God, because God first loved him. In the enjoyment of this love, he finds his heaven begun. By the same Spirit, who manifested it and shed it abroad in his heart, he is kept seeking for more discoveries of it. In every appointed means he waits. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth the soul after more of the presence of God, and of the light of his loving countenance. Having a command--Seek ye my face--he obeys it from his heart; but his chief view in obedience is to behold the face of the Lord turned to him in love. He wants fellowship highly ennobles, and

with God in duty, which

also endears it to him.

He performs it in faith, and in a free spirit. He goes to it as a beloved child to a most loving parent: and his heavenly father meets him in it-receives him graciously-speaks to his heart-and makes him sensible that he can deny him no manner of thing which is good. Hence the ways of duty become ways of pleasantness. The farther he advances in them, and the more spiritual he grows in the performance of them, he finds clearer communications

of his Father's grace and love, which still increase his joy, and afford him surer earnests, and happier foretastes of joy unspeakable and full of glory.

As for the ungodly, it is not so with them. They are always seeking after joy. They are busy, and weary themselves in the pursuit of it; but they cannot find it. While they are turned in heart from the Lord, they look downwards for it, where it is not. They expect it will spring out of the ground: and if they cannot discover it upon the surface, they will dig into the bowels of the earth for treasures of hidden joy. But they disquiet themselves in vain. It is the sovereign decree of the almighty, that nothing can make a sinner truly happy but God in Christ: this they will not believe; and therefore they go from creature to creature, from object to object, inquiring, Where is the best joy to be found? Each promises them-it is in me. But each disappoints them. And yet they go on, seeking it to-day in that very thing which deluded them yesterday. Yea, their foolish hearts are willingly deluded.

They

love to be pursuing what it is impossible they should attain. If after many trials they find the emptiness of one creature-comfort, then they turn to another; and they will try the whole compass of beings and things, and will at last die in the trial, rather than seek for joy where it is holy, perfect, and everlasting.

. The believer is saved from this vain pursuit. He has been convinced of the insufficiency of the creature to make him happy. He has seen an end of all perfection in it. He can say, with the royal preacher, "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity"-all is changeable and imperfect, under the sun; for the whole world lieth in wickedness and under the curse. Deeply sensible of his error in having sought for joy in the way of destruction, he now seeks it in the living God. Here he comes to the supreme good, the spring-head of true joy and the streams which he receives from thence are always in proportion to his faith. If this be strong, there is great joy in the soul. If this be weak, joy is at a low ebb. The effect is according to the cause which

produces it. Joy in God is the effect of faith; according to the apostle's prayer--"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy in believing." There is a present fulness of joy which we have by believing, as there is a future fulness of joy, which we shall have by sense. So that joy rises as believing does— fulness of believing brings in ALL joypresent enjoyment increasing as the title to future is clear. The present is the divine pledge of the future, and is therefore given us, that by believing we may now rejoice in the Lord, and be glad in the Lord God of our salvation.

From hence it appears, how necessary it is to the believer's walking in joy, that his understanding should be clearly enlightened with the knowledge of the doctrines of grace, and that his heart should be established in the belief of them. Thou canst not, O my soul, review them too much, nor meditate upon them too long: for they enter into the very essence of all true joy. Study the gospel method of making reconciliation for iniquity, which was the work of Immanuel, and of

reconciling man to God, which is the work of the holy spirit. Has he done this in thee? Art thou reconciled to God? Is thy conscience at peace, is thine heart happy through faith in the atonement and righteousness of thy Saviour? Art thou satisfied of thy per fect acceptance in the beloved? Dost thou therefore obey thy Father out of gratitude, and go to duty to meet him, and to have fellowship with him in his love, and to glorify him for it? Dost thou find his presence? Is he with thee in all means, and art thou seeking in them for nearer and more intimate communion with him? Since this is thy case, what return wilt thou make for such inestimable favours? Surely thou wilt be glad in the Lord, and wilt rejoice in the God of thy salvation. Being at peace with him, and a partaker of his love-waiting for the establishing of this peace and love in the way of obedience, and expecting more communion with thy God in the way of duty, who can have greater reason to rejoice? A saved sinner, delivered by mere grace from wrath and hell, entitled to all spiritual blessings in