his Disciples I have meat to eat that ye know not on So the Saints have joyes that the world sees not nay that they cannot see The natural man perceives noâ— the things of God so nor are they able to perceive the joy of the Saints of God They are so far from prceiving them that count them but a burden It is the joy of Saints to see the light of Gods countenance this puts gladnesse in their hearts more then in the time that corn and wine and oyl increaseth But they think not upon God God is not in all their thoughts When the thoughts of God are brought into their mindes it marrs all their mirth The thoughts of God are melancholick thoughts therefore they think as seldom of him as they can It is the joy of Saints to think of those sweet experiences of Gods love and kindnesse Thy loving kindnesse is better then life and it is their delight to recount his favours I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high But these live by chance they never regard the works of the Lord nor the operations of his hand therefore they mock the Saints He trusted in God that he would deliver him let him deliver him seeing he delighted in him It is the joy of Saints the knowledge of the Word of God His delight is in the Law of the Lord and in that Law doth he meditate day and night Nay thy Commandements are my delights saith David not delight but delights a plurality of delights One man pleaseth himself in this thing and another in that but here he meets the pleasure of all recreations a multitude of delights But these they grow weary of it Whilest their ears are tyed to the Scriptures they are as a Bear tyed to the stake Therefore they say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledge of thy waies It is the joy of Saints to meet God in his Ordinances My soul thirsteth for God yea even for the living God Oh when shall I come and appear before God! So they count the Sabbath a delight But these how quickly they are tired of it When will the new Moons be gone that we may sell corn and the Sabbaths that we may set forth wheat As the Heathens thought so think they that the Jewes lost a seventh part of their time because they kept the seventh day a holy rest unto the Lord. It is the joy of Saints to attend Gods service As their Lord and Master It is my meat and drink to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work So David I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart But these say they let us break his bands asunder and cast away his cords from us It is in vain to serve the Lord and what profit is it that we have kept his Ordinances In a word It is the joy of Saints to think of heaven Where the treasure is there will the heart be also So their conversation is in heaven all their thoughts longings desires and endevours after it But these their affections are set upon the things below And as that French Cardinal they prefer their part in Paris before that in Paradise And Gallio cares for none of these things Thus we see their mistakes accounting that a joy which is indeed their sorrow and that a burden which is the only joy Oh but secondly say they Do not we hear your complaints and see your tears and your lives are bitter Do we not read the lamentations of a Jeremy and David's soul melts with weeping All the night long wash I my bed and water my couch with my tears For answer to this It is true indeed and as well may you desire mirth from a dead man as from the Saints in some conditions But 1. Take notice this is their weaknesse So David doth acknowledge it Psal 77.10 This is my infirmity It is their ignorance of Gods fatherly love toward them Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth Sorrow is sometimes as necessary for us as is joy The truth is whilest we carry flesh about us such is the frailty of our sinful nature either of both endangers if they be not tempered God therefore in the wisdom of his providence such is his care over us he mixes the cup for us He sweetens our sorrow with some joy lest we should despair and imbitters our joy with some sorrow lest we should presume Either of both might ruine us but of the two sorrow may seem lesse dangerous or rather that which brings us the more good A pleasant potion is more delightful but a bitter pill is sometimes more healthful Eccles 7.2 It is better to go into the house of mourning then to go into the house of feasting And lest you should think this a word rashly spoken for who would not prefer the one far before the other therefore he seconds it vers 3. Sorrow is better then laughter Nay not only sayes it but proves it For by the sadnesse of the countenance the heart is made better In mirth many times we are apt to forget our selves but sorrow puts us in a godly frame It is our ignorance therefore of Gods fatherly care over us that deprives us of our happinesse Besides it is sometimes with us as with Elisha's servant Alas Master what shall we do for his eyes were held Or as it was with old Jacob when they brought him the newes that Joseph was alive and Governor over the whole land of Egypt His soul fainted in him and he believed them not Or as with the Disciples when they brought the first newes of Christs resurrection Their words seemed but as idle tales and they believed not the women So it is our ignorance our infidelity it is not our righteousnesse but our weaknesse which brings all this sorrow But 2. Are you not again mistaken You hear their moans and you see their tears and is there not a joy in weeping The weeping of the Saints doth not intermit their joyes This may seem a paradox but they understand it As sorrowing saith St. Paul yet alwaies rejoycing We finde something even in natural experience It is sometime an ease unto a troubled soul Est quaedam flere voluptas When the vessel 's full and begins to work if it want a vent it soon bursts asunder When the heart is sore opprest with grief and ready to sink under the burden happy man that can give vent unto his soul with tears that can empty himself with weeping But further sometimes we finde it even that which is the matter of our tears is also the matter of our joy We shall see a man in reading of some sad story how the tears trickle from his eyes he weeps and reads and reads and weeps and the more he reads still the more he weeps yet is he delighted in his reading Ipse dolor voluptas That
