Now that afflictions should not take away spirituall joy from the faithfull, he shewes, first, from the nature of those afflictions, wherewith the faithfull are wont to be vexed. 2. From the nature of that grace, which produceth spirituall joy. The heavinesse of afflictions is diminished. 1. By the adjunct of duration, that they are but _for a season_. 2. By the adjunct of profit, that they bring fruit & utility; and for no other cause doe they befall them, in these words: _if need be_. 3. By the singular end and use of afflictions, by which also their profit is shewed, to wit, that they serve for the triall of their faith; which triall of faith is set forth by a similie, and that of a lesser, _the triall of Gold_. 4. By the effect of it, which is _praise, honour and glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ_. The nature of grace he shewes to be such, as that it can overcome all afflictions: the reason whereof he makes to be this, because it joynes us with Christ, without the helpe of the outward senses, and so both against and above sense, it lifts up the mind to the greatest joy verse 8. of which joy hee declareth first the adjuncts of it, _unspeakable and full of glory_, and afterwards the cause or argument that moves or stirres up such joy in the faithfull, to wit, that by their faith they are made surer of the _salvation of their Souls_; which is the end and scope of the 9 verse. The Doctrines drawne hence. Doctrine 1. _Ioy and spirituall rejoycing ariseth from the sense and participation of spirituall grace._ This is gathered from those words: _Wherein ye reioyce_. For _exultatio_, rejoycing is a vehement act of joy, as tis intimated in the end of the 8. verse. _Reason._ 1. Because it is the nature of joy, for the mind to delight it selfe with the possession of some solid good: now there is noe good that can be Compared _cum Summo bono_, with that chiefe good and eternall happines; & this we begin to have possession of in having possession of saving grace; and the compleat and full possession of it is laid hold on and made sure by faith and hope; and hence it is that spirituall joy is properly the fruit of hope. _Hebrews 3.6._ _Romans 5.2._ Yet notwithstanding this is so to be understood, as that wee must not exclude all those from the state of grace, which have not this joy sometimes; because this joy depends upon the sence of grace; now sometimes they have not the sence of grace, that are either hindered by ignorance, or some grievous temptation, that they cannot be sensible of that which they have. _Vse_ 1. This may serve _to refute_ those carnall men, who suppose the practice of religion to bee full of sadnesse and heavinesse, without any joy or delight; when indeed the joy of those men is nothing else but madnesse, _Ecclesiastes 2.2._ and is changed at length into the greatest sorrow: but true and solid joy is the priviledge of all the godly, because they alone have true cause of joy, and that joy shall never be taken from them.