The Revival of Grace, Part 2 · Chapter 5 · Section 6
CAP. V. Sect. 6. Joy Improved on Chriſt Dying a Teſtator.
A Sixth grace well ſuiting the Lord's ſupper, 6th Sacramental grace Improvable, Joy.and Improveable on account of the Lord's Dying a Teſtator, is joy and gladneſs in the Lord, and in his goodneſs. It is confeſſed by all, that it well ſuiteth with feaſts of love, that the gueſts ſhould joy together, and rejoice in their Friend, who is equally Friend unto them all. The ſoul which cometh burthened with ſins and ſorrows, confeſſeth he ſhould rejoice in the Lord, and is well pleaſed that others do it whilſt he cannot: it is a ſpiritual joy which well becometh this ſpiriritual feaſt. I do not ſay the heart is unfit for it who doth not rejoice; I know the ſpiritual hunger and thirſt of the ſoul ſpeaketh the ſoul fit, and ſuch may, ſuch indeed ought to come; yet when hunger and thirſt after the Lord are accompanied with joy in the Lord, the ſoul is better, is more throughly prepared for this feaſt, this commemoration of their Dying Lord.
Now the Chriſtian's joy, beſide the general motives of joy ariſing from the general nature of the object of delight and joy, as goodneſs in the thing enjoyd, propriety whereby it becomes ours, and poſſeſſion, or preſence of it with us according to our preſent capacity and exigency, whether refreſhing, repairing, or filling us, or in what other manner of operation it affecteth, in which the Chriſtian joy, and the delight of other men do agree. The ſpiritual joy of the Chriſtian hath great advantages from the laſt Will and Teſtament of his Lord; As
1. First the tranſcendency of them. If there were any bleſſings better than others in the poſſeſſion, and at the diſpoſal of their Lord, ſurely theſe ſhould be given among the beloved Friends. Servants, attenders, complemental viſiters, and ſuch like common Friends poſſibly may be put off with common gifts, but the beſt ſhall be diſtributed unto the beſt Friends. A Kingdom in glory, the ſpirit of Adoption, remiſion of ſins, increaſe of all grace, and conſolations through faith &c. are the choice bleſſings bequeathed to believers in Chriſt's Will, and repreſented, enſured, and in praelibations, or foretaſt conveyed to believers in the right reception of the Lord's Supper; let it be therefore throughly conſidered, and when either of thoſe forecited mercies appear contained in his Will, ask your ſelves whether the leaſt of theſe do not deſerve the higheſt pitch of your joy? are they not better worth your delight than all the worldling can delight in; how much do ſpiritual mercies excel temporal? how far do Heavenly priviledges excel earthly? ſo much certainly may the joy of believers in their Lord, excel the joy of carnal men; for whileſt the common bounty of a Dying Lord gives ſenſible, outward, and temporal good to mankind, the ſpecial grace and love of their Dying Lord and Saviour, giveth believers all ſpiritual mercies in heavenly things. Oh my ſoul! believeſt thou there is love enough in the good will of Chriſt to make thee a Legatee? and doſt thou not believe there was treaſure enough in the hand of Chriſt to make thy Legacy worth thy delights and joy?
2. Look over the rich gifts of thy Lord, and ſay, my propriety and title to all is as ſure as they are needfull. There is nothing can pretend to equal them in either of theſe two; neceſſary and certain, and therefore no joy can be warrantably equall with the joy of a believer, what ever our eye ſeeth here among the viſible (foreign) things are but (foreign) temporary, and every one of them can make themſelves wings ſwift enough to fly out of our reach; but what Chriſt hath bequeathed (foreign) among the inviſible things are (foreign) eternal, in his hand who can hold them, and in his right whoſoever enjoyeth them ſhall never loſe them. Look then on thy title and tenure in that title and right thy Lord had to what he gave thee, and then as thou mayſt laugh with ſcorn and deriſion at the impleadings of any of thy ſpiritual adverſaries, ſo thou wilt ſurely laugh with delight, and joy in the love of thy Lord, and in thy inviolable propriety to every good thing he hath bequeathed. Fox. Act. and Monu. An. 1553. Entring of Qu. Mary.The will of a man may poſſibly be evacuated, and the Legacy loſt. I know a Kingdom was once bequeathed by Will which did the Legatee no more ſervice than to haſten the poſſeſſion of what Chriſt hath given, which could not be loſt, though the other was with the life which by a Royal will, ſhould have enjoyd it. Such uncertainty and hazads attend other Legacies; thoſe Chriſt gives are ſure. No man ſhall take your joy from you, Joh. 16.22. The object of ſuch joy will well juſtify the greatneſs of it; 'tis a delight none can imbitter.
3. Note well the preſent poſſeſſion of theſe gifts and Legacies; This will enhance thy joyes. No man can rationally rejoice in any thing which is not ſomewhat preſent to his Hopes, or to his hand; either the object of our delights muſt be in actual poſſeſſion, or elſe enſured to us in reverſion. Now in the actual poſſeſſion of theſe good things given, and bequeathed to us, there is ſomewhat that excels the manner of poſſeſſing all other goods. As,
1. Other goods are preſent under a Law of mutability and change to the worſe, theſe ſhall only change to the better.
2. Other goods are poſſeſſed with anxious cares leſt they ſhould, and with tormenting fears that they will fail us at our need. But the Legacies our Lord hath given are poſſeſſed with aſſurance that they ſhall beſt beſtead us when we moſt need them.
3. Other goods preſent do but ſatisfy our ſenſitive appetite, or flatter the errours of our deceived reaſon; theſe ſatisfy the neceſſary deſires of a rightly informed mind and will.
4. Other goods preſent do often cloy, over-load, impair, and weaken the poſſeſſors of them as we ſee it too often in voluptuous perſons that are wearied with, and waſted by their own delights; the goods bequeathed by Chriſt are never burthenſome in their preſence, poſſeſſion or uſe.
Thou then who ſeeſt thy Lord's bounty, and who taſteſt the ſweetneſs of the preſent poſſeſſed goods, (with theſe advantages over and above all the enjoyments of the worldling,) enjoyn thy ſelf to rejoice more abundantly in that thou doſt ſo much enjoy; it is warrantable thou ſhouldſt excell them in thy affection whom thou excelleſt in thy poſſeſſion.
5. Other goods are evermore leſſened by their preſence and enjoyment; flowers the ſweeteſt and beautifulleſt, do inſenſibly waſte their ſweetneſs is ſtill expiring until all be gone, their beauty fadeth till they ſhrivel into uncomelineſs: Not ſo here, for we do, or might daily draw out more ſweetneſs, diſcern more beauty, and find greater ſatisfaction in theſe excellent things bequeathed to us by our Lord. The more we are acquainted with them, the more we deſire, delight in, and are ſatisfied with them; they grow upon us in the uſe, continuance, and ſearch after them; what thou haſt of them is a pledg of more thou ſhalt have; view then theſe particulars, and thy judgment will determine. That the excelling worth of the things; the excellency of thy tenure, and right; the excellency of the preſence, and approximation of them, with immutability, ſecurity, ſatisfaction, renewed ſweetneſs, and growing content, do call aloud for an excelling degree of joy and delight in them.