which causeth him to weep even that is it which so much delighteth him Thus is it here The faints tears are the saints joy and it is the rejoycing of their souls that they weep and sorrow The tears of Saints is the joy of Angels as I told you before There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth Nay let me tell you further they have greater cause to rejoyce in their sorrowes then others in their greatest jollities The Apostle understands it Therefore saith he 2 Cor. 7.8 Though I made you sorry with a letter I do not repent though I did repent Now I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance that ye were made sorry after a godly manner for godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death There 's a vast difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow the one tends to death but the other to life to repentance salvation The sorrow of the godly is like the sorrow of a woman travelling with childe It is not a barren but a fruitfull sorrow The sorrow of world is barren it brings forth nothing but sorrow but the sorrow of the godly is fruitful it is a joy-bearing sorrow Joh. 16.21 A woman hath sorrow when she travelleth because her hour is come but as soon as she is delivered of a childe she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world And ye now have sorrow but I will see you again and your hearts shall rejoyce and your joy no man taketh from you Thus you see the mistake The sorrow of the righteous is a joyful sorrow Oh but thirdly It may be objected that sometimes God requires it as a duty Es 22.12 In that day did the Lord God of hosts call to weeping and to mourning and doubtlesse the sorrow of the Saints is hearty when the Lord cals for it For answer to this we must confesse it is so indeed Neither do any sorrow as they sorrow Therefore as if they only sorrowed saith God Ezek. 9.4 Set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that are done in the midst of Jerusalem Their sighs are sighs indeed and their cries are cries indeed God sets a mark upon them as if they only were the mourners Yet withall take notice that it is not for righteousnesse but for wickednesse all the abominations that are done in Jerusalem righteousnesse is not the cause but it is sin either in themselves or others 1. In themselves For so the Saints have their failings Seek thy servant O Lord for I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost And as they have theirs sins so they have their sorrows It cost David many a salt tear How he weeps and prayes Psal 51. Lord make me to hear the voice of joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce The cry of his sin had made such a noise of sorrow that it deaft his ears from the voice of joy And he is afraid O cast me not away in thy displeasure but restore to me the joy of thy salvation Do not charge your sorrows on the waies of righteousnesse but your swarving from those wayes He that goes out of Gods way he goes into harmes way and returns again by the weeping crosse Or if it be not the sense of their present sins which causes all this sorrow perhaps they consider the time past and it is their trouble that they have spent so much of their time in vanity so they mourn not because they are righteous but because they were no sooner such Or if they be troubled at their present condition it is not because they are good but because they are not so good as they desire to be They count not themselves as if they had already attained or were already perfect they see others that are far before them so they are heavy not because they are holy but because not so holy as they should As some covetous worldling who frets and toyles in the world as if he were not worth a penny and out of a greedy desire of more still complains of poverty So the Saints sometimes so earnestly desirous to be yet more righteous they lose the joy and comfort of those graces they already have Let us not then impute that to their godlinesse which proceeds rather from the want But certainly conclude there 's much sweetnesse in it whilest they thus hunger and thirst after it Thus in themselves 2. In others The Lord cals to weeping and they mourn in Sion It is for the abominations that are done in the land So David Psal 119.136 Mine eyes run down with tears because men keep not thy commandements And Lot amongst the filthy Sodomites 2 Pet. 2.8 In seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawfull deeds It is the sorrow of the Saints to see God dishonoured and poor souls endangered To hear on the one hand men speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them and to see on the other hand men so unreclamable from their foolish and vain courses and running headlong to their own damnation If there be any consolation in Christ Jesus if any comfort of love if any bowels and mercies must it not needs grieve them to see men so fool away their hopes of glory to dwell with everlasting burnings Their charity is great and they could wish all men like themselves in that which is good As Paul to Agrippa I would to God that not only thou but all that hear me this day were both almost and altogether such as I am excepting these bonds And if they will not be perswaded Jer. 13.17 If ye will not hear my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Thus weeping for them that weep not for themselves And Elijah betakes himself unto the cave And why so They have broken the covenant they have thrown down the altars they have slain the Prophets with the sword Are the lives of the Saints sorrowful But examine your own hearts if the fault lie not in your selves Were your selves lesse wicked their lives would be more comfortable Thus still you see it is not the righteousnesse of the Saints which makes their hearts sad but rather the want of it either in themselves or others Nay yet further even this sorrow is their joy Whilest they thus mourn though others provoke God and perish in their own devices yet God will set a mark upon them that mourn in Sion that the destroying Angel may passe over Es 4.5 God will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence So that nothing might hinder their peace and joy in believing but so still Rejoyce ye
