THERE are the Speci­al Seasons of the Par­ticular Duties of the Christian Life, and every thing is beautiful in its Season; most acceptable then to God, Profitable to us, and Fair in the eyes of the World. A Time [Page 2] there is to every Purpose, — A Time to Weep, and a Time to Laugh; a Time to Mourn, and a Time to Dance. It is therefore a great point of Christian Skill and Wisdom, obediently to Time our Duties, as God in his vari­ous Providences directs and com­mands us.

We are very prone to Err in e­very State, and in all our Frames. The Devil is ready to suit his Temptations, and the Corruption within us shows it self variously, but with equal impetuous Lustings, as our Condition and Temper in this changing World do alter. It particularly lusts against the Duty of the present Day, and like an expert Enemy tries to make its advantage of all that occurs, and to divert us from making ours. On the contrary, where the Grace of God is lively and vigorous, it in­fluences to those particular Duties which are peculiarly proper and in­cumbent under present Providences, [Page 3] and the Blessed Spirit of God leads the Happy Souls in whom he dwells, to an instant and zealous application of themselves thereunto.

Agreeably, in the Text a special Precept and Direction is given for our good Conduct in two very different States of Life, and Frames of Spirit. If we are Afflicted and Sorrowful, we are bid to Pray; if our Condition be Prosperous, and accordingly our Spirits Chearful, we are bid to Sing Psalms. The first Rule is suited to all our Me­lancholy Hours under every Grief of mind occasioned by the ^‖ suffering of Evil: In the other, the Occasion of Mirth is supposed, in opposition to the state of Affliction before na­med.

[Page 4] Is any Merry? [...], Is any one of a good, easie, pleasant mind? of good cheer, (as 'tis render'd, Act. 27.36. as the late foundring Ma­riners and Souldiers of Pauls Com­pany, when their fears and distress were over, their Souls calm again after the Storm, nay, transported with an assurance of their Lives.) The sense is plainly this; Does God in his Providence call any one to rejoyce? And God allow­ing or requiring it, is any one joyful? scil. under the smiles of Providence, in the Benefits and Favours of God vouchsafed to him. In this Case the Duty directed to is,

Let him Sing Psalms: which is one part of Divine Worship, and Medium both of Prayer and Praise, but the principal aim of the Ordi­nance is Praise, to which at least the sense must be determin'd here; Prayer having been distinctly di­rected to before in the Case of Sor­row. This is a Spiritual, Devout [Page 5] and Holy Exercise for a Christians Mirth, which else does expire in Froth and Sin. Singing as well as Laughter is a natural expression of Mirth, both among Saints and Sin­ners. Psal. 126.2, 3. Then was our Mouth fill'd with Laughter, and our Tongue with Singing;—The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

Let him Sing Psalms, scil. Those Psalms of Praise which are provi­ded for us by God in his Word; which are so worthy of his inspi­ring, and therefore meet for him to receive; which do so fully an­swer to all the Variety of Mercies that we at any time rejoyce in, and are so powerful to raise in us the utmost sense of them, and the highest Gratitude. For I am not for the freaks of some mens Fan­cies, who love rather to compose Hymns for themselves, (and very silly dull ones too sometimes to my knowledge;) and bring them in­to [Page 6] the Publick Worship instead of Davids: as tho' one shou'd prefer puddle Water to the pure and christal River of the Water of Life, proceed­ing from the Throne on high; for such after all is the produce of our muddy Brain, be we never so il­luminated, sanctifyed, and not in­spir'd, compar'd to the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost; who has in Infinite Bounty and Mercy provi­ded for us this store of pure and raised Devotion, in copious and lofty strains that well become the mouths of Angels; out of which we ought to bring our Offerings to God, because to him we ought to offer our Best, which sure must be His own. If we think other­wise, how insufferable is our vain conceit of our own low and pal­try Inventions? and if we are not so opinionated of our own Com­posure, Conscience will modestly blush and give place.

Suffer me to offer one or two [Page 7] Lessons, which the Text suggests. It admonishes us in the first place, That there is no Time nor Circumstance of Life wherein we may not be Honouring God, advancing in Religion and in Communion with God. Our Christi­an Life neither ever need, nor ought to meet with any Interrup­tion. Afflictions call us to Pray­er, Prosperity ministers matter for Praise: the Apostles care is that the Exercise of Grace be the same under all the Changes of Provi­dence: He knew well our Dan­ger in either Extream, of Sorrow or Joy: He considers our Infirmity and Pravity, how prone we are under Affliction to murmur or de­spond instead of praying, and how apt under the smiles of God to forget God and kick against him, in­stead of giving him Praise: This he warns and cautions us against, giving us a Law how to behave our selves in either Case, so as may turn to Gods Glory and our own [Page 8] good account. The Rules are wor­thy of such a Master, as they were the practice of an equal Apostle, who said of himself, I know both how to be abased, & I know how to abound; every where and in all things I am instructed, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. So wou'd the Holy Ghost in­struct us also, how to serve God and preserve Fellowship with him, how to carry on the proper work of our Lives, and maintain a bles­sed Intercourse with Heaven, whe­ther we are Merry or Sad.

Indeed, every inordinacy of our affections will interrupt it. World­ly Sorrow and Sensual Mirth have one and the same effect: they are necessarily the Intermission of a close walk with God, and conspire in working Death: they offend the Holy Spirit, and provoke him to withdraw from us. Immoderate Sorrows break the vigour of the engaged Spirit, enfeeble and sink [Page 9] it: Intemperate Pleasures sensua­lize it, and it becomes light and frothy: But if our affections be well limited and directed, they do excellently subserve unto the Ex­ercise of Grace. We may be sor­rowful and yet serious, resign'd and thankful; and we may be chear­ful and yet grave, devout and hea­venly. It is utterly an Error to think, that a mournful Spirit does on­ly or best suit Exercises of Devotion: You need not of necessity always get the frame of your Spirit alter'd before you draw nigh to God, on­ly improve the present frame to Serve him withal; for if it be not irregular and inordinate in it self, there are Religious Acts or Servi­ces peculiarly adapted to it.

Many people if they are sad and pensive, are apt to think, this is a serious frame, and proper to help me in Retirement or in pub­lick Worship; but if in a chearful vein, they go abroad to be merry: [Page 10] Whereas they might be as laudably and as profitably now in their Clo­sets or in the Church as before, and it may be rather the more so, because a chearful spirit will go about Religious Duties, as well as Worldly Works, with the more life, delight and zeal.

Let every man therefore in that circumstance of Life wherein he is, Walk with God. Let no State or Frame prove your temptation; but as these alter, remember that the same work is to be carried on not­withstanding, only in a different manner. So that our business is to enquire, and satisfie our selves from the Word of God, what the duty of the present Circumstance or Frame is: Am I now Sorrow­ful? Yet let me not be duller and less active in Religion than before. Or, Am I in a pleasant Humour? Let me not be less serious, less thoughtful of my Spiritual and E­ternal State. Praise may now [Page 11] preserve, continue and increase that Communion with God, which before was carried on by Humilia­tions and Prayers.

A Second Instructive and Useful Lesson suggested in the Text is this: That every Ornament, Gift and Ac­complishment of our Souls is a Talent lent us by God, to be improv'd in his Service, and return'd to him again in way of tribute and acknowledgment. Two Instances there are before us, which I am apt to think are sel­dom consider'd as the Gifts of God, improveable to his Glory, and to be accounted for another day: these are, A Chearful Spirit, and a Musical Ear and Voice.

First, A Chearful Spirit, or Plea­santness of Temper and Disposition, is a precious gift of God, a happy & love­ly thing, and to be used to his Glory. Such a Christian must especially recommend Religion in his Life, as a seal to that Truth, Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness, and all her [Page 12] Paths are Peace. He must beware of Vanity and Froth, and sensual Excesses, to which his Temper will easily betray him. His care ought to be that his Wisdom remains with him in his Pleasantry; and that he never give himself all the loose which his heart may crave, for fear it shou'd run quite away with him. He is inexcusable if he be not often delighting himself in God, and if he make not his Duty minister un­to him Spiritual Joy, when Worldly things serve to his Sensitive. God did not give the Man this sweet. Temper to Serve the Devil with it, & make the ways of Irreligion look Gay; but to adorn his own Holy Doctrine, to shew how pleasant the Road to Heaven, and how bright the Serenity, how profound the Peace, of his Servants Soul may be.

Secondly, Another considerable Ornament and Beauty in any Per­son is, A Musical Ear and Voice; Art [Page 13] and Skill in Singing, and a Genius to relish the Lusty Airs & Strains of Poetry. These also are of great Use unto Devotion, and when devoutly us'd they are truly Great & Charming. God design'd 'em for the Celebrati­on of his own Perfections & Works, tho' to be sure the Devil has scarce ever had so much Honour and Ho­mage from any thing. He uses to attempt the fairest and worthiest part of God's Workmanship, and therefore has labour'd so to engross these; as knowing their Power and Force to serve that Interest they take in with.

The First POEM we know of was a Divine One, Inspir'd in Hea­venly Numbers by the Holy Ghost; & so the First Singing we read of was to celebrate the Triumph of the God of Israel in the Overthrow of Pharaoh: (When had they altogether held their Peace the Neighbouring Rocks and Woods wou'd have cry'd out, and the Dumb Fish of the Sea after their [Page 14] Fright woud have found a Tongue.) We know also of another Song of Moses to be Sung on a more Illustri­ous Occasion: So that the First and Last of Poetry is sacred to God: the Song of Moses begins it, and the Song of Moses and the Lamb ends it in the Holy Scripture; and the Argument of each much the same.

David's Skill is known both in Composing and Playing on Instruments, and in his Psalms and by his Harp Poetry & Musick were both Sancti­fy'd and Perfected.

But since his day how have they been debas'd and debauch't to the leudest as well as the meanest Sub­jects? The Triumphs of silthy Vice have been waited on and adorned, by a Servile and Scandalous Prosti­tution of these lovely Gifts; and Sin has been so set off (like a Fiend transform'd into an Angel of Light) that Multitudes have been taken by its dress, and charm'd into Hell. Very just is the High Resentment [Page 15] of the Abused Nation of late, at this impious Profanation of Powers that shou'd be devoted to God; and Praised even in the Churches in So­lemn manner shou'd the Heroes be, who first ^(a) Encounter'd this grow­ing Prodigy of Sin, and dar'd to take that long despised part and place of the King of Israel, ^(b) to Dance be­fore the Lord, and the returning Ark.

Our Text is an address to every chearful heart, and skilful Ear or Hand, to let God have the Voice he gave and which he claims, to tune our Harps to the Songs of Zion; and not to move a finger, nor lose a Breath in Satans Service. What is so fair in you do not blemish ever, by trespassing on the Rules of De­cency and Vertue. Consecrate [Page 16] your Skill and Muse to God: keep your self pure. Pray and aspire after Davids steady fervent Inclina­tion to the worthiest Matter and Subject of raised Praise, and Sum­mon all your Powers to the Mighty Work: Psal. 57.7, 8. My heart is fixed O God, my heart is fixed, I will Sing and give Praise: Awake up my Glory! Awake Psaltery and Harp! &c.

There is eno' in God for our E­verlasting Wonders and Delights; Eno' Beauty & Perfection shining forth in his Works for all the Copi­ous Tho'ts of Men and Angels too to dwell on for ever. The Lord Redeemer claims the Service of your Mind and Tongue: To Him the Song of Songs is Inscribed, and he Merits Ours. Sing now to your Well-beloved,— Sing of his Deity & Eter­nal Generation, the ineffable Felici­ties of the God-head, and His who was set up from Everlasting, the Fa­thers Daily Delight, and Rejoycing al­ways before him (Prov. 8.30.31.) Sing [Page 17] of his Pleasure & Gracious Delights with the Sons of Men: his Life in our low World and all the Glo­ries of it; His God-like Holiness, and Divine Works of Power and Mercy: Sing of his wondrous Love & Victorious Passion; how he Tri­umphed Gloriously, dying to Rise and Reign for evermore; to take all Power in Heaven, and dispense all Heavenly Gifts to Men. These are the Christians proper Theme, the Life of Jesus whom he Worships; Psal. 142, 2, 3. Let Israel rejoyce in Him that made him, let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King; let them Praise his Name in the dance, &c.

But I will detain you no longer from what the Title Promises: Mirth. A common thing in the World, and seldom seen under a good Regulation; Its Use to Reli­gion (it may be) scarcely imagined or rarely consider'd, but the abuse of it gross and notorious every where.

[Page 18] Is any Merry? The Apo­stle Writes to professed Worshippers of Christ, real or at least visible Saints; he supposes Mirth among them, and in that he does not cen­sure and condemn it, he plainly al­lows, approves and countenances it; much more does he so by sup­posing and intimating, that it may consist with a devout heart, prepare it for some Exercises of Worship, & promote our Fellowship with God in them. Indeed he does not deny that Mirth may and generally does degenerate into Sin: 'tis ordinarily the froth and noxious blast of a cor­rupt heart. Therefore holy Job al­ways fear'd for his Sons, as their times of Feasting came about, lest there shoud have been Sinful Excesses in their Merry Meetings: He sent and sanctifyed them, and offer'd Burnt-offer­ings according to the number of them all.

It is with Mirth as it is with Sor­row: there is a proper, decent, Na­tural Sorrow on many Occasions, [Page 19] and there is a Sorrow which is Worldly & Deadly, and there is a Spi­ritual Mourning, a Godly Sorrow. In like manner, there is a Civil Mirth which is lawful and decent on proper occasions, and there is a Merriment that is Vicious, Fleshly, Hellish, and there is a Joy which is Holy and Heavenly. It highly con­cerns us to know these if we wou'd converse in this Evil World as be­comes the Gospel, so as neither to dishonour it by an Idle Austerity, nor by Licentious Excesses, nor live Stran­gers to its Divine Pleasure. I will therefore Essay to show these three things.

1. That there is a Civil and Na­tural Mirth, decent and lawful in a Christian, and occasionally a Duty.

2. That there is a Carnal & Vi­cious Merriment, to be condemned and avoided.

3. That there is a Spiritual and Religious Joy proper to a Saint; his rich Priviledge, and his Duty to as­pire after.

[Page 20]I. There is a Civil and Natural Mirth decent and lawful in a Christian, and occasionally a Duty. Mirth is good in it self, only it must be used Law­fully: 'tis then profitable & serveth to many Wise ends, and is counte­nanc'd by Religion. The Reason, Manner and Measure of it must be Innocent. No injury must be done by it to God or our Neighbour; it must transgress no Rule of Sobriety, Holiness or Charity; nor unfit us for any Duty we owe either to God or Man. Such Regulations must be observ'd, that it shall neither un-man us, nor trespass on our Christian Character; and then I am bold to affirm not only the Lawfulness, but the Loveliness and Obligation of Civil Mirth.

It were sufficient to say, that we have the express allowance of ^* Scripture for it; and to be sure God [Page 21] does not indulge us in any thing e­vil or indecent. I commended Mirth, says Solomon, meaning a Sober Satis­faction in the distributions of Provi­dence, enjoying the comforts God allows to us: and what he com­mends the Apostle positively com­mands, Rejoyce Evermore. There is a Complectional Joy which we must make allowance for, some being naturally of a more gay and bright Spirit than others; and it is a Su­per-added Gift of God, to the man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and hath given him Power to eat thereof, and to take his Portion, and to rejoyce in his Labour. God of­ten Fills the Perfect mans Mouth with Laughing, and his Lips with Rejoycing, on the account of present & world­ly blessings: God has made me to Laugh, said Sarah, so that all that bear will laugh with me. A most ac­ceptable License, and highly orna­mental of the Christian Life: O [...] thy way, eat thy bread with Joy, and [Page 22] drink thy Wine with a Merry heart, for God accepteth thee herein; Let thy Garments be always white, and let thy head lack no Ointment; Live joyfully with the Wife whom thou Lovest, &c.

Many Reasons might be given in Justification of Moderate Mirth;

As,

1. Were this indecent in all Circum­stances, Nature had not put this Faculty and Disposition into us, and made it so beautiful in us. God has so form'd and fram'd us, and it is his Work; and 'tis most plain that he has grac'd and enobled is Creature in it. For the Countenance of Man is much the more beautiful and graceful for its Smiles: A glad Countenance transforms a man, and makes quite another Person; the Eye has new Life, and the Mein is Superiour & Angelick: Whereas when his heart is sad and his Spirits low, his Face confesses his Original, and his Fall; that like other Creatures he is of the Dust, and is tending thither again. [Page 23] Sorrow of heart shows the Spirit to be broken, but a Merry heart makes a bright Countenance, Prov. 15.13. Then Man appears Without like his First Self; Grave and yet full of Life and delight; so he must needs be tho't to have been in his State of Integrity and Dominion: he Survey'd himself and all about him with unknown Content and Plea­sure; no Cloud hung over his Brow, nor Frown wrinkled it; he walk'd Erect, without a dejected look, and as there was nothing light in his Air and Gate, so there was nothing dull and heavy: he had that Life & Majesty in his face that aw'd all the Creatures, and com­manded fear and obedience from them. God made Man in his Per­fection, and at the top of his proper Felicity; from which he is sunk by Sin, partly because of the Grief that comes of it, whereby we now so often look abject, low and mean; strangly other than what cou'd have [Page 24] possibly agreed to a State of Recti­tude & Felicity; for that must needs be accompanyd with a perfect Internal Delectation of Soul, shin­ing forth constantly in all Looks & Words, and in the whole behaviour. And if this must be suppos'd of Man in his first Estate, then so far as chearfulness can be without Sin, we may conclude 'tis Comely & Or­namental in our present State, ac­cording to the design of our Na­ture, and the will of Him that crea­ted us.

