CVI. SERM. humours that are predominant in it; some of which are very apt to impede and hinder us in the exercise of so spiritual a duty as this is. The sanguine are too airy for such solid joys, and the melancholy too dull and heavy for such high flights as are necessary to our reaching of them. I do not deny but that a little melancholy may be sometime good, as ballast to a ship, to keep it steady; but too much is apt to sink the soul into so much grief and sorrow, that it is very difficult for it to raise up itself so high as to rejoice at all, much less in God Himself. And, therefore, they who are subject to this distemper, must take special heed that they do not give way to it, nor indulge themselves, as they commonly do, in it; but must do all they can to suppress it, or at least to keep it so much under, that it may not overpower the soul, and divert it from thinking upon God, and rejoicing in Him. Which they may and ought to do, in the midst of all these dismal and troublesome thoughts, which this black humour is apt to suggest into them, so as to be Ps. 94. 19. able to say with David, "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts, O Lord, delight my soul." And 2 Cor. 6. 10. with the Apostle, "As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." ver. 6. Though as men, they are full of grief and sorrow; yet as Christians, at the same time, they rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of their Salvation. For Christians, as such, are alway the same, not carried about with every wind that blows without them, nor with every humour that moves within them; but always sedate and calm, and so in a right disposition to enjoy God, and rejoice in Him, in whatsoever state or condition they are. This is that which the Apostle here requires in this very case: for having said, "Rejoice in the Lord alway," he adds, in the very next verse, "Let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand." To mizès uv, let your equanimity, or evenness of temper in all conditions, be so constant and apparent, that all men may see it, and the Lord too, Who is at hand to assist you in it, and ere long will reward you for it. But for that purpose, he adds also, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God." Whereby is intimated, that in order to our rejoicing in the Lord, as is before commanded, we must not suffer our hearts to be distracted with the cares of this life, but let them hang loose and indifferent to all things here below, and fixed only upon God. We must live above this world, and have our conversation in Heaven, where only these true joys are to be found: otherwise we can never have them. For this purpose therefore, "if riches increase, set not [Ps. 62.10.] your hearts upon them :" if honours, suffer not yourselves to be puffed up with the conceit of them: if worldly pleasures, look not upon them as they come, but as they go, and leave a sting behind them: if troubles or afflictions befall you, consider whence they come, and whither they tend; that they come from your Heavenly Father, are designed for your good, and will effect it too, if you do but make a right use of them; that these "light afflictions, which are but for 2 Cor. 4 17. a moment, work out for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory," that "all things work together for good to Rom. 8. 28. those who love God." So that nothing can happen, but ye have cause to rejoice in the Lord, and thank Him for it. Remember, also, the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said to His Disciples, "Ye shall be sorrowful, but your John 16. 20. sorrow shall be turned into joy." For this is an exceeding great comfort in the midst of all our sorrow, that our sorrow will not only have an end, but it will end in joy, and in joy too that will never have an end; and all through the goodness and mercy of God, in Whom therefore we have alway infinite cause to rejoice, more than we can ever have to be sorrowful for any thing in the world. The greatest and truest cause of sorrow is sin that we have broken the Laws, dishonoured the Name, and so have incurred the displeasure of Almighty God: for this we can never be sorrowful enough; yet nevertheless, in the midst of this godly sorrow also, we have infinite cause to rejoice in the Lord our God and Saviour, in that He Himself hath reconciled us to Himself by His Own blood: that He, in our nature, suffered the punishment which was due unto our sins, and is now a propitiation for them at the right hand of the Father that in Him we have redemption through His [Eph. 1.7.] blood, even the forgiveness of sins, of all our sins: they CVI. Rom. 8. 33, 34. SERM. were all laid upon Him, and therefore none of them shall be charged upon us: for "who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is He that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, Who also 1 Pet. 1. 