glad for the Spirituall blessings then for any temporall benefits wee receiued by the like deliuerance Many were the blessings the Lord conferred vpon vs when hee deliuered vs from that tragicall Conspiracie but these were the principall the Church was not subuerted our gracious Prince the Churches Head vnder Christ and his royall Progenie was not destroyed nor the light of the Gospell extinguished And these should giue vs iust occasion to reioyce First with the Iewes Wee must preferre Ierusalem to our y Psal 137. chiefe ioy Then with Mephibosheth wee ought to preferre our Masters safetie reioycing that our Lord the King is come home in peace And thirdly Heere with the Iewes z 2. Sâ—â— 19.30 wee should make great ioy that wee haue the Law and the Leuites still amongst vs. Thus must we reioyce after this sort must wee exercise our selues at all such times but not giue our selues wholly ouer to delicacie and Musicke as the Israelites did in Amos a Amos 6.4 5 6 time nor yet spend the day in drunkennesse and wantonnesse as the Iewes did in Isaiahs b Is 5.11.12 time For they had the violl harpe timbrell pipe and wine in their feasts but they regarded not the worke of the Lord neither considered the operation of his hands But may wee not at such time vse lawfull sports Quest and exercise our selues in honest recreations Yea For first these pleasures of the bodie and mind which are of good report are indifferent if modestly vsed Answ Secondly honest exercise doth much relieue the debilitie of nature and doth quicken the dull spirits which else would be depressed and ouerladen with immoderate labour Yet in the vse of these lawfull pleasures some cautions must be obserued First they must be iust and lawfull ☜ Whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are worthie loue whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are of good report of there bee any vertue or if there be any praise thinke on c Phil. 4.8 these things sayth the Apostle Secondly wee must take heed weâ— offend not thereby our weake d 1. Cor. 8. brother though in themselues they be f Rom. 14.15 21. indifferent yet must wee abstaine from the vse of things indifferent if they giue any offence to the weake Thirdly lawfull recreations must bee at seasonable times Vpon the Sabbath we must not doe our owne will it is the Lords day and wee must consecrate it as glorious to the Lord in honoring him not doing our owne wayes nor seeking our owne will nor speaking a vaine g Is 58.13 word Lastly wee must not exceede but wee must keepe a moderation in the vsing of these lawfull pleasures for he that reioyceth must bee as though he reioyced h 1. Cor. 7.30 not Wee must vse them as Ionathan tasted the honie onely for his necessarie i 1. Sam. 14.27 refreshment and as Timothie was to drinke wine onely a little to preserue his health and to relieue the debilitie k 1. Tim. 5.23 of nature and like Gideons Souldiers wee must onely but lap with the l Iudges 7.6 tongue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not drinke a full draught of them otherwise wee prooue our selues to be of the number of those who are called louers of pleasure more then louers of m 2. Tim. 3.4 God Now if wee obserue the words some what narrowly it must not be omitted Facti sumus laetantes non laetati sumus Quisacit beneficium facit gaud um qui â—os libâ—râ—t cosdem laetisicat Hugo Card. in locum that the vulgar Latine hath it Wee were made glad and not wee reioyced Because as Hugo sayth Hee that bestowes the blessing giues also grace to reioyce in the blessing and hee that deliuers vs doth also cause vs reioyce in our deliuerie From whence wee gather that God is the onely Author of all true ioy and he alone doth comfort vs after all our troubles It is he that changeth our griefe into gladnesse our mourning into mirth and that wipes away all teares from our eyes and crownes vs with euerlasting ioy which no man can take from vs. And therefore Dauid being troubled in soule and grieued in mind prayes thus vnto the Lord Make mee to beare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may reioyce But thou wilt now aske mee Quest. how thou mayest know that ioy that comes from the Lord from all other ioy I answere First Answ by the antecedent signes as first true humiliation for as God giueth grace to none but to the lowly so