2. If Mirth might not be decent & lawful, our Blessed Saviour wou'd not have ever countenanc'd it, nor wou'd the Joyes of Heaven have been set off by it. It is plain that our Saviour did give Countenance to it, by his Presence at the Marriage in Cana of Galilee. This was the House of Rejoycing, and Jesus goes thither as well as to the House of Mourning: and as he Wept with the Sisters of Lazarus whom he found in Tears, so no question [Page 25] he here partook in the Bridegrooms Joy. The Guests were indeed Select and Heavenly; The Mother of Jesus was there, and both Jesus was called and his Disciples; yet it is not to be doubted but there was Sober Mirth among them, as there was plenty of Wine; Wine that maketh glad mens hearts, and ministers to their Mirth; and lest there shou'd be any want of it, as there had like to have been, he supply'd 'em by his Divine Power. Hereby he sanctify'd the Solemnity and the Joy of it. As also elsewhere he intimates, that Sorrow were improper & indecent at such a time and place: Can the Children of the Bride-chamber Mourn, while the Bride-groom is with 'em?

Moreover, The Joy of Heaven is represented to us by Vertuous Mirth. Let us make merry and be glad, said the Father of the Prodi­gal, who in the Parable is our Gra­cious Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ. We are the Prodigals, who [Page 26] so often spend our first years in Riots and Excess, madly hunting after all manner of sensual Joy, wandring from God, and forget­ful of him; but upon our Repen­tance there is Joy in Heaven among the Holy Angels, which the Holy Ghost thus represents to us— They began to be merry. In Heaven we are told there is the Fulness of Joy and Rivers of Pleasures: 'tis called also the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and the united Accla­mation of the Elect Guests begins thus, Let us be glad and rejoyce.— So then Mirth may be decent and good, since it is a shadow of Hea­ven.

3. Sober Mirth is a duty so far as it is a due acknowledgment of Gods Bounties to us, which do bespeak and challenge it. His Mercies call us to Mirth, we deny them if we be al­ways of a heavy heart and sad face; we in effect say, that we receive nothing from God to make [Page 27] us chearful and thankful: we don't render to him according to his benefits, but act as if only afflicti­ons were measured out to us, and we were Chastened every morning. This were an ungrateful Forget­fulness or Undervaluing of the Fa­vours of God, who in giving Fruit­ful Seasons, designs to fill mens hearts with food and gladness. A glad Spi­rit shou'd be the least fruit of that Divine Bounty which feeds our Bodies. Therefore when Moses had given to Israel the Law of Offering the First Fruits of their Land to God, he adds,—Thus thou shalt worship before the Lord thy God, and thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine House. The nature of a Benefit leads us into the reason of Such a Precept: For shall we receive Good at the hand of God, and not be pleas'd in it? Are Health, Peace, Plenty, Children, Friends, and the afflu­ence [Page 28] of Worldly Enjoyments of little or no price with us? Are they not his rich Beneficence, his Fatherly Provision, his Royal Mu­nificence? How do we acknow­ledge this if we do not rejoyce in it? Do we need none of these things, or do we merit 'em and more at Gods hand? but if freely given without our desert, and ve­ry valuable Mercies in themselves, self-love as well as gratitude binds us to rejoice in 'em. In short,

There is the same reason why we should rejoyce under the smiles of Providence, as there is for mour­ning under its frowns. If when God bereaves us of Mercies he calls us to grief, then when he multiplies 'em, he calls us to Joy. Both have a voice, and ought to be heark'ned to.

4. And lastly, The apparent Ends of Mirth are very good, therefore in it self, & if vertuously regulated, it can't be evil. Mirth is obviously good [Page 29] to many excellent purposes; of great use, service and benefit to us in many respects. As,

First, To refresh and recruit tir'd nature in its work. We are in a state of frailty: a little labour wearies the Body and Mind too; the labour of the Mind is a weari­ness to the Flesh, and the toils of the Body soon tire the Mind. We daily need some respite & diversi­on, without which we dull our Powers; a little intermission shar­pens 'em again. It spoils the Bow to keep it always bent, and the Vi­ol if always strain'd up. Mirth is some loose or relaxation to the la­bouring Mind or Body, it lifts up the hands that hand down in wea­riness, and strengthens the feeble knees that cou'd stand no longer to work: it renews our strength, and we resume our labours again with vigour. 'Tis design'd by na­ture to chear and revive us thro' all the toils and troubles of life; [Page 30] and therefore equally a benefit with the other Rests which Nature has provided for the same end. 'Tis in our present Pilgrimage and Travel of Life refreshing as the Angels provision for Elijah in his sore travel. Prov. 15.15. All the dayes of the afflicted are evil, but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Secondly, Moderate Mirth is of great use to preserve Health. It is both food and medicine; it nou­rishes a healthful Body, sustains and restores the languishing. Prov. 17.22. A merry heart doth good like a Medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. It minds me how the Prophet joyns these two things, Your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish as on herb: There is a natural Influence and Causality in the one unto the other. Cordials serve to cheer and keep up the spirits from sinking; but Nature is the best Physician, it knows what will work most kindly and effica­ciously [Page 31] for its own sustentation; and things unnatural and violent shou'd be the last Remedies. Now we all owe this Duty to our selves, to look after our own life and health; and therefore so far as Mirth may be a necessary & kind Means of that, so far we are ob­lig'd to it by the Sixth Commandment.

Thirdly, Another good Use of Mirth is to cherish laudable Friendship, and to increase Love among Christians. Cha­rity is the greatest Grace, the Apo­stle gives it the preheminence; & this must needs derive a Goodness on whatsoever shall be subservient and instrumental to the advancing such a Blessing in the World. Now it has been found a Means of En­dearment and Love, for Relations, Acquaintance, Friends and Bre­thren in Christ to be free & plea­sant at each others Houses. This was the Use of ^* Feasts from the [Page 32] first Ages of the World; and so the happy Family of Job cherish­ed that mutual delight in each o­ther, for which they were so Ex­emplary: and so the First Christi­ans did eat their Meat with Gladness and singleness of heart.

Religious Friendship, and the pleasure of Saints in one another, is the very Image and Joy of Hea­ven: There Holy Spirits unite, & their pleasure is, as their mutual Love, for ever; both in their Ful­ness. One end of Life and Socie­ty is to increase in Love, & Mirth is both the fruit of Love as well as a means of it: For while we love, we shall rejoyce together; and feel the Psalmists words, How good, and how pleasant is it, for Bre­thren to dwell together in Unity!

Fourthly and Lastly, Another End and Use of Virtuous Mirth is That we may attend holy duties of Wor­ship, in Private or Publick, with the more chearfulness, and to promote Spi­ritual [Page 33] Joy. So in the Text, Mirth helps to the Singing Psalms, and making melody in our hearts to God. A chearful spirit sanctify'd, finds its best pleasure in holy du­ties. Davids ^* Sanguine Temper be­ing under the Regulation of Grace, lead him to his Psalmody. It not only fits a man to work the better in his Shop, to be a more pleasant Neighbour, and a greater comfort to his Family; but it makes him more serviceable to Gods Glory, and acceptable in his sight. God Loves a chearful Servant, (as we our selves also do) to see men love their Duty, and make Meditation, Pray­er and Praise their delight, being never so much pleas'd, as when en­gaged in such Exercises. He likes not to see us go pining or dull a­bout our Work, as if it were our Penance, and a hard Service. It gives a Lustre to Religion to go un­to [Page 34] Gods House with the Voice of Joy and Praise: When it is Pleasant to our Souls, then is God indeed ho­nour'd by us. Now regular Mirth promotes this; the Habit of Chear­fulness does not accompany us just to the doors of the Church, or of our Closets, and there take leave of us; No, it goes with us to our Knees; quickens, enli'vens & makes fervent: the Soul reflecting on its own delightful frame, sayes to it self, Thus will I bless him while I Live, I will lift up my hands in his Name.

As a sad heart goes heavily about business, so a lightsome mind is vi­gorous: and as Worldly Sorrow works Spiritual Death, and carnal Mirth does the same, so temperate Mirth promotes our living Spiritually. Let the Spirit be clouded thro' bo­dily Indispositions, & the Spiritual Life often seems to languish: Good People in that case have sometimes sadly but groundlessly complain'd of the decays of Grace; they are [Page 35] Lifeless and can't go to their knees with half that pleasure and desire they lately did. But it has been the Physicians work, more than the Divines, to administer toward the Persons restoration unto his Sensible Communion with God; which has not been really Interrupted as it has seem'd to be; for let his bodily Distemper be removed, and his de­light in God, and in other things too, returns: Which is a Demon­stration that Chearfulness does greatly subserve unto a holy & re­ligious Joy. In short, Melancholly People commonly make drooping Christians, to the disadvantage of Religion.

These are the Excellent Ends of Sober Mirth; it recruits nature, preserves health, and cherishes both Charity and Devotion: wherein as it consults Gods Glory, and our Neighbours Interest, so also our own present benefit & future Re­ward. And that which is of so [Page 36] excellent Use to us in our Christi­an Life must needs be decent and a duty: As these Ends are Great and Noble in themselves, so must that be which is a Mean of them.

USE. Having thus argued the lawfulness and use of sober Mirth, I will only say this upon it, That it reproves the defect and want of it a­mong many good Christians. The use of it both unto Life and Godliness being manifest, one wou'd have tho't that such a Duty would be readily embrac'd; yet it is rather fled from by some few, either thro' the power of Melancholly, or a wrong notion taken up of Holi­ness. The last is injurious to God, dishonourable to Grace, a scandal to Religion, and mischievous to Mankind. 'Tis a gross Opinion to think the Gravity, Sobriety, Mo­deration and Mortification to the World, which agrees to the Chris­tians Character, cannot consist with [Page 37] Occasional Mirth, or with Habitu­al Chearfulness: Neither the Saints of old time, nor the Apostles after them, nor the Lord, the Saviour of the Church, has taught us any such sour Doctrine.

Men wrong Religion by this ill account of it, and must answer for disparaging the Service of Christ, & giving an ill report of the Land of Promise, as if there were Mon­sters and Giants in the way terri­ble to force thro'. It is the Spirit of Joshua and Caleb that does God and Religion honour; they were for engaging chearfully, and ani­mated others to do so too; but the dulness and cowardice of the other Spies had a wretched influence to dispirit the whole Congregation, who lift up their Voice and wept that night, and were for turning their backs on Canaan. Just as a melancholly Christian wou'd tempt his Neigh­bour to suspect Christianity to be a grievous and morose kind of Life. [Page 38] A most certain way to obstruct the growth of Christs Kingdom; for you know the vain World are stum­bled at any thing that looks this way; therefore turn the bright side to 'em, and let 'em see that you en­joy more pleasure in Serving God, than they can in serving divers lusts and pleasures. It's true, we must not counterfeit or lye for God, but profane men must be told, that they must part with their Lusts, and re­pent of them, and that Repentance is a very bitter Grief, and that the Mortification of those fleshly pleasures they have surfeited on in their past ungodly Life is a necessary Labour, wherein they may expect the pain­ful throws of a violent Death; and if men will go away Sorrowful from Christ upon such faithfulness, there is no Remedy: Only let the dis­heartned Person know too, that this does not infer Christianity to be a Life only of Penance & Sorrow; No, sensual men need only exchange [Page 39] their Pleasures for far better, more substantial and enduring than those they part with; such as become Men, and Heirs of Heaven, in the hopes of which there is a continu­al Ravishment.

Such a joyous Life of eminently good men has been the Means of the Conversion of profane Sinners. Famous is the Story of a Gentleman so Converted in an Inn; he never before knew that Mirth was separa­ble from Profaness & Intemperance; the Mirth appear'd Wise to him, & the Religion that allow'd and go­vern'd it charming. The sad heart­ed Christian seems to be without hope in the World, and so his Religion without Motive or Allurement in it, which were an Effectual Care that it should make no Converts. Let me only ask the pensive drooping Christian,

Is your Master hard, your Work unreasonable? I'm sure you detest the Blasphemy, you tremble at it, [Page 40] and will reply, ‘No, my Gracious Lord, thy Commandments are not Grievous, thy Yoke is Easy.’ Then I beseech you, let your Life say so, and Glorify Christ: don't force People to pity you and to say, — What a Poor Slave goes there! What a Miserable Look has he! What a load of Grief hangs on his Brow! What a dead Eye and Heart has he! Pray, what Tyrant does he Serve? & whats the Drudgery he is put to? O Christi­an, let 'em see that there is such a thing as your Masters Joy, and that on this side of Heaven; that Devo­tion is a good Exercise, that your Meditation on God is sweet, and that Man may eat Angels Food.

Again, Are your Receipts nothing? have you no Calls to pleasure and the Joyous Exercises of Praise and Thanksgiving? Is there nothing delightful in all the good Gifts of God? No? not in the Gospel it self, that Good Tydings of great Joy to [Page 41] all People! But this is an Evil which I have seen under the Sun, a man to whom God has given all outward Bles­sings & Spiritual too in abundance, and yet the obliged Creature has not had a heart to tast the Good of any of 'em.

To add no more,

Is Heaven before you Inconsiderable? (for I speak to such as are bound thither) that One Hope of your Calling, in Hope of ETERNAL LIFE, which God who cannot Lye has promised! Is your Hope poor? the Promises not precious? & Grace (the Unspeak­able Gift) not felt? How do you disparage the Riches of Mercy, by a heavy lumpish Life! how ill a Return to the Lord, who hath done great things for you, whereof you ought to be glad, which should fill your Mouth with Laughter, and your Tongue with Singing.

Men tast not the Blessings of their Sabbaths, nor of their Tables: Manna is raind about us but we [Page 42] want an Angels relish; the Milk and Honey flows but we have no Appetite: O did we tast and see how Good the Lord is, our Eyes wou'd be Enlight­ned; we shou'd rejoyce more in Him and in his Benefits! Pray therefore to God for a Savour and Relish of your Mercies, that you may more love and delight your selves in Him the Giver.

I have spoken of that Civil and Natural Mirth, which is de­cent in a Christian, and occa­sionally a duty.

I now proceed to say,

II. That there is a Carnal & Vici­ous Merriment, to be condemned, abhor'd and avoided. All such Rejoycing is [Page 44] Evil, and Sorrow is better than such Laughter; wherefore this Apostle in another place calls upon such Mer­ry fools to be afflicted and mourn and weep, to turn their Laughter to Mourn­ing, and their Joy to Heaviness. There is a Laughter, of which the Wise Man cou'd not but say — It is Madness, Transporting the Mind beyond the bounds of Sobriety & Reason; and there was a Mirth too in his dayes of which he said, What does it? It does no Imaginable good, but much hurt. This Unprofitable and Per­nicious Mirth I shall endeavour to lay before you and describe the se­veral kinds of it.

1. From the Measure. 2. Man­ner of it. 3. The Timing it. 4. The Object, Cause or Reason of it. 5. Its ill Effects.

I. The Measure of our Mirth may be Prodigal and Intemperate. There is a Mean to be kept in all things. No Excess is Innocent. Mirth may be [Page 45] Immoderate in the degree of it: Excessive loud it sometimes is, and sometimes excessive long. The first▪ is too often to be heard in Taverns, when Drink has intoxicated men and banish'd Reason and Sobriety. They chant to the sound of the Viol, but their own Voice most criminal. Inferiour Mariners especially do give themselves this Offensive licence: the Noise argues a Tube; hollow Creatures that have nothing with­in 'em; no Grace, Wisdom, Con­sideration or Tho't: A Gag is their proper and due punishment.

Length also is a frequent Excess, and commonly is with the other▪ increasing the Guilt and Mischief. Some spend the whole day in a Rant, and continue the Dinn from Morning to Evening. Thus pre­cious Time is wasted in Madness and Riot: that Time which shou'd rather be redeem'd in Retirement▪ and deep Reflections in Silence on their horrid Sins. Men consume [Page 46] their days in vanity, and keep Con­science stunn'd till they pass into their Graves; Death cures their Mad­ness, and at last they are in a State of Silence.

In Short, That Mirth is immode­rate, which exceeds the Intention of Nature. 'Tis design'd to refresh our Spirits in our work, and not to tire 'em and unfit for it. It is easy to over-doe & get a habit of Light­ness: & then the Headstrong beast, us'd to liberty, won't endure the rein again; takes the Bitt in its teeth, and none knows the Compass of its Career. So hard is it to stop & reclaim a Libertine & Extravagant.

