So in His great intercessory prayer for His disciples Christ (continued)
J oy Sitter, Nee Trettpiye fulfil our joy in Him. There is nothing more effectual to silence all our fears and mistrusts, and to furnish us with strong consolation, than this, that He always appears in the presence of God for us; therefore the Apostle puts a "yea rather" upon this (Rom. viii. 34; and see Heb. vii. 25).
8. A KInGpom oF Joy "The Kingdom of God," says St. Paul (Rom. xiv. 17), "is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." If I were allowed to limit the sense of them I would say: As to God, our great concern is righteousness; to appear before Him justified by the merit of Christ's death, sanctified by the Spirit of His grace; as to our brethren, it is peace—to live in peace, and love, and charity with them; as to ourselves, it is "joy in the Holy Ghost''; that spiritual joy which is wrought by the blessed Spirit in the hearts of believers, who respect God as their reconciled Father, and heaven as their expected home.
In this latter we resemble our Lord "who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross"' (Heb. xii. 2). It was joy that supported the human soul of Christ under the unparalleled sufferings of the cross—the joy that was set before Him. He had something in view under all His sufferings which was pleasant to Him. He rejoiced to see by His sufferings He should make satisfaction to the injured justice of God, and give security to His honour and government; that He should make peace between God and man; that He should seal the covenant of grace; and be the mediator of it; that He should open a way of salvation to the chief of sinners, and that He should effectually save all those that the Father had given Him, and Himself be the first-born among many brethren. This was the joy that was set before Him.
The mystery of the Christian religion is directly calculated for the joy of mortals. It should be joy to us that the Eternal Son should come to seek and save us, that He has made a full atonement for our sins, that He has conquered sin and death and hell, that He lives as our intercessor and advocate with the Father, and that He will come again to perfect and glorify His persevering believers. And therefore they live beneath the use and end of the Christian revelation who are not filled with spiritual joy (1 Johni. 4). Believers should rejoice in their happy relation to God, as His sons and heirs, His beloved and adopted
—in their happy relation to the Son of the Father, as being members of His beloved body, and co-heirs with Himself—in the pardon of their sins, the sanctification of their natures, the adoption of their persons, and the prospect of grace and glory that will be revealed at the return of their Lord and Head from heaven. Were they confirmed in their holy faith, how they would rejoice!
Joy
SERMON OUTLINE
yOY
THE CHURCH's JOY FORETOLD
(a) In Terms of the Garments of Righteousness (6) In Terms of Deliverance from Captivity (c) In Terms of the New Jerusalem if.
THE CHURCH'S JoY EXPOUNDED
(a) This Joy is Centred in the Love of Christ (6) This Joy Transfigures Earthly Sorrow (c) This Joy is the Fruit of Christ's Intercession
III.
THE CHURCH'S JOY MANIFESTED (a) Through the Gift of the Holy Spirit (6) Through the Work of the Son of God