hee giueth ioy to none but to the humble and as darkenesse was before light so there must be first true contrition and then will follow true consolation Secondly it proceeds from a liuely hope for wee reioyce vnder n â—om 12.12 hope as the hope that Abraham had of Christs Incarnation caused him exceedingly to reioyce for mans saluation Againe it is knowen by the concomitants as first righteousnesse of life For the kingdome of God is not in meat and drinke but in righteousnesse and peace and ioy in the holy o Rom. 14.17 Ghost Then it is alwaies accompanied with these two associats First A holy feare serue the Lord in feare sayth Dauid and reioyce before him with p Psal 2.11 trembling Secondly A quiet conscience and so the Apostle Paul reioyced for the testimonie of his conscience that in simplicitie and godly purenesse hee had his conuersation in the q 2. Cor. 1.12 world Thirdly it may be knowne by the consequents or effects First Patience in aduersitie Wee reioyce sayth Paul in tribulations knowing that tribulation bringeth forth r 2. Cor. 6.10 Rom. 5.3 patience Secondly it causeth vs to vilipend and vnder-value all other ioy God forbid sayth the Apostle that I should glorie or reioyce in any thing but in the Crosse of Christ. Now if the Lord hath giuen thee grace to bee truely humbled for thy sinnes and hath giuen thee a liuely hope in the death of his Sonne and withall hath endued thee with a holy feare if thy conscience bee at peace with God if thou be patient in aduersitie and if you contemne all earthly and worldly ioy and yet inwardly thou art glad and ioyfull assure thy selse that that ioy that gladnesse proceeds of the Lord and all such may say here with the faithfull wee are made glad To conclude Lorinus sayth Wee are comforted or made glad as hauing forgotten their former troubles Quasi â—â—iorum obliti maâ—rum Lorin in locum so that the Iewes being now as it were rauished with their present felicitie and jocunditie Magnificauit magnificauit non â—emâ—è conâ—â—â—â—ur hâ—c duplicatin sed vâ— osteâ—deret magnam quam coeperunt Letitiam Chrysan locum they altogether forget their former woe and miserie Certainely they were greatly ioyed and great was
precedents to approue it First wee haue Precepts for it Ioel 2.21 23. Zeph. 3.14.15 Reioyce yee righteous in the Lord and bee ioyfull all yee true of m Psal 32.12 heart saith the Psalmist and reioyce in the Lord alwayes againe I say n Phil. 4.9 reioyce saith the Apostle Secondly I say wee haue precedents for it Moses and Myriam with their seuerall Companies reioyced for their deliuerance out of o Exâ— 15.1 20. Egypt So Deborah and Barak exercised the people for their deliuerance from the p Iudg. 5.1 Canaanites and so reioyced the Saints for their deliuerance from Hamans cruell q Esth 8.9 conspiracie This condemneth the Stoicall opinion of some who are so farre from reioycing that they abandon all comfort and repell all occasions of ioy delighting onely to nourish griese and to entertayne a pensiue soule I may say to them as the Prophet saith Quis quaesiuit hâ—â— de manibus vestris Who required these things of r Is 1.12 you But perhaps thou wilt say Quest. doth not the Apostle will vs to sorrow to suffer affliction to weepe to change our laughter into mourning and our ioy into f Iaâ— 4.9 heauinesse Wee must consider to whom the Apostle speaks Answ they were prophane wicked dissolute double minded who being puft vp with worldly prosperitie their hearts reioyced in voluptuous pleasures such kind of people the Apostle bids sorrow whereas they laughed and mourne whereas they reioyced lest whilst as Iob saith they dance with the Tabret and the Harpe and reioyce at the sound of the Organs spending their dayes in wealth they suddenly goe downe into the t Iob 21.11 12 13. pit into that pit of darknesse where there is weeping and gnashing of u Mat. 13. teeth For vnto all such belongs that curse Woe be vnto them that now laugh for they shall mourne Againe the Apostle Paul saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there is a sorrow to God-ward and a sorrow to death-ward A godly sorrow and a worldly x 2. Cor. 7. sorrow the one causeth death but the other repentance vnto saluation Now the Apostle Iames where he wills them to change their laughing into mourning his meaning is to change their worldly ioy into a