he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the air the spirit that now works in the children of dâ—sobedience amongst whom also we all had our conversation in times past If we look upon times past Oh what a wofull condition was the poor creature in at his very birth all polluted in his bloud and as he growes up so carried away with the course of the world running headlong to his own destruction This was our condition But blessed be God that there is a change It was the joy of Jehotakim Evilmerodach the King of Babylon sent for him out of prison and changed his prison garments and gave him a continual portion before him all the daies of his life So Christ hath made a change and an exchange with us he hath taken from us the rags of sin and put upon us the robes of righteousness his own robes He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him he hath delivered us from that pit of darknesse and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus What a change is here do but compare your condition then and your condition now Is it not the joy of Angels There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth The woman rejoyceth that hath found her lost gâ—oat the man rejoyceth that hath found his lost sheep the father rejoyceth that hath found his lost son bring hither the fatted calf let us eat and be merry shall others thus rejoyce over us and is it not much more the joy of our own hearts Look upon other men how they still wallow in their wickednesse having their understandings darkned through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts and then reflect we on our selves thus it hath been with us if we look upon time past 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicator nor idolater nor adulterer nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall enter into the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed Such were some of you O what a joyfull word that we were but such that we are not so now So Paul before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious but I obtained mercy Lord what am I that thou hast brought me hitherto that thou hast loved Jacob and yet hated Esau that he should passe by so many and yet shew this grace and favour to my soul So do but look behinde you and consider how it hath been with you Do but remember the time past and Rejoyce ye righteous 8. Whilest we look before us Consider but the time to come Heb. 12.2 Looking up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame Do but look upon the joy which is set before you and this will carry you above the crosse Beloved I have spoken something for your present comfort to cheer up your spirits and as the Queen of Sheba It is a true report which you have heard yet behold the one half is not told you As yet we have but the seed-time and some showres they are seasonable our life is but a bitter-sweet Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart But look before you and behold a harvest even the joy of harvest unintermixed joy The time is coming when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither any more pain Do but look before you and behold a Kingdom Come ye blessed children of my Father inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Do but look before you and behold a Throne To him that overcometh saith our Saviour will I give to sit with me on my throne Do but look before you and behold a Crown From henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not unto me only but unto all that love his appearing The time is coming when we shall be gathered with Abraham Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdom of heaven to the Patriarchs our fathers to the Saints our brethren to the Angels our friends to Angels and Archangels and to all the company of that heavenly host The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall send for us as once Jacob for his father He that sent us into the world owes us a better turn then to leave us for ever in the world Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory How did it rejoyce the spirit of old Jacob It is enough Joseph is yet alive I will go and see him before I die So here and much more then so It is enough Jesus is yet alive though I cannot go and see him before I die yet Lord let me die that I may go and see him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is the best of all The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first to meet the Lord in the air that there they may be ever with the Lord. That they may be with God! Oh what a happy vision to stand continually in his presence Saith the Queen of Sheba concerning the servants of King Solomon Happy are thy servants and happy are these thy men which stand continually before thee but think if you can think how happy they are that stand continually in Gods presence there 's fulnesse of joy and pleasures for ever more A fulnesse of joy because there for ever for ever with the Lord O sweet word for ever And this is that indeed which crowns all our joyes Would it not be a hell in the midst of heaven to think of once losing heaven But Oh joyfull eternity An Eternal joy Whilest we are here and see nothing but what 's present we read nothing but vicissitude and the wheel still turning but when we consult with heaven and look upon that before us then pure and unmixed unchangeable and everlasting joyes Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Goodnesse and great goodnesse but what tongue is able to expresse how great 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entrea into mans heart The eye hath seen much the ear hath heard more the heart of man is able to conceive much more Yet neither hath eye seen nor ear heard nor is the heart of man able to conceive the things which God hath prepared for
