Joy in the Lord opened in a sermon preached at Pauls, May 6

And the servants of God may securely, notwithstanding their sorrow ⟨p. 3⟩for sin, their sense of sufferings, their certainty of temptations, their conflicts with enemies, their sympathy with brethren, may yet I say securely rejoice, and rejoice alway, they have the Lord to warrant it, they have his Apostle to witness it. Let worldlings delight in sensual pleasures, Let false Apostles delight in carnal worship, and ceremonial privileges; but you my brethren have another kind of object to fix your joys upon; Rejoice in the Lord, and again rejoice, and rejoice alway; and that upon the word and credit of an Apostle, I say it, and I say it again.

And the servants of God may securely, notwithstanding their sorrow ⟨p. 3⟩for sin, their sense of sufferings, their certainty of temptations, their conflicts with enemies, their sympathy with brethren, may yet I say securely rejoice, and rejoice alway, they have the Lord to warrant it, they have his Apostle to witness it. Let worldlings delight in sensual pleasures, Let false Apostles delight in carnal worship, and ceremonial priviledges; but you my brethren have another kind of object to fix your joies upon; Rejoice in the Lord, and again rejoice, and rejoice alway; and that upon the word and credit of an Apostle, I say it, and I say it again.

There are many particulars couched in the words; 1. The Subject of them, spiritual joy, or an holy exultation of soul in the Lord, as the most beloved, desired supreme good, wrought in it by the spirit of grace, rendering Christ by faith, present unto it; whereby it is not only supported under all afflictions, but enabled to glory in them, and to triumph over them. 2. The difficulty of this joy intimated, in that believers are so often invited unto it 3. The sureness and the greatness of it, noted in the doubling of the words. 4. The stability and perpetuity of it, They may rejoice alway in the midst of their sorest fears or distresses. 5. The object of it, a glorious and replenishing object, Christ the Lord. 6. The Apostolical attestation given unto it, Again I say, rejoice; I speak it by Commission from the mouth of Christ, requiring it; I speak it by the experience of mine own heart, enjoying it in the midst of all my sufferings: So you have both a mandatum and a probatum for it; Rejoice in the