true godly sorrow leauing their abominable sinnes and returning vnto the Lord with fasting weeping and with mourning Let vs therefore cast off and abandon all lumpish deadnesse all dull pensiuenesse and let vs sing vnto the Lord and heartily reioyce in the strength of our y Psal 95.1 Obiect saluation But thou wilt say thy sorrow and thy pensiuenesse is for thy sinnes and so thou mayest aske mee can a man sinne in sorrowing for sinne or transgresse in mourning for his transgressions True it is Answ we ought with Dauid euer to haue our sinnes before z Psal 51.3 vs and the continuall remembrance of them ☜ should daily draw teares from our drie eyes yet must wee not sorrow for them as men without a 1. Thes 4.13 hope for then they should bring vs to desperation with Cain and Iudas and this desperation should throw vs head-long into eternall damnation but as the fearefull sight of our sinnes with the terrible aspect of Gods iustice should cast vs downe with sorrow so the sweet consideration of Gods mercies and the contemplation of Christs merits should raise vs vp againe with ioy For as the Apostle saith wee must weepe as though we wept b 1. Cor. 7.30 not and in our sorrowing bee alwayes c 2. Cor. 6.10 reioycing lest we bee swallowed vp with ouer-much d 2. Cor. 27. heauinesse Againe all worldly sorrow whether it be for losse of commodities and goods or through sense and feare of euill is here condemned God requireth no sorrow but sorrow for sinne no feare but feare to offend no griefe but griefe because wee haue grieued him Prou. 15.13 Prou. 17.22 Prou. 12.25 Eccl. 30.24 1. Mac. 6.8.13 Eccl. 30.21 22 23. Many inconueniences follow vpon this sorrow for it darkens our countenance it dulls the mind it impaires our health it casts downe the heart it brings on old age it causeth sicknesse and hastneth death on the other part ioy and gladnesse cleeres the countenance cheares the heart procures health and prolongs our life which makes the Lord affoord his children matter whereof they reioyce Many as you haue heard were the occasions of the faithfuls ioy As First The ouerthrow of their enemies Secondly Their owne libertie Thirdly The restauration of Religion Fourthly Their deliuerance from the fellowship of the wicked and other great things which the Lord had done for them whereof they did reioyce From whence wee may learne that Gods goodnesse is the ground of the godlies gladnesse Gods goodnes the ground of the Godlies gladnesse Let the naturall man reioyce in his health and strength as Goliah did the worldly man in his wealth and substance as the Lawyer did the sensuall man in his voluptuousnesse as Ammon did the young man in his pleasures as the Prodigall did the prophane man in his wickednesse as Lamech did yet the faithfull reioyce onely in God and his goodnesse Dauid was glad and his tongue reioyced because the Lord was at his right hand his preseruer and keeper the faithfull reioyce because of the Gospell the Apostles are glad that they are accounted worthie to suffer for the name of Christ and the Disciples reioyced that their names were written in heauen Wee must not therefore reioyce with the wicked but be glad with the godly noli laetarâ— Israel reioyce not O Israel as other people qui latantur cùm male fecerint who reioyce in euill doing but with the righteous be glad in the Lord and with the Prophet ioy in the God of our saluation Now they that reioyce were the Iewes themselues It is onely peculiar to the godly truly to reioyce the Heathen onely stand amazed and astonished at these things but the Faithfull who had tasted the sweetnesse and fruit of them they onely are glad and reioyce in them So here wee collect that it is onely peculiar and proper to the godly and faithfull to reioyce truely in Gods blessings My seruants sayth the Lord shall eat ☜ and yee meaning the wicked shall be hungrie my seruants shall drinke and yee shall be thirstie my seruants shall reioyce and yee shall be ashamed my seruants shall sing for ioy of heart and yee shall crie for sorrow of heart and howle for vexation of f Isa 65.13 14. mind Exultate iusti non iniusti bee glad yee righteous not yee vnrighteous laetentur Sancti and let the Saints bee glad and not let the wicked be g Psal 149.5 glad sayth the Psalmist And * Isa 40.1 comfort my people not comfort mine enemies sayth the Lord. The godly haue only true cause of ioy because they haue a good conscience Our reioycing is this the testimonie of our