II. There is often a variety of Sin in the Licentious Manner of expressing our Mirth. 'Tis sometimes Proud, some­times Profane, sometimes Wanton & Fleshly. Pride puts on a very Pleas'd face when it scorns, derides and in­sults: Disdain is fleer'd from the Eye, and Contempt is in the Smile; tho' [Page 47] indeed Envy and Spite are under­neath the paint; the Look is pleas'd eno' and Gay, but 'tis only Disguize, a forc'd laugh while a man's gall'd and mad at the heart. Profane men Swear alike and Curse, imprecate and blaspheme, whether they are angry or pleas'd, in earnest or in jest. A kind of Merriment as Im­pertinent as it is Impious: that a Wretch can't be over-joy'd to see a Friend but he must curse him, and every cup of drink he gets he damns himself he's so pleas'd, and blas­phemes God the Giver of it. The Wanton mans Mirth is Ridiculous. He layes aside the Man, and the Gra­vity of Reason, and acts the part of a frolick Colt: He roars and frisks and leaps; and lies and throws fire­brands in Jest. Finally, the Fleshly mans Mirth lies in obscene jests and drunken revels. There is a foolish Jesting, which the Apostle names with Filthiness, and opposes it to the giving of thanks; he sayes of it that [Page 48] 'tis not convenient, which might seem a mild Censure, but that he present­ly adds a vehement Inhibition of it, That it be not once named among us as becometh Saints, Eph. 5.3, 4. Frothy Wit is unsavoury and shou'd be in­sipped. The talk is not Season'd with Salt, to minister Grace to the hearers, and is flat and tastless to a chast and healthful Soul. But above all kinds of vain Mirth deliver me from the Drunken Club, who belch out noisy Ribaldry rank of the foul lees with­in. Nabals Mirth, and Folly is in it: 1 Sam. 25.36. His heart was very Merry within him, for he was very drunken. Wine is Mischievous when it inflames Rage, but nothing is so Nauseous as a Merry Drunkard: A sickly sight that no Satyr can severe­ly eno' expose: So ridiculous and fulsome that it wou'd provoke one to renounce Mirth for ever. "Gau­dent Pii, garriunt Ebrii, the good man rejoyces, the drunkard drivels. The flesh does thus pollute our Mirth, [Page 49] and the Manner of expressing it is foul and licentious.

III. Mirth ill Tim'd may for that Reason be Sinful and Vicious. To every thing there is a Season, — a time to weep, and a time to laugh. There­fore that which is decent and law­ful to day, may possibly become in­decent and unlawful to morrow. Times of Affliction are proper for Humiliation and Mourning; Mirth were indecent under Mournful Pro­vidences. Ezek. 21.10. Shou'd we then make Mirth? scil. When the Sword is sharp'ned and furbished for slaughter: i. e. a time of Publick Judg­ments on a Land is no time for Mer­riments among them. Sorrows are forc'd on 'em: Isai. 24.7, 8. All the Merry-hearted do sigh, the Mirth of Ta­brets ceaseth, the noise of them that re­joyce endeth, the joy of the Harp ceaseth, they shall not drink Wine with a Song, &c. God causes to cease from a Place the Voice of Mirth & the Voice of glad­ness. [Page 50] Jer. 7.34. Joy is taken away from the plentiful field, & the wine-press is no more to be trod with shouting. Some are too stout and stubborn to bend be­fore Divine Judgments; their Jolli­ty is a high Contempt and Provo­cation of the Holy God; New woes hang over such, Amos 6.1, 4, 5, 6. Wo to them that are at ease in Zi­on, — that chaunt to the sound of the Viol, — that drink wine in Bowls, — and are not grieved for the Affliction of Joseph. Utter destruction is threat­ned to such, Isa. 22.12, 13, 14. In that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth; And behold joy and gladness, slaying Oxen & hilling sheep, eating flesh and drink­ing wine: — And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of Hosts, surely this Iniquity shall not be purged from you, till ye die, saith the Lord God of Host.

Moreover, Mirth does no ways agree to a Fast-day. Isai 58.3. In the day of your Fast ye find pleasure. [Page 51] Nor common Mirth to the holy Sabbath, v. 13, 14. If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, & call the Sabbath a delight, the Holy of the Lord & Honourable, and shalt honour him, not — finding thine own pleasure, &c. Sports and Pastimes are detestable on the Lord-Day, whoever tolerate and authorize 'em: Work and La­bour is rather sufferable; for to make it a Play-day is worse than not to make it a Rest. More abomina­ble yet is it to see People on the Merry-pin in the very Exercises of Worship; which is to affront the Great God to his very Face, and in his House, which he has command­ed us to Reverence, as well as to Sanctify his Day. Yet we too of­ten see People bring vain and light minds thither. Some can Play and Laugh, as well as others Sleep, un­der that Word, which we shou'd Trem­ble at, because we must be judged by it. How rude is it as well as [Page 52] Profane, not to put on Gravity and Respect in Gods awful Presence, which we do when we come before any Superior on Earth! the God, the Lord our Maker, whom we shou'd bow down and kneel before, whom we shou'd Serve with fear, and Rejoyce in with Trembling! Only Spiritual joy becomes the Sacred Place & Season.

Again, The House of Mourning is no place to be Merry at. Christi­anity requires us to weep with those that weep. A Corpse and a Grave shou'd minister serious and devout tho'ts to us, and sober behaviour becomes a Funeral.

To conclude, A Graceless State is no condition for much mirth. A hard saying, and who can bear it? May not an Unregenerate man be al­low'd to laugh? Is it a Sin to be merry before we are Converted? I mean no such thing, 'tis a tender point & must be warily guarded.

It is easie to observe, that there is too much and Inordinate mirth among [Page 53] Unregenerate men. All excess of wantonness is to be seen among them, as if they had taken offence at Sobriety, and abjur'd all Rules of Restraint: so that confessedly the fault lies on this side, & here's the danger; Levity being one fruit of Natural Corruption.

Yet Occasional Mirth in moderation is Innocent in all men: Else Nature it self must be quarrell'd with, which has fram'd and invincibly dispos'd us for it; and has made it one distinction of mankind from Inferior Creatures.

Moreover, There is a Quiet and chearfulness which is necessary to the preservation of Nature: and without which we never shall in any good measure discharge the Duties of our Respective Places. Now to be sure we may not destroy Nature, nor neglect Duty on any such pre­tence as this,—I have no right to be merry.

But yet the Graceless Person, upon [Page 54] a sober consideration of his State, must needs confess that he has no reason for any more mirth than is necessary to these Ends. For let him but consider what his State is and what his danger: that he is in the broad way to Hell, and under the heavy Curse of God; and is this a condition for him to be merry in? ‘Shou'd we countenance it in a Criminal under Condemnation? Or like to see a Miserable behave himself sportively as he is drawn to the Gallows?’ In like manner, rather shou'd Anguish and Horror seize the Sinner. Delight is not seemly for a fool. The Earth may well be disquieted for this, A Fool when he is filled with meat; & bounds upon it like a fed horse. 'Tis eno' to draw tears from a sober Behol­der, to see the outrageous Extra­vagancies of some wild & careless, frolick people in a doleful, unsan­ctify'd State. But so much of Un­seasonable Mirth.

[Page 55]IV. Mirth ill Plac'd becomes Sin: 'tis evil with respect to the Object, Cause, or Reason of it; and is either altogether idle and impertinent, or malicious and mischievous, or pro­fane.

1. Idle and Impertinent Mirth is e­vil, which is squander'd away we know not on what, nor wherefore. No reason can be given of it, no cause assigned: 'Tis an unaccoun­table Blithness and Jollity, com­mon to many, they know not why, but because they are in a frolick. 'Tis a Noise without sense & mea­ning, without design, and void of Harmony: Eccles. 7.6. As the crac­kling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the Fool. 'Tis below the Reason of a man, who is (or shou'd be) an Agent by Counsel, and shou'd be able to assign some sufficient cause for all his actions; know why he laughs, and why he weeps, and not like a Horse that has no un­derstanding, [Page 56] frisk and leap & bound in a lawless tho'tless Range. A wise man pities and blushes for such Freaks of others: And Na­ture teaches us to think it a cala­mitous sight, when we have be­held a poor Natural sit laughing at his Straws. There is a Disease that shows it self in strange and unrea­sonable Fitts of laughing & weep­ing, but altogether as unhappy & compassionate as some other Ma­ladies: So is Idle Mirth the Di­sease of many a vain heart; a sym­ptom of a sickly Soul, which eve­ry amusement of the fancy com­mands, & tosses about at pleasure.

2. Malicious & Mischievous Mirth is very wicked. It is a sport to a fool to do mischief, he plays with pointed Arrows and Death. His Mirth is injurious and cruel.

He is glad at Calamity, it may be; is merry in the sufferings of others, and sayes—Aye, so we would have it. This is equally against Nature and [Page 57] against Christianity, for both do teach us to weep with them that weep. Job detested the Barbarity, (Job. 31.29, 30. If I rejoyced at the destru­ction of him that hated me, or lift up my self when evil found him:—) & good men have sufficiently felt it; therefore does the Church com­plain so bitterly of the wicked plea­sure of her Enemies; they have heard of my trouble, and are glad that thou hast done it; they pass by and clap their hands; and in like manner does the Psalmist grievously resent it, In mine adversity they rejoyced, yea the Abjects gathered themselves together,— Lord let them not rejoice wrongfully, nor wink with the eye.

Too often people make sport at the defects of others, whether Bo­dily or Intellectual: this also is cruel and uncharitable Mirth. 'Tis abusive & inhumane to make mer­ry at anothers Infirmity, & much more his Misery. A very odd fault, that an Infelicity, and not procu­red [Page 58] neither by enormous lusts, as sometimes men are the guilty Au­thors of their own griefs, shou'd be made such a matter of laughter! That if a poor Innocent, (as some Nations very humanely call 'em) a Miserable whom God has deprived of understanding, do but pass along the Streets, a troop of rude Boyes are after him, abusing him, & ma­king themselves cruel sport; when as they ought rather to weep in pity, and think with themselves,— Did not he that made me in the womb make him?—

I might note also that there is the malicious Joy of the Defamer and Backbiter; the huge satisfac­tion of the Detractor if he can blast a name which he spites. Envy al­so conceives a base Joy, & is high­ly gratify'd in anothers loss; as the Devils high satisfaction was, to ra­ine a happy world, and to make a­nother Race of Beings miserable as himself. Finally; Persecutors please [Page 59] themselves in Blood. The Mourn­ing of Rama, and the shrieks of Smithfield, are musick to some sa­vage hearts. The Guilt of Anti­christ, all whose Gayety and Pomp & Pleasures have been bought with blood, or swam to thro' it.

I will summ up this Head, of bar­barous Mirth, in the sad Instance of Sampson. His Indiscretion & Sin had deliver'd him into the hands of the Philistines, & they had bound him and put out his Eyes; upon which they had a great Holyday ap­pointed to offer a great Sacrifice unto Dagon their god, and to rejoice; and when their hearts were merry, they call'd for their poor Captive to make 'em sport. 'Twas like the rest of their bruitish Religion, and just as cross to true Goodness, as their stock Dagon was to the true and living God, the Immense Spirit. In this he was a Type of our Blessed Saviour, who going to his Cross and upon it, was derided & [Page 60] reviled by the rude Mob. The last Instance this of cruel and mali­cious Mirth, when it insulted the Meek and Innocent Lamb of God: O fatal and impious pleasantry of the bruitish stupid Guards, when they drest the King of Heaven and Earth in scorn of his Kingship, and bow'd the knee to him in Mockery! No doubt, they were wondrous merry at their insolent and barba­rous Game, & the Hall shook with their Hoots and roaring. This is the Mirth that is malicious and mis­chievous, unmerciful and injuri­ous to our Neighbour.

3. There is an ill-plac'd Mirth which is yet more strictly to be called Pro­fane. Either when Sin or when Goodness is the Object, Reason and Cause of it.

First, Mirth is profane when we make our selves merry with Sin. Sin calls for Horror and not Laughter, for tears and not sport: yet 'tis a common thing for Fools to make a [Page 61] mock of Sin. Prov. 14.9. And that sometimes their own Sins, & some­times the Sins of others.

1. It is very profane to make our own Sins the reason or matter of our Mirth; instead of afflicting our Souls for them. Yet this men are often guilty of three ways more especially.

1. Profane men please them­selves in Projecting Iniquity. They raise to themselves a Scheme of what they will do, and the Pleasure they shall find in it, and so their fancies are tickled before-hand with what their Imagination paints, and their Wishes have realiz'd. Thus Murderous Esau. comforts himself with the sweet Revenge he purpos'd, Gen. 27.41. Behold the days of Mourn­ing for my Father are at hand, then will I slay my Brother Jacob. His heart conceiv'd a wicked Joy in Imagi­ning this almost worst of Crimes. The Oppressor and Robber devour all the sweets of Gain before-hand, [Page 62] Prov. 1.11, 13. — They say, Come, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the Innocent without Cause, let us swallow them up alive as the Grave;— We shall find all precious Substance, we shall fill our Houses with spoil. A de­licious Morsel this, on the hopes of which the hungry dog will smile and live a great while. The Rich Fool in the Gospel strangely pleas'd himself in premeditating a long Life of Sensuality and Luxury: the gay prospect transported his sunk Soul: St. Luk. 12.19. I will say to my Soul, Soul, thou hast much Goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink & be merry. And so I might show of the Lewd Heart too, what Scenes of pleasure it paints to it self, what charming Images it forms and ga­zes at, and enjoyes! the Joy of this Sinner is all in Projection, he fancies things that are not, and promises himself what none can give. So the Impudent Solicitress whom Solomon speaks of, gave her [Page 63] Temptation, the gayest Outside that cou'd be,— She tells of the Tapistry, and Carved Work, & the Fine Linnen of Egypt, wherewith she had deckt her Bed; the Myrrhe, the Aloes, and Cin­namon that perfum'd it, and all to flatter the Simple One with a fond Expectation of a Fill and long Solace of Love. This is the Vile Joy of the Projection of Sin.

2. Profane men find a Superior Joy in the Compassing & Committing Sin. Just then their hearts are full of Satisfaction, and they greedily seize their Prey: they Sin in the Heat of blood, while their desires violently carry them to the forbid­den Object; the Sinner is heated & Athirst, drinks eagerly and is pleas'd with his draught; the Stollen waters are sweet, his lust inflaming him as a Feaver within, & tho' the Drought be Unnatural & Mortal, yet its plea­sant to quench it. This is the Cris [...] of their Joy, as it is of their Distem­per, rais'd to the top of their wicked [Page 64] Desires. So the Intemperate man looks on the Wine in the Glass, and Praises its Colour and its Spirits, and when he has sufficiently raised his Own, he lifts up the baneful draught to his Mouth. So do the Unjust snatch and grasp at wicked Gains, and you may see their delight in their Eagerness after 'em, even tho' Conscience & Fear check the bold Robber, & he tremble in the attempt, as it is common to see them. So the Lustful Amnon rush'd with mad desire on his Rape & Incest, had what he so long pin'd after, pleas'd for the moment the curs'd act was per­petrating, but stung with bitter Loathing and Remorse immediate­ly for it.

3. Profane men remember and call to mind their Sins with a wicked pleasure. It is sweet to 'em in the Review, they act over again in Imagination past Excesses which they cannot a­gain come at; as some Creatures fetch up the food they eat & Chew, [Page 65] the Cud; only they are Clean Beasts, and so too good for a comparison here. How Merry are Impenitent men very often in reciting the vain, the leud, the malicious Passages of their Lives? the Injuries they have done to some, the Contempts to o­thers! glorying in their shame and dishonour, to set the Club a laughing. What a Prize has this been some­times tho't, and what a Contest and Vying has there been to carry it? to that degree that many in the World will bely and defame them­selves, and pretend to Impieties which they never had Opportunity for, for the pleasure and delight of being tho't Vile. Others who have out-liv'd their Sin, but not the Will to it, can only surfeit on the Re­membrance of it; and nothing is more sickly as well as hydeous than the fulsome sprightly talk of some Aged People, about the Sins of their Youth. They ha'nt lost the Relish of their long acted follies, and im­potently [Page 66] shew their Will & Joy, tho' to be compass'd no more. This is Profane Mirth indeed! & we may well be struck with Horror at it, that mens Sins shou'd minister it, when they call for their most bitter Sorrows, or will lead to endless Wailings.

2. It is also a Profane thing to make the Sins of Others our Sport. Which men too often do under a double Character, either as Friends, or as Enemies.

1. There is a Profane Approving of Anothers Sin, which is the Guilt of wicked Friends and Companions. This is Evil, and just cross to the Holy Temper of the Psalmist, I beheld Transgressors and was grieved. Yet there are such Merry Clubs, where the Envy'd & Crown'd Hero is he that can tell of most singular Villa­nies, and number up most daring Crimes: and well may he be the most admired (but detested) Mon­ster among them. So (they say) [Page 67] the Devil meets his devoted Tribe of Malice, to hear who has most Serv'd him, and is likest to him, and there bestows the Infamy of his Commen­dation. And these are some of his most natural & finisht Children, the last brand of a Reprobate Mind, and evidence of Vile Affections, who know­ing the Judgment of God, that they that do such things are worthy of Death, not only do the same, but have Pleasure in them that do them.