your own souls that cousen and defraud your brethren that grinde and oppresse your poor neighbours that make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience because you will be rich what needs all this adoe Why will ye go to the Devil for it He may shew you indeed as he did our Saviour All the Kingdomes of the word and the glory of them so doubtlesse he will flatter you with hopes All these will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Alas he doth but feed you with the winde He can bestow nothing without Gods permission They are none of his to give However this is but about Here is the way a ready a compendious way Mat. 6.33 First seek the Kingdom of heaven and the righteousnesse thereof and all other things shall be added unto you O ye that are greatly beloved ye are in this way so ye injoy contentment knowing that if more were better for you God would bestow it on you so far as may be for your good all things are yours And if others rejoyce when their corn and wine and oyle increaseth how much more may ye that enjoy this fulnesse Rejoyce ye righteous 4. Whilest we look within us Though we have lesse abroad yet we have enough at home We have God within us 1 Cor. 14.25 God is in you of a truth We have Christ within us 2 Cor. 13 5. Know ye not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates We have the Spirit within us 2 Tim. 1.14 That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the holy Ghost which dwelleth in us And is not here matter of rejoycing How can that soul but be very merry if not a stranger to its own happinesse that entertains such Guests But further take we notice of the manner of Gods dwelling in us It is not according to his Essence only for so he is in all places Do not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Nor yet according to his Power for so he is in all his creatures In him we live and move and have our being But God is in us according to the working of his grace and favour informing reforming transforming us into his own likenesse Consider that treasure of gifts which he hath bestowed upon us those unsearchable riches of his grace those fruits of the Spirit love joy peace long-suffering gentlenesse goodnesse faith meeknesse temperance saith our Saviour to his Disciples In patience possesse your souls Though you have little else yet ye have patience in you and when things are at the worst yet in that ye may still possesse and injoy your selves Besides you have faith within you and that is a good portion a sufficient living of it self Hab. 2.4 The just man shall live by his faith But above all remember you have the love of God within you Rom. 5.5 The love of God shed abroad in your hearts And is not that joy enough Cant. 1.2 Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine O ye that are the Favourites of the King of Saints cheer up your spirits you have that within you sufficient to make you happy were you as poor as Job upon the dunghill Oh do not live besides your wealth Others may flatter themselves with their abundance as the Angel of the Church of Laodicea Thou sayest I am rich and increased with goods and stand in need of nothing and knowest not that thou art poor and miserable and blinde and naked and hast nothing Alas poor miserable blinde deceived creatures lean empty and poor starved souls But these have it Ye have that within you which crowns you the happy men Felices nimium bona si sua nôrint did ye but know your own happinesse And are not your spirits as yet up Why what is it that still troubles you Alas my sins But love covers all Jer. 50.20 In those dates shall the iniquity of Israel be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve There shall be none God himself findes none not that God is blinde that he sees not what we see but he gives you the meaning in the latter clause he sees none unpardoned none that shall be imputed none that shall be laid unto our charge Rom. 5.11 We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have received the atonement The cloud 's now removed can you yet see your wealth I shall give you heaven in a word Luk. 17.20 The Kingdome of heaven is in you And what 's that Rom. 14.17 The Kingdome of heaven is righteousnesse peace and joy in the holy Ghost O do not rob your selves of any part of your own happinesse but as you have a righteousnesse within you so adde to your righteousnesse peace and to your peace joy Rejoyce ye Righteous 5. Whilest we look upon the right hand Whilest we sit under the sunshine of Gods favours and that all things go well with us Whilest we look upon the mercies God bestowed upon us be they lesse or more We see the men of the world how glad they are when their corn and wine and oyl increaseth The righteous live as merrily as they do and have better reason for rejoycing then they have more solid and true joy in the least mercy they receive then others in a great abundance Psal 37.16 A little that a righteous man hath is better then the riches of many wicked Their little is better then anothers much better then their riches then the riches not of one but many nay put all together Though their fare be not so delicate nor their cloathes so gay nor their bed so soft yet they eat their bread with more delight and take their sleeps with more sweet refreshment and enjoy the mercies God bestowes upon them with more comfort and content then others can And the reason 's evident 1. Because they draw their wealth from the head of the well the spring Dulcius ex ipso fonte and there the water drinks more sweetly Whilest others drink only in the channell receive their blessings from the hand of fortune or perhaps they sacrifice to their own net as if by them their portion were made fat these they receive them from the hand of God the fountain of mercies As once Jacob to his brother Esau These are the children which God hath graciously given to thy servant 2. Because they receive these mercies as pledges of Gods love and kindnesse towards them Whilest others feed upon the husk satisfie themselves in those poor injoyments and look no further then the creature these feed upon the kernell they feast themselves upon God in the holy injoyments they see his mercy and goodnesse in thus providing for them And this affords a sweet refreshment to their souls infinitely beyond all their creature-comforts whilest thus they injoy God in the creatures and receive
