the hearer to tingle he did then subject himself unto God with that excellent in comparable Speech of Submission It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good 1. Sam. 3. Though the matter concerned him and his so nigh yet the good man thought that he had nothing more to doe then to set to the seale of his approbation of Gods Will which was a willing Submission to it It is the Lord it becommeth not man to reason with him why he doth thus and thus there is no good to be got by such contention all the Comfort lyes in this out of the abundance of the heart the mouth must speak after this admirable manner It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Nay a greater then Eli the first High Priest that ever was Aaron who was appointed by God to be a mouth to Moses he could speak so well yet when God burnt his sonnes for offering strange fire he had not a word to say but as the Text saith Aaron held his Peace by holding his peace in this case Aaron did glorifie God more then if he had spoken with the tongues of men and Angels Aaron silencing his sorrow by subjecting his will to Gods Will did shew forth his inward Comfort Once more for 't is a greater then Aaron our High Priest according to the order of Melchisedech was never without Comfort because never without Submission to his heavenly Father when he was alone and none to comfort him indeed he prayed bearing our infirmities Let this cup passe from me but with a pull back of restraint Not my Will but thy Will be done Ipse erat voluntas Potestas Patris tamen ad Demonstrationem sufferentiae debitae voluntati se Patris tradidit Tertull last words on the third Petition Christ was both the Will and the Power of his Father yet to demonstrate to us that Submission is alwayes due to Gods Will He subjects himself in all things Not my Will but thy Will be done This is a strong supporter of true comfort to lay our hands upon our mouthes and not to open them except with Iobs thankfull Eccho Blessed be the Name of the Lord O happy Comfort and well upheld to blesse God in all things by freely submitting our wills to His Will let the Lord doe what he will and let us be sure to blesse His Name for it that is the first Butteresse of Comfort 2. Butteresse and a very strong one too is Right Reason rectified sanctified Reason What is discontentednesse and uncomfortablenesse but the confusion distemper and disorder of our affections and actions but when they are well ordered according to the commands of rectified Reason then riseth comfort and contentednesse of minde when our Passions and Actions are subject to the straight Rule of Reason then is the soule at comfort a man of Right Reason is a man rich in Comfort a happy Dives he may say Soule soule take thy rest for thou hast comfort much riches of comfort laid up for as long as thy Reason is rectified and is guided by the Word of God and the whole course of thy affections ordered by that rectified Reason When a man smothers himself under sorrow and discontent let him see what reason he hath for it out of Gods Word when a man rejoyceth and comforteth himself with anything let him see what good reason he can finde for it beleeve me this is a strong bridle and curbe to stop the course of all discontentednesse and uncomfortablenesse in our Christian journey and withall a very strong keen-metled Spur to put us forward in the free course of true Comfort even this is the ready way to try all things that we doe by sound Right Reason Now that the two former Butteresses may stand fast and the whole Building continue durable we must not faile to put up the third Butteresse that is to put up Prayer for strength of Comfort If any of you lack wisedome Iames 1. 5. let him aske God and he will give it him Thomas expounds that Text to this purpose now in hand Si quis vestrum indiget Sapientiâ id est sapida Scientia ad condiendam amaritudinem tribulationum vel ad degustandum patientiae fructum If any of you want the salt of wisdome to season affliction or to make the fruit of Patience savoury and comfortable let him pray to God for it who is very liberall of comfort to him that askes it the good theef on the Crosse did but aske Christ to remember him in his Kingdome and he gave him Paradise that very day To day thou shalt be with me in Paradise dum memoria poscitur regnum concedit saith the Father Prayer is a faithfull messenger and Ambassador to dispatch all our businesse with God aske and have comfort seek and finde it by prayer knock and a doore of comfort shall be opened Prayer is a strange kinde of key that opens if you doe but knock with it Matth. 7. 