2. There is a Profane Insulting Anothers Sin, the Malicious Joy of an Enemy. A man lost to that Christi­an Charity, which rejoyces not in Iniqui­ty, 1 Cor. 13.6. So contrary also to that Express Precept, Prov. 24.17. Rejoyce not when thine Enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth. Yet such there are who have no greater pleasure than to twitt, and cast anothers Sin in his teeth; or if they ever hear him com­mended, then to Object it with a wretched spite. How contrary this [Page 68] is unto the Merciful Spirit of our Saviour, might be shown from many Passages of His Glorious Life^*, as well as from the Tenderness of the Covenant of Grace to the greatest Sinners upon their Repentance. There are those also that hate Re­ligion and all that Profess it, and have no greater Joy than to hear of a Professor falling into any Scan­dal; it is Sugar to their Cups to make a Sober man Drunk, & they lay it up as a Memorable Feat, and for a sufficient Triumph all their Life long; nay and it may be as a doughty, Eternal, Unanswerable Ar­gument against God and His Wor­ship for Evermore.

This is the first kind of Profane Mirth, to make merry at Sin; whe­ther it be our own, or other mens Sins.

[Page 69]Secondly, It is equally Profane to make Religion and Goodness the Object of our Mirth: to Play and droll on things Divine and Sacred. And this is either Blasphemous or Con­temptuous.

1. There are such daring Wret­ches as can make themselves merry in Blasphemies. It is dangerous to have one light tho't of God, or of his Word: Unbelieving Sarah laugh't at the Incredible Promise of her Pregnancy, but was severely re­buk'd for it. Yet in our dayes some horrid Creatures dare to do much more than this comes to; they dare to Ridicule the Doctrines of Reveal'd Religion, & the God­head of Christ our Saviour in par­ticular, if not the very Being and Providence of God. What their Grovling Reason can't compre­hend, or what their filthy Lusts oppose, they set their paltry Wits to expose. And now all Revealed Religion must bear their saucy [Page 70] Banter; for so indeed our Modern Deists have been prodigal of Witti­cisms at the Expence of Scripture; and no Merrier fools than these conceited Despisers of the Myste­ries of Christianity. So the Wits at Athens mockt at the Resurrection, and St. Peters Scoffers at the Promise of the Second Coming of Christ; and no doubt but he was in a Rapture who once askt a Christian, what the Galilean was a doing, & receiv'd this answer, that he was preparing a Hell for Scoffers. Such mad fools play with the Thunder, and clap hands at their Imaginary Judge, as if he were but a Name, and the subject of some Romance. They do daily what the barbarous Jews did once to him on the Cross, revile him with a wagging head, art thou he that must save us? But this sport won't last long; the Judgment Day will effectually stop it.

2. There is a Profane Contempt of Sacred Things, which helps the Scorner [Page 71] to a great deal of vile Mirth. I know that those whom I now accuse will plead Not Guilty, and try to excuse themselves from Contempt: they forsooth own a God and his Pro­vidence and his Word, and reve­rence them all; only indeed they have flights of Wit which some people are too grave and dull to be pleas'd with: but this pretence of Respect won't pass, when Con­tempt is plainly expressed. As,

1. To promote Mirth some are often making Allusions unto Texts and Phrases of Sacred Scripture. As if there could be no finisht piece of Farce except the Bible be hal'd in and burlesqu'd! this passes for the Quintessence of Wit with some, and it is easily to be observ'd of them, that let another talk with ten times the Finess and Quickness without such Allusions, and he may pass for a sensible man it may be; but let a rude Dunce blunder out a scur­rilous P [...]n in Scripture-language, [Page 72] and they burst out and clap hands. Good God! that a Christian shou'd treat his Bible thus, which a Turk wou'd not his lend Alcoran! Is it, that nothing is serious and Holy! that the Inspiration of the Holy Ghost can't be polluted! that any foul Mouth has licence to take the pure words into it! has God spoken what is Ridiculous, that it shou'd so entertain us with Laughter! Ve­rily, 'Tis because the Scripture is so very pure; therefore the rooted cor­ruption in Mankind lusts so mor­tally against it, while it bears with the Alchoran because of the Mix­tures of Filthiness in it.

2. The Merry Sinner proceeds on in the next place to scoff at a Serious Profession. And then the Pu­ritan is drest up a Merry-Andrew, & a Fools Coat is patcht together of a thousand lies and calumnies. Or if a Story or two be got of a Devout Persons Impertinence, then woe be to Sobriety and Godliness! it and its [Page 73] Votaries shall suffer for the Indis­cretion of a weak Brother, and the Hoot follows at the Nonsense of all that are not as loose as themselves; as if they wou'd shake down the Churches, as Faith once did the Walls of Jerico by a shout. But more especially, Woe be to the Church-Member, who must now be content to be a Knave and a Fool, and like some Martyrs of old, be dress'd up to be worry'd without pity, nay with all the rude plea­sures of a Bear-baiting. Indeed if the world had not often found it so, we cou'd never have guess'd it possible, that an honest, sober, harm­less life shou'd have ever offended any, or seem'd so Ridiculous! that a man shou'd ever be expos'd to scorn, because he seems to reve­rence and fear his Maker! because he prayes to him, and delights in his Worship! Job 12.4. The Just, Upright man is laughed to scorn.

3. Especially the MINISTRY serves [Page 74] to the profane mans Mirth: When it may be there's no reason besides the Separation to the Service of the Altar. But the Servant is not greater than his Lord; for so did they by our disguised Lord first. We are made a spectacle to Angels & to Men, we are fools for Christs sake, weak & despised; said the great Apostle himself. But our Age has outdone the very Times of Heathenism for Outrages to the Sacred Character and Order: witness what Mr. Col­lier has produc'd the Abuses of the Clergy by the Stage. A very odd Di­version in Christendom, as he very well sayes. The highest Resentment is very just and decent when the Church and its Glorious Head is so grosly Insulted. Our Order have reason to complain of this Usage, be it only of the Nick-names put on us, which our Friends too begin to countenance, tho' they can't but know, that whenever they come in­to play they are Prologues to some­thing [Page 75] that is Ludicrous. Christ is struck at thro' his Servants side, and made the Drunkards Song.

4. And Lastly, Some horribly pro­fane Fools can make Merry at the Judgments of God. As of late the Wretches, that cou'd act the Tempest as soon as the fearful Storm was over that had astonisht Europe, and pro­duc'd amazing Ruines there, at the Recital whereof the Audience Clapt hands: things which the Hair of their head stood an End at in the Morning, and yet droll'd on in the Evening! A Desolation which Poste­rity will remember with awe, and speak of with Seriousness. It is a daring pitch of Sin, but common in the World, that no Voice nor Blow of God can lay mens ribald tongues, nor fright 'em into Sober­ness. Let the Sea roar, & the fierce Winds cast the Waves up to Hea­ven, yet there are profane Mariners that will Drink and Sing on. Let the Murdering Bullets fly, and bury [Page 76] the hardy Souldier in a Mount of dead Companions, yet he'll jest it may be at their fall and maims, and their wild looks in Death. Let God speak in yet louder Thunders, & fill the Heavens with Flames, there are bold Sinners who will not bush their Laughter, nor leave their Cups and their Games. There's not an Aw­ful thing happens in the Neighbour­hood, but 'tis twenty to one some Circumstance shall be found to crack a Jest on. But these Fools-bolts are all shot at Providence, and fasten on the Operation of Gods hand.

I have thus briefly laid before you some Instances of Profane Mirth, plac'd amiss, on Objects that will not bear it. Let it be never nam'd a­mong us, nor said that God and things Sacred are our Game. For if it be Vile to commit Sin, it is dou­bly so to laugh at it when we have done; and if it be Vile to omit to do good, it is doubly so to revile and scoff at Goodness. But this is [Page 77] the Fourth Head, Mirth ill plac'd be­comes Sin.

V. And Lastly, Mirth may be known to be Evil and Unlawful, by its evil Fruits and Effects. As the tree is known by what it bears, the Vine of Sodom by its sour Grapes. Particularly, That Mirth is evil, which is an hindrance of what is Good, or which cherishes & pro­vokes to what is evil.

1. Sometimes it indisposes for what is Good, which it shou'd promote by Ex­hilerating the Spirits. It begets ill frames, and unfits for duty: the temper of Spirit is perverse, and will not be bro't to what is good. Thus, Spiteful Mirth is the death of Charity: The heart that can insult the Miserable is void of all Pity & Beneficence: it won't so much as say, Be ye warmed, be ye filled: Again, Profane Mirth is the furthest point from Repentance and Spiritual Mourning. He that shou'd be Sorrowing and [Page 78] trembling at his own Sins, is hellish­ly sporting himself without fear. Nothing that is good can dwell with this frame. And Frothy vain Mirth is an Enemy to all Devotion. It's hard to recover ones self to So­ber & Devout thinking, or to find delight in Divine Contemplations. It suppresses & stifles the Convicti­ons that were upon the Soul; Con­science is born down, and the Spirit of God driven away by impure Blasts: So pleasures Choke the Word as well as worldly cares, and Yester­day's concern for the Soul is for­gotten. Finally, It takes away both List and Confidence for Prayer: too Se­rious a Duty, and too much a Pri­viledge, for one that has been all the day in a light Spirit: How can he look God in the face at night, or compose himself to a holy Reve­rence!

2. Often it provokes to Evil, and promotes and strengthens Sin in men. It stupefies & hardens men, and by [Page 79] a tho'tlessness of God, they insensi­bly grow fearless. The Jovial Sin­ner comes in a little time to sit under Sermons with the same Levity that he reads Playes with; and 'ere he is aware may come to make a Jest of Heaven & Hell, and all that's Sacred. Profane Mirth runs men into all Sen­sualities; it has a pernicious Influ­ence to make men Shameless in all Immoralities: it hoots Modesty and Fear away. Moreover, It cramps Industry, and is big with Idleness; it affects such Company as are for the Glass and Gaming; it wou'd make the Year one long Holiday, & dooms the Sabbath to Sport & Pastime, as well as the Six dayes of Labour. Finally, Malicious Mirth teaches men to backbite, imbitters 'em against their Neighbours, makes 'em hate 'em with Malignity, and Scorn 'em with Virulence. All this Iniquity it foments in our own Breasts.

Nor is it without an Evil Influ­ence on Others, who behold our vain [Page 80] Conversation. It gives Scandal to the Sober and Temperate, who de­sire to Live Godly; as the Riots of Sodom vexed Lots holy Soul. And it tempts unstaid graceless Minds to run into the same Excesses: they are for this sort of Life, for a Merry and Loose one, and easily prevail'd on to cast in their Lot here; if you only beckon you force him, and he Follows as a Fool to the Correction of the Stocks, till he find his Bane mixt up in these Sweets.

This is the Mirth that is Carnal & Vicious, and as such to be condemned, avoided and abhorred. And the view we have had of it is very Improvea­ble, and of excellent USE for our Conduct and Government: That we be Merry and Wise; that we ac­quaint our selves with Wisdom, while we yet desire to enjoy that Good which is for the Sons of men, all the dayes of their life. It teaches us to rejoyce with trembling, and never to let go that holy Fear which is a Check on [Page 81] our mad lusts. It warns us what a wild thing Joy is in a Corrupted Heart, and with what Care it shou'd be lookt after. It may be a Cue to us in looking back on our past life, and searching out what has been amiss and faulty in our past Con­duct. It may remind us how often our Joyes have been Intemperate, Fleshly, Profane, Uncharitable, &c. We may possibly discover Folly or Malignity, where it wou'd be un­charitable for another to charge it, and where we our selves did not so much suspect it. And all will have this good use, to preserve us from future Errors of this nature, & make us Penitent for those that are past.

And here I might observe, what a Strong Poison Sin is, how cursed its Influence to pervert every graceful Power God has given to man. That ever Mirth, so harmless and inno­cent as it is in it self, shou'd become such a wild and bitter Root, bear­ing [Page 82] Gall and Wormwood! In it self truly a gay and pleasant thing, but now a black & threatning Evil; our Wound and our Blemish, our Grief and our Shame! How dis­torted from their Native Beauty are those Smiles, which shou'd have been both Oil and Wine to us, to make our Hearts Glad, and our Fa­ces Shine. The Devil who is held in Chains of black Despair him­self, envy'd us Ihis which is forbid to him for over: But who cou'd have Imagin'd that it cou'd be turn'd to so much Sin and Mischief! Such a help to Duty into so great an hindrance, and the Pleasure of Life into so great a Curse! Sin is a Blast on all the Works of God, deforms the fairest Angels, and brings most hurt out of the greatest Good. You may part­ly conceive from hence, what the Works of God once were before Sin enter'd, and how strangely al­ter'd and perverted now. Alas! Men have no Conception of their [Page 83] Original Rectitude, and the Use that wou'd have been made of e­very Power in us to the Creators Glory, & our own Felicity.

But because Sin never comes with that force upon us, as when it puts on a face of Pleasure, and invites us to be merry, I shall there­fore add some Rules and Motives to help us to withstand it.

1. Let us Accustome our selves daily to meditate on some serious awful Sub­ject or other. Inconsideration is the Cause of mens Levity and Licen­tiousness; or rather it is from the possession which one Triffle or a­nother takes of the mind; where­by it is Engross'd and swallow'd up of vanity. But did we suffer our tho'ts daily to dwell upon some se­rious and Holy Subject; did we re­alize God present with us, his eyes fastned on us as a severe Observer and Judge; it would thicken our flowing Blood, and cool our Fever. Did we calmly take a view pretty [Page 84] often of our Sins as they are linckt to amazing Consequences, even to a Judgment-day, wherein we must give an account for every Idle word; our own hearts wou'd as often call upon us in the words of the Apostle James, Be afflicted, and mourn and weep! let you Laughter be turn'd in­to Mourning, and your Joy into Hea­viness. To conclude, Let your Souls and Eternity come often to mind, and think with your selves, I have an unseen part to look af­ter, of an Invaluable Price and E­verlasting Duration, the Danger of losing it is great, and the Time of Saving it very short; and am I I­dling and Playing with my Soul in my hand, and it may be but a sand or two more in may Glass to run? O my Soul, it highly imports one hastning into Eternity to be Se­rious!

2. As Mr. Baxter advises, Lay a good Foundation for Joy in Repentance, and by securing an Interest in the Lord [Page 85] Jesus Christ. This will both go­vern our Mirth well, and be a Li­cence and Warrant to us to rejoyce. Let every man prove his own work, & then shall he have rejoycing in himself, Gal. 6.4. Stay till your Souls be safe, and then be as merry as your daily Reviewing your Evidences for Heaven can Inspire you. What quiet or ease belongs to you till you begin to return to God, & to seek safety under the Wings of Christ. Then God himself will take part in your Mirth, as it is represented in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, after his happy Recovery from his Ri­ots, Luk. 15.23, 24. Let us eat and be merry, for this my Son was dead & is alive again, he was lost & is found: And they began to be merry.

3. Be constant in Secret Prayer, and therein daily renewing your Repentance. This will leave a seriousness on the Soul, and keep a man in the fear of God all the day long. He that in his Retirements has been confessing [Page 86] and bewailing Indwelling Sin, and all the cursed fruits of it; fervently praying too for the Spirit of Holi­ness, the Mortification of every Inordinate Affection, & to become dead to the world, will find little heart to fall in with mad Merri­ments that day. Watchfulness fol­lows serious Prayer; It also be­gets in the Soul a Contempt of the wild Freaks, which the carnal heart loves. It makes a man look upon 'em with a Generous Pity, or a Noble Disdain.

4. Guard against the Sins of Sensu­ality more especially, & shun Evil Com­pany. The First are the Fomentors, the Last the Favourers of & Assist­ants in Vain Mirth. Sensual Lusts are made up of Levity; they ad­mit of nothing thats Grave & So­lid, no not a single Tho't; their Life and Empire depends on the Exile of this; for Reason is really Sedition and Conspiracy against the Reign of Sin: if we ought to [Page 87] live to the Flesh, verily Conscience and Reason ought to die as Irre­claimable Traitors.

Morever, These Sensual Lusts love Company: Men can't Game, and Drink, and be leud and laugh Alone! they provoke and spur on one another by Evil Communicati­on, which is very Infective, & un­speakably depraves while it is hear­k'ned to: As the Eyes of the Basi­lisk kill, so Attention does here, the deadly Poison is convey'd in the Sound. Where is Profaness & Li­centiousness taught and propaga­ted, but in these Clubs, which are the Devils Schools, and some Profi­cient in his Works sits, as Master, at the Head of the Table. As there­fore you wou'd retain any spark of Seriousness and Modesty, as you wou'd not that Folly, Play and Vanity shou'd devour all your Tho'ts and Time, O give no Coun­tenance to Sensual Companions and their Courses. You'll find it [Page 88] impossible to keep up an Intima­cy here, and be Serious too; tho' it may be there's many a Soul that's gull'd by promising it: He ventures at first into vain Compa­ny with a wrong and false notion of them and their Wayes, as not so guilty neither as some do report 'em to be; or at least he promises for himself to preserve a Decorum among them, and let 'em see that one may be Jocund and Innocent: But how vainly is this pretended! he finds their Breath a subtle Poison, that imperceptibly Sheds it self in­to all his Veins, and he comes out from them as very a Rake as the worst.