from his owne words Iob 7.3 for which short season Iob was comforted and reioyced an hundred an fortie q Iob. 42.16 17. yeares Old Tobit lost his sight for the space of eight yeares but hee enioyed it for the space of threescore yeares r Tob. 14. The ioy of the godly and vngodly compared together after So that both Iob and Tobit for a short time of heauinesse were recompenced with a long space of gladnesse and for a little griese they had their mouthes filled with laughter Moreouer in that the ioy of the faithfull is heere called laughter and in that they are said to haue their mouth filled therewith wee may further obserue that there is no ioy to the ioy of the godly for the ioy of the wicked is no perfect q Iob. 42.16 17. ioy and why First because it is alwaies mixed with griese and horrour of conscience for euen in laughing their heart is Å¿ Prou. 14.13 sorrowfull But when the godly are possessed with true ioy and gladnesse all sorrow and mourning flees t Isa 51.11 away Secondly Thereioycing of the wicked is but shert and the ioy of hypocrites is but for a u Iob. 23.51 moment But our Sauiour tells vs that our sorrow shall be turned into ioy and our ioy no man shall take from x Iob. 16.22 vs. Thirdly The ioy of the vngodly ariseth from worldly pleasures and vanities Diues soule reioyceth in y his riches Nabals heart is merrie in his z 1. Sam. 25.37 drunkennesse Haman is ioyfull of his a Esth 5.9 preferment and foolishnesse is ioy to a b Pro. 15.21 foole But the godly can not nor will not fill their mouthes with such laughter for they know that all such ioy is like Ionahs gourd greene ouer night but withered in the c Ionah 4.6 7. morning and like Iohns book sweet in the mouth but bitter in the d Ren. 10.10 bellie But with Habakuk they reioyce in the Lord and ioy in the God of their e Hab. 3.18 saluation Lastly The wickeds ioy doth end in sorrow and all their earthly pleasures are like the Mannah kept ouernight full of wormes in the f Exal 16. morning They are like Nabuchadnezzars Image with a golded head but with feet of g Dan. 3. clay And though they take the timbrell and the harpe and reioyce at the sound of the organs and though they spend their dayes in wealth yet suddenly they goe downe into the h Iob. 21.12.13 pit And the end of all their mirth is i Pro. 14.13 heauinesse But the ioy of the godly shall more and more increase For the hope of the righteous is gladnesse but the hope of the wicked shall k Prou. 10.28 perish Crosses calamities troubles tribulations diseases nor yet death it selfe can terminate or end their ioy for euen then shall the faithfull enter into their Masters l Mat. 25. ioy where there is fulnesse of ioy and pleasures for m Isal 16.11 euermore which shall fill their mouth with laughter Now mee thinkes if wee but rightly considered the vanitie of these earthly pleasures and the vexation that comes by these momentany ioyes First how that they are not simple but euer compound and mixed with care and heauinesse of mind like Babels cup the outside of gold but filled within with abominations and vncleannesse Secondly how that they are short and of no continuance For the hope of the ungodly is like dust that is blowne away with the wind like a thinne froth that is driuen away with the storme and like smoke that is dispersed heere and there with a o Wis 5.14 tempest Thirdly how that they arise from things as vaine as themselues As for example suppose a man be rich and reioyce in his sudstance as Diues did yet if hee fall but into any little sicknesse his riches affoord him no ease If a man be honorable yet fall into pouertie what comfort or reliefe shall hee haue from his honour Yea grant that hee bee rich honourable and healthfull yet will the least misfortune or crosse trouble and grieue him as if hee were of all men most miserable Haman called his friends and Zeresh his wife and told them of the glorie of his riches and how the King had aduanced him aboue all his Princes and Seruants yea and how hee onely was admitted vnto the Queenes banquet yet all this auailed him nothing his health riches honour and the Kings fauour could not fill his mouth with laughter when hee remembred how Mordecai did not bow the knee nor reuerenced