19. * Neither does the joy of a Christian arise, thirdly, from any _dulness_ or _callousness of conscience_. A kind of joy, it is true, may arise from this, in those whose _foolish hearts are darkened_; whose heart is callous, unfeeling, dull of sense; and consequently, without spiritual understanding. Because of their senseless, unfeeling hearts, they may rejoice even in committing sin: And this they may probably call _liberty_! which is indeed mere drunkenness of soul: a fatal numbness of spirit, the stupid insensibility of a seared conscience. On the contrary, a Christian has the most exquisite sensibility; such as he could not have conceived before. He never had such a tenderness of conscience as he has had, since the love of God has reigned in his heart. And this also is his glory and joy; that God hath heard his daily prayer. “O that my tender soul might fly The first, abhorr’d approach of ill: Quick, as the apple of an eye The slightest touch of sin to feel.” 20. To conclude. Christian joy, is joy in obedience: joy in loving God and keeping his commandments. And yet not in keeping them, as if we were thereby to fulfil the terms of the _covenant of works_; as if by any works or righteousness of ours, we were to _procure_ pardon and acceptance with God. Not so: we are already pardoned and accepted, through the mercy of God in Christ Jesus――Not as if we were by our own obedience to _procure_ life, life from the death of sin. This also we have already through the grace of God. _Us hath he quickened, who were dead in sin._ And now we are _alive to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord_. But we rejoice in walking, according to the _covenant_ of _grace_, in holy love and happy obedience. We rejoice in knowing, That _being justified through his grace_, we have _not received that grace of God in vain_; That God having freely (not for the sake of our willing or running, but through the blood of the Lamb) reconciled us to himself, we run in the strength which he hath given us, the way of his commandments. He hath _girded us with strength unto the war_, and we gladly _fight the good fight of faith_. We rejoice, through him who liveth in our hearts by faith, to _lay hold of eternal life_. This is our rejoicing: that as our _father worketh hitherto_, so (not by our own might or wisdom, but through the power of his Spirit freely given in Christ Jesus) we also work the works of God. And may he work in us, whatsoever is well-pleasing in his sight! To whom be the praise for ever and ever! ☞ _It may easily be observed, that the preceding discourse, describes the experience of those that are strong in faith. But hereby those that are weak in faith may be discouraged: to prevent which the following discourse may be of use._ SERMON XIII. ON SIN IN BELIEVERS. 2 COR. v. 17.