is every thing in God, which always renders him worthy of the trust, the confidence and joy of the whole world, and the whole universe.

IMPROVEMENT.

1. It appears from what has been said, that to rejoice in God always, is the most difficult duty that christians have to perform. They are required to rejoice in God always, to rejoice evermore. There is no duty more expressly and repeatedly enjoined upon good men, than rejoicing in the Lord, or before the Lord. The pious Israelites were required to rejoice before the Lord, with all their children and households. David calls upon all good men to rejoice in the Lord. "Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous." "Rejoice in the Lord, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness." It seems to be a very easy duty to rejoice in the Lord sometimes, but not so easy to rejoice in him always. But christians are commanded to rejoice in the Lord always, amidst all the calamities, afflictions, bereavements, sorrows and trials, which fall upon the world in general, and upon themselves in particular. Hence, says the apostle Peter to christians scattered all over the world, "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy." To rejoice in God always, implies something different from rejoicing in his favors, and from rejoicing in his frowns. It implies rejoicing in his goodness, which seeks the highest good of the universe, and not the separate highest good of any individual creature in the universe. Rejoicing in God can flow from nothing but a disinterested love to God, and the good of all intelligent beings; which disposes a person to be willing that God should seek his own glory and the highest holiness and happiness of his holy creatures. God's goodness is disinterested, impartial and universal; and none but those who possess the same kind of goodness can rejoice in his goodness. It is owing to his goodness that he introduced natural and moral evils into his original and eternal purpose of creation; and it is equally owing to his goodness that these evils have abounded and will continue to abound, as long as the world stands, and sinful and miserable creatures exist. And to rejoice in his goodness, is to rejoice that all these evils take place under his universal government. To rejoice in God is to rejoice that he governs all things in the very manner in which he does govern them. The heavenly hosts rejoice that he governs this evil world just as he does. They cry "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord

of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." They see his goodness in all the dark as well as light dispensations of his providence in this world, and rejoice in it. Though they see this world, which is so often and properly called a vale of tears, and observe thousands every day plunged in the most pungent sorrows and anguish, yet they rejoice in God, who inflicts all these evils upon mankind. And it is the duty of christians thus always to rejoice in God, notwithstanding all the scenes of sorrow, affliction and mourning they are called to pass through. But is there a more difficult duty to perform, than rejoicing in God under such circumstances?

2. Christians, who always rejoice in God, perform a duty which is the most pleasing to him. He says, "I love them that love me." Those who rejoice in God at all times, and under all circumstances, exercise the purest and highest love to God. They love him for his goodness, which is the sum and comprehension of all his moral excellences. God is love. He is perfect goodness itself. And it is only because he is supremely good, and exercises supreme and universal goodness in all his conduct, that he deserves to be supremely loved by all his intelligent creatures. Were not his power and knowledge and wisdom and sovereignty under the constant influence of his supreme goodness, there would be nothing in him, or done by him, which would deserve the supreme affection of men or angels. But his goodness, which spreads a moral glory over all his other attributes, renders him infinitely worthy of the supreme affection of all created intelligences. And when they love him for his goodness, they love him for what he is in himself; and when they love him for what he is in himself, and for what he loves himself, their love is highly pleasing to him. Their love is not mean and mercenary, but sincere and supreme. Such was the love of Abraham, when he offered up his son Isaac upon the altar. Such was the love of Moses, when he was willing to suffer affliction with his people, in order to lead them to the land of promise; and when he was willing to have his name blotted out of the book of life, if it might be the means of saving his people from threatened and deserved destruction. And such is the love of sincere christians, who are willing to give up all for the kingdom of God's sake; or when they rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and glory in tribulations also. God rejoices over christians when they rejoice in him, amidst all the evils which he inflicts upon them and upon the world for the promotion of his own glory and the holiness and happiness of the universe. Nothing but pure, disinterested, supreme love to God, can dispose christians to rejoice in him always, whether they receive good, or whether

they receive evil at his hands. To rejoice in the Lord always, therefore, is the most acceptable duty that christians can perform, because it is the most difficult duty to perform. It is easier for a man to give all his goods to feed the poor, or his body to be burned, than to rejoice in God in times of public calamities, or personal trials and tribulations. Satan supposed that Job could not perform this difficult duty; but God convinced him that he was able to perform it. And when he did perform it, it was highly acceptable to God, who pronounced him a perfect and upright man. When christians rejoice in God while they are receiving good at his hands, he is pleased with them; but he is much more pleased, if they rejoice in him when they receive evil.