and see if we have not great reason of rejoycing even in our greatest trials It is true indeed no affliction for the present is joyous but grievous O but afterwards it works the quiet fruit of righteousnesse to them that are exercised therewith And take notice of it Beleved these are times of triall and one way or other we are sure to come to it So hâ—d we need to have our strength about us for the flesh is weak We have the word in general Rom 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God This is a sweet word And is not here matter of great joy whatsoever our condition is be it prosperity or adversity Nay observe further if not in adversity rather then prosperity David will acknowledge it Thou Lord of very faithfulnesse hast caused me to be troubled Do we not see how it files off the rust Isai 27.9 By this the iniquity of Jacob shall be purged and this is the fruit to take away his sin So the drosse consumes and we come out of the fire of affliction as gold refined out of the furnace So it excites our graces And the more our Camomile is trodden on it sends forth a sweeter savour Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations When ye fall into temptations into divers temptations enough to make others stagger to reel to and fro like a drunken man and put them to their wits end yet count this your joy count it all joy And why so knowing that the triall of your faith worketh patience and let patience have her perfect work that ye may be perfect and entire wanting nothing So Rom. 5.3 Now we rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulation also In ipsa tribulatione spes gloriae in ipsa tribulatione gloria spei In tribulation it self is the hope of glory nay in tribulation it self is the glory of our hope and wherefore The Apostle followes it Knowing that tribulation worketh patience patience experience experience hope and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts What heap upon heap and grace upon grace and all flowing on us through the benefit of afflictions Are ye not now satisfied 1 Pet. 4.14 If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you The Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God The Spirit of God never rests so gloriously upon the Saints as in the time of suffering Then appears the glory of their faith the glory of their patience hope long-suffering gentlenesse meeknesse goodnesse all the fruits of the Spirit Nor only an increase of grace here but of glory hereafter 2 Cor. 4 18. Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Our light affliction light because but momentany that short affliction compare it with eternity it works glory for us and a weight of glory a great weight an exceeding weight a more exceeding weight a far more exceeding weight a far more exceeding and eternall weight So do but compare your sufferings your layings out with your comings in happy men could you but see your own happinesse how it purifies you from the drosse of sin how it refines your graces how it works you for that weight of glory Mat. 5.11 Happy are ye when men revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in heaven The more you suffer here the greater measure and degree of glory shall you have hereafter Rejoyce therefore nay double and treble your rejoycings rejoyce and be glad and exceeding glad Rejoyce in the Lord and be glad ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart 7. Whilest we look behind us Consider the time past As David Psal 77.10 I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord and call to minde his wondrous works of old time So do but recount your former experiences of Gods mercies And is not here matter of great joy but think with your selves how it lift up the heart of Haman when he cast his eyes back upon those favours which Ahashuerus had bestowed upon him Esth 5.11 And Haman told them of all the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the things wherein the King had promoted him And when he had been with the King at Esthers Banquet Vers 9. Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart If Haman could rejoyce so much in the favour of a wavering and unconstant man how much more reason have we of rejoycing in the favours of Almighty God with whom is no variablenesse neither shadow of changing So do but cast your eyes back upon what he hath already done and shall we not much rejoyce in his mercies Psal 126.3 The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad And as good as great yea and many of them Psal 139.17 How precious are thy thoughts toward me O God How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand Not a minute of time passeth over our heads but we taste his mercies every day that we uprise Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercy that we are not consum'd because his compassions fail not they are new every morning Besides those ordinary and common favours none of us all if we look behinde us at some time or other we have had experience of special and particular deliverances What dangers do continually surround us we may easily guess if we do but consider our adversary the devill how like a roaring Lion he still walks about seeking daily whom he may devour and then the enmity that is in the creatures but especially that desperate wickednesse that lies in our own hearts How are we hunted as a partridge upon the mountains But blessed be God we are escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowler the snare is broken and we are delivered The greater our danger the greater our deliverance the more that our sorrow was the greater is our joy As a man that hath been long tost upon the troublesome seas Haec olim meminisse juvabit he then rejoyces when he gets into the harbour As the Israelites when they stood safe upon the banks of the red sea and beheld the drowning of the Egyptians So shall we not look behinde us that we may rejoyce whilest thus we behold the salvation of our God But above all observe that great deliverance from the hands of Satan from the chains of sin wherein we were led captive by him at his pleasure Cast your eyes behinde you and consider Eph. 2.1 You hath