7. O then knock strongly that thou mayst have strength of comfort Why but Prayer is only of things possible because Prayer is an Act of Hope and Hope is still fixed upon a possibility of enjoying the object now if there must be hope of embracing what we pray for and a likely possibility of what we hope for what I pray encouragement doe they give us to put up our Prayers for strength of Comfort who make a question whether it be possible for a man in this life to have absolute firme strength of comfort against all evill True it is here is a question started by the Casuists let us persue it a little for it is about the strength of this Building Whether a true beleever may have firme and strong consolation against all evill The Affirmative is thus established that though there may sometime be a mixture of griefe or feare with comfort yet that comfort is a repression mitigation and lenition of that grief or feare and will in time get the victory 1. Because God the Father who workes victoriously is the God of all comfort f comforting us in all our tribulation and in any trouble Vers 4. of that Chapter 2. Because Christ is the Fountaine of all comfort to us so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ Vers 5. of that Chapter 3. The holy Spirit is the comforter to this end that the knowledge of the truth might make us Conquerors that our hearts might not be troubled nor afraid t 4. The whole Scripture was written for our comfort that we through comfort of the Scriptures might have hope strong comfort and strong hope v 5. Because of the immutability of Gods Counsell confirmed by an oath that by two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation x {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a mighty potent firme and solide Consolation The
great Estimate according to the very waight of the Sanctuary My knowledge of it is now doubled tà m carendo quà m fruendo for eleven yeares and halfe I enjoyed a rare Religious Piece of Gods making and now God hath made up this his Iewell fit for His own Cabinet 't is most fit that I should want it And to my wants this is added that I want words to tell others what I want I want my Fellow-Helper my Bosome-Comforter my second Heart which did command my first Heart in a Religious way 1. Her Faith was founded upon the Rocke Christ Iesus witnesse Her every Dayes taske which was to say by Heart and in Her Heart the eight chapter to the Romans which chapter alone in it selfe is a compleat Confectionarie of spirituall Comfort beginning with No condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus and ending with No Separation from the Love of God in Christ Iesus 2. Her Hope and Trust was fixed upon Her God witnesse that answer She gave me the last Day that She lived out in this World Now what is my Hope my Hope is in thee ô Lord d There was in her an admirable mixture of Godly sorrow for sinne and holy Ioy for that Sorrow which Ioy I perceived to be back'd by her Hope to get the upperhand though S. Ierome summes up the devout soules private carriage with God in these words Dolet de dolore gaudet Surely 't was her Practise to sorrow after a godly manner and to rejoyce for that Sorrow 3. Her love to man let all that knew her speak it Her love to God I judge it sincere by the most cleare Expressions of it She loved his house so dearely that the large distance of her Habitation from Church nigh a mile was no Remora to keep her at home the last Lords Day She lived She was twice at Church She prayed Constantly eight severall times every Day I knew it to be most true who was nearest to her when she drew neare to her Father in secret She had by heart a distinct Prayer for every Evening and Morning in the seven dayes of the weeke besides other Prayers for other times What a loving Mistris She was to her servants they would quickly speak if they could for crying How transcendent her love was to me her Husband my tongue would faile because my heart is readie to faint for want of such love and faint it might had not Gods Spirit brought to my remembrance how earnestly on her Death-bed She desired me not to grieve so immoderately for her for we should meete in Heaven and 't is my Hope that as we were Caro una on Earth we shall be sydus unum in Heaven e of that one Holy Companie of Starres attending the Sun of Righteousnesse And here I cannot but fixe my Contemplation on those rayes of divine Beautie which shined in her soule for She mightilie delighted to set before her Solomons Copie of a good wife Prov. 31. They that knew her may easily compare her life written according to that exact Copie Sure I am her Sisters child whom She educated can rise up and call her blessed Her Husband also praiseth her Prov. 31. vers. 28. How why thus in Solomons style Favour is deceitfull and Beauty is vaine but a Woman that feareth the Lord She shall be praised Vers 30. the Pronowne {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Emphatically argues a Negation of any other Woman worthy to be praised but She that feareth the Lord She shall be praised the garland of praise only to be set on her head This is her Remuneration therfore Solomons last vers shall be mine Give her of the fruit of her hands and let her owne workes praise her in the