and an heaven of joy over him. All his looks will speak out joy within, and all his words will speak out joy within, and all his works will speak out joy within, and all his ways will speak out joy within. I remember a notable saying of one, How sweet was it to me of a sudden to be without those sweet vanities ! and those things which I was afraid to lose, with joy I let go ; for thou, who art the true and only sweetness, didst cast out those from me, and instead of them didst enter in thyself, who art more delightful than all pleasure, and more clear than all light.^ When a man's interest in God is clear, his joy will be full, John xvi. 24; when a man is happy, and knows it, he cannot but rejoice; when a man hath God for his portion, and knows it, all the world cannot hinder the strong consolations of God from rising high in his soul. Why have the saints in heaven more joy and delight than the saints on earth, but be- cause they have a clearer and a fuller knowledge of their interest and propriety in God than the others have ? The knowledge of a man's propriety^ in God is the Comfort of comforts. Propriety makes every comfort a pleasurable comfort, a delightful comfort. When a man walks in a fair meadow, and can write mine upon it, and into a pleasant garden, and can write mine upon it, and into a fruitful corn-field, and can write mine upon it, and into a stately habitation, and can write Tnine upon it, and into a rich mine, and can write mine upon it, oh how doth it please him ! how doth it delight him ! how doth it joy and rejoice him ! Of all words this word meum is the sweetest and the comfortablest. Ah ! when a man can look upon God, and write meum; when he can look upon God, and say. This God is my God for ever and ever ; when he can look upon God, and say, This God is my portion ; when he can look upon God, and say with Thomas, ' My Lord and my God,' John xx. 28, how will all the springs of joy rise in his soul ! Oh who can but joy to be owner of that God that fills heaven and earth with his fulness ? who can but rejoice to have him for his portion, in having of whom he hath all things, in having of whom he can want nothing ? The serious thoughts of our propriety in God will add much sweet to all our sweets, yea, it will make every bitter sweet. When a man seriously thinks. It is my God that cheers me with his presence, it is my God that supports me with his power, it is my God that guides me by his counsel, it is my God that supplies me with his goodness, and it is my God that blesses all my blessings to me ; it is my God that afflicts me in love, it is my God that hath broken me in my estate and in my credit, it is my God that hath sorely visited such a child, it is my God that hath passed a sen- tence of death upon such a friend, it is my God that hath thus strait- ened me in my liberty, and it is my God that hath thus cast me down at my enemies' feet, &c., how doth these thoughts cheer up the spirit of a man, and make every bitter sweet, and every burden light unto him.
A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye, but then espe- cially when there is joy manifested in the countenance. Joy in the face puts a new beauty upon a person, and makes that which before was beautiful to be exceeding beautiful ; it puts a lustre upon beauty. And so doth holy joy put a divine beauty and lustre upon all the ways of God, and upon all the people of God. And therefore, it highly con-
* Augustine in his Confessions. * ' Property' = ' interest'. — G.
80 AN ARK FOR ALL GOD's NOAHS. [LAM. III. 24.
cems all Christians, as they would have an heavenly beauty, lustre, and glory upon them, to rejoice; and that they may rejoice, it doth as highly concern them to know their interest and propriety in God. But,
[5.] Fifthly, A clear personal evidence that God is a man's portion will vetnf much raise him in his communion with God, and exceedingly sweeten his fellowship with God} There are no Christians on earth that have such high, such choice, such free, such full, such sweet, and such uninterrupted communion with God, as those that have a clear sight of their interest and propriety in God. The spouse, in that book of Solomon's Song, again, and again, and again sings and sounds out her propriety and interest in Christ : Cant. ii. 16, * My beloved is mine, and I am his.' Cant. vi. 3, ' I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine.' Cant. vii. 10, ' I am my beloved's, and his desire is towards me.' Now, mark, how doth the sense of this her propriety in Christ work ? Why, it works very highly, very strongly, very inflamingly, very affectionately : Cant. i. 2-4, ' Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for thy love is better than wine: because of the savour of thy good ointments, thy name is as ointment poured forth, and therefore do the virgins love thee. Draw me, we will run after thee : the king hath brought me into his chambers; we will be glad and rejoice in thee; we will remember thy love more than wine : the upright love thee.' Ver. ] 3, * A bundle of myrrh is my beloved imto me ; he shall lie all night be- twixt my breasts.' Chap. ii. 3-6, ' As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is ray beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet unto my taste. He brought me to the banqueting-house, and his banner over me was love. Stay me with flagons, comfort me with apples: for I am sick of love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me.' And chap. vii. 5, ' The king is held in the galleries.' The spouse had a clear sight and a deep sense of her interest and propriety in Christ ; and oh, how high, how close, how full, how sweet, is she in her com- munion and fellowship with Christ ! It is the sight and sense of pro- priety and interest that heightens and sweetens that communion that is between husband and wife, father and child, brother and sister, and friend and friend ; so it is the sight and sense of a man's propriety and interest in God that heightens and sweetens his communion and fellow- ship with God. A clear sight of a man's interest and propriety in God will exceedingly sweeten every thought of God, and every appearance of God, and every taste of God, and every smile of God, and every com- mijnication of God, and every ordinance of God, and every work of God, and every way of God ; yea, it will sweeten every rod that is in the hand of God, and every wrinkle that is in face of God, Ps. cxxxix. 17,18. A man that sees his interest in God, will hang upon him, and trust in him, though he should write never such bitter things against him, and though he should deal never so severely with him, yea, though he shoidd slay him, as you may see in Job xiii. 15. He hit it who said, A man whose soul is conversant with God shall find more pleasure in the desert and in death, than in the palace of a prince. Urbanus