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

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

7. Let us joy in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us at his Coming or Incarnation. If it be so that by our Desire, and Hope, and Faith, and Love, we have indeed and truth reached the Object which our souls pant after, how then should we but joy and delight therein? the end of our motion is to attain quiet and rest; now what is joy, but a sweet and delightful Tranquility of mind, resting in the fruition and possession of some good? what! hast thou in some measure attained the presence and fruition of Christ (as God incarnate) in thy Soul? it is then time to joy in Jesus; it is then time to keep a Sabbath of thy thoughts, and to be quiet and calm in thy Spirit: But you will say, how should this be before we come to Heaven? I answer, there is not indeed any perfection of joy whilst we are here, because there is no perfection of Union on this side Heaven; but so far as Union is, our joy must be; examine the grounds of thy Hope, and the actings of thy Faith, and if thou art but satisfied in them, why then lead up thy joy, and bring it up to this Blessed Object; here is matter for it to work upon; if thou canst possibly rejoice in any thing at all, O rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice.

7. LEt us joy in Jesus, as carrying on the great work of our Salvation for us at his Coming or Incarnation. If it be so that by our Desire, and Hope, and Faith, and Love, we have indeed and truth reached the Object which our souls pant after, how then should we but joy and delight therein? the end of our motion is to attain quiet and rest; now what is joy, but a sweet and delightfull Tranquility of mind, resting in the fruition and possession of some good? what! hast thou in some measure attained the presence and fruition of Christ (as God incarnate) in thy Soul? it is then time to joy in Jesus; it is then time to keep a Sabbath of thy thoughts, and to be quiet and calm in thy Spirit: But you will say, how should this be before we come to Heaven? I answer, there is not indeed any perfection of joy whilest we are here, because there is no perfection of Union on this side Heaven; but so far as Union is, our joy must be; examine the grounds of thy Hope, and the actings of thy Faith, and if thou art but satisfied in them, why then lead up thy joy, and bring it up to this Blessed Object; here is matter for it to work upon; if thou canst possibly rejoyce in any thing at all, O rejoyce in the Lord, and again I say rejoyce.