(1.) Eejoice evermore so as ' to pray without ceasing.' They that delight in God will be often with him, and can come cheerfully, and unbosom themselves to him, as a man would to his friend. They are not dragged into his presence as into the presence of a judge, but they come freely to him as children to their father. They that love God as their portion and happiness will much converse with him ; they are out of their element but when they are praying to God, or speaking of God, or thinking of God ; therefore they are still with him. But this is denied of the hypocrite : Job xxvii. 10, ' Will he delight himself in the Almighty ? will he always call upon God ?' They may sometimes cry to him, not because they love him and his service, but because they love their own ease, and to be free from trouble ; their straits may force a little service from them. Well, then, without delight we can- not keep a continual course of communion with God in prayer.
(2.) For praise or giving of thanks : ' In everything give thanks ; ' that is both the fruit of our delight in God and a means to quicken it. One that delights in God will have cause enough to give thanks, whether the creature come or goes. Whatever is taken from him, his joy is not taken from him. He can bless God for his mercies in Christ when retrenched and cut short in the world ; though he hath lost some comforts, yet others are yet remaining. Shall one cross embitter all our comforts, as one string broken puts the whole instrument out of tune ? They can bless God for taking as well as giving : Job i. 21, ' The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed be the name of the Lord.' If the Lord gave all, why may he not take away a part ? A thankful heart can praise God for God himself, for choicer mercies yet continued, for some outward mercies remaining. If God gave all, and take but a part, have we any cause to complain ?
[3.] Still I prove this joy must be continued throughout the whole course of the spiritual life, because the beginning, progress, and ending is carried on by it ; the joy of God is our support in our declining
476 SERMONS UrON I THESSALONIANS V. 16.
time, the staff of our age ; for then christians grow more dead to the world and worklly things, and are less moved by them, whether they Keep or lose, have or want them ; and then they are nearer to eternity, and have more of that ' Rejoicing in hope ' spoken of Rom. xii. 12. This joy is a beginning of the joys in heaven ; here we have a sip, there a full draught. Our delight in God now is of the same nature with that which the saints and angels have in heaven. There is in- deed a vast difference in the degrees ; here a little joy entereth into us, but there we 'enter into our master's joy,' Mat. xxv. 23. But though they differ in degree, yet the object and affection is the same. It is the same God and the same glory which delighteth us ; only now they are seen by faith, then they shall be objects of direct sight and fruition ; we shall see him face to face. In short, rejoicing in God is a begin- ning of the employment we shall then have in heaven, Therefore, when we expect in a few days to be swallowed up of this joy, shall we be no more affected with it now ? We that shall so shortly be so full of joy, shall we be empty now ? Shall not we rejoice, who have now a title to heaven, and shall in a little time be in the full and perpetual possession of it ?
III. The many reasons which show we should have a greater inclination to this blessed work than usually we have, and be oftener in it.
1. Because God hath done so much to raise it in us. All the persons of the Godhead concur and contribute their influence, in that vvay of opera1.ion which is proper to each, to give us grounds of joy.
[1.] The Father giveth himself to us, and his favour as our felicity and portion. God's love is the bosom and bottom cause of all our happiness, which sets all other causes at work ; and when we have the sure effects of it, can anything so bitter befall us that will not be sweetened by the love of God? or so evil that this shall not be ground of comfort to us : Ps. iv. G, 7, ' There are many that say, Who will show us any good ? Lord, lift thou up the light of thy counte- nance upon us. Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.' Carnal men must liave something good to sense, but godly men take their full delight in Cod. This doth them good to the heart ; it is not like a little dew that wets the surface, but like a soaking shower that goeth to the root. And ' more ; ' enough to draw us off from the world, enough to swallow up all our infelicities ; yea, to encounter the thoughts of death, hell, and judgment to come.