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fprings and fountains; but the river, as I faid, is God himself, and his gracious emanations: therefore, though God hath provided a channel of gofpel-ordinances, to convey fome of the water of this river to us; yet this immenfe river cannot be limited or circumfcribed.This riyer will run through the city of God for ever. 4thly, What is the nature of this gladnefs, that the ftreams of this river afford to the city of God?

Anfw. It is fuch as tranfcends all worldly pleafures: for, 1. It is real, folid, and fubftantial. Hence it is called, Joy unspeakable, and full of glory, 1 Pet. i. 8.; whereas fenfual delights are flight, fleeting, full of wind and vanity; "Like the crackling of thorns under a pot, fo is the laughter of fools." They are like Jonah's gourd, God hath prepared a worm to destroy them. Creaturecomforts, when a perfon promifes moft in them, then a worm eats them up, root and all. They are fuch comforts, as that the wind can wither them, the water can drown them, the fire can burn them, the moth can confume them, or the thief can fteal them, fickness can fink them, or death can deftroy them; fome worm or other can eat them up: but the gladness and joy that this river brings, is fo folid and fubftantial, that it can defy fire and water, Ifa. xliii. 1, 2. It can defy trouble and diftrefs, famine, nakednefs, peril and fword: it can defy death, and life, and angels, principalities, powers, &c. Rom. viii. 38, 39.

2. This gladness is rational and well-grounded, not founded upon miftake or fancy, but warranted by the promife and oath of God, the two immutable things, by which it is impoffible for God to lye. None but a lying devil, and an unbelieving heart, will call in question the foundation of their faith, hope, and comfort: but the wicked rejoice in their own delufions; it is only ignorance and error they are beholden to for their mirth. I have read of a certain weed, which makes thefe that eat it to give up their lives laughing: fuch a weed do the wicked of the world eat; it makes them go laughing to hell, to which their carnal mirth haftens them.

3. This gladnefs is fpiritual, pure, and holy. It is a piece of commanded duty, Rejoice evermore. The plea

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fear of God, is xix. 31. They promoted by his ungodly are imThere is no peace calleth them to weep

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of heart, Joel ii. 12, 13. gives fpiritual and holy In the multitude of my comforts delight my foul:" it fear of danger and diftrefs, and

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No man hateth fin fo much, as he

death and judgment; whereas thefe mar all worldly mirth. This gladnefs is t raketh of this joy; and he that rejoiceth most, doth work righteoufnels moft; "The joy of the. Lord is inhead of puritying. Oh! how little of God is in the drinking, dancing, ranting, and revelling? How little of midt of mens hunting and hawking, dicing and carding, putrified, but petrified, and hardened against the word heaven is in their mind?. The heart is thereby not only aad warnings of God; then it is that they are foolish,

whereas flethly pleafures are putrifying

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dlife pleasures, Tit. ii. 3. Such are unwilling foberly to confider the things that concern their everlafting peace; fcorners of the means of falvation. This gladnefs is fed and hence. f frequently grow up to be flighters and and maintained by fpiritual, heavenly, and lofty things. The carnal man's pleasures are fed with trifles, like that of children playing with toys and trifles; but, O! this fpiritual pleasure is maintained by the love of God, and the hope of the glory of God.

4.

This gladnefs is lafting, yea, everlafting. Indeed, the believer's joy in this world is often interrupted by the neighbourhood of the fell, the prevalence of fin, and the hidings of God's face: yet ftill he keeps their comforts alive, at leaft in the root, and will make them fpring up as we need them, and are meet for them; and they are joys that no man can take from them, John

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xvi. 22. Death cannot kill the believer's joys; the rave cannot bury them; millions of ages cannot end m; "God hath given us everlafting confolation, and hope thro' grace," 2 Theff. ii. 16. It is not a mugood that the believer rejoices in, but in an imgood, an immutable Cod, in the immutable God, the immutable promife of the covenant, the hope of the kingdom that cannot be moved; e are pleasures for evermore, Pfal. xvi. 11. But caral joy and gladnefs is of a fhort duration; it cannot ftand before a ferious thought of death. How foolish are they that chufe the pleasures of fin, that are but for a feafon! Heb. xi. 25.; the joy that will be quickly crowned in everlafting forrow! If folly and ftupidity were not predominant, it would be a wonder that ungodly men can be merry, when their confcience tells them, that they are not fure if they fhall ftay one hour out of hell, and that they are fowing the feed of everlafting forrow; whereas the gladnefs watered with the ftreams of this river, is the feed of everlasting joy. The bones of thousands ly in the church-yard, that have had many a merry, wanton day; but now what better aré they of it? Yea, how much worfe, that, they have lived in finful pleasures, that are now turned to everlafting flames? Whereas thefe fpiritual confolations, that are bred by the streams of this river, they carry all the dead in Chrift into the ocean of everlafting joy: "At his right-hand are rivers of pleafures for evermore."

