Twenty sermons preached at Oxford before His Majesty, and elsewhere

The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought, brings abundance of joy. That place of St. Peter is remarkable; 1 Pet. 1.8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of glory: Yet believing; that is, yet exercising the acts of faith, which we too much neglect. If we did exercise these acts every day, we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day; yet believing, ye rejoice.

The preaching of the Word whereby faith is wrought, brings abundance of joy. That place of St. Peter is remarkable; 1 Pet. 1.8. Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable, and full of glory: Yet believing; that is, yet exercising the acts of faith, which we too much neglect. If we did exercise these acts every day, we should have our Charter of joy renewed every day; yet believing, ye rejoyce.

3. Pray and be thankful; praise and thanksgiving are those fruits which fulfil all our joy. When thou prayest, thou conversest with God, thou speakest with him face to face, as Moses did. He who can pray spiritually, and pray hard unto God, as Moses face shined when he talked with God, so will thy soul thrive, praying hard, and being thankful: There is no greater means than this to get this joy; Psal. 33.1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praising is comely for the upright. Upon this hangs all our comfort; praise always brings rejoicing; the one begets the other. In Isaiah, The ⟨p. 153⟩comfort there that God's children receive, is the changing of raiment; Christ preaching the acceptable year of the Lord to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give to them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness,