more; other places, Ezra iii. 11. and vi. 16. and Nehem. xii. 27. And this is not only pious, but a tranfcendant act of faith, and confidence in God; upon fuch occafions to blefs him, to rejoice in him, and to praife him. And they are of the bafeft, and moft fordid temper, that are not affected with the expreffions of the divine goodness and kindness. And truly if we do not do the former duty of the text, we fhall fail in the latter; if we be not glad and rejoice in the Lord, we shall never be thankful nor blefs his holy name. For pray what thankfulness when the heart is poffeft with melancholy, and the fpirit full of heaviness? but befides this, it is the general direction of wisdom, to acknowledge God in all our ways; therefore in things remarkable, fo much the and 'tis the effect of religion to do it ; forwhat is religion, but a participation, imitation, and resemblance of the divine goodness, both in the temper of the fubject, and in its expreffions of gratitude, ingenuity, acknowledgment, and the like. I know no other refult of religion but this. And surely were religion estimated by this, we fhould endeavour after it, and be all good friends, and he would be accounted the best man, that is most free and ingenuous in the sense of divine goodness. At least let us not neglect to make acknowledgments to God upon those eminent advantages that the course of his : providence doth afford; fuch as are eminent fucceffes in our undertakings, and happy recoveries out of any trouble and calamity; and giving us to fee light after darkness. Such opportunities as these, pious fouls have been wont to close withal. And it is noted of one, a very good perfon, a king of great fame, as a thing that was very unnatural and unbecoming him, and very ill resented by God, that he did not render unto the Lord according to the great benefits that was bestowed upon him. Thus it is reported of Hezekiah, 2 Chron. xxxii. 21. But his heart was. lifted up. Now pride is oppofite to the acknowledgment of God, and giving thanks to him, He that hath his heart lifted up, will arrogate and affume to himfelf, and this feems to have been his fault; for which wrath was upon him, and the Ifrael of God. Now let fuch failings as these were, though in former ages, be for our admonition, as the apoftle tells us, that things before us were for our example, upon whom the ends of the world are come, I Cor. x. II. If God had not taken pleasure in us, and in this great undertaking, to reftore and rebuild this ancient city, he might have obftructed and prohibited the fame; as Joshua did curfe any one that undertook rebuilding of Jericha. You fhall find the curse, Joshua vi. 26. and in effect, 1 Kings xvi. 34. Therefore we have cause, both to be fenfible of the divine goodness, in that his good hand of providence hath been over us, and given success to our endeavours; and scattered our fears and fad apprehenfions, and given us to fee fo much of restoration as at this day, and as this place gives teftimony of In the text we have two things. I. The duty and II. The reafon of it. I. The duty is expreffed in two words, rejoice in and the reason in these the Lord, and praise him words, for it is comely fo to do. Rejoice in the Lord. Then certainly religion is not fuch a thing as 'tis reprefented to the world by many men. For it is looked upon as a doleful, troublesome, melancholy thing; hurtful to the body and difquieting to the fouls of men. But fee whe ther this be true. Look upon religion in its actions. and employment: and what are they? rejoice and give thanks. Are not these actions that are grateful and delightful? what doth transcend divine joy and ingenuous acknowledgments? But then, II. The reafon. It is comely. Whatsoever is the true product of religion, is graceful, beautiful, and lovely. There is nothing in religion that is dishonourable, selfish; that is particular, and narrowspirited. No, it is a principle of the greatest noblenefs, and generousness in the world. They are worldly fpirits, that are low, narrow, and contracted the truly religious are most noble and generous; and are the freeft from narrowness, difcontent and selfishness. There is the moft folid peace, and moft grounded fatisfaction found in it. Job. x. 5. The triumph of the wicked is short, and the joy of the bypocrite is but for a moment. But for the good man and the righteous, Pfal. iv. 7. Thou hast put more gladness into my heart, than when their corn, andavine, and oil encreafed. And Ifa. xiv. 16. I will glory in the holy One of Ifrael. And Ifa. Ixi. 10. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my foul fhall be joyful in my God. Nay, in the greatest straits and exigency, Hab. Hab. iii. 17. Though the fig-tree should not bloffom, though there fhould be no fruit in the vine, and the labour of the olive fhould fail, &c. yet will I rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of my falvation. I. Rejoice in the Lord. 1. For himself; because of his own goodness. 2. In other things, with refpect to him. But 1. For himself. t. God is the most excellent object in the world. And 2dly, what he is in himfelf, he is to the righteous, who have interest in him, and who are in reconciliation with him. 'Tis vanity and emptiness to glory in men, and ordinary. things, and where there is no property; though things are excellent, yet there is no glory in that cafe. Men are prone to envy; therefore it is requifite to glorying, that men have property, that. men think upon God as their own; for where men have no property, they are apt to fay, what am I the better? The devilish nature delights in God the lefs, because of his goodness; for the more good. God is, the further is he removed from their degenerate temper 'Tis our unfuitablenefs and un-. likeness to God, that hinders our delight and fatis- . faction in him. 'Tis a great faying, Whosoever is pleafed with God, pleaseth God. Whosoever, I fay, is pleased with that which God is pleased with, is pleafing unto God. But they that are in an un-fuitable temper and difpofition, (as the unregenerate man, and sensual spirit, as the atheistical and profane, and those that are malicious and devilifh) they are in a spirit oppofite to the Spirit of God, and therefore they are offended with God, as well as as God is offended with them: but, whosoever are pleafed with God, God is pleafed with them but to the wicked and unregenerate, God himself (as good as he is) he is a burden; for it is the temper of wickedness to say unto God, Depart from us, for we do not defire the knowledge of thy ways, Job xxi. 14. For it is univerfally true, that things are to perfons, according as they are in state, spirit, and temper. Let men pretend love to the things of God never so much, they will not relish them, unless they be born of God: 'tis they that are naturalized to heaver, that relifh and favour divine things. That which is born of the world, is enmity against God. But 1 2. Our rejoicing must be with some respect to God; and though it be in other things, yet it must be in the Lord and this is done, when : 1. We acknowlege God originally, as the four. tain from whence all good things come, and the first cause of all good. When we are fenfible that we receive from him, and hold of him, and have what we enjoy, from his bounty. 2. When we account God better than all other enjoyments whatsoever, and have all things in fubordination to him. 3. When we look upon all our enjoyments as fruits of the divine goodness, and confider them as enjoyments, First, To endear God to us, and For you know, a courtesy is accounted as loft, if the party doth not gain the good-will and affection of the perfon, to whom |