5. Call often to mind the Afflictions you have gone thro', and the Frames you were in when these were upon you. Then you were serious, & tho'tful for your Souls and another Life: then you had a sensible Convicti­on of the Emptiness of this World, and could find no Pleasure in it.: [Page 89] then your past Merriments were tastless and nauseous to you, and stung you with Remorse: then you wish'd you had those days of Va­nity to live over again & Redeem: then you cou'd have felt Comfort from a sober and temperate, a Spi­ritual & Heavenly Life past: then you reproach'd and curs'd your past pleasures of Sin, and said of Laughter, It is Mad. O judge of vain Mirth now by what your Con­science spake upon, the Sick-bed: You were then far from lavish Mirth, you promis'd to be more temperate in your Joyes if ever you recover'd, Sobriety then look'd Manly to you, and Godliness was infinitely Amiable and desirable: never forget those Apprehensions of things, and they will be a con­tinual Check, and a faithful Di­rectory. Remember, These were your wise and sober Hours, now was your Judgment Unbyass'd, & your Sight clear and distinct. It [Page 90] was in his deep Affliction that the Prodigal came to himself, he was out of his wits before in his Riotous Life. Lust and a Fever alike make the head giddy and light; when the Rod of God (which is Medi­cinal) layes our Fever, our Rea­son returns.

6. And Lastly, Set the Life of the Blessed JESUS before you, & by it cor­rect and reprove your Excesses. Did our Holy Savior, whose Steps we ought to tread in, leave us any Coun­tenance for Intemperate Mirth? Was there the least shadow of it, the least Inclination to it in his Life? On the contrary, how Au­steer & Mortify'd was it! In what subjection kept he his Body and Passions! In what Contempt had he the World and all its Glories! How wide did he keep from it! His Conversation was Above, his Nights he spent in Prayer, his Days in doing good! in God-like Acts of Mercy, many as the Miseries of [Page 91] Men; the Needs of their Bodies, and of their Souls.

Indeed there was nothing Morose and Sour in the Conversation of our Lord: and I wish we cou'd learn from thence, and alwayes remem­ber it, that Evangelical Holiness and Mortification do require no such thing of us. He was Cour­teous, Obliging, Affable to all that sought unto him; only Severe & Inexorable to mens Sins. 'Tis true, we read of his Tears, but ne­ver of his Laughing; and his Style was—A Man Sorrows: Yet we know also he did not shun Mirth on proper Occasions, nor censure it in others. I have already ob­serv'd, how he honour'd the Joyful Solemnity in Cana with his Presence; wherein he sufficiently countenan­ced Regular Mirth, & indeed san­ctify'd it; for it wou'd be silly to question whether the Guests were Merry there; there was the Joy of the Bridegroom, and his Friends re­joyced [Page 92] to hear his Voice; but then a­gain it wou'd be Audacious to sup­pose there were any Indecent Irregular Mirth there; No Back­biting, no Scornful Fleering, no foolish Jesting, no Profaness, no rude Laughs with their Wine. To conclude, If we ever find our selves in a licentious Vein, ready to be carry'd away by flowing Mirth, let us bethink our selves of our Character and Relation to Christ; Is this as becomes a Christian? did the Life of Jesus teach me this? shou'd his Professed Follower give himself this loose? For he hath not called us unto Uncleanness, but unto Holiness: therefore let us who are of the Day be Sober.

Suffer me yet to lay two or three CONSIDERATIONS before you, to deter men from playing away their Souls.

1. Consider Seriously what a Shadow [Page 93] Sinful Mirth is. What is there of substance in it after all? What has a man enjoy'd at last? It is Contingent, Mutable, mixt with pain, dash'd with sorrow, and ve­ry fleeting. As Children blow up gay Bubbles in the Air, which va­nish in a minute. Or as Solomon makes the Comparison, Eccl. 7.6. As the crackling of Thorns under a Pot, so is the Laughter of the Fool; this also is Vanity. His Mirth is like that Insignificant Noise, con­fus'd and soon over.

In the gayest part of Life his Mirth is mixt, Sunt quaedam tristes Voluptates, say Seneca: there are imbitter'd and sour'd Pleasures▪ but we have a greater witness than his that there are so: Prov. 14.13. Even in Laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the End of the Mirth is Heaviness. Some sudden Judgment may put an untimely Period to it, and long sorrow [Page 94] may succeed it. Or the Sinner may long out-live the Relish of what he now surfeits on: At the Venerable Barzillai's Age will he discern between Good and E­vil? Will he taste what he eats? Or be able to hear the Voice of Singing-men, and all their soft Airs? Deaths hasty Advances wou'd spoil all if he cou'd. Na­bals Mirth, and struck dead to Mor­row! And what becomes of the Fools Mirth as he dies! What Profit or Comfort! It is remem­ber'd with shame, and bitter in Reflection: Tho' Wickedness was sweet in his Mouth, yet his Meat in his Bowels is turned, it is the Gall of Asps within him. Truly the Triumphing of the Wicked is short, and his Joy but for a moment; it flies away as a dream, and is chased as a Vision of the night.

2. Consider Soberly what those Ver­tues are which Sinful Mirth trans­gresses [Page 95] and fights against, and where you will end. It will scandalize you at this Folly, if you are not lost to all sense of what is Good and Comely, to see what it is, you declare against, and to what de­grees of Impiety it tends. You declare against Sobriety, Charity, Purity; the Fear, Reverence and Worship of God: And are you indeed the professed Enemy of these? Do you design to be this Libertine? Believe it, loose Mirth will soon run you to all this length. It is an Inchantment, and you can't break it when you list. It is like Some Mills that ha­ving got the least hold of a man draw in the whole Body. The Disguise of all Sin is Pleasure, and a Bewitching one it is.

3. Consider, In thy Vain Mirth thou thy self art the Sport of Satan, and the Pity of Heaven. You gratifie and please the Devil, but every [Page 96] Wise and Good and Happy Crea­ture pities thy madness and dis­traction. There is a Cruel Sport I have seen in the World, that goes under the guise of Compassi­on, and Mercy; scil. A poor Na­tural kept in a Rich mans House, whom they daily make themselves very merry with: I know no Condition of Life more to be de­precated, and yet truly I know no more just Comparison, where­by to represent the deplorable Circumstances of the Jovial Sin­ner; only the Devil who in a sort begs and keeps him, feeding his Lusts, and provoking him to his follies, does it with a more malicious pleasure.

4. And Lastly, Consider the sad work which Sinful Mirth makes for Repentance, or the Sorrow that will come of it for evermore. The man is mad, who thinks the pleasures of Sin can ballance the pain of [Page 97] Repentance; were he sure of the Grace to repent. He knows not what Remorse is, nor how heavy the Hand of God may lie; nor how the swallow'd Poison will sting and rend 'ere it be cast up. One drop of Divine Wrath is so fiery, that if you cou'd mix it with an Ocean of Sensual Mirth, yet it were not sufferable. The disgor­ging there pleasing Draughts of Sin is an uneasie thing; but the utter and extream Griefs that attend Im­penitence are amazing to think of. A sad Change of Note will soon be in this Case, and an un­equal portion of Sorrow for a little empty Mirth! This for a day, that for ever! this Imperfect for the Moment it lasts, that Insupporta­ble for Weight as well as for Dura­tion. Our Sensual Pleasures will be soon forgotten here, or then Memory will add to our Tor­ments, and raise the more Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth for ever. And [Page 98] very often there is a sad Prologue to these, and men are bro't to mourn despairingly for their In­temperate Joyes before they go down into Hell: Prov. 5.11, 12. And thou mourn at the last—and say, How have I hated Instruction, & my heart despised Reproof! And have not obeyed the Voice of my Teachers, nor inclined mine Ear to them that In­structed me?

I Have spoken of that Natural and Civil Mirth, which is de­cent in a Christian, and Occa­sionally a Duty; and also of [Page 100] that Carnal and Vicious Merriment, which is to be condemned, abhor­red and avoided; and now I pass on to say in the Third & last place,

III. That there is a Spiritual & Re­ligious Joy, proper to a Saint; his rich Priviledge, and his Duty to Aspire after. A Joy which the Carnal heart knows nothing of, which the World can't give, nor can it take away. The Good Mans Priviledge & Pro­perty: Light is Sown for the Righteous, and Gladness for the Upright in heart: And the Good Mans Duty, which is often requir'd in the holy Scrip­ture. Be glad in the Lord, and Re­joyce ye Righteous. Rejoyce in the Lord Alwayes. Rejoyce Evermore. Let not your hearts be Troubled.

It is a Joy on Spiritual Accounts, Spiritually Felt; and Spiritually Expressed: the Author, Object, Sub­ject and Means of it are all Spiritual.

For Kind and Degree of Pleasure it is far away Superior to all Sensitive [Page 101] and Worldly Joyes; even those of Harvest and of Victory, which ever were named among the loudest and most Triumphant Exultations: Isa. 9.3. They Joy before thee according to the Joy in Harvest, and as men rejoyce when they divide the Spoil. Yet These are below any Comparison with the Gladness put into the Psalmists heart by the Light of Gods Coun­tenance: Psal. 4.6, 7. There be many that say, Who will shew us any Good? Lord, Life thou up the Light of thy Countenance upon us! Thou hast put Gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their Corn & Wine increased.

In Discoursing of this pleasant and Heavenly Enjoyment, I will, 1. Speak of its blessed Author. 2. The happy Subject of it. 3. The Glori­ous Object of it. 4. The Subordinate Causes and Means of it. And 5. The Proper and Natural Expression of it, as directed unto in the Text: Let him Sing Psalms.

[Page 102]I. The Blessed AUTHOR of this Holy and Spiritual Joy is GOD THE HOLY GHOST. 'Tis a Divine Delight excited in and imprinted on the Soul by the Holy Spirit. This agrees to his Style & Office, the Com­forter; and hence we read of a Walking in the Comfort of the Holy Ghost. 'Tis He breaths and diffuses the Joyes of Holy Souls; 'tis He Creates in us every heavenly Grace and Pleasure: Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy & Peace. Now where these are Shed abroad by the Holy Ghost, there must be Pleasure without Allay, and Brightness with­out a Mote to shade it. Are the Con­solations of God Small? said Eliphaz to Job. Can they be so, when He is Infinite? His Consolations must be Vast and Ineffable as Himself, when it pleases him to vouchsafe 'em. As the Ocean they are Wide and Deep, and there are Seasons for their Swelling Tides: the Capacious, the Exalted, the Refined Spirit of [Page 103] Man Sanctify'd cannot fully Con­ceive of, and much less speak its own Spiritual Tasts.

This is eminently true of the SEALING from the Holy Spirit of Pro­mise, & his Bearing Witness with our Spi­rits: Of which Divinest Priviledge it were easy to Speak Great & Glo­rious Words, but all below what plain and humble Saints have felt: Especially what they have some­times spoken in their Dying Extasies has been truly Marvellous; their Words too narrow to express their Sense, their Sense too Inward and Vast for the Living to apprehend, but who have also been Dissolv'd in Rais'd Devotions. Unutterable thing, even to the rap't Saints themselves, as the Words of Paradice were to the Descended Apostle! Omnipotent De­lectation! that has so taken away the Sense of Pain in a holy Martyr, that the very Flames have not been felt! The Ravish't Mind, taken up with its own Fruitions, being not [Page 104] able to attend unto the Tortures that destroy'd the Body; tho' the Union so strict and Intimate, & the Sympathy on both sides so tender, yet the Soul has forgot it, being Intent on higher Objects, and sensible of no Union but to God the Supream Good! As Calm at the Stake, as E­lijah ascending in his Chariot of Fire: they have Smil'd out their Souls, and bless'd their Tortures.

Next unto this, and Subordinate unto it, is the Testimony of CON­SCIENCE for us; of which the A­postle sayes, 2 Cor. 1.12. Our Rejoycing is this, the Testimony of our Conscience. Our Rejoycing, — He speaks not of the vain Joyes of the Ungodly; they are Strangers to this, and Intermeddle not with it: A Joy peculiar to the Children of God, and which no Graceless heart can have: A Spi­ritual Joy, spoken of as the highest, best & chief Joy of Man. Our Re­joycing, — That which is Eminent­ly Ours; compar'd to which nothing [Page 105] else is meet to be named so; which affords us our proper and fullest Sa­tisfaction and Delight. This is from the Testimony of Conscience; i. e. That is the Cause, Ground & Reason of this Joy; what Warrants it, & what Constrains it; being the Voice of God Himself, whose Substitute and Representative it is, and gives its Testimony of Infallible Knowledge, with Invincible Integrity, and with Irresistible Majesty and Authority. So an Eye Witness affirms with Bold­ness: Act. 4.20. We cannot but speak the things which we have seen & heard: And so a Judge absolves with Pow­er. Conscience is a Soverain Com­forter: † ‘It does not Whysper, but Proclaims a Jubilee; it does not Drop but Pours Oil into the Wounded Soul:’ It does not Beg and Intreat, but like a Lord bids, & it is done; as our Saviour said to the Stormy Sea, Peace, be Still; and there was a great Calm: Its Sentence is Peremptory, and Forces Joy if it [Page 106] be for us; No man can refuse to credit and reverence his own Con­science; As if the Sun rises it will be Day, so the Soul is Serene and bright if that applaud us. It was a strange but happy Saying of Luthers to this purpose, ‘Miser fit qui possit, Ego non possum; Let him be Mi­serable who can be so, for my part I can't:’ Meaning, that his Con­science wou'd not Suffer him to think himself so.

No Outward Troubles can take this Joy from us, as indeed the World cannot give it; but 'tis the Sure Sanctuary and Impregnable Fortress which the Good man has to retire unto, when Providence drives him out of his Out-works: Here he has Safety and Peace, and from hence he can look down boldly and calmly, nay with pity on the Evils & Ene­mies which do Besiege and Assault him. So Job did when Satan had spoil'd him of every thing but his Integrity; This he held fast & immur'd [Page 107] himself in it, My heart shall not re­proach me so long as I Live. And he cou'd bear it with less Patience that his Friends shou'd endeavour to beat him out of this his Last Retreat, than if they had joyned with the Ravagers of his Goods. 'Tis a Noble Tho't of Dr. South, who likens Afflictions in such a case to Frost, when it seises some Generous Wine; it may congeal the Waterish parts of it, but the Spirit Retreats into it self, and won't freeze. So firm and free from Impression is the Conscience of a Good Man sometimes, when Calamity arrests his Name, Family, Body, Estate, &c.

To return from this small Excursion.

II. The happy SUBJECTS of this Holy and Spiritual Joy are only Holy People, in their holy Frames, and in the actual Exercise of Grace. It is Spiri­tually felt, by them that have Tasted that the Lord is gracious. Only the Renewed Mind knows it: 'tis the Good of Gods Chosen; the Gladness of his [Page 108] Nation; the Glorying of his Inheritance. 'Tis the Illustrious Manifestation of the Empire of Grace: Rom. 14.17. The Kingdom of God is Joy in the Holy Ghost. Never is the Soul of a Saint more carry'd forth to God, than when this Joy fills him. His Love, Reverence, Admiration, Desire, Hope, are in their highest Exaltati­on. 'Tis the top of Devotion; the Soul whom God has Sanctify'd rais'd in Meditation, Self-Examination, Prayer and Praise. A Heavenly Enjoyment truly, and the temper of the Blessed for ever! The Per­fect Spirits in Heaven have this Joy in its Fulness, and the Prelibations of it are their Peculiar, who are hasting thither. We read of JESUS his Rejoycing in Spirit, Luk. 10.21. And the Blessed Virgins Magnificat we know of, (Her Joy, like the Favour of Heaven to her, strictly Singular;) Luk. 1.47, 48. And Mary said, my Soul doth Magnify the Lord, and my Spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour. [Page 109] I might name another Happy Mothers holy Joy, but the Instance less Bles­sed than the Former, scil. the devout Mother of Samuel: What her Trans­ports were let her Song tell us, at the Presenting of her Wondrous Son; Her Prayers and Vows which had obtain'd him came to Mind, & her Soul was Exalted and over joy'd: 1 Sam. 2.1. And Hannah Prayed and said, My heart rejoyceth in the Lord, mine Horn is exalted in the Lord: &c. David was eminently fitted for, and often favoured with this Heavenly Enjoyment, thro' his frequent and excelling Devotions; and his Psalms do abound with the most lofty Flights of it that can be. Of this Noble Order are they to whom Heaven Vouchsafes its Vi­sits, and its Streams of Light: the Ungodly can have no such Favour done 'em, for what Communion hath Light with Darkness? This Spiritual Joy might then possibly break in­to Hell too, and relieve the Mise­rable [Page 110] there. But 'tis indeed the Childrens Bread, not a Crumb where­of is thrown to the Dogs; They like their Lord before them have Meat to eat that others know not of: Christ gives 'em to eat of the Hidden Man­na, the peculiar portion of the New Name, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. Judas, not Iscariot, cou'd not conceive of this till the Comforter taught him it: Joh. 14.22, 26. Lord, how is it that thou wilt ma­nifest thy self unto us, and not unto the world? This may be called one of those Deep things of God, which no man knoweth, but the Spirit of God: — As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have enter'd in­to the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that Love him. 1 Cor. 2.9, 10, 11, &c. I might very properly transcribe the rest of that Inward and Spiritual Discourse: But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit; adds the Apostle: For what man knoweth the things of a man, [Page 111] save the Spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God know­eth no man, but the Spirit of God: Now we have received, not the Spirit of the World, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God: Which things also we speak, not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual: But the Natural man receiveth not the things of the Spi­rit of God, for they are Foolishness unto him, neither can be know them, because they are spiritually discerned: But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man: i. e. ‘of no man who has no higher Prin­ciple than that of Nature to dis­cern things by.’ The Allusion is plain and pertinent, and needs no Com­ment. The happy Subjects of Spi­ritual Joy are only Gracious Saints, in some of their best Hours.