Gates that is in publique This This is the Woman the Woman to whom I Subscribe William Gilbert perdidit Invenit nullus super teram Recepit Deus in coelum TO THE SEEKER OF COMFORT NOT READER ONLY MOST sorry I am for the Occasion f that induced me to Preach and now moved me to Print but the Providence of God being the First Mover may not onely command bounds to my Sorrow Hither and no further but also give me a licence as to Preach so to Print it both for the Commemoration of the Dead and Consolation of the Living What though I lye open to some Exceptions I had rather doe it in this partlcular then not doe all the Right I can to the Dead and wish all true Comfort to the Living who shall read this Art of Building Comfort not to censure one another but to Comfort one another according to this Apostolicall Exhortation which is my Text 1 Thes. 4. 18. Wherefore Comfort one another with these words which if thou dost I am Thine in Christ the Fountaine of Comfort William Gilbert A GENERALL REPRESENTATION OF THE Method of this Manuell a or rather Cordiall of Comfort containing the Ingredients of Five Sermons 1. THe Accommodation of the Text to the Times calling for comfort p. 1. 3. 2. 4. 5 2. The Division following the Metaphore of Building in the eight Parts of it p. 6. 1. The Specificall Difference of this from other Buildings p. 7. 8. 2. The Necessity of this Building in a Christian Common-wealth p. 9. 10. 11. 12. 3. Perswasives inducing to goe about this Building and to studie this Art of Divine Comfort p. 13. 14. 4. Disswasives from the Neglect of going forward with it p. 15. 5. The Materialls of this Building These words in the Text 1. In a particular Relation to S. Pauls former Doctrine p. 16. 17 18. 19. 2. In a generall Relation to Gods Word p. 20. 21. 22. 23. 6. The Habituall Ability to make good use of this Art of Comforting p. 24. 25. 7. The Actuall Abilitie to make good use of it in the Platforme of Comfort set up according to the exact Rule of Gods Word p. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 8. The Strength and Duration of this Building where yee shall see p. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 1. The Contignation and Knitting of the Building of Comfort by five Attributes of God Wisdome p. 36. Power p. 37. Iustice p. 38. Mercy ibid. Truth p. 39. 2. The Butteresses of the Building set up by three Duties of man 1. Submission to Gods Will p. 40. 2. Right Reason sanctified p. 41. 3. Prayer for strength and Continuance of Comfort p. 42. c. 1 Thes. 4. 18. Wherefore Comfort one another with these words MAY it please your Attention to begin with the accommodation of the Text to the Times which like a woman in Labour cry out for Comfort sickly Times most uncomfortable Times God knowes a rare thing even an house without one or other sicke in it if not dead out of it Is it not Time then to exhort you to comfort one another The Naturalists write of a pretious Stone a called b Ceraunias that is found
his tombe Haec habeo quae edi this I have that I have eaten it seemes all the rest was lost to the brutish swine as Tully censured him a little more sparingly that it was an Epitaph fit for an Oxe or a bruit Beast my Belly is my God my Stomach is my Altar my Church is my Kitchin my Priest is my Cooke this the voyce of these brutish men who finde the Possession of no Comfort from any thing but from that which was driven into the Paunch and so into the draught But Christians that study the right Art of true Comfort have another language our spirituall Comfort is left us when our life is about to leave us Spirituall Comfort is raised from the Creator by the Mediation of the Creature or from the Creature by the working of the Creator in the Apprehension of the Regenerate Man Thus the Holy Ghost is the first Mover of spirituall Comfort as the Promises of Gods Word are the grounds of this Comfort and our Beleeving hearts are the seats of Comfort so the Holy Ghost is the Head-worker of Comfort and the Act of Comfort wrought is to strengthen our Hearts therefore k {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be established and strengthned and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to be comforted are put one for the other St Paul being the Interpreter but long before him the Prophet l intimates the like for in the Hebrew and Greeke Sept speake comfortably to Ierusalem is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Hebrew and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Greek both imply in this phrase speake to the heart or speake comfortably that Comfort is the Hearts Peculiar and the Searcher of the Heart the Holy Ghost is therefore called the Comforter m by an Excellency {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} where the Spirit of God is made knowne to us by a name in the New Testament not heard of in the old the Comforter within a man the naturall man may have outward Comforts a Land