SERMON

XII.

Rejoicing in Christ.

1 PET. i. 8.

Whom, having not feen, ye love: In whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

WO branches of the chriftian difpofition TW Toward the partoward the bleffed Jefus, have been ticularly difcourfed of from this pallage; be lieving in him, and love to him. One yet re-mains to be confidered.

III. Rejoicing in Chrift; which, as well as the other, is affirmed here by the apoftle to have been the frame of the primitive Chriftians: "In whom, though now ye fee him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unfpeakable and full of glory."

Joy in him is an advance upon our faith and love. It imports a reft and fatisfaction. of mind, upon the apprehenfion we have of his real excellence, and of the benefits accruing to us by him. The word used in another place, Phil. iii. 3. to exprefs this temper, navxãobar, fignifies to glory or triumph in Chrift and fo our tranflators render it in Gal. vi. 14. "God forbid, that I fhould glory, fave in the cross of Chrift." The apoftle obferves of the Jews, that they "rested in the law," the Mofaical law, and they "made their boast of God," Rom. ii. 17. The fame

word.

word is there ufed; they gloried in God; i. e. they gloried in their vifible relation to God, as eminently their God, beyond what he was to the heathen world, by virtue of the covenant of peculiarity made with their nation, upon their confent to obferve the law of Mofes, Exod. xix. These Christians, on the other hand, of whom the apoftle speaks in the text, upon their converfion from Judaism to Chriftianity, gloried and rejoiced in Christ, as opening the way to a more diftinguishing relation to God, than that to which the Jewish nation was admitted by virtue of the Mofaical covenant. They efteemed Chrift to "bring glad tidings of greater joy" than Mofes did, to be more "full of grace and truth;" and therefore rejoiced in him, as having found. the beft treasure.

The two characters given of their joy, intimate the high degree of it. It was "joy unfpeakable," more than they could exprefs: they could hardly apprife others what a joy they felt. And it was " full of glory." The word exactly rendered is glorified joy: it was akin to the joy felt by thofe in the glorified ftate.

But it may be faid; though these primitive believers thus rejoiced in Chrift, is this to be esteemed a necessary part of every true Chris tian's character ?

I answer, The Gospel gives refon to all who entertain it for fuch a high degree of joy : certainly it may be attained, and is a frame fit to be afpired at by all Chriftians, fince it is left upon record as the actual character of thefe

thefe primitive examples. But I am far from thinking it in fuch a large measure, to be an effential character of a Chriftian. And yet a prevalence of this temper, as well as of faith and love, must be understood as a difcriminating mark of every fincere Chriftian: for fo St. Paul reprefents it, Phil. iii. 3. "We are the circumcifion, the true people of God, "which worship God in the fpirit, and rejoice in Chrift Jefus."

I fhall therefore confider, 1ft. The grounds which a Christian has for joy in Christ. And edly, How far it may be effeemed the neceffary temper of every true Chriftian. And then make fome reflections.

First, I am to confider the grounds, which a Christian has for rejoicing in Christ.

And upon this head I would obferve, that (1.) The Gospel-revelation furnishes the materials of his joy. (2.) His faith in that revelation is the principal of his joy. (3.) The efficacy of his faith, as working by love, gives him ground for ftill a more fpecial joy.

1. The Gofpel-revelation furnishes the materials of his joy; the good news, the gladtidings contained in the blessed Gospel. For instance,

(1.) The kind and gracious defign upon which Jefus came into the world. One, which had the moft comfortable afpect upon mankind of any thing which was ever manifefted fince the apoftacy. It was to testify the good-will of an offended God toward men, and to open a way for the free communication of it which was accordingly pro

claimed

Luke ii. 14.

claimed at his birth by the heavenly hoft, "God fent his Son, not to condemn the world;" as our guilty fears might have furmised, if notice had been given of his approach, without any account of the defign of it; "but that through him the world might be fayed," John iii. 17. "To feek

and to fave them that were loit," Luke xix. 10. And not only fuch as had been guilty of lefs offences, but even the "chief of finners," 1 Tim. i. 15. To "fave them from their fins" themselves, Matt. i. 21. and "from the wrath to come," due upon that account, 2 Theff. i. 10.

What a fubject of joy is this! confidering the greatness of the evils in which we were involved, and to which we were farther liable. We were alienated from God, under the fentence of condemnation, ready to fall into the hands of the living God. And at the fame time we were utterly unable to help ourselves. We had deftroyed ourselves; but in God alone, if any where, our help must be found. We could neither refit his almighty vengeance, nor atone his juft difpleasure. All other

ways, which carried an air of relief, were infufficient to reach their end. There were facrifices under the law to put away fin; but they were not fufficient to purify, as pertain ing to the confcience. "Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not," fays the Son of God; "then faid I, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God," Heb. x. 5, 7. And yet, when this grace was intended us, we were altogether unworthy of any inftance of compaffion; and

VOL. I.

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therefore

therefore have the more abundant reafon to rejoice, that notwithstanding that, a faving defign is fet on foot. (2.) The capacity and accomplish this gracious ground of joy in him.

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fitnefs of Jefus to defign, is a farther Help is laid upon

one who is mighty to fave; able to fave to the uttermoft all thofe that come unto God by him."

The conftitution of his perfon admirably qualified him for this province. The dignity of his divine nature ennobled his offering, fo that the church was fully redeemed by his blood, A&ts xx. 28. By his having been in the bofom of the Father, he was every way furnifhed to reveal him, his will and grace to the world, John i. 18. On the other hand, by his condefcending to be made flesh, he "had wherewith to offer," Heb. viii. 3. A "body was prepared him," that he might "bear our fins in his own body on the tree." By the fame means, when he became our inftructor, the terrors which muft have feized us, had God himself in his glory fpoke to us, were prevented. And his government is become more fuitable, as he is "bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh."

The full commiffion, which he received to be our Mediator, enters into his capacity to be a Saviour. None but God, our ruler and judge, could authorife and make valid any expedient for our relief: he might have infifted on our bearing in our own perfons the punishment we had deferved. It is therefore matter of great joy, that he hath commiffion

ed