1. That God doth not reserve all their joys unto another life: 1O no, spiritual joy is an allowance also for this life; a good ⟨p. 362⟩bit and bait by the way. Nay, it is not a mere Toleration or Permission, but it is an express Command and Injunction; and as a man doth sin who refuseth Grace, so some man may sin who refuseth Joy. 2. God would have the life of Grace to 2be a primordial shadow (at least) of the life of Glory: and indeed our estate of Grace is an Epitome of that in Glory; only that is a fuller and larger Volume: We have the same God, the same Christ, the same Spirit, the same Communion in this as in that; only here it is more Mediate, there more Immediate; here Imperfect, there Perfect; here Mixed, and there Pure. And doest thou so poorly conceive of God, that He who is able to make an heaven full of joy to Eternity hereafter, is not able or willing to let fall a few drops of joy upon thy soul on earth? Or that there can or should be any Communion with such a God, which should not be joyful and delightful? The Emperor would have none to go away sad. 3. God would 3have the Christians life, as to be the fruit, so to be the credit of Grace. Grace is an ornament to the soul, and spiritual joy is an Ornament to grace: It testifies to the world, that conversion quits all costs: What! shall madness be found in the habitations of the wicked, and shall not joy be found in the tabernacles of the just? Shall the worldly man rejoice in a Creature, and shall not the godly man rejoice in his God? Shall the condemned malefactor take delight, and shall not the acquitted person take comfort? Shall wicked men suck pleasure out of bitter waters, and shall not good men draw joy out of the wells of salvation? Joy is not comely for a fool, saith Solomon, but it becomes the upright to rejoice, saith David. 4. As spiritual joy is an ornament, so it is an improvement to grace. It is a certain truth, that grace 4is the Mother of joy, and true joy is the Nurse of grace. Spiritual comforts are enlargements to spiritual graces; look as it is with sinful pleasures, they do add to our sinful principles; the more delight that any man finds in sinful ways, this adds the more love, and the more desire, and the more earnestness for to sin; so is it in spiritual ways, the more joy and delight any man takes in them, this adds a new quickening to his graces, a fresher edge unto them;
1. That God doth not reserve all their joyes unto another life: 1O no, spiritual joy is an allowance also for this life; a good ⟨p. 362⟩bit and bait by the way. Nay, it is not a meer Toleration or Permission, but it is an express Command and Injunction; and as a man doth sin who refuseth Grace, so some man may sin who refuseth Joy. 2. God would have the life of Grace to 2be a primordial shadow (at least) of the life of Glory: and indeed our estate of Grace is an Epitome of that in Glory; only that is a fuller and larger Volume: We have the same God, the same Christ, the same Spirit, the same Communion in this as in that; only here it is more Mediate, there more Immediate; here Imperfect, there Perfect; here Mixt, and there Pure. And doest thou so poorly conceive of God, that He who is able to make an heaven full of joy to Eternity hereafter, is not able or willing to let fall a few drops of joy upon thy soul on earth? Or that there can or should be any Communion with such a God, which should not be joyful and delightful? The Emperor would have none to go away sad. 3. God would 3have the Christians life, as to be the fruit, so to be the credit of Grace. Grace is an ornament to the soul, and spiritual joy is an Ornament to grace: It testifies to the world, that conversion quits all costs: What! shal madness be found in the habitations of the wicked, and shall not joy be found in the tabernacles of the just? Shall the worldly man rejoice in a Creature, and shall not the godly man rejoyce in his God? Shall the condemned malefactor take delight, and shall not the acquitted person take comfort? Shall wicked men suck pleasure out of bitter waters, and shall not good men draw joy out of the wells of salvation? Joy is not comely for a fool, saith Solomon, but it becomes the upright to rejoice, saith David. 4. As spiritual joy is an ornament, so it is an improvement to grace. It is a certain truth, that grace 4is the Mother of joy, and true joy is the Nurse of grace. Spiritual comforts are inlargements to spiritual graces; look as it is with sinful pleasures, they do add to our sinful principles; the more delight that any man finds in sinful wayes, this adds the more love, and the more desire, and the more earnestness for to sin; so is it in spiritual wayes, the more joy and delight any man takes in them, this adds a new quickning to his graces, a fresher edge unto them;
- 1God doth not reserve all their joy to another life,
- 2God would have the life of Grace a shadow of the life of Glory.
- 3God would have the Christians life to be the credit of Grace.
- 4Joy is an Improvement to Grace,
