.

III. I fhall confider the grounds of this joy in these things. They are twofold.

1. A fuitablenefs of the objects to the heart and mind of the child of God. Thefe objects are the great defire of a believer, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. So the receiving of them in hand, or in hope, makes him to joy, Pfal. iv. 6. 7. Without this there can be no joy, Prov. xiii. 12. When the defire cometh, it is a tree of life, If ye would make a ftarving man rejoice, you must give him meat; if a condemned man, a pardon. Holinefs and communion with God are faplefs to the unrenewed man, God himfelf is not the object of his defire; neither is the holiness of heaven luited to his mind: therefore he cannot rejoice in thefe. But it is otherwife with the faints; fo ftrangers intermeddle not with their joy.

2. A fenfe of an intereft in thefe objects, John xx. 28. My Lord and my God. One has more joy in his own cottage than in another's palace, because he can fay, It is my cottage. Hagar could not rejoice in the well of water, till the Lord opened her eyes to fee it. Though a pardon were flipt unawares into a man's pocket, he cannot joy in it till he knows he has it. So a fenfe of our intereft is neceffary to fpiritual joy. IV. I fhall next confider the author of this joy. The Holy Spirit of God is the author of it, and there

fore it called joy in the Holy Ghoft, Rom. xiv. 17. i. c. wrought in the heart by the Holy Ghoft, fhedding abroad the love of God, in the fenfe thereof, like a fweet-fmelling ointment, in the heart of the faint. It is he that adminifters the reviving cordial to the fainting foul, draws off the faint's fackcloth, and girds him with this gladness.

V. I come now to confider the means which the Spirit makes ufe of to convey this joy into the hearts of the faints.. Thefe are twofold.

1. External means are the word and facraments. These are the wells of falvation to the people of God, If. xii. 3.

(1.) The word of God, which brings the glad tidings of falvation from heaven to poor linners; it dif covers the enriching treasure to the foul, Pfal. cxix. 162. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil, And no earthly treafure will raife fuch a joy in one's heart, as a word of promife will do, when the Spirit of the Lord fhines on it unto a foul.

(2.) The facraments, which feal and confirm the word of grace to the foul. This is plain from the exercife of the eunuch, Acts viii, 39. who when he was baptized, went on his way rejoicing; and of thou fands who have met with that joy at fealing ordinan ces, which they never could find in all earthly things: and no wonder,for then is the great feal of heaven fet unto the covenant betwixt the Lord and his people.

2. The internal mean is faith, Rom, xv. 13. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing. 1 Pet. i. 8.-Believing ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable, and full of glory. Faith receives and applies the glad ti dirs brought by the word, and confirmed by the facraments. The Spirit of the Lord works faith at first, and excites and ftrengthens it; and fo the peace which the Lord fpeaks to his people, is firmly believed by the faint, and thus his heart is filled with joy.

VI. I come now to fhew the difference betwixt this joy and the joy of the hypocrite. That a hypo

crite may have a joy in fpiritual things, is evident from Matth. xiii. 20. and is confirmed by the cafe of many deluded fouls, who may have their joys, as well as forrows, which are unfound as themfelves.

1. True fpiritual joy rifeth in the heart, ordinarily after the word has had a precedent effect on the heart, to rend it for fin, and from it, Pfal. cxxvi. 5. They that fow in tears, jhall reap in joy. Matth. v. 4. Bleffed are they that mourn: for they fhall be comforted. But delufive joy fprings up more quickly, while yet the heart is not rent for fin, at least not from it, Matth. xiii. 20. Compare Jer. iv. 3. Much pains the hufbandman is at ere he can expect a crop, but weeds will grow up without pains or labour for them.

2. True fpiritual joy comes by the word, and that rightly understood; but delufive joy comes either without the word, or by mifunderstanding of the word. The channel of divine communications is the word of God, If. lix. 21. That joy which comes by pretended revelations, dreams, or impreffions, without the word, and regard to it, is moft likely to be the effect of a heated fancy, and people had need to beware of being beguiled with these things. The written word is particularly the channel of fpiritual joy, I John i. 4. These things write we unto you, that joy may be full. And if an angel from heaven would fpeak joy to one whom the written word does not give ground of joy to, it would be but a deceit; If. viii. 20. To the law and to the testimony: if they Speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light

in them.

your

3. True fpiritual joy is lafting; but delufive joy vanishes away, and comes to nothing, as wanting a root, Matth. xiii. 20. 21. It has a feason, and when that is over it is extinguifhed, John v. 35. Ye were willing for a feafon to rejoice in his light. I own a child of God may lofe his joy too: but here lies the difference. The ground of the believer's joy, fenfe of intereft, is fometimes removed out of his fight, and