us from so great a death and doth deliver in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us THe Apostle having formerly discovered his humane feares and diffidence under that great trouble which came upon him in Asia doth now recollect himself and revive out of his swoonings The Sunne that was in an Eclipse doth now begin to shine forth in glorious lustre He had informed us that the end of that heavy tribulattion was That he should not trust in himself but in God And now in this verse we see this blessed effect took place in him For by the experience of Gods mercy to him at this time he is encouraged to trust in God for the future he hath doth and will deliver One favour from God is a pledge of more to come In this verse then we see Paul got above and conquering that weaknesse and imbecillity which he found in himself and acknowledging the goodnesse of God and his power to him Paul found God able to raise the dead by what he had done to him in his particular In the Text then we may take notice of 1. Paul's solemn acknowledgement of the goodness and power of God to him in delivering of him And 2. His Encouragement from thence to trust in God for the future In the former part we have his celebration of Gods goodnesse to him and this he aggravateth from the hopelesnesse and desperatenesse of his estate which he calleth a Death not a sicknesse but a death Yea Chrysostome observeth That he doth not say Who hath delivered us from such dangers but such death to shew the extremity Chrysostome reads it in the plural number 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deaths but the general Copy is otherwise Now Paul doth not onely call it death but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such death The word is used in the New Testament about three times besides in this place and it is alwayes applied to the great aggravation of a thing so as we are to admire it as if the like had never been heard of Thus Revel 16. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is such an Earthquake as never had been before James Chap. 3. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are ships very great And Hebr. 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so great salvation then which there cannot be a greater The Apostle therefore in using this word doth intend to aggravate the goodnesse of God towards him to leave out no circumstance that may not heighten the mercy It is not enough with him to take notice of the mercy but the aggravation of his mercy and this maketh his heart seven times hotter as it were in praising of God than otherwise it would be From whence observe That the children of God do not onely acknowledge the mercy of God to them but they also consider of every circumstance that may make the mercy appear greater They will take up every crumme and the fragments as it were that Gods miraculous power may be more demonstrated They doe not content themselves with a beholding of the mercy in the bulke but they weigh every particular ingredient and so of one mercy make many mercies That as the godly in their humiliation for sinne thinke it not enough to humble themselves in the general but they endeavour to bring to minde every circumstance that may aggravate it and so make themselves more abominable and loathsome in their own eyes Thus they do also in matter of thanksgiving They doe not take the mercy in the grosse but they looke through it and about it to espie out every particular that may be like a coale of fire in their bosomes Thus we have the thankfull Psalmist Psal 136. severing every particular mercy of God to Israel by it self and then addeth For his mercy endureth for ever Sihon King of the Amorites for his mercy endureth for ever Og King of Basan for his mercy endureth for ever He reckoneth them up one and by one though he might have satisfied himself with that expression vers 24. Who hath redeemed us from all our enemies But a gracious heart dare not rob God of his glory in any one benefit that he hath from him For if he must say with Jacob He is lesse than the least of his mercies It is not for him to passe it by for every little mercy is farre above his deserts to him belongeth all the curses of the Law whatsoever is not hell and damnation cometh from the meer bounty of God But let us illustrate this truth in the particulars shewing wherein the people of God use to make their aggravation And First The children of God use to enlarge their thoughts in praises of God from the low weak and impotent condition they of themselves were in Now the more the disease is found out to be desperate and incurable the greater is the art and skill of the Physician Thus Psal 136. 23. Who remembred us in our low estate The blackest Eclipse makes the Sunnes light when recovering more glorious The lower and weaker in thy self the more is God thereby acknowledged So Psal 34. 6. This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him This aggravateth the mercy of God that though a very Lazar yet God would not despise him So Psal 142. 3. When my Spirit was overwhelmed within me then thou knewest my path Nothing is more ordinary then such passages in the Psalmes to aggravate the goodnesse of God towards the godly from the lownesse and the impotency they were in Oh if God had not come in at that time I had utterly perished How many low conditions have many of Gods people been in sometimes in respect of their outward sometimes in respect of their inward yet God hath delivered them from those whales bellies Your affections to praise God will be very cold and dull till you possesse your soules with this thought Oh how low was it with me Little did others know how it fared with me One step further would have cast me into utter horrour and then when I could bear no longer God supported me Many Psalmes may the chilren of God make as it were I was in such a sad temptation but God rescued me For his mercy endureth for ever I was in such an outward streight and the Lord made a way to escape For his mercy endureth for ever Thus the thoughts of thy low condition will greatly advance the help of God vouchsafed to thee Secondly The people of God doe aggravate the mercy of God not onely from the greatnesse of the danger they were in but also their sinfulnesse their unworthinesse that ever God should cast an eye of pity on them and this they doe whether in temporal or spiritual mercies And truly this is an excellent way to enlarge the heart in blessing of God when we shall consider how unworthy we are we that deserved cursing to meet with blessing See this humble frame in David 1 Chron. 17. 16. when