he quickned who were dead in sins and trespasses wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world according to the Prince of the air the spirit that now works in the children of dâ—sobedience amongst whom also we all had our conversation in times past If we look upon times past Oh what a wofull condition was the poor creature in at his very birth all polluted in his bloud and as he growes up so carried away with the course of the world running headlong to his own destruction This was our condition But blessed be God that there is a change It was the joy of Jehotakim Evilmerodach the King of Babylon sent for him out of prison and changed his prison garments and gave him a continual portion before him all the daies of his life So Christ hath made a change and an exchange with us he hath taken from us the rags of sin and put upon us the robes of righteousness his own robes He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him he hath delivered us from that pit of darknesse and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus What a change is here do but compare your condition then and your condition now Is it not the joy of Angels There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repenteth The woman rejoyceth that hath found her lost gâ—oat the man rejoyceth that hath found his lost sheep the father rejoyceth that hath found his lost son bring hither the fatted calf let us eat and be merry shall others thus rejoyce over us and is it not much more the joy of our own hearts Look upon other men how they still wallow in their wickednesse having their understandings darkned through the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their hearts and then reflect we on our selves thus it hath been with us if we look upon time past 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither fornicator nor idolater nor adulterer nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankinde nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall enter into the Kingdom of God And such were some of you but ye are washed Such were some of you O what a joyfull word that we were but such that we are not so now So Paul before I was a persecutor a blasphemer and injurious but I obtained mercy Lord what am I that thou hast brought me hitherto that thou hast loved Jacob and yet hated Esau that he should passe by so many and yet shew this grace and favour to my soul So do but look behinde you and consider how it hath been with you Do but remember the time past and Rejoyce ye righteous 8. Whilest we look before us Consider but the time to come Heb. 12.2 Looking up to Jesus the author and finisher of your faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame Do but look upon the joy which is set before you and this will carry you above the crosse Beloved I have spoken something for your present comfort to cheer up your spirits and as the Queen of Sheba It is a true report which you have heard yet behold the one half is not told you As yet we have but the seed-time and some showres they are seasonable our life is but a bitter-sweet Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladnesse for the upright in heart But look before you and behold a harvest even the joy of harvest unintermixed joy The time is coming when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes There shall be no more death nor sorrow nor crying neither any more pain Do but look before you and behold a Kingdom Come ye blessed children of my Father inherit ye the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Do but look before you and behold a Throne To him that overcometh saith our Saviour will I give to sit with me on my throne Do but look before you and behold a Crown From henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which God the righteous Judge shall give me at that day and not unto me only but unto all that love his appearing The time is coming when we shall be gathered with Abraham Isaac and Jacob into the Kingdom of heaven to the Patriarchs our fathers to the Saints our brethren to the Angels our friends to Angels and Archangels and to all the company of that heavenly host The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall send for us as once Jacob for his father He that sent us into the world owes us a better turn then to leave us for ever in the world Father I will that those that thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory How did it rejoyce the spirit of old Jacob It is enough Joseph is yet alive I will go and see him before I die So here and much more then so It is enough Jesus is yet alive though I cannot go and see him before I die yet Lord let me die that I may go and see him I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is the best of all The time is coming when the Lord Jesus shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an Archangel and the Trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first to meet the Lord in the air that there they may be ever with the Lord. That they may be with God! Oh what a happy vision to stand continually in his presence Saith the Queen of Sheba concerning the servants of King Solomon Happy are thy servants and happy are these thy men which stand continually before thee but think if you can think how happy they are that stand continually in Gods presence there 's fulnesse of joy and pleasures for ever more A fulnesse of joy because there for ever for ever with the Lord O sweet word for ever And this is that indeed which crowns all our joyes Would it not be a hell in the midst of heaven to think of once losing heaven But Oh joyfull eternity An Eternal joy Whilest we are here and see nothing but what 's present we read nothing but vicissitude and the wheel still turning but when we consult with heaven and look upon that before us then pure and unmixed unchangeable and everlasting joyes Oh how great is thy goodnesse which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee Goodnesse and great goodnesse but what tongue is able to expresse how great 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither hath it entrea into mans heart The eye hath seen much the ear hath heard more the heart of man is able to conceive much more Yet neither hath eye seen nor ear heard nor is the heart of man able to conceive the things which God hath prepared for