8. maketh intercession for us." "Whom, therefore, having not seen, we love; in Whom, though now we see Him not, yet believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." This is joy unspeakable indeed, and so full of glory that the world knows nothing of it: none but they who live with a constant and firm belief in God our Saviour, without which it is impossible to “rejoice in the Lord" at all, much more to do it "alway." And therefore, as ever we desire to do what we have now heard, we must alway keep our faith fixed upon Christ our Mediator and Advocate with the Father, and in His Name pray for the Holy Spirit, to cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by His inspiration, that we may have a right judgment in all things, and evermore rejoice in His holy comfort, Who is therefore called the Comforter, because we can have no true comfort but by Him: but by Him we may have the greatest that any creature is capable of, comfort in God Himself, the fountain of all true joy and comfort; so as to rejoice always in Him, and that too, not only in a faint and weak manner, according to our narrow capacities, but by the sweet influences, and most powerful assistance of the Holy Spirit, Which proceedeth from Himself. This, therefore, is that which I must advise you all to do; all such, I mean, as live in the true faith and fear of God, and make it your chief care and study to please, and serve, and honour Him. I speak not to them who are still in the gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity, and so are altogether unacquainted with those celestial joys, which are not only above them, but contrary to their corrupt and sinful inclinations. But as for such among you, who strive all ye can to walk in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless, take ye special care to walk in this, as well as in any other of them; this being not only one of His Commandments, but one of those without which the other can never be kept aright: for ye must not only do the will of God, but delight to do it; which ye can never do without rejoicing in Him Whose will it is, and Who assists you all the while that ye are doing it. You profess to serve God, take heed that ye do not dishonour Him, by living a melancholy and disconsolate sort of a life, as if ye served a hard taskmaster, that gives you work to do, without furnishing you with necessaries for it. For this would be a great reflection upon Him and His service, and discourage others from entering into it. But as ye serve the greatest and best Master in the world, do it with all the cheerfulness and alacrity that ye can; rejoicing continually in His Holy Name, and in His infinite mercy and kindness to you, in that He is pleased to admit you into the number of His Own servants. This will make His service both easy and pleasant to you: and though it be far short of what ye owe Him, yet He will be well pleased with it for Christ Jesus' sake, and in Him also plentifully reward you for it. He will give you all ye can desire, to make ye happy. 66 Delight thyself in the Lord, and He shall give thee the Ps. 37. 4. desires of thine heart." 17. "Blessed," therefore" is the people, O Lord, that can Ps. 89. 16, rejoice in Thee, they shall walk in the light of Thy countenance their delight shall be daily in Thy Name, and in Thy righteousness shall they make their boast." They live in Heaven while they are upon earth, and whilst other people feed only upon husks, like brutes, they enjoy the same kind of pleasures, though not in so great a measure, here below, which the glorified Saints and Angels do above, who are always rejoicing in the Lord, and singing forth the praises of His Holy Name. And, as we desire to do it with them hereafter, we must begin it here; and spend the rest of our time so, that we may be duly qualified fully to partake of those pleasures which are at God's right hand for evermore; even that we may perfectly, continually, and eternally, rejoice in our Most Mighty Creator, Most Merciful Redeemer, and Most Gracious Comforter, one God, blessed for ever. SERMON CVII. UNIVERSAL THANKSGIVING THE DUTY OF CHRISTIANS. SERM. 1 THESS. V. 18. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in ALTHOUGH religion, or the constant devotion of ourselves to the service of God, be commonly thought to be a very disconsolate and melancholy course of life by those who never made trial of it; yet they who have, find by their own experience, that it is the most pleasant and comfortable way of living they can ever take to: forasmuch as it reduceth all the faculties of their souls, and members of their bodies, into their proper frame and temper, and exerciseth them continually in the great work which they were at first designed and fitted for. By which means they are not only quiet and at ease, always living as it were in their proper element, but likewise feel a sweet kind of joy and pleasure in their minds, arising from the apprehension, that He that made them is well pleased with them for doing the work He made them for, and so answering His end in making of them. And hence it is, all who are truly pious, and sincerely endeavour to serve and obey God, take more delight in doing that than any thing, or all things else. As we see in David, who often professeth, that the commands of God [Ps. 19.10;] were dearer to him than " gold and silver," and "sweeter [119. 103.] than honey or the honeycomb." Neither must we ascribe this to conceit or fancy, but to the will of God, Who hath so adapted our nature to His commands, or His commands to our nature, that every act of sincere obedience to His com |