1. The duty is expressed in two words, rejoice in

:

and the reason in these

the Lord, and praise him words, for it is comely fo to do.

Rejoice in the Lord. Then certainly religion is not fuch a thing as 'tis represented to the world by many men. For it is looked upon as a doleful, troublesome, melancholy thing; hurtful to the body and disquieting to the fouls of men. But fee whe ther this be true. Look upon religion in its actions and employment: and what are they? rejoice and give thanks. Are not these actions that are grateful and delightful? what doth transcend divine joy and ingenuous acknowledgments? But then.

II. The reafon. It is comely. Whatsoever is the true product of religion, is graceful, beautiful, and lovely. There is nothing in religion that is difhonourable, selfish; that is particular, and narrowfpirited. No, it is a principle of the greatest noblenefs, and generousness in the world. They are worldly spirits, that are low, narrow, and contracted: the truly religious are most noble and generous; and are the freeft from narrowness, discontent and felfishness. There is the moft folid peace, and most grounded fatisfaction found in it. Job. x. 5. The triumph of the wicked is short, and the joy of the bypocrite is but for a moment. But for the good man and the righteous, Pfal. iv. 7. Thou haft put more gladness into my heart, than when their corn, and wine, and oil encreased. And Isa. xiv. 16. I will glory in the holy One of Ifrael. And Ifa. Ixi. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my foul fhall be joyful in my God. Nay, in the greatest ftraits and exigency,

Hab.

Hab. iii. 17. Though the fig-tree should not bloffoms though there fhould be no fruit in the vine, and the lai bour of the olive should fail, &ç. jet will I rejoice in. the Lord, and joy in the God of my falvation

I. Rejoice in the Lord.

1. For himself; becaufe of his own goodness. 2. In other things, with refpect to him. But 1. For himself. 1. God is the most excellent object in the world. And 2dly, what he is in him. felf, he is to the righteous, who have interest in him, and who are in reconciliation with him. "Tis vanity and emptiness to glory in men, and ordinary things, and where there is no property; though things are excellent, yet there is no glory in that cafe. Men are prone to envy; therefore it is re quifite to glorying, that men have property, that men think upon God as, their own ; for where men have no property, they are apt to fay, what am I the better? The devilifh nature delights in God, the efs, because of his goodness; for the more good God is, the further is he removed from their degenerate temper 'Tis our unfuitableness and unlikeness to God, that hinders our delight and fatisfaction in him. 'Tis a great faying, Whosoever is pleafed with God, pleafeth God. Whosoever, I fay, is pleased with that which God is pleased with, is pleafing unto God. But they that are in an unfuitable temper and difpofition, (as the unregenerate man, and fenfual fpirit, as the atheistical and profane, and those that are malicious and devilish): they are in a spirit oppofite to the Spirit of God, and therefore they are offended with God, as well

as

God is offended with them: but, whosoever are pleafed with God, God is pleafed with them: but to the wicked and unregenerate, God himself (as good as he is) he is a burden; for it is the temper of wickedness to fay unto God, Depart from us, for we do not defire the knowledge of thy ways, Job xxi. 14. For it is univerfally true, that things are to perfons, according as they are in state, spirit, and temper. Let men pretend love to the things of God never fo much, they will not relish them, unless they be born of God: 'tis they that are naturalized to heaven, that relifh and favour divine things. That which is born of the world, is enmity against God. But

2. Our rejoicing must be with fome respect to God; and though it be in other things, yet it must be in the Lord and this is done, when

1. We acknowlege God originally, as the foun tain from whence all good things come, and the firft caufe of all good. When we are sensible that we receive from him, and hold of him, and have what we enjoy, from his bounty.

2. When we account God better than all other enjoyments whatsoever, and have all things in fubordination to him.

3. When we look upon all our enjoyments as fruits of the divine goodness, and confider them as enjoyments,

"

First, To endear God to us, and

Secondly, Of obliging us to God.

For you know,

a courtesy is accounted as loft, if the party doth not gain the good-will and affection of the perfon, to

whom

whom he shewed kindness. Even so it is in refpect of God; if God be not endeared to us by his kindnefs, and we obliged to him for his goodness, all is loft. But

4. We then may be faid to rejoice in the Lord, when we make God the final end, and make all things fubfervient to his glory; and account ourfelves bound to dispose of what he gives us according to his appointment, and for the ends of virtue. And to this purpose, that we may rejoice in the good things, that through providence we do enjoy, with some respect to God; two things are neceffary.

I. It is neceffary to give God place in the world.

2. That we take pleafure in the works of his providence. For there is nothing that God doth, or that he doth permit to be done, but it doth offer to the intelligent mind, fome notion from God, and cause some obfervance of God in the world ; and doth give advantage to fome divine contemplation, and fo doth put the foul upon fome action of ac knowledgment and adoration of God.

To enforce this joy in God; I fubjoin two things. 1. That joy is necessary to the life of man. The apostle hath told us, that worldly forrow causeth death. Sorrow and sadness, melancholy and discontent spoils the temper of a man's mind; it vitiates the humours of the body; it prevents the divine, and hinders the phyfician. For the divine deals by reafon; but this being obliterated, he can do nothing for he ap→ plies himself to the mind and understanding; but forrow and melancholy hinders the receiving of

true

true reason, and then his work is at an end. And it also hinders the physician; for if the mind be dif composed by melancholy, it doth not afford due benevolence to the body. You have an instance in Nebuchadnezzar, who was by melancholy transformed into a beast: not that he was fo by external form, but he did fo efteem himfelf; and things are as men conceive them. The four and melancholy, they are unthankful to God, and cruel to themselves, and peevish in their converse; so that joy and rejoicing is neceffary in respect to ourselves. But

2. In respect to God; joy and rejoicing is fafe for us, and preservative to us, as I fhall fhew you in fundry respects.

1. If we have respect to God in our joy, we can never tranfgrefs.

2. We cannot exceed, nor any ways misbehave ourselves: we cannot do ourselves any harm. For we read of fome that have fuddenly died, by reafon of joy, at the tidings of good, as well as fudden bad

news.

3. Our joy will then be fincere and pure, not fro thy and fantastical.

4. It will offend none, nor be irksome to any.

5. It will always keep company with gratitude and humility. For observe it in the text, they are made reciprocal, to rejoice in the Lord, and to give thanks unto him.

6. It will always leave us in a good temper; which worldly joy will not do.