p Esth 5. him And lastly if wee did but thinke with our selues how all these earthly ioyes are like the Locusts that ascended out of the bottomlesse pit with a goodly visage but with a stinging q Reu. 9. tayle certainly abhorring and abandoning all such ioyes mee thinkes wee should with godly Dauid call vnto the Lord and after this manner intreat him Remember mee O Lord with the fauour that thou bearest vnto thy people O visit mee with thy saluation that I may see the good of thy chosen that I may reioyce in the gladnesse of thy nation that I may glorie with thine r Psal 106.4.5 inheritance But how shall wee attaine vnto this ioy and by what meanes shall wee obtaine it First Foure things to be done before we can attayne vnto the true ioy of the godly wee must truly humble our selues before wee bee comforted and vnfainedly sorrow before wee can reioyce the prodigali humbled himselfe before hee was entertained with melodie and dancing wine is only to be giuen to the sorrowfull of heart that hee may forget his griese and as light was created after darkenesse so ioy comes after heauinesse Secondly wee must labour for a peaceable conscience For a quiet conscience is a continuall f Pro. 15.15 feast that is a continuall ioy and truly there is no ioy vnto that Nil conscire sibi nullaque pallescere culpa Thirdly wee must delight in the reading of the Word for as Dauid affirmeth The testimonies of the Lord were the reioycing of the heart and therefore they were his songs in his t Psal 119.54.111 pilgrimage Lastly wee must earnestly pray for it as Salomon did for wisedome saying with the Psalmist Make mee to heare of ioy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may u Psal 51. reioyce And againe Reioyce the soule of thy seruant for vnto thee O Lord doe I lift up my * Psal 86.4 soule If these rules wee obserue in seeking after this heauenly ioy wee shall find in the end that the Lord will put gladnesse into our x Psal 4.7 heart and fill our mouth with laughter And our toâ—gue with singing Garrulares letitiâ— Sen. Out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaks and if the heart bee glad the tongue is glib Ioy cannot be suppressed in the
h 2. Cor. 1.12 conscience sayth the Apostle Now the wickeds conscience is euer vexed for euen in laughter the heart is sorrowfull so that there is a mixture of dissembled ioy with a desperate griefe Besides to the godly is onely sent the true Comforter Ioh. 16.7 Ioh. 14.16 17. Ioh. 15.26 the holy Ghost I will sayth our Sauiour pray to the Father and hee shall giue you another Comforter that hee may abide with you for euer euen the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receiue because it seeth him not neither knoweth him but yee know him for hee dwelleth with you and shall be in you Heere then we see that the ioy of the wicked be what it will is in effect no ioy but a counterfeit for Phil. 4.7 Rom. 14.17 there is no peace but the peace of conscience no ioy but the ioy of the holy Ghost no comfort but from the Sonne of consolation Now the wicked they haue not this peace non est pax impijs for there is no peace to the i Is 57 2â— wicked They haue not this ioy because they haue not the holy Ghost and they haue not this comfort because they haue no part in Christ the God of comfort But the godly are said to be anointed with the oyle of ioy Because a ioyfull heart maketh a chearefull countenance and clothed with the garment of k Is 65.3 gladnesse Because inwardly they are clothed with the robes of righteousnesse This ioy was so great and so generall amongst the Saints that as their captiuitie brought vnto them an vniuersall sorrow so their deliuerance brings with it a generall ioy And so the Psalmist doth expresse it whilest hee sayth indefinitely in the person of them all whereof wee reioyce From whence wee note that a common good should worke in vs a common gladnesse A common good should worke in the faithfull a common gladnesse Moses and Myriam did not onely themselues reioyce but the whole congregation with them the men with Moses and the women with Myriam for their deliuerance out of Egypt Mordecas and Esther reioyced not aloneâ— but the whole Church for their deliuerance from Hamans intended massacre For this cause both God hath commanded and the Church haue obserued cerâ—aine dayes set apart whereon they