Joy.

This is the voice of the Bridegroom and the bride; it means joyful thoughts about Christ, wholesome exhortations, happy songs, praise, and thanksgiving, with which godly people exhort, arouse, and refresh one another. Therefore God is repelled by sorrow of spirit; He hates sorrowful teaching and sorrowful thoughts and words, and He takes pleasure in happiness. For He came to refresh us, not to sadden us. Hence the prophets, apostles, and Christ Himself always urge, indeed command, that we rejoice and exult. Zech. 9:9: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Lo, your King comes to you.” And often in the Psalms (32:11): “Be glad in the Lord.” Paul says (Phil. 4:4): “Rejoice in the Lord always.” And Christ says (Luke 10:20): “Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” When this is a joy of the Spirit, not of the flesh, the heart rejoices inwardly through faith in Christ, because it knows for a certainty that He is our Savior and High Priest; and outwardly it demonstrates this joy in its words and actions. The faithful rejoice also when the Gospel is disseminated, and when many come to faith and thus the kingdom of Christ is increased.

-AE 27