there is at the least a rejoycing of hope Heb. 3.6 If ye hold fast the confidence and rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end Nay Luk. 21.28 Lift up your hands for your redemption draweth nigh Our Saviour in that place is speaking of the worst of times Mens hearts failing them for fear and for looking after the things which are coming upon the earth and then lift up your heads saith he then is the time of the Saints greatnest hopes So is the night the darkest at the approach of day and Saints joy the greatest in that darkest night But perhaps there is yet something else that troubles you Beloved as Joab removed the dead body of Amasa so would I take all lets out of your way that nothing might hinder your rejoycing David's complaint is sad Psal 38.3 There is no soundnesse in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sin This indeed is the sad ingredient that imbitters all But so let me advise you to weep still and then rejoyce that ye can thus weep If it hinder your rejoycing I must tell you that it is a sin Though it may seem strange yet it is a truth A man may sin in sorrowing for sin I suppose but few are guilty in this kinde Yet it is a fault when we think of sin so much and mourn so unmeasurably that it unfits us for those other duties God requires at our hands when it cools our devotion that we cannot pray or infeebles our faith that we cannot believe when it carries us from God and deprives us of that hope which is laid up for us in Christ Jesus In a word when it takes us from this duty Rejoyce evermore Why art thou then cast down O my soul and why art thou thus disquieted within me I will yet trust in God who is the health of my countenance and my God So now I shall call upon you as upon my self Rejoyce ye righteous And the rather I call upon you 1. In respect unto your selves that ye may have the comfort of those blessings God hath bestowed upon you beyond other men As ye heard before whilest ye look above God is your Father whilest below God shall tread down Satan under your feet shortly whilest without all 's yours whilest within the Kingdom of heaven's there whilest upon the left hand all things work together for your good whilest upon the right you have God in your enjoyments whilst behind you the winter is past whilest before you an eternity Oh joyful eternity But till you rejoyce in these things you do but live besides your wealth as that covetous worldling Eccles 6.2 A man to whom God hath given riches wealth and honours so that he wanteth nothing that his soul desires yet God gives him not power to eat thereof but a stranger eateth it Besides you disable your selves for the performance of those duties God requires of you under such enjoyments at least you perform them not with that cheerfulnesse and alacrity as ye ought whilest your affections flag ye lose the grace of your performances They come from you but as water forced against the hill because ye have no pleasure in them Whereas those that rejoyce in God they run the waies of his commandements and therein is their delight That therefore you may have the comfort of his mercy roward you and the honour of a cheerfull service it concerns you to attend this duty Rejoyce ye righteous 2. In regard of others to encourage them in the waies of righteousnesse Numb 13. we read The spies which were sent into the land of Canaan they brought an evil report upon the land insomuch that the people began to think of making themselves captains to return again into the land of Egypt so whilest we are of that heavy heartlesse and uncomfortable disposition we bring an evill report upon Religion as if it were but some sullen fit or melancholick humour and no joy to be taken in it Thus we discourage those that were entring in Besides we encourage enemies Psal 13.2 How long shall I be so vexed in heart How long shall the enemy triumph over me then they triumph over us when they see us vexed at the heart Aha so would we have it and this hardens them in their wickednesse But when they see our undanted spirits and that we go on with cheersulnesse and courage this is a trouble to them So lest you discourage friends and encourage enemies Rejoyce ye righteous Lastly In regard of God that he may have the praises due unto his name Psal 33.1 Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous for praise is comly for the upright This is added as the reason why we must rejoyce because praise is comely implying indeed that we cannot be thankful to him except we rejoyce in him Whilest we are sad and melancholick it appears that either we take no notice of his mercies or that we do but lightly esteem of them but when we rejoyce in them this argues that we highly prize them and the more we rejoyce the more thankfull for them Oh take heed of that base sin the sin of ingratitude an odious and provoking sin It not only robs God of his glory but our selves The more thankful we are to God the more bountiful is God to us Ascensus gratiarum est descensus gratiae As vapours drawn out of the earth return in showres to the earth so our thanks ascending up to heaven God showres down upon us more abundant mercies Because thou hast been faithful in a little be thou ruler over much But then on the contrary Deut. 28.47 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulnesse and with gladnesse of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakednesse and in the want of all things Thus whilest we look upon God whether we eye his favour or his frown it concerns us to be joyfull that we may be thankfull Nay whilest we look upon that sacred Trinity that we may give him his due praises so might we double and treble our rejoycings Be glad in the Lord and rejoyce ye righteous and shout for joy all ye that are upright in heart Thus to God the Father in whom we rejoyce to God the Son by whom we are made righteous and to God the Holy Ghost through whom we are upright in heart To the three Persons and one God be the glory of our joy for ever and ever Amen The Resolution of a Case of Separation MADAM YOur Ladiships Case if I rightly understand you is this Whether a woman separating from her Husband for want of maintenance and the Court adjudging her an allowance he be not bound in conscience to confirm it in case she be willing to live with him and if he will not whether she may not lawfully continue in a separation