CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

3. Christs Joy fulfilled in the heart doth consume and expel all carnal and worldly and sinful joys: He that rejoiceth in the Lord cannot rejoice in sin, because the Objects are clean contrary, no more then a man at the same time can with one eye look upward and with another downward; A body may as well be in two places at the same time as the soul be intensely affected with two contrary Objects, so that if thou complainest of the proneness of thy heart to rejoice in earthly and worldly things; Know there is no such medicine to cure this as heavenly joy, as they say, fire will drive out fire, so joy will expel joy, Joy in the Lord, Joy in the world, What made David profess so much joy in God, but the heavenliness of his heart, and this greater joy put out the less: As the Sun-beams will the fire; Seeing therefore a man cannot live but he must have joy in something, Do thou pray and endeavour that the joy of the Lord may take up thy heart, for when this Sun is in thy soul, the Stars cannot be seen; David saith, At Gods right hand is fullness of joy, Psa. 16.11. If then the Soul have already fullness, it doth not desire any other Object; If a man have the Ocean, he wants not the stream; If a man have the Sun, he needeth not the Candle; Thus he that hath fullness of joy in God, wanteth not the joy of other creatures; Insomuch that he who hath this heavenly joy may be said to be in Heaven while he is here on earth; No life comes so near to that of the glorified Saints in heaven as an holy life accompanied with this joy; If there can be an heaven upon this Earth, this is it; This is the Mount of Transfiguration that changeth a mans heart and his countenance, that makes him say, It's good to be here; Oh what enemies are we to our selves; Thou makest thy house, thy chamber▪ a prison, yea, an hell by thy distrustful fears, when every place would be an heaven.

3. Christs Joy fulfilled in the heart doth consume and expell all carnall and worldly and sinful joys: He that rejoyceth in the Lord cannot rejoyce in sin, because the Objects are clean contrary, no more then a man at the same time can with one eye look upward and with another downward; A body may as well be in two places at the same time as the soul be intensly affected with two contrary Objects, so that if thou complainest of the pronenesse of thy heart to rejoyce in earthly and worldly things; Know there is no such medicine to cure this as heavenly joy, as they say, fire will drive out fire, so joy will expell joy, Joy in the Lord, Joy in the world, What made David professe so much joy in God, but the heavenlinesse of his heart, and this greater joy put out the lesse: As the Sun-beams will the fire; Seeing therefore a man cannot live but he must have joy in something, Do thou pray and endeavour that the joy of the Lord may take up thy heart, for when this Sun is in thy soul, the Starres cannot be seen; David saith, At Gods right hand is fulnesse of joy,