Union with him. I would chort to ftudy this more, to have Fellowship one with another, as Members of the fame Body, by Sympathy, by mutual Helping one another in fpiritual and temporal Things: Even amongst Chriftians that live obfcurely in a City, in a Village, there is not that harmonious Agreement and Confent of Hearts, that Contention and Plea of Love, of Gentleness and

Forbearance, who fhall exercife moft of that but there are many Jealoufies, Heart-burnings, Grudgings, Strifes, evil Speakings, r. to the ftumbling of o thers, and the weakning of your felves, which certainly argue that ye are much carnal, and walk as Men, and that the Love of God, and Fellowship with him is waxed cold, and is languifhed and dead, &c.

SERMON

VIII.

1 John i. 4. And these Things write we unto you, the your Foy may be full.

ALL Motions tend to Reft and Quiet Appointment of God? But there is this

nefs, we fee it daily in the Motions below, and we believe it alfo of the circular Revolutions of the Heavens above, that there is a Day coming in which they fhall ceafe, as having performed all they were appointed for: And as it is in Things natural, fo it is in Things rational in a more eminent Way; their Defires, Af fections, and Actions, which are the Motions and Stretches of the Soul to wards that it defires and apprehends as Good, tends of their own Nature, and are directed by the very Intention of the Soul, to fome Reft and Tranquility, fome Joy and Contentation of Spirit. If other Things that have no Knowledge, have their Center of Reft, how much more muft Man, who is an understanding Creature, have it by the Ordination and

wide Difference in the Point of Capacity of Happiness between Man and other Creatures, that they, whatsoever excellent Vertuès or Properties they have, yet know them not themfelves, and fo can neither enjoy what Excellency themfelves bave, nor have Ufe of what is in others; for, to what Purpofe is it to fhine forth, if there be no Eye to fee? What Advan tage hath the Rofe in its Fragrancy, if it cannot fmell it felf? That which is not perceived, is as if it were not. And therefore it is an evident Teftimony, that all thefe vifible Things were created, not for themselves, but for Man's Sake who knows them, can use them, and enjoy them: Here is then the peculiar Capacity that God hath given to Man, to difcern and know what he feeks, what he hath D dd 2

and

bouring in the Fire. There is nothing fo plentifully fatisfies our Expectations, as can quite the Coft, and recompenfe the Expence of our Labour, Toil, Grief, and Travel about it; there is nothing therefore but a continual, reftlefs Agitation of the Heart,from one Thing to another, and that in a round circling about, from one Thing that now difpleases or disappoints, to Things that were formerly loathed ; as a fick Man turns him from one Side to another, or changes Beds often, and at length returns, expecting to find fome Eafe where he lay at firft. And it may be judged, that all circular Motions are

and poffeffes, that fo he may be able to enjoy it, or use it, according to the Nature of it. This is a great Point of God's Image and Conformity with him, whofe infinite Blessedness and Joy rifeth from that perfect Comprehenfion, and intuitive beholding of himself, and his own incomprehenfible Riches. So then, Man's Happiness or Mifery muft depend upon this, both what the Soul fixeth upon, and what it apprehendeth to be in it; for, if that eternal and univerfal Good, the Allfulness of God, be the Center of the Soul's Defires and Endeavours, and there be apprehended and difcovered in God, that infinite Excellency and Variety of De-eternal, and fo they can never be fuppofed lights, which nothing effe can afford fo to attain their End, that is Rest and much as a Shadow of, then, there cannot Tranquility; therefore a Soul thus carribut refult from fuch a Conjunction of the ed in a Round,by the vain Imaginations of Soul's Apprehenfion, fuitable to the Ful his Heart, is likely never to fettle and nefs of God, and of the Excellency and find folid Reft and Peace. Nay, how is it Goodness of God, fuitable to the Defires poffible that they can give that Tranquilof the Soul, fuch a Reft and Tranquility, ty and Contentation to the Heart and fuch Joy and Satisfaction, as cannot choofe Soul of Man, that are fo utterly in their but make the Soul infinitely happier than Natures difproportioned to it? "Both bethe Enjoyment of any other Thing could cause they are only fuited to the Senfes, do. and likewife, for that they are changeable. Now the Soul is framed with a higher Capacity, and can no more be fatiated with visible Things, than a Man that is hungry can be fatisfied with Gold; and befides, it is immortal, and must have fomething to furvive all the Changes of Time, and therefore is likely to reft no where, but in that which hath eternal Stability. Now though thefe Things cannot truly fill the Heart, yet they fwell the Belly, like the Eaft-Wind, or hike the Prodigal's Husks, fill it with Wind, which caufeth many Torments and Distempers in the Soul; and though they cannot give Eafe, yet they may be as Thorns to prick and pierce a Man through with many Sorrows, as our Saviour speaks. So that

