The truly blessed man

1 That joy is put into the Creature for use. God, who is the author of Nature, did nothing in vain. Affections are natural to men, and are therefore deputed for Service; among these Joy is one: if then it loseth its use, or be not improved, it fails of its end: and this is properly the Creatures delight in the enjoyment of that which is good for it.

2. Hence the Creature is naturally carried out after it. Joy is an Affection to which all the other do pay a subserviency, they are all at work in their place to make way for that to exert it self: the other are working Affections, but this is that in which they centre and take their rest; when they have done their business, thus sits down and reaps the comfort of all. So that the Creature is restless till it comes to this: every thing would rejoice, and is not satisfied till it hath something to rejoice in.

2. Hence the Creature is naturally carried out after it. Joy is an Affection to which all the other do pay a subserviency, they are all at work in their place to make way for that to exert it self: the other are working Affections, but this is that in which they center and take their rest; when they have done their business, thus sits down and reaps the comfort of all. So that the Creature is restless till it comes to this: every thing would rejoyce, and is not satisfied till it hath something to rejoyce in.

3 If any in the world have cause to rejoice, the Children of God have so. Worldly men think they have good reason for it; but it is certain that the Children of God have infinitely mor•. Look over the worlds inventory, and then the Saints, and you must needs confess this to be a great truth. Need then must it be a preposterous thing for a carnal worldling to be merry and jocund, and a Saint sinking in spirit, and overwhelmed with grief; they indeed have their weeping time, whiles the other laugh, Luk 6 21 25. But they have more to joy in, in their weeping time, than the other in their laughing time.