Sympathy is a duty of manhood. We are all brethren sprung from the same stock, and that which is a good to any man ought to be a joy to me. That any man should be sick or sorry should in a measure make me sad, but that any man should rejoice with a worthy joy-worthy of a creature made by God-should make other men thankful. But what is thus a natural duty is elevated into a yet higher duty, and a more sacred privilege amongst the regenerate-amongst the family of God; for over and above the ties of manhood in the first Adam, there are the ties of our new manhood in the second Adam; and there are bonds which arise out of our being quickened by the same life. We have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism.” We are members of one body, having one only Head; and one life throbs through all the members of that body. Hence, for us to strive with one another in joy and in sorrow would be to act contrary to the sacred instincts which arise out of Christian unity. If, indeed, we are one with Christ, we are also one with each other, and we must participate in the common joys and common sorrows of all the elect family. This, again, gathers yet higher force when the joys in question shall be spiritual joys. I am bound as a Christian to be thankful when my brother prospers in business, but I may not be quite sure that that will be a real blessing to him; but if I know that his soul prospers, then I may safely rejoice to the very full, for that must be a blessing to him, and will bring honour to God. If I hear that any community prospers, I am bound to be glad of it; yet I cannot be sure, if the prosperity deals with wealth, that it is, on the whole, the best thing in the world; but when I hear that a church is growing, that its zeal abounds, that the Spirit of God is at work in it, that God is glorified there, then I am bound to rejoice, for this is a joy which no man takes away-a joy about which there can be no question-a joy which brings glory to God, and, therefore, must bring happiness to all those who find happiness in God’s glory.

Now I desire at this time to talk to you, beloved friends at home, about a joy which God has recently given to us. If all those shall be present to-night who are to receive the right hand of fellowship, they will make up to no less than 118 that God has added to our number. Some of them are friends who have joined us from other churches; some few are those who have long known the Saviour; but the great majority are those who have lately been brought out of the world-lately been made to taste the new life. They have, we trust, washed their robes in the blood of Christ, and are come hither to say, “We belong to the people of God.” Now if this be not a joy to us, it ought to be; and my object to-night is to make you merry-to make believers’ hearts merry with it-merry after the good old gospel sort of which we read just now. “They began to be merry,” because the lost ones were found, the wanderers were restored. May God grant that a feeling of holy joy may go through the midst of this room; and if there be any in sorrow who cannot rejoice in their own joy, yet at least may their hearts be large enough to joy in other people’s joy; and if to-night they would be bowed down if they only looked within, may they rejoice in the prosperity of Zion, and be glad in the glory which is brought to God!

Keeping to this one point entirely, we shall begin by saying, “Rejoice with those who do rejoice; that is, rejoice with those who are the converts-who have themselves been brought to Jesus. If there are any persons in the world who must of necessity be happy, they are those who have newly found “peace through believing.” They may forget some of that happiness by-and-bye. All that arises from novelty will certainly depart, but now the love of their espousals is upon them, their heart rejoices in a new-found Saviour. All their spirits are alive towards him; their faith is in active exercise, and their love is plain; and, therefore, they are happy men. Find me those who have discovered Christ to-day, and I am certain I shall not find eyes full of tears, unless they be tears of joy. In looking back, I cannot remember any day in my whole life that was at all comparable to the day in which I looked to him and was lightened. There have been joys since then; joys of all sorts have fallen to our lot in a measure; but ah! that one day still is the great bright star in the skies, the red-letter day of all, the spiritual birthday, the day in which the soul came out of bondage and entered into its liberty. All those to-day, then, who are new converts and have come to cast in their lot amongst us-rejoice, rejoice, my brethren and sisters with them. You can enter into their joy, for you have tasted the same. Let the old memories be awaked, and the old love, and the old ardour. As you see them, think of the time when Jesus called you, and when you answered to his voice, sweetly constrained by his divine Spirit. Let us now ponder together:-