[2.] Hope ; this dependeth much on faith ; it is an earnest elevation of the mind to look for what faith counteth real. Now hope ravisheth the soul, as if it had its head above the clouds: ' Kejoicing in hope,' Kom. xii. 12. Joy is proper to enjoyment, but hope serves instead of enjoyment ; they feast and entertain their souls with their glorious hopes.
[3.] Obedience ; faith giveth the title, hope the sight, obedience the evidence, therefore it is necessary to the establishing of joy. Nay, it nath an effective influence ; it is God's method. First he poureth in the oil of grace before the oil of gladness : Heb. vii. 2, ' First being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, that is, King of peace ; ' Kom. xiv. 17, ' The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.' Sin taketh away joy and peace ; the whole strength of men and angels cannot make the conscience of a sinner to rejoice. Yea, the children of God must take heed that they do not violate peace of conscience by allowing the least sin. You are to walk so that you may be in a condition capable of joy ; none walk sweetly but they that walk strictly : Acts ix. 31, ' They walked in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost ; ' that is a sweet couple.
2. Ordinances. I shall name them.
[1.] The word. The joy that hypocrites have is from the word: Heb. vi. 5, ' They have tasted the good word of God.' A temporary faith findeth joy in the word ; all the fault is, it is but a taste, some slight experience, which they do not continue and maintain. Here is repre- sented fuel for faith and hope, God's infinite mercy, Christ's infinite merits, the glory of the next world. Joy is, as it were, the blaze of the soul. Love keepeth the fire burning ; but now, if we would have it blaze and flame up, we must come to the word, this is the bellows.
^ Qu. 'word' ? — Ed.
VeR. 14.] SERMONS UPON JOHN XVII. 363
When the angel preached the gospel, he said, Luke ii. 10, ' Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.' We come to hear good news from heaven ; though an angel be not the messenger, yet the message is the same ; God openeth his heart to us.
[2.] Prayer; wherein we open our hearts to God ; it hatha pacative virtue. Many psalms begun with anguish end with triumph, as if he had received good news that his affairs were altered. Hannah when she had prayed, ' her countenance was no more sad,' 1 Sam. i. 18. God is ' the Father of mercies, the God of consolations,' 2 Cor. i. 4 ; the nearer to him, the nearer to the fountain of joy. There are joys felt in prayer, by retiring into God's presence : Ps. xvi. 11, ' In thy presence there is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are pleasures for ever- more.' Heaven is a place of joy, because of the constant communion we have with God there. God doth not love to send us away sad.
[3.] Sacraments ; because of sweeter experiences : Cant. i. 4, ' We will be glad, and rejoice in thee : we will remember thy love more than wine.' They are sealing ordinances : Heb. vi. 18, we have ' strong consolation;' Mat. xxvi. 30, ' When they had sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives,' though it were a sad time. The eunuch went away rejoicing as soon as he was baptized, because he was made sure of the grace of God, Acts viii. 39. It is as when a man hath a good lease confirmed to him. It is not the bread and wine rejoiceth the heart, but the renewing of the covenant.
[4.] Meditation; it refresheth the soul, and feeds joy. It is the proper natural use of reason. The speculation even of terrible things is grateful. It was the comfort God himself took in his works ; he made them, he saw them. It is a refreshing to the soul to think of creation and providence ; as a son taketh pleasure in a history wherein are recorded his father's valiant acts. It is a pure recreation. But oh ! the sweetness of redemption, the excellency of glory ! The thoughts are sent as spies into the land of promise ; hereby we have a Pisgah-sight ; it giveth us a foretaste of heaven, and filletli om- souls with joy and blessedness.
SEKMON XXII.
I have given them thy tuord ; and the world hath hated them, hecause thei/ are not of the ivorld, even as I am not of the tvorld. — John XVII. 14.
Christ had urged several arguments on the behalf the apostles, their interest, his own departure, their danger in the world ; this is the argument he now presseth. Their danger, because of the world's hatred, is set forth by the occasion of it ; their office, ' I have given them thy word ;' the cause of it, ' They are not of the world ;' which is amplified by their conformity to the pattern and example of Christ, ' Even as I am not of the world.' So that we have here the condition of the saints in the world, and then their constitution and temper.