Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

SECT. VII. Of joying in Jesus in that respect.

WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant. I know our joy here is but in part; such is the excellency of Spiritual joy, that it is reserved for Heaven; God will not permit it to be pure and perfect here below: and yet such as it is (though mingled with cares and pains) it is a blessed duty; it is the light of our souls: and were it quite taken away, our lives would be nothing but Horror and Confusion: O my Soul, if thou didst not hope to encounter joy in all thy Acts, thou wouldst remain languishing and immovable, thou wouldst be without action and vigour, thou wouldst speak no more of Jesus, or of a Covenant of grace, or of God, or Christ, or Life, or glory. — Well then go on O my Soul, and joy in Jesus; if thou lovest him, what should hinder thy rejoicing in him? It is a Maxim, that as Love Proceeds, so if there be nothing that retains the Appetite, it always goes from Love to Joy. One motion of the Appetite towards good is to be united to it, and the next Appetite towards good is to enjoy it: now Love consists in union, and joy in fruition; for what is fruition, but a joy that we find in the possession of that thing we love? Much ado there is amongst Philosophers concerning the differences of Love and Joy. Some give it thus; As is the motion of fluid Bodies which run towards their Centre, and think to find their rest there; but being there, they stop not, and therefore they return, and scatter themselves on themselves, they swell and overflow: So in the passion of Love, the Appetite runs to the beloved Object, and unites it self to it, and yet its motion ends not there; for by this passion of joy, it returns the same way; again it scatters it self on it self, and overflows those Powers which are nearest to it; by this effusion the soul doubles on the Image of the good it hath received, and so it thinks to possess it more; it distils it self into that faculty, which first acquainted it with the knowledge of the Object, and by that means it makes all the parts of the Soul concur to the possession of it. Hence they say, That joy is an effusion of the Appetite, whereby the Soul spreads it self on what is good, to possess it the more perfectly.

WE must joy in Jesus as carrying on the great work of our Salvation in a way of Covenant. I know our joy here is but in part; such is the excellency of Spiritual joy, that it is reserved for Heaven; God will not permit it to be pure and perfect here below: and yet such as it is (though mingled with cares and pains) it is a blessed duty; it is the light of our souls: and were it quite taken away, our lives would be nothing but Horrour and Confusion: O my Soul, if thou didst not hope to encounter joy in all thy Acts, thou wouldst remain languishing and immoveable, thou wouldst be without action and vigour, thou wouldst speak no more of Jesus, or of a Covenant of grace, or of God, or Christ, or Life, or glory. — Well then go on O my Soul, and joy in Jesus; if thou lovest him, what should hinder thy rejoycing in him? It is a Maxime, that as Love Proceeds, so if there be nothing that retaines the Appetite, it alwayes goes from Love to Joy. One motion of the Appetite towards good is to be united to it, and the next Appetite towards good is to enjoy it: now Love consists in union, and joy in fruition; for what is fruition, but a joy that we find in the possession of that thing we love? Much ado there is amongst Philosophers concerning the differences of Love and Joy. Some give it thus; As is the motion of fluid Bodies which run towards their Center, and think to find their rest there; but being there, they stop not, and therefore they return, and scatter themselves on themselves, they swell and overflow: So in the passion of Love, the Appetite runs to the beloved Object, and unites it self to it, and yet its motion ends not there; for by this passion of joy, it returns the same way; again it scatters it self on it self, and overflows those Powers which are nearest to it; by this effusion the soul doubles on the Image of the good it hath received, and so it thinks to possess it more; it distills it self into that faculty, which first acquainted it with the knowledg of the Object, and by that means it makes all the parts of the Soul concur to the possession of it. Hence they say, That joy is an effusion of the Appetite, whereby the Soul spreads it self on what is good, to possess it the more perfectly.