flowing with Milke and Honey and a Table with a fruitfull Vine and Olive Branches about but the Regenerate Man hath a soule flowing with Milke and Honey of Comfort because the Comforter makes him fruitfull as the Greeke Father n gives the Etymon of it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} called the Comforter from comforting and succouring and helping our Infirmities hence issues the act of spirituall comfort in my Text differenced from carnall Comfort 2. Spirituall Comfort in this life is to be differenced from Eternall Joy in the life to come The Herald of Schoole-Divinity ranks Comfort under the head of Joy indeed all Comfort is a Joy to the Heart but all Joy is not Comfort for there is Joy in Heaven but no Comfort there for properly need of Comfort forespeakes miserie and distresse according to that of the Golden-mouthed Father {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} there is often mention made of the Comforter in Scripture because of the calamities and afflictions imminent to the Disciples but the blessed Estate of Heaven cannot admit any such Misery and Distresse we shall joy in one another in Heaven but not Comfort one another there no such Comfort in Heaven all joy all Rest I finde a Reason of it in Aquinas o Gaudium sie habet ad Desiderium ut quies ad motum The soule is restlesse in her Desire but quieted in her Joy now Comfort on Earth brings some Rest for the soule but Joy in Heaven is the only absolute Rest Comfort is Rest to the weary for a time and a way to enable them for further travaile but Joy is Rest for Eternitie even to sit down and rest for ever that is Joy in Heaven to stand and take a draught by the way not to sit by it that is Comfort on Earth true Joy frees from all sorrowes wipes all teares from our Eyes but it may be true Comfort which only upholds us in our sorrow and dryes up our teares as they fall Yet fall they will and sorrow we shall else we need no Comfort for it must be a necessitous estate that stands in need of Comfort thus is Comfort differenced from Eternall Joy that needs nothing Yea and thus 't is in this life as Nature necessitates the spark to flye upward so sinne carries us downeward to the Center Misery This Center is every where below the Moone corrupt Nature is the Circumference no man without some lines drawne from or drawing him to Misery Nulla Dies sine linea Every Day in this life line upon line line upon line misery upon misery misery upon misery 't is well too when it is here a little and there a little But this may suffice to put a Difference 'twixt spirituall Comfort in this life and eternall Joy in the life to come and by this ye easily perceive my passage from the first generall Part to the Second which is the Necessity of this Building in a Christian Common-wealth else S. Paul would not have used so serious an Exhortation as this in my Text Wherefore Comfort one another with these words The Necessity of this Building in a Christian Common-wealth The Necessity is threefold 1. In respect of the command of the Contriver and Overseer of the Building God 2. In respect of the principall Instruments employed in this worke Gods Ministers 3. In respect of the common Worke-men which are Gods People under the Title of One another in the Text if this threefold cord is not strong enough I shall joyne unto it the fourth Necessity which is in respect of the Place where Comfort is ordained by God to be preached Gods Temple This fourefold Cord is that that tyed me to study and preach you to heare and learne this Necessary Art of Building Comfort 1. In respect of the command of the Contriver and Overseer of the Building God the God of all Consolation would have his Servants Embassadors Messengers of Comfort God doubles and trebles this charge upon them to presse the Necessity of the discharge of it Isai. 40. 1. 2. Comfort yee my people comfort yee my people saith my God nay the third time speake comfortably to Ierusalem 2. The Disposition of Ministers is but now and then seldome to be Boanerges filii tomitrui sonnes of thunder every Minister for the most part must be Barnabas filius Consolationis the Sonne of Comfort for though thunder is good to worke on a hard Heart yet as thunder commonly brings raine your sonnes of thunder should doe well alwayes to conclude with a comfortable shower to refresh the Heart though Ministers may not be too curious to speake to the Eare yet they cannot be too carefull to speak to the Heart of the People that is to speak comfortably to the people Spirituall Bees must draw Honey out of what flower soever they light to preach upon These Living
