5. Joy. Promises of it.
This is notably set out unto us in the booke of Psalmes, Psal. 19.8. The Statutes of the LORD are right, reioycing the heart. Psal. 23.4. Thy rod and thy staffe they comfort mee. Psal. 36.8, 9. Thou shalt make them drinke of the river of thy pleasures; for with thee is the fountaine of life, and in thy light shall we see light. Psal. 89.15, 16. Blessed is the peo∣ple that know the ioyfull sound, they Page 317 shall walke O LORD in the light of thy countenance. In thy name shall they reioyce all the day, and in thy righteousnesse shall they be exalted. Psal. 45.15.* With glad∣nesse and reioycing shall they be brought. Psal. 64.10. The righte∣ous shall be glad in the LORD. Psal. 68.3. Let the righteous be glad, let them reioyce before GOD, yea let them exceedingly reioyce. Psal. 97.11, 12. * Light is sowen for the righteous, and gladnesse for the upright in heart. Reioyce in the LORD yee righ∣teous, Psal. 118.15. The voice of reioycing and salvation, is in the tabernacles of the righteous. Psal. 132.16. Her Saints shall shout aloud for ioy.
The bookes of the Prophets are full of these Promises. No∣table is that sweet song of Esay,*GOD is my Salvation, I will trust, and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song, hee also is become my salvation. Therefore Page 318 with ioy shall yee draw water out of the wells of Salvation or Con∣solation. The whole 35. Chap∣ter of Esay is full of heavenly consolation to as Gentiles, verse 1.* The wildernesse and th• solitary place shall be glad for th•m, and the desert shall reioyce and blossome as the rose. See ver. 10. Esay 56.7. I will make them ioyfull in my house of prayer. In the 66. of Es•y are many sweet consolati∣ons, v•rse 10. to 14. our Saviour likewise said to his Disciples, that their hearts should reioyce, and their ioy should no man take away from them, Joh. 16.22. Paul saith, The kingdome of GOD is in righteousnesse, peace, and ioy in the HOLY GHOST, Rom. 14.17. The HOLY GHOST workes it in the heart, one of his fruites is joy, Gal. 5.22.
The LORD makes so many promises of this one thing, to make us see, 1. That there can be no holding out in a Christi∣an Page 319 course without this joy: 2. By reason of the many evills that befall us in this life, it is very hard to get, much more to keepe this joy.