III. The Glorious OBJECT of this [Page 112] Holy Joy is GOD our Maker, and the LORD JESUS CHRIST our Savi­our. GOD is the Delectable Object: Absolutely so in Himself, possessing every Adorable Excellency; but more especially is he so to us, con­sidered Relatively as our God and Father in Christ, and Everlasting Portion thro' him. The Holy Psal­mist calls him his Exceeding Joy, & agreeably professes and promises^*, I will be Glad & Rejoyce in Thee: Our heart shall rejoyce in Him. We are also commanded to delight our selves in the Lord. Psal. 37.4. And a like Direction we have, Psal. 149.2. Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him, let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King. A most grateful Precept, and blessed Licence, and possible only to a Saint; the Holiness & Power, Truth and Righteousness of God being most terrible to the Wicked to think on.

[Page 113]The PERFECTIONS of the Deity are most Amiable & Pleasant to the Contemplative Mind. The Goodness and Mercy of God are so, Zech. 9.17. How great is his Goodness [...] how great is his Beauty! Psalm 31.7. I will be glad and rejoyce in thy Mercy. So is the Divine Power: Psal. 21.13. Be thou Exalted, Lord, in thy own Strength, so will we Sing and Praise thy Power. There is a Divine Pleasure in Contemplating the Holiness of God: The Seraphims feel this, (those Fires of Heavenly Zeal, and Love and Joy!) and they cry alternately, Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of Hosts, the whole Earth is full of his Glory: to whom the joyous Saints on Earth do Eccho back, Psal. 99.5. Exalt ye the Lord our God, and Worship at his Footstool, for he is Holy.

But especially,

These Divine Attributes are Beau­tiful in their Union and Harmony; and in the Meditation of the In­finitely Blissful State resulting thence. [Page 114] Here is Infinite Majesty, Dominion and Power, Everlastingly possess't by Eternal Goodness, Wisdom, Ho­liness & Truth; from whence In­effable Blessedness must necessarily arise. And what shou'd be the Joy of every Created Mind, besides this Glorious and Blessed Being? every one of whose Essential Attributes shine bright to our Understandings, and ravish 'em in their humble Ad­mirations and Adorations! Psal. 96.6, 7, 11. Honour and Majesty are be­fore Him: Strength & Beauty are in His Sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye Kindreds of the People, Give unto the Lord Glory and Strength. Let the Hea­vens rejoyce, and let the Earth be glad; let the Sea rore, and the fulness there­of; let the Field be joyful, &c. So while the Sun dazzles our weak Eyes, yet 'tis Pleasant to behold it, and the Light is Sweet. So are the small Gleams of Divine Light to the holy Mind; My Meditation of Him shall be sweet, I will be glad in the Lord.

[Page 115] Mediately we rejoyce in God, while we do so in the Contempla­tion of his WORKS and of his BE­NEFITS. The Invisible things of Him from the Creation of the World, are clearly seen, being Understood from the things that are made, even his Eternal Power and Godhead. And how we shou'd Joy in Him, in the Meditation of his Glories as they shine forth in the Works of CRE­ATION, we may best learn from many of the Inspired Psalms ^‖ which celebrate the Great Creator in lofty & sublime Expressions comporting with his own Immensity and Un­approchable Light.

The like holy Joy arises from a Devout Apprehension of Gods Governing PROVIDENCE, and a religious Trust therein ^†. Hence come Security & Confidence. Psal. 5.11. Let all those that put their Trust in Thee rejoyce, let them ever shout for Joy, because thou [Page 116] Defendest them. There may well be Ease and Quiet, Delight & Glad­ness under Gods Paternal Care: His Shadow refreshes, & His Wing warms and cherishes whom it covers: Psal. 63.7. Because thou hast been my Help, therefore in the Shadow of thy Wings I will Rejoyce.

Moreover, The BENEFITS where­with God daily loadeth us, even our most Common Mercies under a Spiri­tual Improvement, do yield us Di­vine and Holy Joy. They minister it unto our Humble, Thankful, De­voted Souls, while we consider 'em as coming from God, utterly unde­served by us, and Improveable to his Glory. So the Pious Jew re­joyced Spiritually when he offer'd his First-Fruits; the whole Form of which Solemnity is truly Expressive of the proper Spirit of a THANKS­GIVING-DAY; Namely, How we shou'd rejoyce Spiritually in the Common and Outward Benefits of the Lord our God to us: Deut. 26. [Page 117] 10, 11. Thou shalt set it before the Lord thy God, and worship before the Lord thy God: And thou shalt rejoyce in every good thing, which the Lord thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy House. So were they to Sacrifice the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving, and to declare his Works with Rejoycing. And so ought we to be doing, every one Apart for his Personal and Family Mercies, and with United Voice for those of a Publick Nature. Holy Joy is Es­sential unto, and Inseparable from the Spirit of true Thanksgiving: that is for Mercies received, to express our Joy in 'em, in Praises for 'em.

But SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in Heavenly Things in Christ our Lord, are eminently the Object and Cause of a Religious Joy: they are so where they are duly apprehend­ed and Resented.

CHRIST is both the Author & Ob­ject of the Believers Joy. And most justly, being the Unspeakable Gift of God to a Miserable World, & the [Page 118] Fountain of all Mercy and Saving Good to lost Sinners. Consider Him in his Glorious Offices, in the Illustrious Work of Redemption which he has undertaken and finished, & in his precious and Inestimable Be­nefits, contained in the Covenant & Promises of the Gospel, the Pur­chase of his Obedience and Death, and we have indeed Great Joy in him in all Respects! In such a Pro­phet! We rejoyce in his Light. In such a Merciful High-Priest! Rom. 5.11. We joy in God thro' our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the Atonement. In such a King & Law­giver and Judge! He shall Save us. In such an Advocate! verse 2, 3. By whom also we have access by Faith in­to this Grace, and rejoyce in Hope of the Glory of God. The Joy of Faith & Hope, of Prayer and Praise, of e­very Evangelical Grace and Duty, (hereafter to be Enumerated) does all Ultimately center in Christ the Saviour. Phil. 3.3. We are the Cir­cumcision, [Page 119] which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoyce in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh.

Well did the Angel say to the Shepherds, I bring you good Tidings of GREAT JOY, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE: for unto you is born this day in the City of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Our Father Abraham rejoyced to see that Blessed Day; He saw it and was glad. De­vout Simeon waited for this Consola­tion, and at last had it in the Tem­ple, where he took the Holy Child in his Arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy Servant de­part in peace,— for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation.—

So then, Our Rejoycing may be MORE ABUNDANT IN CHRIST JESUS, to borrow the Apostle's Words; but that must needs depend upon an Assured In­terest in Him, and a Title to the Bles­sings of the Covenant of Grace. And the Divinest Joyes flow from [Page 120] this, Namely, from a sense of Gods Eternal Love to us in Christ, that he has pardon'd, accepted & justi­fy'd us in his Son. This is that Lo­ving-kindness which is better than life. In this our Saviour bids us to re­joyce, scil. That our Names are writ­ten in Heaven. The Joy of Christ Himself is in his Exaltation, Ours in the Great Salvation thro' Him: Psal. 21.5, 6. His Glory is great in thy Salvation; Honour and Majesty thou hast laid upon Him: Thou hast made Him most Blessed for ever,— exceeding Glad with thy Countenance. If the Hope of Salvation will not give a sinking, perishing Sinner Joy, what shou'd? 'Tis his Hearts Desire surely! the one Request of his lips! all the Blessings of Goodness to­gether! even Life for ever & ever! Rev. 2.17. I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new Name written, which no man knoweth save­ing he that receiveth it. ‘It was a Cus­tom (they say) anciently to send [Page 121] a white Stone in token of Abso­lution, and a black Stone as the sign of Condemnation, with the Persons Name written upon it, accordingly this New Name signi­fyes Gods Pardon & Adoption, the Inexpressible Sweetness of which Priviledge, no man knows but he that is possessed of it.’

Finally, The Ground of all this must be the Evidences and Fruits of our SANCTIFICATION; and the sure perception of the GRACE of God in our hearts: Which is a­nother Invaluable Gift of God, & Benefit by Christ, that affords us assurance of Gods Love and Joy in the Holy Ghost. To behold in our selves a Conformity and Subjection of Soul unto the Redeemers Ho­liness! that Likeness wherein we hope to Awake, and rest satisfy'd for ever! which is the Seeds of Glory Sown in us, and Light there­in! Heaven begun in us! the Ear­nest and Foretast of its Perfection, [Page 122] and therefore necessarily of its Joyes. Indeed it can't be pleasant to think of a Holy God, and to find no Image of his Holiness on our selves; no love to it, no desire of it, nothing of His Divine Nature: But on the contrary, the bare ap­prehension of these Excellencies in us is an Unspeakable Pleasure; the Holy Soul even dies away thro' the Excess of it, saying,—The Health of my Countenance, and my God!

To finish this Head, The GLO­RY OF GOD in the Salvations granted to his Church, & in the Conversion of Sinners, is a special Matter and Object of an Holy Joy. 'Tis the Honour of God and of the Lamb that occasions the Joyes of Hea­ven: Witness in what Triumphing Words they Sing his Works of Mer­cy and of Judgment: Alleluia, Sal­vation, and Glory, and Honour, and Power unto the Lord our God!—Let us be Glad and Rejoyce, and give Ho­nour to Him.

[Page 123]The Church's HOLINESS is the publick Honour of Christ: There­fore there's Joy among the Angels of God over one Sinner that repenteth; And when Jesus Rejoyced in Spirit it was on this Account, (as well became the Lover and Saviour of Souls) I thank thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that thou hast hid these things from the Wise and Prudent, and hast revealed them unto Babes: Even so, Father, for so it seemed Good in thy sight. The Holy Children of God have no greater Joy than to behold the Grace of God in one another; Especially Holy Ministers have none higher, than to see this in their Peo­ple: For what is our Hope, or Joy, or Crown of Rejoycing? Are not even ye in the Presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his Coming? for ye are our Glory & Joy.

So again, The Illustrious SAL­VATIONS of Gods Church in the Earth, and its outward Tranquility and Flourishing, is to the Saviours Ho­nour; [Page 124] and for this Reason alone Jerusalem must be Preferr'd above our chief Joy. It is but Piety to God and to his Interest, a Duty to Christ & to his Members: Isa. 66.10. Re­joyce ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; Rejoyce for Joy with her, all ye that Mourn for her. Thus ^* the Bridegrooms Voice fulfilled the Baptist's Joy; and the Apostle's was that Christ was Preach­ed; and when Babylon falls the Commandment is, Rejoyce over her thou Heaven, &c. So when King David bro't up the Ark of God, which had sufficiently mortify'd the Philistines, and triumph'd over their Idol Dagon, it was with Musick and with Shouting, and the Kings Sacred Feet too Leapt & Danc'd with his Over-joyed heart. But this may suffice to say of the Glorious Object of Religious Joy.

[Page 125]IV. The MEANS and Subordinate Causes of it are Eminently the GRACES and DUTIES of Christianity. There is a Divine Pleasure that waits on these in their lively Exercise, and vi­gorous Practice. The Anointing we receive is indeed with the Oil of Gladness. Every Grace of the Holy Spirit is such as agrees to the blessed Style He has assumed, the Comforter; they refresh & exhilerate the Soul in whom they rule. And so truly does every Christian Duty we de­voutly perform; I delight to do thy Will, O my God! thy Law is within my heart!

1. As to the GRACES of Christi­anity, I will Instance in Faith, Hope, Repentance, Resignation, and the Love of God. These are both the Object, & Means of a Religious Joy.

Very vast is the Joy of FAITH & HOPE: Even all Joy and Peace in Believing, to them that abound in Hope thro' the Power of the Holy Ghost, Rom. 15.13. Both these embrace the [Page 126] Promises afar off, look unto posses­sing, and already are the Substance of them. Blessed and Lively Hope! of no less than an Inheritance Incor­ruptible, and Undefiled, &c. wherein ye greatly Rejoyce, sayes St. Peter, 1 Pet. 1.4, 8. O Happy Frame of Spirit, that wants nothing of Heaven save the Actual Possession! that like the Prince who is Apparent Heir to a Crown, has all the Joyes of it be­fore-hand in his Acknowledg'd Right.

The Produce of REPENTANCE is Holy Joy. It yields a man In­ternal Peace and Self-delectation. There's Comfort and Pleasure in those Tears. It Restores the Joy of Gods Salvation, Its Aspirations shall not be in vain, Make me to hear the Voice of Joy and Gladness, that the Bones which thou hast broken may Rejoyce. "The End & Consequence of this Sorrow sweetens it. 'Tis a high delight to feel that we do indeed Mourn for Sin. This is not to Sor­row [Page 127] as without Hope, for the bles­sed Mourners are promised Comfort, Mat. 5.4.

RESIGNATION to the Sove­raign Will of God, and a Content­ed Thankful Acquiescing in His Dealings, has mighty Comforts at­tending it. Not barely Indolence and a profound Quiet, but Satis­faction, Complacency & real De­light is in it. It almost makes Ad­versity impossible, and Prosperity fixed and unalterable. It Glories in Tribulation: 'Tis then the most So­veraign Cordial that the Art of man can prescribe: it makes a mans Bed for him in his Sickness; it keeps all his Bones, not one of them is broken; it lays him down in the arms of Soveraign Mercy & Wis­dom, and to die, is but to Sleep in Jesus.

To name no more, The LOVE of God is Ravishing. Psal. 5.11. Let them that love thy Name be joyful in thee. Love is a sweet & delecta­ble [Page 128] Passion: but when the Ob­ject of it is the Infinitely Perfect and Amiable Being, then is the Affection it self superlatively plea­sing. Whom have I in Heaven but thee? & there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee. The First and Great Commandment is the first and greatest Pleasure of Man; Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart, and with all thy Soul, &c. And the Second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy self. A Love that is refin'd from all dress, inspir'd from Heaven, and direct­ed to it! it is ten thousand Plea­sures in one, as the Beauties of its Object are. How Joyous is the Conscience of this Love! Witness every Breast that holds this Sacred Fire! How easily cou'd he bid Adieu to every Sensitive Refreshment, while this is sensibly burning with­in! This is the stay of his Life, the strength of his heart, the life of his Soul, his Ever-living Pleasure.

[Page 129]2. As to the DUTIES of the Christian Life, (tho' these before-named Graces may bear that Name also) I will name two only, scil. CHARITY AND WORSHIP: the one a Joyous Grace in it self, delighting in the Good-will it bears, and the Kindness it shows to others; the other the Exercise of all Grace in its various Acts of Devotion.

1. ‘How triumphant a Joy is there in DOING GOOD to o­thers, especially to the Needy or Afflicted?’ Never was such sweet­ness fancy'd of Revenge, as has been felt in forgiving Injuries, in over­coming Evil with Good, in Rejoy­cing with them that Rejoyce, and in Weeping with them that Weep. Particularly, Bounty to the Poor, is one special Means of, and often re­warded with Spiritual Pleasure. When Job remember'd the Plea­sures of his Prosperous Life, these were among the first of 'em, The [Page 130] Blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I caused the Widows heart to Sing for Joy. His pains were eased in the remembrance of these pious Dispositions & Actions. The Satisfactions of 'em brighten a mans face in the Streets, as the Joy of the Soul in the Resurrection will help to glorifie the Body. Rom. 12.8. He that sheweth mercy, with Chear­fulness. The Frame and Face suits the Action: it delights him that does it. No Miser ever counts over his rusty Moneys with any Plea­sure equal or comparable to what the Liberal Soul feels in Communi­cating. 'Tis also the proper Joy of a Thanksgiving-Day, whereof BOUNTY is always one special Duty, causing the Poor to rejoyce together with us. The Exercise of our Saviours Life lay in Acts of Mercy to the Miserable, and it a­greed well to the Infinite Delight and Complacency of his Soul in God. And this is the Eternals Rest, [Page 131] even His Continual & Everlasting Communications to all his Creatures.

