fit of God ! Clearly to discern by what means the great Author of this visible world united all its parts together by what chain the pillars of the earth were upholden, and the armies of the sky supported ! In what manner the mysterious union between the body and the soul was effected and maintained, that as tonishing correspondence between spirit and matter, of perishable dust and immortal flame I To comprehend how the Holy Ghost, the author of the world of grace, sustained the soul in moral life ! How, in answer either to our own prayers or to the prayers of others, his blessed influence, overshadowing us out of the darkness, storm, and confusion of our degraded natures, educed all light, and peace, and order f To comprehend the reasons why sin and pain and misery were permitted to mingle with those works which God himself had pro nounced very good ! to perceive what unspeak able blessings owe their being to the curse, even the redemption of man (that greatest in stance of the love of God) overbalancing the evils of the fall ! why it was just and right as well as merciful in God to deal to every man hi, distinct measure of faith, " and anoint some whom he chose before the world began, with the oil of gladness above their fellows ;" wherefore he distributed to every man his distinct measure of suffering also ; why seme were plucked as brands out of the flame, and others sanctified from the womb ; why the several gifts of the Spirit were distributed as they were with respect to kind, degree, time, and persons ? What a gratification to a rea sonable soul to have such a prospect displayed before him ! to have the eye of the mind opened, strengthened, and cleared, that it may command and enjoy it to the fullest extent ! A prospect which we could not see and live, which, imprisoned in this habitation of clay, we could not bear ; and which is therefore fitly reserved for that state wherein, being clothed with glory and immortality, we shall be like the angels now in heaven purified to see our God ! Amen. To Him who dwelleth in the light which no

mortal can approach, whom flesh and blood hath not seen nor can see to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost the ever-blessed Trinityone God be glory and praise, might and ma jesty, now and for ever ! i (Preached at Fredcrica : at Savannah : at Christchurch, Boston.) He that goethforth and weepeth, bearing pre cious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm exxvi. 6. Experience shows us that even they who are Christians indeed, who serve God with all their strength, may go on their way weep ing, perhaps for many years, perhaps to the end of this transitory life. They are followers of him who was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief ; and if any man will come after him he must deny him self, and take up his cross ; he must suffer with his master, more or less, being like him, to be made perfect through sufferings. For this very cause are these sufferings permitted, to lead them to higher perfection ; they go on their way weeping, that the good seed they bear may yield them more fruit ; and that good seed (even all those Christian virtues which are perfected by affliction) shall in due time grow up into a plenteous harvest of rest, and joy, and life eternal. The certainty of this great truth is pointed out to us by the very manner wherein it is re vealed. Heaven and earth may, nay must, pass away, but not one tittle of the sacred word of God. As sure as He exists, and is a rewarder of all that diligently seek him, so sure no one virtue of any disciple of Christ, shall in any wise lose its reward. Only let him bear forth this good seed unto the end, and though he may now go on his way weep ing, he shall come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him. I propose briefly to explain, that every virtue is the seed of joy eternal ; an important consi deration, which requires your most frequent thought and deepest attention. The time in deed will not permit me to enumerate every Christian virtue, but only those general graces

which we can never regard too highly, humi lity, faith, hope, and love ; yet this is almost the same thing, since these are the common root of each particular virtue, none of which has any value, nor in truth any existence, un less it spring from them. It will therefore be sufficient to show, in few words, that each is the seed of joy ; that every one of these graces, although when first sown it may be as small as a grain of mustard seed, yet as it groweth up, shooteth out great branches full of delight and blessedness. This joy, I therefore call eternal, because the Holy Scriptures assure us that it is the same in kind, though not in degree, with that we shall enjoy in eternity ; for it should be well observed, and ever remembered, that heaven is begun upon earth ; and accordingly our blessed Saviour often means by the king dom of heaven that temper of mind which a Christian now enjoys. He begins to enjoy it when he begins to be a Christian, when Christ begins to reign in his soul, is the object of his love, and the principle of his actions ; and the more absolute this principle and love are, the

more happiness he enjoys : for as all the poor in spirit, all that believe in God, all that trust in him, and love him, are blessed ; so the greater their humility, faith, hope, and love the greater is their blessedness : and thus they go on from strength to strength, they go on from one measure of joy to another, till what was sown on earth be removed into a better soil, and grown up to perfection in heaven. But before this is explained further it may be proper to examine an objection which almost every one is ready to make, and this is, that by this doctrine every Christian is happy j which is contrary to experience, there being many good Christians who scarcely know what joy means. I answer, Is that mind truly in them which, was in Christ Jesus ? Have they those tempers which he requires ? Are they renewed in hu mility, faith, hope, and love ? Otherwise they are only nominal Christians, and however un happy they are it is nothing to the present question. Supposing they have some degree of these tempers, have they such a degree as they might have ? have they as much as the first Christ

ians enjoyed ? so much as God would give them too, if they would receive it ? If not, let none wonder that a low degree of holiness gives (if any) but a low degree of hap piness. If they have a deep humility, a strong faith, a lively hope, and a fervent love, at some seasons, do they not at others so droop and faint in their minds, as to become like common men ; if they do, no one can expect their joy should extend further than the cause of it : they cannot be always happy till they are al ways holy; and when they are always heavenlyminded, then they shall rejoice evermore. Yet is it most certain, as was before remark ed, that till that happy hour when God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, even they who bear forth this seed of joy may go on their way weeping. They may, nay they must, endure affliction, for so did the Captain of their salvation. But it is as certain that a Christian knows how to rejoice, not only after, ' but in tribulation : for as in the laughter of the wicked the heart is sorrowful, so in the tears of the righteous there is joy ; he does not wait till his afflictions are overpast, but in every thing giveth thanks ; though he cannot but feel when he

