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rience is the full joy on earth of the immortal soul. When the promise of Christ is fulfilled in our happy experience, I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you, (John xiv. 18.) and we can say, truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, and long that others may partake of it, that their joy may be full. 1 John i. 3, 4. In these feelings is there the perfection of joy on earth; a pure, holy, loving, gracious, expansive joy, full of blessing to ourselves and to others.

But this joy not being the constant experience of the Christian, and being continually interrupted by his corruptions and sinfulness, and the afflictions which are needful for his soul's final prosperity, we must look farther for really perfect joy, even to the day of the resurrection and the return of Christ in glory.

That joy is UNMINGLED : no troubled waters of sorrow defile it. God himself shall be with them, and be their God, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. And there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away-there shall be no night there. Rev. xxi. 3, 4; xxii. 3, 5. The thing which men are thirsting so for here, will be fully possessed by the righteous there. There will be no void of heart, in the midst of these joys, by something still needful to complete them. Every vessel of mercy will be completely full and overflowing, so that in the highest sense each one can say, My cup runneth over.

It is the JOY OF THE LORD CHRIST. This is eminently its perfection. He is quickly coming to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe. 2 Thess. i. 10. There are yet to be revealed

the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints. Ephes. i. 18. Oh the fulness of that love, of that love of Christ, which finds its joy and glory in the happiness of others: this is the mind of Christ. And we shall partake of his joy. With what exquisite tenderness and loving-kindness does our Lord thus put our future happiness, saying at the last day to the righteous, Well done, thou good and faithful servant, thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Matt. xxv. 21, 23. He twice repeats it as if he loved to dwell upon it. His joy in this is called exceeding joy. Jude 24. We may be sure that his joy is incalculably great; and to enter into that joy and share it fully-what must it be? Christian reader, do not our hearts almost sicken with desire to partake of it? Let us be faithful, then, unto death.

Once more, it is EVERLASTING JOY. Here is its crowning blessedness. Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out. Rev. iii. 12. All the joy, and glory of that heavenly kingdom are perpetual and enduring. The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory; (Isaiah Ix. 19.) everlasting joy shall be unto them. Isaiah lxi. 7. As it is a far more exceeding, so it is an eternal weight of glory;-as it is an house not made with hands, so it is eternal in the heavens. 2 Cor. iv. 17; v. 1.

Imagine, then, for a moment, the ransomed of the Lord, redeemed at length from the power of the grave, clothed in the spiritual, and glorious, and incorruptible bodies of the resurrection, shining as the sun, rising from the dust of the earth, caught up by Almighty power and love, to meet Jesus, now in like

manner returning from the heavenly mansions for them; imagine them going to their full reward; they came to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they obtain joy and gladness; sorrow and sighing flee away. Oh the gatherings together from every land of all the excellent of the earth in that glorious day! Oh the unutterable joys of being ever with the Lord! This is the perfection of joy.

And what interminglings of joy will heighten and enlarge our joy then! The spiritual Father rejoices in seeing there his spiritual children, and they in seeing him. There is the joy of love in the successful result of all its labours. There is the joy of benevolence in seeing others happy for ever; there is the joy of holiness in seeing others delivered from all sin; there is the joy of gratitude in witnessing our benefactors honoured of God for their kindness to us. But especially do the scriptures set forth, those to whom we have been spiritually blessed as our joy and crown in that day. Phil. ii. 16–18; iv. 1. 2 Cor. i. 14. 1 Thess. ii. 19, 20. The people of Christ are the jewels of Christ. Mal. iii. 17. In short, they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. Dan. xii. 3. James v. 20.

Meditation.

Why then is my soul cleaving to the dust amidst such prospects and such hopes as are thus set before me? Why art thou cast down, O my soul? let me hope in God; let me look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; and setting my affections upon them, may I have my con

versation in heaven, and daily be preparing for its everlasting joys.

5. ITS INFLUENCE ON THE LIFE.

The effects of this joy (whether it be now possessed in foretaste or fully hoped for in sweet assurance) on our daily life, spirit, and conversation, are most precious and valuable.

The joy given in conversion is peculiarly important for DECISION, to enable the new convert to break through all his former sinful courses; to withstand the scoffs and jeers of all his former sinful companions, and to strengthen him to confess his Saviour before men. When the ship, having been long fastened by the ice, has to break through all the many entanglements and mountains of ice in the frozen ocean, and thus escape from all the dangers of being locked up in those unhappy regions, it needs the favouring breeze, and the warming sun, and, with all advantages, perhaps only just escapes, as Providence, from time to time, makes the necessary outlets for it. So it is with the soul coming out of this icy miserable world into the warmer and happier climes of the gospel. Without Christian joy it would still be fastened in by the cold bands that formerly detained it, as it were imprisoned. The great joy in Samaria, (Acts viii. 8.) leads on the multitudes of men and women to baptism, (v. 12.) The glad reception of the word leads on to the special holiness and devotedness of the first Christians. Acts ii. 41-47.

The joy we have in the Lord gives STRENGth for DUTY. When the people were mourning and weeping on hearing the words of the law, Nehemiah, and

Ezra, and the priests restrained them, leading them rather to joy and active works of love. Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry, for

the joy of the

Lord is your strength. Neh. viii. 10. And so their sorrow was turned into joy and love; for joy is, of all affections, specially communicative, and overflowing of itself to others.

This joy strengthens us for the blessed but more difficult duties of the Christian life. It makes all our paths cheerful and happy, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine. Prov. xvii. 22. He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Prov. xv. 15. Very beautiful is the description in Isaiah xxxv. and lxi. of the change made by the joy of the gospel. It was the abundance of their joy that made the Philippians abound in rich liberality, (2 Cor. viii. 1.) and have such moderation and calm superiority to earthly things. Phil. iv. 4, 5.

Praise is the very

Joy leads on to THANKSGIVING. mouth and language of joy. Let Israel rejoice in him that made him. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their king. Let them praise his name in the dance, let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp. Psalm cxlviii. 2, 3. Isaiah xii. 3, 4. And as this is very honourable to the gospel, so it especially glorifies God. Psalm 1. 23. God delights to honour a thankful spirit. It leads on to farther and more glorious triumphs over our enemies. How delightfully is this exhibited in the case of Jehoshaphat, when the vast armies of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir, came against him! On having the Lord's assurance of success, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and praisers

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