IV. The fourth head propofed was, To make application of the subject: and this we fhall effay in an use of information, examination, and exhortation.

The firft ufe may be for information; and what I fay here, fhall be according to the three heads I have been infifting upon.

Ift, Is it fo, that the church of God is a city? Then we may infer,

1. That the church is an orderly fociety, and that there is a form of government therein. There is a fettled form of church-government, and Jefus Chrift is the Head and Lord of it: neither dare any prefume to alter it,

upon

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SER. CIX. fare of Wildom's ways are fure, and accompanied with the holy fear of God; they walked in the fear of God, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghoft, Acts xix. 31. They are warranted by his command, and promoted by his promife; whereas the pleafures of the ungodly are impure, finful, and forbidden pleafures; "There is no peace faith my God, to the wicked:" he calleth them to weeping and mourning, and renting of heart, Joel ii. 12, 13. James v. 1,5. This gladaefs gives fpiritual and holy reft in the midit of trouble: "In the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy comforts delight my foul:" it gives relief from prefent fear of danger and diftrefs, and from future fear of death and judgment; whereas thefe fears will foon mar all worldly mirth. This gladness is a purifying gladnefs. No man hateth fin fo much, as he that tafteth of this joy; and he that rejoiceth most, doth allo work righteousness moft; The joy of the. Lord is his ftrength;" whereas flefhly pleafures are putrifying inftead of purifying. Oh! how little of God is in the midft of mens hunting and hawking, dicing and carding, drinking, dancing, ranting, and revelling? How little of heaven is in their mind? The heart is thereby not only putrified, but petrified, and hardened against the word and warnings of God; then it is that they are foolish, difobedient, deceived, when they are ferving divers lufts and pleafures, Tit. iii. 3. Such are unwilling foberly to confider the things that concern their everlafting peace; and hence f frequently grow up to be flighters and fcorners of the means of falvation. This gladness is fed and maintained by fpiritual, heavenly, and lofty things. The carnal man's pleafures are fed with trifles, like that of children playing with toys and trifles; but, O! this fpiritual pleasure is maintained by the love of God, and the hope of the glory of God.

4. This gladnefs is lafting, yea, everlasting. Indeed, the believer's joy in this world is often interrupted by the neighbourhood of the flesh, the prevalence of fin, and the hidings of God's face: yet ftill he keeps their comforts alive, at leaft in the root, and will make them fpring up as we need them,, and are meet for them; and they are joys that no man can take from them, John

xvi. 22. Death cannot kill the believer's joys; the grave cannot bury them; millions of ages cannot end them; "God hath given us everlafting confolation, and good hope thro' grace," 2 Theff. ii. 16. It is not a mutable good that the believer rejoices in, but in an immutable good, an immutable Cod, in the immutable love of God, the immutable promife of the covenant, and in the hope of the kingdom that cannot be moved; thefe are pleasures for evermore, Pfal. xvi. 11. But carnal joy and gladnefs is of a fhort duration; it cannot ftand before a ferious thought of death. How foolish are they that chufe the pleafures of fin, that are but for a feafon! Heb. xi. 25.; the joy that will be quickly. crowned in everlasting forrow! If folly and ftupidity were not predominant, it would be a wonder that ungodly men can be merry, when their confcience tells them, that they are not fure if they fhall stay one hour out of hell, and that they are fowing the feed of everlafting forrow; whereas the gladnefs watered with the ftreams of this river, is the feed of everlasting joy. The bones of thousands ly in the church-yard, that have had many a merry, wanton day; but now what better are they of it? Yea, how much worfe, that they have lived in finful pleasures, that are now turned to everlafting flames? Whereas thefe fpiritual confolations, that are bred by the ftreams of this river, they carry all the dead in Chrift into the ocean of everlasting joy: "At his right-hand are rivers of pleasures for evermore."

IV. The fourth head propofed was, To make application of the fubject: and this we fhall effay in an use of information, examination, and exhortation.

The firft ufe may be for information; and what I fay here, fhall be according to the three heads I have been infifting upon.

1ft, Is it fo, that the church of God is a city? Then we may infer,

1. That the church is an orderly fociety, and that there is a form of government therein. There is a fettled form of church-government, and Jefus Chrift is the Head and Lord of it: neither dare any prefume to alter it,

upon

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