the rage of the fire so that the very garments did not so much as smell of any burning Thus the presence of Christ hach so wonderfully ravished and refreshed the heart of an afficted afflicted Saint that he hath almost forgot his affliction and discovereth not the least soil from it 3. Another Scripture discovery for comfort is to presse and command the life of faith upon Gods promise So that whatsoever the principles of the world and sense do suggest yet faith rectifieth all That finds honey to come out of a dead Lion that can suck honey from a bitter herb when fleshly wisdom and humane reason can go no further yet even then faith can gather sure and firm arguments of comfort David in that great distresse at Ziklag yet is said to encourage himself in his God Paul maketh this the ground of a Christians magnanimity support and joy uuder all tribulations Heb. 11. 1. Because faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen Gods thoughts and our thoughts are wholly different only faith inableth us to know the mind of God and where flesh is ready to say God is casting off and utterly forsaking there faith seeth him drawing near The Disciples in a tempest thought they had seen a Spirit and were affrighted but it was Christ The promise of God and faith applying it do bear up the soul and make it rejoyce in troubles Heb. 6. 18. we have there Gods promise and Gods oath also to confirm it and therefore saith the Apostle We have those two immutable things that we might have strong consolation See there because of Gods promise and that confirmed by an Oath We have a consolation and a strong consolation Strong because the ground of it is strong Gods Word so that it is stronger than mountains it is stronger than Heaven and earth Every creature shall fall to the ground rather than the promise not be made good to thee Again it is a strong consolation because neither the Devils nor his instruments shall be able to overcome it Though therefore thy enemies be strong enemies though thy troubles are strong troubles yet remember here is a strong consolation death it self cannot deprive thee of it if then we walk by faith and not by sense if we live upon these brests of consolation as the Infant doth surely we may then swallow down even deadly and poisonous things yet they shall not do any hurt Because the promise is the same thy heart would alwayes be the fame as the Law is written in thy heart in respect of obedience so let the promise in respect of faith Faith from the Word doth shew carnal reason all the mistakes and false principles it proceedeth upon discovering light in darknesse love in afflictions and life even in death it self Lastly For these bunches of grapes may serve to acquaint you what the Land is eternal glory to be possessed after the troubles vexations and exercises here is able to make the heart to be exceeding glad under all our troubles Thus the Apostle 2 Cor. 4. 16 17. We faint not for this light affliction worketh for us a more exceeding and eternal weight of glory and this is by looking not on the things that are seen but the things that are not seen At another time the godly are commanded to lift up their heads when the day of judgment draweth nigh because their redemption is at hand And 1 Thess 4. 18. after a discourse of our Lords coming and that the godly shall be ever with him they are enjoyned To comfort one another with these things that incomprehensible glory which is provided for us to receive after our sufferings here makes the heart rejoyce while it is in the valley of tears this Haven after our storms this rest after our troubles this Crown after our warfare is that which reviveth the soul and makes it a Naomi while it is a Marah SERM. XL. How God may be said to comfort his children in all their Tribulations though many of them may live very disconsolate 2 COR. 1. 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulation WE were discussing this third particular in the Text but that one main doubt may present it self the discussing whereof is very usefull in a practical way It is this Seeing Paul speaketh thus generally God comforteth us in all our tribulations doth not this necessarily infer that all the children of God in all straits are full of comfort And if this be so either we must condemn many who in all appearance are the dear children of God for hypocrites and unsound because they have no comfort Yea all divine means have been used and yet they cannot be comforted or else we must question the truth of this Scripture This Text saith God comforteth his in all their tribulations Experience telleth us That many of Gods children are sadly disconsolate or else if their want of comfort be an argument they do not belong to God we shall then passe an uncharitable censure upon those who are every way to be accounted of as precious Saints and that of the first magnitude Let us therefore remove this stumbling block out of the way And First It cannot be denied but that it may be the case not only of a godly person but even an whole Church to be without all comfort that nothing but sorrow and trouble do even devour them all the day long See this true in Jeremiahs Lamentations Chap. 1. 2. Chap. 2. 20 21. The Church there sits in mourning with tears on her cheeks and she hath none to comfort her neither God or man And for a particular person what is clearer than Job whose soul was as full of spiritual botches and sores by sad thoughts as his body was of corporal ones Job 17. 13. When I said my bed shall comfort thou skarest me with dreams c. Job not in his bed a place of rest nor in the night a time of rest can be freed from terrors and fears yea Chap. 9. 27. when he said I will leave off my heavinesse I will comfort my self when he set himself with all holy endeavours to cast off this viper of sorrow yet they did rather increase upon him Yea when he himself cannot remove those mountains of his heart it may be his godly friends may and indeed such spiritual Physicians God doth sometimes blesse for that end But Chap. 21. 34. he telleth them They comfort him in vain none then can deny but there was a time at least when God did not comfort Job in his tribulations We read also of Heman Psal 88. 15. who complaineth That he was distracted with the terrors of the Lord from his youth up he complaineth Gods wrath lay hard upon him that God did afflict him with all his ways yea he prayed he cried and God did hide his face from him So that in all the Psalms there is not a word of comfort no nor of hope or of confidence