suffers pain, yet in the midst of it he can re joice in the Lord, and possess his soul in such patience and resignation, such a confidence in the love of his heavenly Father, under the most severe dispensations, as shall impart a peace, even at that season, which the world cannot give. Let us dwell on this point more particularly. The first of all Christian graces, and the foun dation of all, is humility ; a deep sense of our spiritual poverty, an experimental knowledge that we are nothing but sin, and deserve no thing but shame ; and a clear sense that we have nothing, and can do nothing no, not so much as think a good thought, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit. And is such a virtue as this the seed ofjoy ? Yes, as surely as it is the seed of all other virtues, as surely as it is contrary to the pride of fallen nature, which is the source of all tor ment. No sooner does humility enter a soul, which before was all storm and tempest, than it says to the sea of passion, " Peace, be still ;" and there is a great calm. In every branch of humility there is a sweet ness not to be uttered : in the entrance into

such a state indeed, there is pain, but it is full of penitent delight ; there is mourning united with it, but even that mourning is replete with blessedness. It is health to the soul, it heals while it wounds. It comforts at the same time, and in the same degree, as it softens the heart. Humility not only removes all that swelling anguish with which pride drinks up the spirits, it not only implants consolation wherever it comes, and brings rest to the weary soul, but joy, which increases more and more unto the perfect day. Humility cannot but lead to faith ; a sight of our spiritual diseases induces us to fly to the cure of them. Who can feel himself sick, and not desire to be made whole r What contrite sinner does not rejoice in a Saviour ? and the more he rejoices in this unspeakable gift, the more firmly he believes that his Saviour is able and willing to save to the uttermost able to save all that believe, for he is God ! and willing, for he is God manifested in the flesh. Here is joy, which none can divide from faith! joy unspeakable and full of glory. God ! the Lord God ! Jehovah ! God over

all ! the God to whom all things are possible, hath undertaken the cause of fallen man 1 He hath promised, he hath sworn to save ! nay, he hath done more he hath bowed the heavens and come down, he hath been made man ! he hath lived, and suffered, and died. Jesus Christ hath died to save man ! Tell it out in all lands r let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad ! publish ye, and praise, and say, " This is the victory which overcometh the world even our faith." If we can believe, all things are possible to him that believeth ; to him it is easy to rejoice evermore Yea! we cannot but re joice in thy strength, O Lord Christ, and be exceeding glad of thy salvation ! Now if it be so joyful a thing to believe that Christ died to save sinners, what consolation must it be to add to our faith, hope ? to be assured that he died to save us ? If to know that a ransom is paid for fallen man, and a new covenant of mercy given him, be the source of a peace which passeth all understanding, yea, ofjoy unspeakable and full of glory, how must he rejoice who feels within his own soul that this ransom is paid for him ! whose heart bears

witness that he is within that covenant, arid shall find mercy even in the day of venge ance ! If the belief, that all who are faithful servants of their great master have an house eternal in the heavens, be a continual spring of gladness, how shall he sing for joy with whom the Spirit of God bears witness that he is faithful ! who can lay hold of these great and precious pro mises, whose eye God hath opened to look into eternity, and to take a view of those man sions of glory, into which he knows his blessed Lord is gone before to prepare a place for him ! Such joy have all those that hope in God, and the stronger their hope the greater it is : but this is not all ; for hope leads to love, and in this love happiness is complete. Very excellent things are spoken of this hap piness which flows from loving God ; whoever possesses it feels more than ever can be spoken, even if he spoke with the tongue of men and angels. It is what Scripture terms the hidden manna, the inexpressible sweetness whereof none can conceive but he that partakes of it; but some little imperfect knowledge may be

attained from what appears in outward exer cises of it. Not to insist on the pleasure which the man feels who loves his God, in manifesting love to his neighbour for God's sake, how does he re joice whenever he has an opportunity of pour ing out his heart before him ! How is his soul satisfied when his mouth praiseth him with joyful lips! How does it increase when he joins with the congregation of the faithful in prayer and thanksgiving ! He needeth not the exhor tation of man, nor even the command of his Creator, to drag him to the house of prayer : he needeth not be reminded that if he forbears assembling himself with the people of God, as the manner of most is, he casts himself out of the congregation of saints, he renounces the privileges of his baptism, casts himself out of the sanctuary, and excommunicates himself from the body of Christ. No, he is glad when they say unto him, " Let us go into the house of the Lord ;" but his joy overflows all bounds when, in the memory of him whom his soul loveth, he eateth the living bread which came down from heaven, and drinketh the cup of salvation. Lo, thus is the man blessed that feareth the Lord ! that beareth forth good seed ! these sheaves shall he bring home in this life, how ever he may now go on his way weeping. These are the first fruits which he shall re ceive even here, but the harvest is not yet : he as yet knows and loves his God only in part, therefore enjoys him in part only ; but the hour approaches when that which is in part shall be done away: yet a little while and he shall come again with fulness of joy to reap his entire harvest. Behold, " One standeth at the door" who will complete what he hath begun ; who shall ripen the seeds of grace into glory, and, instead of the dew of heaven which now refreshes his spirit, will give him rivers of pleasure for evermore ! Amen.