3. It appears from what has been said, that those christians who always rejoice in God, do peculiar honor to religion. They give clear and striking evidence that true religion, or a christian spirit, will cause men to rejoice in God always; which is a peculiar and most desirable effect that nothing else will produce. Mere selfishness will dispose men to rejoice in prosperity, or while they are receiving good at the hand of God. The world in general, who are impenitent, unbelieving, and totally destitute of religion, are very joyful in prosperity; but adversity spoils all their joy, and fills them with nothing but pain, sorrow, and grief. Haman was joyful till his good fortune forsook him. The Israelites were in raptures of joy at the side of the Red Sea, but sunk in despondency when the spies returned. The stony ground hearer receiveth the word with joy, and dureth for a while; but when tribulation or persecution arises, he is by and by offended. Multitudes, who embrace the gospel upon selfish motives, greatly rejoice, and imagine that they shall always rejoice; but as they rejoice in themselves, and not in God, their joy generally soon forsakes them; which brings a reproach upon themselves and upon religion itself. But those who understandingly and cordially embrace the gos pel, rejoice in God; and as they see cause to rejoice in God at first, so they see cause to rejoice in God always. They, the noble Ethiopian, go on their way rejoicing at all times and under all circumstances; and thus they manifest to the world the nature and tendency of true religion to produce pure and permanent joy and rejoicing; which reflects great honor upon Christianity. By always rejoicing in God, Abraham, Moses and Job did great honor to religion. In the same way, apostles and primitive christians adorned the doctrine of God their Saviour. They say of themselves, "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;-as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing." When they

like

the

were taken, thrown into prison, and threatened with severe punishments for preaching the gospel, by the highest ecclesiastical judicatory; they departed from the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. Yea, they took the spoiling of their goods joyfully. They always rejoiced in God; by which they manifested the reality, the beauty and excellence of that religion which caused them to rejoice at all times, and under all circumstances of adversity and affliction. There is nothing which gives the men of the world such a deep and painful conviction of the reality and ✔ importance and excellence of religion, as to see christians rejoicing always, under both the smiles and frowns of divine providence, and saying, as the Shunammite did," All is well." This is something that they do not feel, and cannot say. We are always struck with the beauty, excellence and sincerity of those christians who appear to be happy, and rejoice under such trials and calamities and afflictions, as throw other men into gloom, darkness, and inconsolable sorrow and distress. The reason is, they appear to enjoy the supports of religion, while all other supports are taken away. The joy and rejoicing of the primitive christians made the world ready to say that they were beside themselves; they could not see the source of their joys and consolation. But the men of the world at this day, who doctrinally understand the gospel, are convinced that those who really believe and love it, must rejoice in God under all his dispensations of providence, that are designed to promote his glory, and the highest good of the universe. And when they see christians actually rejoice in adversity as well as in prosperity, in sickness as well as in health, and in the nearest prospects of death, they cannot help believing that religion is, of all things, the most desirable and most important.

4. It appears from what has been said, that christians who obey the precept in the text, and rejoice in God always, are the happiest men in the world. It cannot be denied that the men of the world are in some measure happy, so long as they do rejoice; but their rejoicing is often interrupted, diminished, and even turned into sorrow. Joy in the world is essentially different from joy in God, even while it continues. Their joy is generally mixed with a consciousness of its folly and criminality. Hence says Solomon, "As the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of fools. This also is vanity.". The bursts of joy and laughter in sinners are always attended or followed by a sense of guilt and self reproach. Accordingly, Christ pronounces a wo to such vain and sinful joy. "Wo unto you that laugh now; for ye shall mourn and weep." Whether the joy of sinners arises from mere trifles and vanities, or from the more valuable, laudable and important worldly

objects, it is altogether vain, sinful, inconsistent, interrupted and short lived. The world and the things of the world are no source of pure and permanent joy. But God is a source of pure, never failing, and satisfactory happiness; and all who always rejoice in him, derive from him constant, pure and lasting happiness. Hence Christ says, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." The great and precious promises which God has given to christians, lay a solid foundation for their pure, constant, increasing joy and rejoicing. So the primitive christians thought and said, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." These promises all belong to sincere christians, and they all live by faith in them; and of course rejoice in the Lord always. The sources of other men's rejoicings are continually failing, and will finally all fail. But christians have a source of joy which will not fail, when all other sources of joy will fail. They must be, therefore, far more happy even in this vale of tears, than any other men in the world. "The ways of wisdom are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace."

5. It appears from what has been said, that christians are very unwise and sinful in neglecting to rejoice in God. They all know that rejoicing in God affords them the purest and highest happiness, and that rejoicing in themselves, or in the world, deprives them of the happiness they have derived from rejoicing in God. They know, therefore, that they injure their own souls as well as injure God, by neglecting to obey the command which he has given them for their own good and his glory. They are more inconsistent and criminal in neglecting to rejoice in God, than sinners are in neglecting this duty. They often imagine that God cannot be a source of joy and rejoicing; and therefore they forsake God, the fountain of living waters, and hew out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. It is extremely unwise and sinful for those who have tasted the happiness which flows from rejoicing in God, to neglect deriving their happiness from God, and seek to obtain happiness from the world. Their neglecting this duty