to charge it upon all other Ministers as if they were all alike It was for this that Paul doth not only apologize for himself but his Associates also But how unreasonable is this grant that some were truly blame-worthy must all be so If in the Old Testament there were many false prophets that daubed with untempered mortar that cried peace peace to sinners when destruction was at hand shall we therefore condemn the good Prophets who reproved even the greatest and most mighty for their sins Because Judas was a thief and for filthy lucre sake betrayed Christ shall we condemn all the Apostles making them to be no better Must Sylvanus and Timotheus be accused Because they thought Paul was inconstant and light yet thus it falleth out continually and that from these Grounds First The policy and enmity of false teachers who like Haman think it a small matter to destroy one Mordecai unlesse they root out the whole race of the Jews Thus the false Apostles concluded Though Paul was disgraced and vilified yet if Sylvanus and Timotheus be in esteem and authority our Kingdom will fall to the ground It is therefore the adversaries design to cast dung in the faces of all the faithfull Ministers of Christ that so there might not one be left that should be usefull in their place A second Ground is From the injudiciousnesse and indiscretion of people who are credulous and apt to believe all rumours and reports How could it be that the Pharisees by their calumniating Christ as an Impostor and a Blasphemer should prevail with the greater part of the people to be on their side because they were blinde and led by the blinde they would not make use of their own judgement they would not examine and try whether things were so or no. And then the third Ground is From the natural enmity that is in all wicked men to the Office of the Ministry when faithfully discharged That is a burden to them they must needs say with Ahab to such faithfull Michaiahs We hate him because he alwayes prophesieth evil Alas godly Ministers cannot give any comfort cannot promise peace to such ungodly persons therefore they have hatred against them and are glad to receive any false report concerning them Ministers are compared to Light and to salt now the Light must needs be offensive to distempered eyes and Salt to soars Thus if the Ministery be powerfull to enlighten to convince to reprove no ungodly man can endure this Therefore it is that the office of the Ministery when faithfully managed is so great a trouble to wicked men They are thievs therefore cannot endure this light they cry out with Ahab hast thou found mee O my enemy Every Sermon that is powerfull is as bitter as gall and wormwood to them and therefore there being such an enmity and ill-will against them it is no wonder if they be quickly prejudiced and will not believe there is a godly or faithfull Minister in the whole Church of God But I hasten to the Last Observation and that is It is a most blessed and happy thing when all the Ministers of God agree with one consent to advance Christ As Luke calleth it chap. 1. The mouth of all the holy Prophets which have been since the beginning of the world It was but one mouth as it were They all agreed in the same Doctrine Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus they all preach the same Christ they were not yea or nay This accord and agreement among the Ministers of the Gospel is of so great concernment that our Saviour in his valedictory prayer doth with much efficacy and vigor press this Petition That his Disciples may be one and one in the most near manner imaginable even as the father and son are one I shall not enlarge on this because heretofore much spoken off only I shall instance in some usefull Effects and consequences of this happy Agreement Only before I do that we have cause to take notice of the goodness of God and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 manifold wisdome of God whereby he hath provided many Offices many Officers for his Church and those variously gifted and all for the spiritual benefit of our soules some are Barnabasses some are Boanergeses Thus as the Kings Daughter is said to be cloathed with needle work of divers colours so hath God richly adorned his Church with variety of abilities that if men be not converted the greater will be their condemnation For whereas Auditors are of divers appetites some are for doctrinal Preaching some for affectionate some are for legal terrible Sermons others for sweet Evangelical discourses if Christ send Embassadours thus qualified every way what can they look for who are not by these several baits allured and taken For this cause we have Christ himself upbraiding the Jews that no kinde of heavenly way would please no kinde of dressing the Word of life was acceptable to their palates Matth. 11. 18. John came neither eating nor drinking and they say he hath a devil The son of man came eating and drinking and they say Behold a friend of publicans and sinners Hereupon he compareth them to children playing in the markets saying we have piped to you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented Thus nothing would do any good to them Admire then Gods goodness that hath thus abundantly provided for thee Do not simply and enviously compare one Ministers gifts above another but adore the mercy of God that useth all the different abilities of men for the Churches good This premised we may from the harmony and Agreement of Ministers in advancing Christs Kingdom see First The greater Confirmation of the truth If out of the mouth of two or three witnesses then how much more out of the mouth of many thousand witnesses is every truth abundantly confirmed How canst thou give way to any atheistical thoughts whether there be a God or a day of Judgment or an heaven or an hell when thou shalt hear so many thousands of Gods servants in all ages witness to this thing All the Prophets and Apostles men renouned for holiness for miracles they all preached the same Doctrines that we do to you And therefore consider with thy self what a cloud of witnesses thou gainsayest by thy unbelief 2. The greater consent and harmony the greater defence there is for the truth The old rule is vis unita fortior Our Saviour confirmeth it when he saith A Kingdome divided against it self cannot stand What advantages do the enemies of Gods Church make by the Divisions and different Judgments of men in the Reformed Church The Papist doth confidently conclude that all will turn to them at last for say they you have so many Sects amongst you and one saith he hath the spirit of God and another he hath but all contrary to one another Now although it were easie to recriminate yet this difference