might generally feast reioyce and bee thankefull in remembrance of Gods mercies manifested in their deliuerance from the hands of their enemies As for example the Iewes kept the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar with ioy and feasting and to this day it is a ioyfull day vnto them in remembrance of the before mentioned l Hesâ—â— 9.19 deliuerance And Iudas Maccabeus did institute the Feast of the dedication in remembrance of the purging of the Temple from the prophanations of m 1. Mac. 4. Antiochus a feast which our Sauiour seemed to approoue by his owne n Io. 10.22 23. presence So often as wee consider this it should put vs in mind of the publicke and generall good both the Church and Common-wealth receiued on the fift of Nouember when the Lord by his wonderfull prouidence reuealed the horrible treasons and damnable plots of these Romish Locusts who laboured sought after and attempted the ouerthrow of Prince and Subiect Priest and people and aboue all the extinguishing of the Gospell As there is none of vs no not from Salomon himselfe that sits vpon his throne vnto poore Lazarus that hes at our gates but they haue reapt good and comfort thereby so let there be none of vs that will not obserue this day as holy vnto the Lord. On this day this happie day this blessed fift of Nouember which the Lord turned to vs from sorrow to ioy and from mourning into a ioyfull day The Lord did wonderfull great things for vs whereof we reioyce He subdued those vnder our feet that rose vp against o Ps 18.39 vs. Hee broke the snares and deliuered p Ps 124.7 vs. And whereas the enemie had resolued to shut vp the mouthes of all that praysed God to quench the glorie of his Temple and of his q Esth 14 9. Altar and to open the mouthes of the Heathen to praise their idols The Lord hath shut their r Deut. 18. mouthes and put his Word into the mouthes of his seruants still to speake vnto vs all that hee commands them In all these respects and many moe the Lord hath made vs this day to reioyce ouer our Å¿ 2. Chro. 20. â— 7 enemies For which great blessings let vs sing vnto the Lord let vs heartily reioyce in the strength of our saluation Let vs come before his presence with thankesgiuing and shew our selues glad in him with Psalmes For the Lord is a great God and agreat King aboue all t Ps 95.1 2 3 4. gods Hee hath beene fauourable vnto his owne Land He hath brought againe the captiuitie of Iacob Hee hath forgiuen the iniquitie of his People and couered all their sinner u Psal 84.1 2. Selah O this is the day that the Lord hath made let vs reioyce and be glad in x Psaâ— 118.24 it But how shall wee keepe such holy dayes Quest and how shall wee reioyce at such feastiuall times In the eight of Nehemiah wee read Answ that presently after the walls of Ierusalem were finished the people feasted and reioyced but marke what order and decorum they kept First Their zeale was so great to heare the Word of God that they earnestly require Ezra the Scribe to read the Law vnto them Secondly They giue diligent attention vnto him whilest hee is reading Thirdly With all humiliation and reuerence they praise and worship the Lord. Fourthly When they considered their offences against the Law they sorrowed and wept All these they did before they feasted and reioyced ☞ A good president for vs to begin all our feasts with a holy feare and all our festiuals with Diuine worship First Wee must worship fall downe and kneele before the Lord our maker for hee is the Lord our God and wee are the sheepe of his pasture and the people of his hands When wee haue done this then with the Iewes Wee may goe eate of the fat and drinke of the sweet so that wee commit no excesse therein either in drunkennesse with Nabal or in gluttonie with Diues and besides in our feasts wee must remember the poore and send part vnto them for whom none is prepared And then after our feasting wee may reioyce and make great ioy Yet our ioy must not bee like the carnall Israelites who sate them downe to eate and drinke and rose vp againe to play But wee must reioyce as Dauid did when hee danced before the Arke And as Myriam did when shee played vpon a Timbrell and sung praises vnto the Lord. Further the people here made great ioy but why because they vnderstood the words that the Leuites had taught them Teaching vs to be much more