2. The other Instance & Means of Spiritual Joy is DIVINE WOR­SHIP, in all the Parts and Acts of it, whether Natural or Instituted. These are the great Imployment of the Christian Life, and a very pleasant One. A Holy Heart re­ceives the Word with Joy, Prayer is his Recreation, Praise his Rapture, Psalms are his Melody, the Sabbath is his Rest, the Sanctuary his Banquet­ing-house, the Ordinances his Feast: I was glad when they said to me, let us go up to the House of the Lord, our feet shall stand within thy Gates, O Je­rusalem! The Devout Heart calls the Sabbath a Delight, and of the Sanctuary it sayes, How Amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts! My Soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God. The Reason of all this is the Joyes he [Page 132] had tasted in Solemn Stated Wor­ship: For I had gone with the Multi­tude, I went with them to the House of God, with the Voice of Joy and Praise, with a Multitude that kept Holy-day. O with what Joy do Heavenly Minds lift up their hands in Gods Name, to receive of the Sweet and Saving Influences of the Holy Spi­rit! Those heavenly Gifts & Gra­ces, that Divine Light & Comfort, which are with him to dispense, & which he does Communicate from on High in the wayes which he has Instituted! Draw me, we will run after thee! we will be glad and rejoyce in thee! They are indeed Strangers to this Spiritual Joy, who have ne­ver felt what I now speak of in Sab­bath Exercises. It results from Fel­lowship and Communion with God in Sacred Duties; Whom it Con­verses with, whose Power and Glory it sees, whose Loving-Kindness it tasts, and the Soul is Satisfy'd as with Mar­row [Page 133] and Fatness, while it is Praising with Joyful Lips ^|.

I shall not enlarge here in a di­stinct account of the Joy of PRAY­ER, wherein indeed as every Grace has its Exercise, so at times the Joyes of 'em all are had. And in Reading and Hearing the WORD of God, I shall not attempt to say what the Psalmist cou'd not express, How sweet are thy Words to my tast! yea sweeter than Honey to my Mouth! Psal. 89.15, 16. Blessed is the people that know the Joyful Sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the Light of thy Countenance: In thy Name shall they rejoice all the day, and in thy Righte­ousness shall they be Exalted. The Law is Holy, and therefore pleasant to them that are Sanctify'd both in the Contemplation of it, and in the the Practice. The Statutes of the Lord are right, rejoycing the heart. Thy Te­stimonies have I taken as an Heritage [Page 134] for ever, they are the Rejoycing of my heart.

BAPTISM is a Holy and Con­solatory Ordinance; Whether we reflect upon our own Consecrati­on to God, and think, O Lord, truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant, & the Son of thy Handmaid; Thou hast loosed my Bonds; Or whether in the Act of Dedicating our Little Ones to God in Christ. Nature here as­sists Grace in its Exercise, & Grace sublimates and exalts the pleasing workings of Natural Affection. The earning Bowels of a gracious Pa­rent are doubly refreshed to behold his lov'd Off-spring publickly Ac­cepted, and solemnly Blessed by God! as much and as formally as Joseph saw his two Sons at the Knees of Jacob! in whose words also in Effect the Blessing of the Covenant is—Thy two Sons are Mine, even as Simeon and Reuben are Mine! For a Parent or Grand-Parent, in the Aged Patriarch's words, turn'd into [Page 135] a Prayer, and in his Spirit, to bless their Posterity; God, before whom my Fathers walked, the God which fed me all my Life long unto this day; the An­gel which Redeemed me from all Evil, bless the Lads, and let the Name of my Fathers Abraham & Isaac be on them! I say again, To behold the Blessing of Abraham coming on Ours after us, what more sensible Pleasure can a holy Parent have? To see your Child declared Heir of a Kingdom, i. e. a Heavenly! So when the Prophet Nathan bro't that Message unto David from God, I will set up thy Seed after thee on thy Throne, and I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son; The over-joyed King went immediately to the Tent where the Ark was, and Sat before the Lord & said, (what each of us may well do in all humble Admiration) —Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my House that Thou hast bro't me hither unto? And this was yet a small thing in thy Sight, O Lord God! but thou hast spoken also [Page 136] of thy Servants House for a great while to come! And is this the manner of man, O Lord God?

Finally, The Joy of the LORDS-TABLE rises yet higher: 'tis the Stated and Solemn Memorial of the Love of Christ and his Purchased Benefits, the happy Season of raised Devotions and intimate Communi­on with Him, and of the Renewal of our Covenant Engagements to Him, which while we are doing with burning Love & Zeal, with strong Faith & Desire, with deep Repentance and Self-loathing for our Sins; We have our Pardon Seal­ed in his Blood, & Assurance of our Interest in the Mercies of God thro' Him. 'Tis a most refreshing thing to revive often in our Minds the LOVE OF CHRIST, & the FREE GRACE of God, which (we trust) has chosen us in Him, and instated us in the Dignity, and will bring us to the Glories of his Redeemed. We have Great Joy in his Love,— O [Page 137] how Unspeakable! to think — I am my Beloveds, and his Desire is towards me! He is my Saviour, I am a part of his Purchase, mine are the Promises, & the Heaven of Blessedness therein made over! Who Loved me, and gave Himself for me! To represent him to our selves, either on the Cross, or on his exalted Throne, equally reach­ing out the same Arms of Mercy to Embrace returning Sinners! to re­alize our selves with Him, where He is, to behold his Glory; Beloved of him, and Crowned by him,—what can beget in a devout Soul such Extasy & Ravishment as this? Such was the Seraphick Love and Joy of the holy Spouse, I sat down under his Shadow with delight, and his fruit was sweet to my tast; He bro't me to the Banquetting-house, and his Banner over me was Love.

Again, 'Tis a Joyous thing to re­vive on our Minds the Memory of our COVENANT-BONDS, which are so connected with the riches of [Page 138] Grace in our Lord Jesus Christ, that we cannot be struck with the Awe of the one, but the Joy of the other will break in upon us. Every Re­newal of our holy Covenant shou'd send us home with fresh Content, O my Soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord. In the same breath we make Profession of our devoted­ness, and we humbly claim the glo­rious Priviledge of a Relation to the Great God: O Lord truly I am thy Servant, I am thy Servant! A Tho't that threw the holy Psalmist into Raptures of Praise, and gave him new Ardors of Devotion: Psal. 116.17, 18, 19. I will offer to Thee the Sacri­fice of Thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord, now in the Presence of all his People: In the Courts of the Lords House, in the midst of thee, O Je­rusalem! Praise ye the Lord.

There are yet behind two more Instances, or Acts of Religious Wor­ship, the Seasons and the Means of [Page 139] Holy and Spiritual Joy, Namely, PRAISE AND SINGING: These my Text obliges me to take particu­lar Notice of, teaching us, That our Joy in the Benefits and Mercies of God unto us, ought to be expressed in Singing Psalms of Praise unto Him. Is any Merry? let him SING PSALMS. I pass therefore to the last part of my Discourse, which is,

V. And Lastly, To speak of the Proper and Natural EXPRESSION of Holy Joy, as directed unto in the Text: LET HIM SING PSALMS. We must needs understand it of Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving, and therefore I shall observe. 1. That our Rejoycing in God, and in his Divine Favours, shou'd show it self in Praises & Thanksgivings▪ 2. That the Joyful Christians Prai­ses may and ought particularly to be expressed in Singing of Psalms. 2 Chron. 29.30. They Sang Praises with Gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped.

[Page 140]1. Our Rejoycing in God, and in his Divine Favours, shou'd be shown in PRAISES AND THANKSGIV­INGS to Him. If we distinguish between Praise and Thanksgiving, Praise is the Celebration of the Di­vine Perfections shining forth in the Word and Works of God, Thanks­giving of the Divine Beneficence and Bounties: & so Praise carries more of Admiration and Veneration, Thanksgiving more of Acknowledg­ment: Both are a debt from us, as Creatures, and as Obliged; and unto God, considered as the most Excel­lent of all Beings, & as our Benefactor.

Need I say that the Word of God, and the Examples of all the Saints do loudly call upon us, to abound in these Duties. How often have we that devout Wish over in one Psalm, O that men would praise the Lord for his Goodness! &c. It stands as a Call to all Posterity, in the se­veral Generations of men: As it was from the Beginning a Law to [Page 141] Israel, Deut. 10.21. He is thy Praise, and He is thy God, that has done for thee these great things which thine Eyes have seen. How agreeable this is to a devout heart, let the Book of Psalms bear witness, wherein we are so often call'd upon to shew forth Gods Praise, to make his Praise Glorious, to Triumph in his Praise, & to have our Mouth filled therewithal. A Duty so often repeated, & so fer­vently, that sometimes the Psalmist scarce gives himself time to take breath in his zealous Inculcating of it, as in the 135 Psalm, Praise ye the Lord, praise the Name of the Lord, praise him O ye Servants of the Lord: Nay he addresses unto all Creatures, Angels, Men and bruit Creatures too, the Heavenly Bodies, & even things Inanimate, in their several wayes to Unite in Lauding the Creator. For himself he resolves, My Praise shall be of him in the great Congregation, I will bless the Lord at all times, his Praise shall be continually in [Page 142] my mouth: O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his Name together! — And my Tongue shall speak of thy Righteousness, and of thy Praise all the day long.

'Tis the least Testimony of Gra­titude and Esteem that can be ex­pected from us, who have Souls in our Bodies, and Tongues in our Heads; who have the power of Speech, and Reason to regulate it; who have a Conscience within us, and a sense of Benefits. And ne­ver are our Minds and Tongues so well imploy'd, as when the Glories of God do take 'em up: therefore the Inhabitants of Heaven are thus busied for ever. ‘Praise is the Re­ligion of Happy Creatures, it is the natural Homage of Infinite Good­ness.’ 'Tis the best part of Worship: the best Affections of the Soul are in the best manner that can be car­ry'd towards the Best Good. This is Praise; which like Charity has this to give it Prehenminence, that it Ne­ver [Page 143] faileth; but if it imploys our life here, so will it our Eternity; & he that dies with these in his mouth, changes his place but not his Frame & Work; only in Heaven they are perfected. And what do we think it is that makes Praise the Work of Hea­ven? verily, because 'tis the Place & State of compleat Eternal Happi­ness & Joy. Every Glorious Spirit there is full of these, & out of their abundant delight in God, they pour out Praise unto him. God commu­nicates unto them with a liberal hand, they drink of the very Foun­tain of Goodness to the full, they know no want & indigence, & can know no sorrow; therefore being always brimful of Content, they un­weariedly praise Him in whom all their springs are. So we, while the Joy of the Divine Benefits fills our Souls, must imitate the ravisht Minds above, & give Blessings and Praises to Him.

In short, the Reason is as plain for [Page 144] Praise as for Prayer; there ought to be a sense of Benefits as well as of our Needs, nay much the rather, be­cause the least selfish of the two, & looks more directly at Gods Glory. But I pass to Praise more dilated.

2. The Merry Christians Praises may and ought especially to be expressed in SINGING OF PSALMS: of which there are very many full of raptu­rous Praises.

I will not enter on any Elaborate proof, that Singing of Psalms is a part of Divine Worship, Natural & In­stituted, Private & Publick. I doubt not but that the Reason of Mankind, even in this our sunk Condition, wou'd teach & direct to this as well as unto bare Prayer or Praise: for the Tongues of men are hung for Sing­ing as well as Speaking; & reason tells us that every noble Power in man ought to be used to the Cre­ators Glory.

To be sure it is appointed in Scrip­ture, is recommended by the noblest [Page 145] Examples, & has ever been the Pra­ctice of the Church, under both Tes­taments ^‖. Moreover, God has great­ly own'd the Ordinance: Holy Souls have tasted as much of Heaven in it, as in any part of Worship. It sweetly dilates the Soul, and God often comes unto the op'ned heart. No part of Worship oftner melts hea­venly minds into Tears, & no won­der we shou'd be rap't near to Hea­ven by it, since Heaven it self has its Songs. Rev. 5.9. ‘God has also ho­nour'd this part of Worship in Mi­raculous manner;’ as, at the Dedica­tion of the Temple, 2 Chron. 5.13, 14. and when at Midnight St. Paul & Silas Sang Praises in the Prison: Act. 16.25, 26. Was it their Voices that Shook the Place, and threw open the Doors, and Loosed every ones Bands? or was it the Brightness of Solomons Majesty, the Fulgor of his Robes & Crown, [Page 146] that filled the House of the Lord with Glory? No: it was the Glory of the Lord Himself, and it broke in among his Worshippers on that great Solemnity, just as the Trumpe­ters and the Singers were as one, to make one Sound to be heard in Praising and Thanking the Lord. 'Tis a Religious Exercise more especially Adapted to the Spirit of Praise & Thanksgiving. This is the Immediate and first End of Singing, the proper Spring whereof is Admiration & Joy^*. So 'ere the foundation of the Earth was laid, the Morning-Stars Sang together, and all the Sons of God Shouted for Joy; And as they began they hold on for ever; PRAISE is the Eternal bur­den of their Songs, and everlasting­ly growing JOYES inspire 'em.

I mean not that Singing does not suit Occasions of Grief, and the Spi­rit of Humiliation & Mourning; for there are Penitential Psalms, & Psalms [Page 147] of Prayer, & of Sorrowful Complaint; and the sad Heart may and shou'd Sing these, which suits its State and Temper; bemoaning it self, & seek­ing Grace and Help of God in this way, as well as in Prayer. Nor is Solomon to be understood to deny this when he sayes, As Vinegar upon Nitre, so is he that Singeth Songs to a Heavy Heart: 'tis as the Song is, and as it is tim'd and sung, that instead of soothing Grief will only vex and enrage it.

Nor do I mean to deny the Ex­cellent Use of Reading the Inspired Psalms, but affirm that this also is wonderfully Adapted to the Spirit of Praise. Cou'd I speak with the Tongue of Men & Angels whether in Prayer or Preaching, had I all the Eloquence of the World given me this day, and the holy Zeal & Flame of a Seraph put within me, yet cou'd I no wayes compose for your Edi­fication, & the raising your Affecti­ons toward God, any thing to be [Page 148] Nam'd with those Psalms of Praise, which have this day been Read in your Hearing. Nor cou'd an Angel from Heaven do it, save speaking by the Holy Ghost, who inspir'd these holy Odes.

How suited is the Book of Psalms to a day of Thanksgiving! From thence we may best take our Words and Expressions, clothing our Tho'ts in these excelling Strains of Devo­tion, to raise in our Selves a like heat and warmth: while we Muse on these the Fire Kindles.

Yet Singing has its Peculiar Advan­tages for Edification, if it be not our own fault. The Apostle therefore speaks of the Instruction & Admoni­tion which this Ordinance designs us: Col. 3.16. Teaching & Admonishing one another in Psalms, Hymns and Spi­ritual Songs.

One Advantage hereunto is the Deliberateness & Leisure of this Mode of Praise or Prayer. The Mind has time allow'd it to Pause on the Sa­cred [Page 149] Passages: Every Sillable is dis­tinctly utter'd, and drawn out in its proper Note, that the Mind may fix and fasten and dwell on the holy Tho't. And as the Voice leisurely Ascends, so may the Soul with it towards Heaven.

Another Advantage is, that it strikes so strongly on Sense & Ima­gination, and by them has the more forcible Access to our Affections. Our Spirits being Imbodyed are naturally come at by Impressions on our Sen­ses, and more particularly by the Eye and Ear. Musical Notes may be fitted to the Matter Sung, whether it be Grave or Loose; and they may be Address't with Art & great Pow­er to one or other Passion of our Souls; and accordingly they do convey into our Minds Ridiculous Idea's or Venerable, which provoke Laughter or Seriousness, bespeak Re­verence or Contempt, move Love or Hatred, Joy or Sorrow: Hence it is that loose Sonnets have so fatal a power to deprave men, and Satan [Page 150] uses 'em as natural Means hereunto; while the Holy Spirit works also up­on our Souls in ways adapted to our Frame and Nature, and uses Holy Psalms as naturally tending to leave Impressions of what is Holy and Good upon us.

Another Advantage of Singing un­to our Edification is, the Pleasure and Delight which generally Mankind take in it: tho' it must be granted that its Force is not alike on all. Musick has its Charm, in such an Ear as Davids more especially, and so have Psalms where there is his Devotion, It is a good thing to give Thanks unto the Lord, & to sing Praise to thy Name, O most High! 'Tis the Eccho of our Earth to Heaven, and a softer kind of Rapture. It has had wonderful Effects: The sweet Voice of a Psalm has ejected Me­lancholly, as Davids Harp did the E­vil Spirit from the Lord on King Saul: It has sweet'ned a Prison, and given new Heart to Martyrs at the [Page 151] Stake: It has made the Shades of Death to flee away, and clos'd up a Saints Eyes in like Brightness, as the Sun sets in a fair Evening. ‘Come help me with your Praises, (cry'd happy Mr. Janeway on his Death­bed) Yet all too little! Come help me all ye Mighty Angels, who are so well skill'd in the Heavenly Work of Praise! Hallelujah! Hal­lelujah! Praise is now my Work, & I shall be engag'd in this Sweet Work for ever. Come, bring me the Bible, & turn to Davids Psalms, & let us lift up our Voices in the Praises of the Most High: I will Sing with you as long as my Breath does last, & when I have none, I shall do it better.’