This being the Thing then, which all Mens Defires naturally tend unto, this Tranquillity and perfect Satisfaction of the Heart being that which carries all Mens Hearts after it, and that which Men feek for it felf, and which they feek in all other Things: The great Mifery of Man is, that he mistakes the Way to it, and feeks it where it is not to be found. The Generality of Men ae fo far degenerated both from the Impreffion of a divine Majefty, and the Senfe of an immortal Being within themselves, that they imagine to content and ease their own Hearts, in thefe outward, unconftant, perifhing Things; and fo their Life is spent in catching at Shadows, in feeding on the Wind, in la

there

reach unto; there is fome Crookedness withal adheres to them, which fhews our Departure from our Original. There are many excellent Difcourfes of Morality in Heathen Writings, which may be very fubfervient to a Chriftian, and use. ful to the compofing and fettling of his Mind, amidst all the Fluctuations and Uncertainties of this World; they may come well in as Subfidies and Guards to a Chriftians Heart, to preferve that Peace and Joy it hath from God, and keep out the ordinary tumultuous Paffions that dif turb the most Part of Men: But here is the lamentable Failing, that while they call a Man off Things without, as adventitious, they lead him but into his

there is no more Wisdom or Gain in this, than in gathering an armful of Thorns, and inclofing and preffing hard unto them, the more hardly and ftrongly we grip them, the more grievously they pierce us; or as if a Man would flee into a Hedge of Thorns in a Tempeft, the further he thrust into it, he is the worfe pricked; and that which he is fallen into is worse than that he fleeth from. I am fure all your Experiences give a harmoni ous Teftimony to this, that there is no folid, permanent, conftant, and equable Heart-joy and Contentation in all the fancied and imaginary Felicities that this World adores. There is nothing of thefe Things, that is not leffer, and lower in actual Poffeffion, nor in the first Appre-own Spirit within, as if he could there henfion of them afar off. Nothing in them answers either our Defires or Expectations; and therefore, in ftead of Peace and Tranquillity, they breed more inward Torment and Difquiet, because of that neceffary and inevitable Difappoint ment that attends them. Therefore the Apostle paffeth all these Things in Silence, when he is to write of Purpofe, to give a Fulnefs of Joy; for he knows that in them there is neither that Joy, nor that Fulness of Joy he would wish for from them; but it is other Things he writes for this End.

Now indeed there hath been fome wifer than others, that have their Apprehenfion far above the rest of Mankind, and have laboured to frame fome Rules and Precepts to lead Man into this true Reft and Tranquillity. And truly, in this they have done much to discover the Vanity and Madness of the common Practice of Men; and to draw Man from fenfible and outward Things, to Things invifible and spiritual; yet there in a Defectiveness in all the Rules that natural Reafon can

