3d Season. After sore conflicts with Satan. Satan is the red dragon who trou- bleth the waters; he puts the soul into frights, makes it believe tliat it hath no grace, and that God doth not love it ; thoiigli Satan cannot blot out a Christian's evidence, yet he may cast such a mist before his eyes, that he cannot read it. Now, when tlie soul hath been bruised with tcmj)tations, God will comfort this bruised rccd : he now gives joy, ad corroborandinn tituhtm, — to confirm a Christian's title to heaven. After Satan's fiery darts, comes the white stone ; no better balm to heal a tempted soul, than the oil of gladness: as after Christ was tempted, then came an angel to comfort him
4th Season. After desertion : desertion is a poisoned arrow which shoots to the heart, Job vi. 4. God is called a fire and a light: the deserted soul feels the fire, but doth not see the light ; it cries out, as A- saph, Ps. Ixxvii. 8., " Is his mercy clean gone ?" Now, when the soul is in this case, and ready to faint away in despair, Cjod shines upon the soul, and gives it some ap- prehension of his favour, and turns the sha- dow of death into the light of the morning. God keeps his cordials for a time of faint-
tion from the dead.
.')th Season. At the hour of death, such as have had no joy in their lifetime, God ])uts in this sugar in the bottom of the cup, to make their death sweet. Now, at the last hoTH-, when all other comforts are gone, (jod sends the Comforter: and when their appetite to meat fails, God feeds them with hidden manna. Sure, as the wicked, be- fore they die, have some ajjprehensions of hell and wrath in their conscience ; so the godly have some foretastes of God's ever- lasting favour, though sometimes their dis- eases may be such, and their animal spirits so oppressed, that they cannot express what they feel. Jacob laid himself to sleep on a stone, where he saw a a ision, a ladder, and the angels ascending and descending: so, when the saints lay themselves down to sleep the sleep of death, they have often a vision ; they see the light of God's face, and have the evidences of his love sealed up to them for ever.
QuKST. 4. IVhat are the differences between tcordlij joys and spiritual?
Ans. The gleanings of the one are better than the vintage of the other. 1. Spiritual jovs help to make us better, worldly joys do often make us worse, Jer. xxii. 21., "I spake unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst, I will not hear." Pride and luxury are the two worms bred of wordly plea- sures, IIos. iv. 11., " Wine takes away the heart ;" it '\?i foment iim libid'inis, ' the inflam- er of lust.' Ai'(;. As Satan entered in the sop, so often in the eup ! but spiritual joy makes one better ; it is like cordial water, which (as j)iiysicians say) doth not only cheer the heart, but purges out the noxious humours ; so divine joy is a cordial w.iter, wlilch doth not only comfort but cleanse ; it makes a C hristian more holy, — it causeth an antipathy against sin, — it infuseth strength to do and suffer, Neh. wn. 10., " The joy of the Lord is your strength." As some colours do not only delight the eye, but strengthen tlio sight : so the joys of God do not only refresh the soul, but strengthen it. '• The joy of the Lord is your strength."
A. 2. Spiritual joys are inward, — they are heart joys, John xvi. 22., " Your heart
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OF JOY.
Bliall rejoice." Seneca saitli, true joy hitet in profinido, — it is hidden witliin ; worldly joy is in svp€rjicie,—\i lies on the outside, like tlie dew that wets the leaf, 2 Cor. v. 12., who " ghiry in appearance," (in the Greek) in the face. It goes no farther than the face, — it is not witliin, — in ' laughter the heart is sad.' Like a house which hath a gilded frontispiece, but all the rooms within are hung in mourning. But spiri- tual joy lies most within, ' Your heart shall rejoice.' Divine joy is like a spring of wa- ter which runs under ground : a Ciiristian, others can see his sufferings, but they see not his joy, Prov. xiv. 10., " A stranger in- termeddieth not with his joy." This joy is bidden manna, hid from the eye of the world: be hath still music which others hear not ; the marrow lies within, the best joy is within the heart.
A. 3. Spiritual joys are sweeter than o- tbers, better than wine, Cant. i. 2. Tliey are a Christian's festival ; they are the gold- en pot and the manna ; they are so sweet, that they make every thing else sweet, — sweeten he.'dth, estate, as sweet water pour- ed on flowers make them more fragrant and aromatical. Divine joys are so delici- ous and ravishing, that they do very much put our mouth out of taste to earthly de- lights ; as be who hath been drinking spi- its of alkermes, tastes little sweetness in water. St. Paul had tasted these divine joys, and his mouth was out of taste to worldly things : the ^vorld was crucified to him. Gal. vi. 14. It was like a dead thing, he could find no sweetness in it.