them as love-tokens This beyond all saith David In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts they delight my soul 3. Because they have right in these injoyments Others indeed injoy them by a common providence I will not say as some that they are usurpers God gives them their portion in this life The eyes of all wait upon him and he gives them their meat in due season But these have a more special interest Christ hath purchased a more speciall title and right for them And surely that man lives more comfortably that lives purely on his own Saith Paul Let no man glory in man for all things are yours 4. Because they have the right use of these injoyments whilest others are worse for them Eccles 5.13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt As a sword in a mad mans hand so they endanger themselves with them or at the best they do but gather for themselves they live to themselves till they lose both themselves and that which they have gathered Thou fool this night shall thy soul be taken from thee and then whose shall these things be But the righteous they make themselves friends of that unrighteous Mammon they lay up for themselves treasures in heaven If rich in this world they are rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come that they may lay hold upon eternall life What a world of difference there is between that man who hath the right use of his estate and him that wants it How comfortable is the life of the one beyond the other 5. Because their happinesse doth not depend upon these outward blessings They may take pleasure in them for a time as the scholar takes pleasure in his meat but findes a better relish at his book so they have fixed their affections upon higher matters If they be crost in these injoyments yet there is no interruption of their joy because it doth not depend upon them Rev. 12.1 They have the Moon under their feet By the Moon understand things sublunary all things under the Moon they are above these things As using the world saith Paul but not abusing it and I would have you without carefulnesse Therefore they injoy it with more comfort because they injoy it with lesse care Look upon a man whose happinesse depends upon it whose heart is set upon the world how he frets and grieves and when crost in his pursuits as Micah Ye have taken away my Gods how is it then that ye say unto me What aileth thee Whilest those whose hearts are centred upon God they sing sweetly with that holy Job The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away blessed be the name of the Lord. Lastly Because they look upon these things but as the Israelites on those clusters of grapes brought by the spies out of the land of Canaan so to put them in minde of the wealth and fertility of the Countrey to raise up their hearts to the meditation of those heavenly joyes Every mercy we receive it is as another step to mount up our thoughts upon Jacobs Ladder to celestiall glories These are but the Viaticum a refreshment by the way we look for another Countrey a City which hath foundations a building of God and hourly expect the call Come ye blessed children of my Father inherit ye the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world And if we finde this comfort in our Inne how much more then when we come at our own home Thus whilest others receive but the single comforts of these earthly blessings the godly have a double comfort whilest thus from these things below they are carried up unto the things above If others therefore can rejoyce in these things how much more cause have you to rejoyce with joy above other men Rejoyce ye Righteous 6. Whilest we look upon the left hand Many are the troubles of the righteous What crosses and afflictions what poverty and disgraces what reproaches and persecutions what bonds and imprisonments besides inward troubles that law in our member warring against the law of our minde that when we would do good evill is present with us Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death And then God himself drawing the black curtain between him and us withdrawing the light of his countenance from us Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled Be not discouraged Psal 112.4 Unto the righteous there ariseth light in darknesse So a joy in sorrowing Nay let me tell you further you have more matter of rejoycing in the very depth of your adversity then others in the greatest height of their prosperity Therefore was it Moses his choice Heb. 11.24 He chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season He chose rather to suffer afflictions with the people of God then to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches then the treasures in Egypt Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me Look upon thy Saviour 1 Pet. 2.22 Christ hath suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps And shall we not rejoyce to be made like unto Christ This is that in comparison of which the Apostle accounts all things as nothing and worse then nothing as losse and dung Phil. 3.10 That I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being made conformable to his death Thus we have a fellowship with Christ Nay further we bear a part of his sufferings And then saith St. Paul Col. 1.22 I rejoyce in my sufferings for you to fill up that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my flâ—sh for his bodies sake which is the Church As Christ suffered in his natural so he must suffer in his mysticall body Our afflictions therefore they are Christs afflictions a filling up of that which is behinde of his afflictions Et quis non hic superbit saith Luther in his Consolatory to the Duke of Saxony who would not rejoyce to bear part with Christ So is it the Apostles triumph Rom. 8 35. Who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ shall tribulation or distresse or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or the sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all the day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter nay in all these things we are more then conquerors Conquerors and more then conquerors How 's that Not only bearing them with patience but with joy Act. 5.41 They went away rejoycing that they were count à worthy to suffer reproach for the Name of Christ Or if all this be not sufficient yet take notice of the benefit