find that Reft in the very Enjoyment of his poor, miferable, wretched felf. But Chrift Jefus calls us into our own Spirits, not to dwell there; for O, what loth some and irkfome Habitation is a defiled' Heart, and a guilty Confcience? But rather that finding nothing of that Joy and Refreshment within, we may then freely and fully forfake our felves, as well as the World without; and tranfport into God in Chrift, the only Habitation of Joy and Delight, that being filled with Anguish from the World, and from our felves, we may more willingly divorce from both, and agree to join unto Jefus Chrift, and, to imbrace him in our Hearts, who is the only Fountain of Life and Joy; who had no other Errand and Bufinefs from Heaven, but to repair Mans Joy, as grievous a Breach as any in the Cre. ation : A Thing as much miffed and fought after, as any Thing, yea, fought atter in alt Things that are fought: Job. xv.11. These things I bave spoken to you, that your Joy may be full. Therefore the Apoftle propounds this as the End of his

writing

bundant, ample Matter of rejoycing; but there must be a kind of Fulnefs in the Apprehenfion, it must be represented fully as it is, and the Clouds of Unbelief fcattered; and then indeed, upon the full Afpect of the Gospel, and Chrift in it, there is a Fulness of Joy that flows into the Soul, as the Sea is filled upon the full Afpect of the Moon. Oh, that we could believe this, that there is a Fulness of Joy here, and no where elfe; certainly this alone being pondered and funk into our Hearts, would be a powerful Reformer in us, and among us; how would it carry Mens Hearts to a difgracing and defpifing all the Things that are held in Admiration by Men? How would it turn the Channel of Mens Judgments, Opinions, Affections, and Conversations? For certainly whitherfoever the Tide of Joy flows, thither the Heart is carried, and it is that all Men are feeking, though they take many contrary and diverfe Ways, as their own Fancy leads them. Now if once this were established in thy Soul, that here is that Truth and Fulness of Joy, which elsewhere is ignorantly and vainly fought; would it not divert thy Defires, and turn the Current of thy Affections and Endeavours, to fall into this Ocean of Gladnefs and Delight? Elfe where there is neither true Joy, nor full Joy, nec verum nec plenum gaudium; there is no Verity in it, it is but an external Garb and Shadow; and there is no Plenty or Fulness in it; it fills not the Hand of the Reaper, it fatisfieth not his very Hunger. But here, when a Soul is poffeffed with Chrift by Faith, and dwelleth in God by Love, there is both Re ality and Plenty: All the Dimensions of the Heart may be filled up. Some allegorize upon the triangular Compofition of Mans Heart, that no orbicular Thing, fuch

as this World, can fill it exactly without Vacuity, but only the bleffed and holy Trinity. Truly we may conceive, this Fulness of Joy, excluding all the latent Griefs of the Heart, and filling up all the vacant Corners, doth flow from that bleffed Fellowship of the Father and the Son. Now though these two be only mentioned, yet the Holy Ghoft muft not be excluded, for the Apoftolick Prayer doth attribute chiefly our Fellow fhip with God to the Spirit; fo that it is the Spirit unites our Hearts, and affociates them to God, that feems to correfpond between him and us: So then there is fuch a Fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, that leaves no Vacuity in the Heart, that fills all the Dimensions and Corners of it with Peace and Joy.

But add unto this, in the third Place, that thefe Things. have not only a Fulnefs, but withal a Durablenefs; not only Plenty. but befides, Eternity and Perpetuity, to correfpond to the Immortality of the Soul; And this certainly is a great Congruity. and fo makes up much Beauty and Harmony; for what more incongruous and unfuitable, than for an immortal Spirit to fpend it felf, and give up it felf to that which is not, which must leave it, which is mortal, and fading in its own Nature, without which, it must continue infinitely longer than it can enjoy it? And what more comely, than for an immortal Thing to affociate to eternal Things, and to derive its Joy from an eternal Spring? For then, when all Things vifible are done away, and Things mortal abolished, then its Joy none can take from it; becaufe it takes its Joy from that, which must furvive all thefe Changes. Suppofe any Thing could for the prefent give a Fulnefs of Joy, and abfolute Content to the Heart, yet if we imagine that Thing may

be