Nor is this a Sensitive Pleasure meerly. The Body subserves the Soul, and is its Instrument in this State of their Union: yet the Ra­tional part governs, and he that throws away his Senses and Natural Powers, must his Reason & Reli­gion [Page 152] too; nor Glorify God in his Spirit no more than in his Body. God reaches the Soul by the Ear, or else Faith had not come by Hearing.

Nor is it sufficient for men to say, that they cou'd never have any Re­lish of the Ordinance, nor find Profit from it: 'Tis their Carnality that hin­ders; & it may be neither have they ever had any real savour of Prayer or Hearing the Word: It's too com­mon for People to live under Gos­pel-Ordinances, & not tast the Good­ness, nor feel the Power of 'em. And it is eno' to say, that thro' Grace others do relish this Holy Ordi­nance, & the more Heavenly men are, the more do they delight it it. Moreover, It is possible for a de­praved Heart not to relish Heaven neither: were he taken thither he wou'd find Singing there, & if that can disgust him, Heaven can be no Place for him.

To Conclude, It must be granted, that some do Abuse the Ordinance; [Page 153] they Sing Vainly, Conceitedly, Lightly in the Solemn Worship of God, & 'tis an offence to see 'em do so: But is it not as true, & equally a Lamentation, that they can have wandring Minds, can Sleep, & be wanton in Prayer & Hearing also? And must we therefore reject, re­vile and pour contempt on all In­stituted Worship? No: Gods Insti­tutions are no more to be charg'd with our Sinful Abuses of 'em, than Affronts & Injuries are to be charg'd on Him that innocently suffers 'em.

I have said all this of the Use of SINGING unto the Ends of Holi­ness, not to depretiate Prayer and the other Ordinances, but to assert the Place due to this, & to show that God owns all his Institutions, and chuses which of them he pleases to work by.

The USE of this Meditation on the Joyes of Religion might be easily enlarged on, in many Particulars. As,

1. To display the free & rich Grace [Page 154] of God unto us Sinners, & to put us on Adoring Him, who has provi­ded thro' Christ Jesus this Holy Joy for us; allows it to us, & requires it of us.

2. To show the high Felicity of Saints, for whom this Light is Sown, this blessed Enjoyment purchas'd.

3. To set a just Price on Grace, & raise our Aspirations after the great­est Measures thereof, that our Joy may be full, which it can be only by our abounding in Holiness and Devotion.

4. To manifest the Wretchedness of the Ungodly, who are (while such) de­bar'd this Joy for ever; it being im­possible to 'em, and the Means of it their Torment. Yet disbelieve the Account of it they can't, having felt the torturing Gripes of an Ac­cusing Conscience, which alone may satisfy 'em that its Approbati­on is exceeding Joyous. Or if they pretend to Joyes too in their Evil Courses, what are they but Preca­rious, [Page 155] Borrowed, and at the mercy of a thousand Accidents, proper on­ly to the Body, Partial & Fleeting! whereas Those of Religion are pro­per to the Soul, Sure and Full, at the mercy of no Evil or Enemy, li­ving in Spite of a frowning World, bearing the Heart up under Afflicti­on, growing like the Palm-tree under Burdens & heavy Pressures, & Abi­ding to Death, & after it. So true are our Saviours Words, St. John 14.27. Not as the World giveth, give I unto you. But at last, the Wicked mans Joyes are his Guilt and Woe. Con­science is Asleep. or run from. A Joy without Warrant, and against Reason; an Extravagance as Cri­minal as Absurd! The more of it there is, so much the Worse! the more Sin and Misery!

5. I must needs again lay before Good People their Duty, to Exhibit in their Lives the Joyes of Religion, there­by to make some Acknowledgment to the Great God of the Riches of his [Page 156] Mercies toward them, and to Honour the Wayes of God in the sight of O­thers. Why else has God made a Provision of Joy for his Children, but that they might Serve Him with a Glad Heart, and Serene Face!

Yet Some, whom we must needs account Good People, seem not at all to apprehend it a Duty to la­bour after a settled Joy in God, & Others that have it, apprehend not their Obligation to Exhibit it.

To the First I would say, That they act as if Unknowing in the Nature, Design, Tendency & pro­per Effects of Religion: That 'tis no Christian Modesty and Humility to put that Divine Pleasure from us which God allows to us: That on the contrary, Nothing is more Or­namental to Christianity, or does more Honour to God, than for Good People to be Walking in the Com­forts of the Gospel; Nor scarce any thing more Unseemly in them, In­jurious to God, and more palpably [Page 157] a Temptation of Satan, than some of their Cloudiness and Dejections.

Again, The Mis-behaviour of O­thers is very gross, who are not Strangers to the Joyes of Religion, but yet have taken up a Melanchol­ly Way, on a Conceit (I fear) of its Looking Religious, and being A­greeable to Seriousness of Spirit. Zeal is apt to run Weak Minds into some Unnatural Oddities, by which Religion is hurt and wounded in­stead of being Served. Unnatural it is to speak of God as Our God in the same sad manner as we wou'd Lament after the Blessed Hope in. Is the Soul indeed delighted? I'm sure 'tis Ill-favour'dly Expressed, and cross to Nature the Interpretation must be; As if Frowns and Tears shou'd be made to signify Pleasure and Content. But, why shou'd not Holy Joy express it self freely? Why shou'd not the Brightness of the Face, and the Life in the Eye, speak it? and the Tone of the Voice be [Page 158] Natural; Then was our Mouth filled with Laughter, and our Tongue with Singing: the Lord hath done Great things for us, whereof we are Glad.—

Let me Argue a little with the Sad Spirited Saint. Is this the Look that the Servant of a Kind and Good Master, and a Child of God, an Ex­pectant of Glory shou'd have! ‘Why art thou, being a Kings Son, lean from day to day?’ Do you not look for Joy in Heaven? and why shou'd the State of Grace be so un­like to that of Glory? Why not that Life of Pleasure now begun, which Heaven will perfect and be, the Fulness of? You hope to Launch 'ere-long into those Rivers that flow Above for evermore, and why not wish to Swim in those calm and se­rene Streams that run into these Deeps!

Is it that you only groan after more Grace? a clearer Sight of it in your self? and then you shou'd Rejoyce! But do you not the mean while overlook the Grace you have, [Page 159] and forget the Thanks you owe to God for that! Be Just to God, to own what he has done for your Soul, and from every symptom of his Grace in you Conceive a ho­ly Pleasure.

Have you Grace? take it for your Portion, & rejoyce in it as a suffici­ent One. What wou'd you have more, or what can you? With what Flesht Sinner wou'd you change Con­dition! for whose Possessions wou'd you give your Hopes! Pity his Pride & Joy, the Abject Object whereof is a little Dust: or if it glitter in your Eyes, to dazzle 'em, lift 'em to Hea­ven, & see how much Higher and Brighter thy Place is than his, and how much wider the Compass of thy Felicity! If the mean Sinner survey his mouldring Stores with pleasure in his Eyes, Can you the Graces of the SPIRIT in your self with less? Are the Diviner Gifts smaller with you? The Gifts & Cal­ling of God which are without Re­pentance! [Page 160] Whose Faces shou'd wear Smiles but Theirs whom Heaven so Endows and Smiles on!

Pine not after Unnecessary Goods, when the Best & Chief GOOD is secured to thee! Will you for a Fea­ther, when you are Heir to a Crown! or after finer Array for thy Body, when thy Soul is Adorn'd & Beau­tify'd with the Array of Angels! or for more Delicacies of Food, when thou hast Bread from Heaven to eat of! Pine not after more Friends or Respect on Earth, when God & An­gels esteem & love thee, and thou art their Care! Nor after Children, when thou thy self art a Child of God! (Hannah! why weepest thou? and why eatest thou not? and why is thy heart grieved? Is not an Interest in the Great GOD, a happy Rela­tion to Him, joyous Communion with Him, better to thee than ten Sons?) Finally; What anxious Tho't about any Event possible in this Life can haunt and fright you? [Page 161] He that has done the Greater things for thy Immortal Soul, and as to thy Eternal Concerns, can he de­ny the Lesser Concerns of Time and of the Body? He who has gi­ven HIS OWN SON for thee and to thee, Shall he not with Him also freely give thee all things? But I pass,

6. And Lastly, To the more Par­ticular Application of the Subject to the Present Solemnity.

You see the proper Exercise of the DAY, and the Spirit we must be in before the Lord our God. There must be Praise, which must proceed from Joy, which must be Spiritual, and therefore the Wor­ship we perform must be from the Heart; from an Engaged Spirit, & raised Affections.

1. There must be PRAISES offer'd to God. And it may not be Im­proper just to Intimate, That we have PSALMS of Praise prepared for, and suited unto, every possible Reason [Page 162] of Joy, and Solemn Thanksgiving.

As,

Do we Praise the God of our HEALTH? We have Forms of Praise ready pen'd to our hands, to Sing unto HIM, Who killeth and maketh alive, who bringeth down to the Grave, and bringeth up. Who maketh Sore and Bindeth up: Who woundeth and his Hands make whole. Who strengthens on the Bed of Lan­guishing, and makes our Bed in Sick­ness. Who healeth all thy Diseases, and Redeemeth thy Life from Destruc­tion. See also, Psalm CVII. 17, — 20.

Or do we Sing unto God in the Joyes of HARVEST? We have Psalms adapted: Sing unto the Lord with Thanksgiving, Sing Praise upon the Harp unto our GOD; Who Cove­reth the Heaven with Clouds, who pre­pareth Rain for the Earth, who maketh Grass to grow upon the Mountains: Who giveth to the Beast his food, and to the young Ravens which cry: Who filleth thee with the finest of the Wheat,—&c. [Page 163] See also Psalms LXV. 9, —13. CXLIV. 13, 14, 15.

Do we magnify the Power and Love of our Gracious PROTEC­TOR? We have prepared Psalms to be Sung aloud unto GOD OUR STRENGTH:—Praise the Lord O Jerusalem! Praise thy God O Zion! for He hath strengthned the Bars of thy Gates; He hath blessed thy Children within thee; He maketh Peace in thy Borders.—See also the CXXIV Psalm.

The Songs of VICTORY are In­numerable, to HIM who hath Tri­umphed Gloriously; Such are the Song of Moses at the Sea, The Lord is my Strength and Song, & he is become my Salvation: The Song of Renowned Deborah, Praise ye the Lord for the A­venging of Israel: The Song of Hab­bakkuk, &c. But especially Davids Harp strikes every Warlike Note; He the Warriour, the Saint, & the Divine Poet too! GOD is gone up with a Shout, the LORD with the Voice of a Trumpet. Sing Praises to [Page 164] God, Sing Praises: Sing Praises to our King Sing Praises. See Psalms XLVI. XLVII. XLVIII.

Once more; Do we bless the Name of God for our Civil Liber­ties, and for Pious RULERS? We have again Psalms formed to our hands: TO HIM who led his People like a Flock by the Hands of Moses & Aaron:— Who chose David also his Servant, and took him from the Sheep­folds; from following the Ews great with young; He bro't him to feed Ja­cob his People, and Israel his Inheri­tance: So he fed them according to the Intregrity of his heart, and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands. See also, Psalm. LXXII.

Finally, Are we Praising our Gra­cious and Merciful God for his GOSPEL, and all Spiritual Blessings in CHRIST JESUS? We have prepared Psalms herefor: To HIM that chose the Tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which he Loved; and built his Sanctuary like high Palaces, [Page 165] like the Earth which he hath Establish­ed for Ever. — He sheweth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judg­ments unto Israel; He hath not dealt so with any Nation, and as for his Judgments they have not known them: Praise ye the LORD. See also, Psalm XLVIII. 11, 12, 13, 14. LXXXIX. 1, 15, 16, &c. St. Luk. I. 68, 69, &c.

These are some of the Sublime and Holy Psalms, adapted unto our Solemn Feast Dayes. Psal. 81.2, 4. Take a Psalm, and bring hither the Timbrel; the pleasant Harp with the Psaltery: For this was a Statute for Israel, and a Law of the God of Jacob.

2. These Praises must be Sung with Hearts full of JOY. The Call of Providence is to this, and 'tis more requisite and decent than Gar­ments of Praise or a joyful Counte­nance. There shou'd be no sad Heart or Face in the Lords Assem­blies: We remember his Benefits in [Page 166] the midst of all our Sins and Sor­rows. Our work To Day is like that of Heaven, where Prayers are chang'd into Praises: the very Fe­licity of Angels, to Rejoyce in the Divine Munificence, to Rejoyce in Praising God! O might we all feel this Heavenly Principle of Joy, en­larging us in this Good Work of Praise! But remember,

3. Our Joy must be SPIRITUAL, and what is properly Religious. I very much dread to see the day, when Thanksgivings shall lose of their Solemnity in this Land. It has been our Crown and Glory that they have not been Debas'd & Prostitu­ted among us, as they are too com­monly in Other Places, by Play and Sports, to Drinking and Bonefires, and Noisy Lawless Jollity; nor yet have dwindled into more Silent and Innocent Illuminations. Cer­tainly it is pleasing to God, and seemly to Man, that we do at least [Page 167] appear more Spiritual, Grave and Retir'd on such Occasions. So Bre­thren, I beseech and humbly Charge you in the Lord, that your Joy in Him, his Operations and Favours, be Serious and Inward, and Holy.

The truth is, Spiritual Joy is as Uneasy and Impossible to a carnal Heart, as other Duties of Christia­nity. We easily Rejoyce in a Flesh­ly manner, our Lusts provoke to it, we can Eat, Drink and be Merry: But to Rejoyce Spiritually is to sour the Pleasures of the Flesh. Corn and Oyl and Wine are good things, and the Flesh to thinks 'em so: But to set our selves to consider & weigh 'em as coming from God, and our Ill-deserving any of 'em; to Abase our Souls for our Sins ungratefully committed in Abuse of his Benefits, to Rejoyce in paying the Homage and debt of Praises for them, and to bind our selves to Live Devoted to God as a meet Thank-Offering;— this has nothing of Pleasure in it, [Page 168] but is a sore Penance to the Carnal Mind so much as to think of! Let God take his Gifts again, ('tis ready to say) if we must Pay so dear for 'em, at the Expence of our Lusts!

But nevertheless, I must insist on it, that our Joy be Holy: Such as true Devotion inspires, and the Spi­rit of God kindles in holy Souls, by his Fellowship with them in holy Duties: Such as the Spirit of Praise requires, as the Graces of the Holy SPIRIT do cherish, and as Influen­ces unto all Holiness. If men do not feel themselves delighted from Love to God, Admiration of his Mercy, Desires & Serious Purposes (thro' Grace) of Living to his Glory, and to Serve him with the more Chearfulness and Diligence, under the large Experience of his Benefits, they do but play with and mock their Benefactor.

4. And Lastly, Therefore our pre­sent WORSHIP must be from the [Page 169] HEART, from an Engaged Spirit, & raised Affections. A Joyful Noise alone is not Praise. The Transports of the Ear are one thing, those of the Heart quite another. The Lord takes no more pleasure meerly in the Voice, than in the Legs of a Man, but in them that Fear him. 'Tis a Play of Worship, whether we Sing Psalms of Praise or Penitence, if no Inward Pleasures Elate us in the one, nor Sorrows depress us in the other. The very Sport of the Children in the Market-place, We have piped to you & ye have not danced! We have mourned to you & ye have not lamented! The Goodly Sacrifice is the Heart it self; the Substance this, a Lifeless Sound the other. Without Grace in the Heart, and in Exercise, we make no Melody to the Lord; ‘as a Nightingale dead or asleep can no more than a Crow.’ We may pass for Tubes, making a Sound, but by no means are Wor­shippers.

I will only offer further, Davids [Page 170] Example, and the Apostle's Precept or Benediction rather; Both teaching us that the Heart must be intently fix­ed, and devoutly raised in the Spi­ritual Duty of Praise.

My HEART is Fixed, O GOD, my Heart is Fixed, I will SING and give PRAISE. Awake up my Glory! Awake Psaltery and Harp! I my self will awake Early.

Let the PEACE OF GOD rule in your HEARTS, to the which also ye are called in one Body, and be ye THANKFUL. Let the WORD OF CHRIST dwell in you richly in all Wisdom, Teaching and Admonishing one another in Psalms and Hymns and Spi­ritual Songs, SINGING WITH GRACE IN YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD. And whatsoe­ver ye do in Word or Deed, do ALL in the Name of the LORD JESUS, GIVING THANKS TO GOD, AND THE FATHER BY HIM.