my Hope my Hope is in thee m Hope thou in God and this charge to hope in God is grounded upon confidence of better times to come times of praising God for I shall yet praise him this small word Adhuc yet 't is the strong voyce of confidence after a long combat 1. Vox anhelantis the voyce of David breathing and panting under the conflict of troubles and disquietments what though I am thus now for the present I shall yet praise him 2. Vox triumphantis the voyce of David getting the victory over all his troubles and triumphing with this voyce of Joy uttered with confidence I shall yet praise him And this confidence is strengthned by his Experience that God is the Health of his countenance Omnimodam Salutum faciei meae he is all of the Salvations of my Countenance the Countenance is as the glasse of the heart in it yee may see the naked Face of the heart God first speakes saving health to the inward Man of the heart which he causeth to shine forth in the cheerefulnesse of the outward man of the countenance Lastly this experience is well backed by the interest David had in God my God anima mea quid perstrepis in me Trem. significantly if God be my God why makest thou such a troublesome noyse within me oh my soule why art thou grumbling and complaining of this or that As once Seneca told the Roman Courtier that mourned for his sonnes death Non fas tibi salvo Caesare de Fortuna queri in illo omnia Much more Salvo Salvatore nos salvante as long as God is our Saviour we must not be cast down with any thing in illo omnia Friends Sonnes Husbands Wifes health wealth all things in my God my God saith David Deus meus omnia saith that confident one n As bold as a Lion God my God and all things mine If God be with me what can be against me so farre as to disquiet me whatsoever is against me it will be with me for my good if God be but my God which is the 2d thing in the Building of Spirituall Comfort the laying of a sure Foundation and that is no other then God to be our God alone Psal. 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee This is an expression of our Faith whom have we in heaven but thee to rely upon in all our necessities this is an expression of our affection whom have we in heaven but thee to love the Giver of all things to be beloved whom but thee to feare the Disposer of all things to be feared whom but thee to desire the Satisfier of all lawfull desires the Foundation must be but One whom but thee and none on earth besides thee Yet with a difference other Foundations are laid deep in the Earth this must be laid high in Heaven Whom in heaven but thee and none on Earth besides thee as the Foundation of Comfort but we may desire other things besides God as the meanes of comfort as Gods Ordinances and blessings spirituall and temporall the fat Calfe must be killed for the Prodigall a temporall blessing too must be had but take that too as from God for whatsoever is desiderable in any creature they are but drops of sweetnesse let fall from the Fountaine of Comfort God Whom have I in heaven but thee for my sole Refuge and Trust or whom have I in heaven but thee for my chiefe Joy and whole hearts-delight yet the soule that is thus wedded to God may love what God loves and what God commands her love for him and in him but not as him in so doing She would play the Harlot Adultera Christo as St Cyprian speaks but the soule as a most loyall wife must cast no part of her conjugall affection upon any but God above him without him besides him I love nothing but all things in him and for him 't is St Augustines Confession Cum quo solo de quo solo in quo solo anima intellectualis verè beata est With God alone and from God alone and in God alone the understanding soule is truly happy whom to love freely is a due debt whom to embrace is chastity whom to marry is virginity whom to serve is liberty whom to imitate is Perfection whom to desire on Earth is contentment whom to enjoy in heaven is everlasting Happinesse Now Lord let me live out of the world with thee in Heaven but let me not live in the world without thee on Earth For whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire besides thee The Devoute soule that layes so good a Foundation as this may goe on and prosper with the Building of Comfort even to raise the Body of the worke to that height of Comfort that David doth Psal. 94. 19. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soule My perplexed thoughts that are wreathed one within another with the many sorrowes of my heart so the Sept {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Though there be a great multitude of vexing griefes in my heart yet the plaister is large enough for the sore thy comforts proportionable to my Sorrowes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the multitude of my Sorrowes thou dost proportion out thy comforts be my Sorrowes what they will for quantity or quality thy comforts can extricate and rid me of them all be they neere so intricate and enwrapped as branches of trees returning back are blended and entangled so the Hebrew in the Text for our thoughts in Hebrew come from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Redundare to rebound and returne back and wrap themselves one within another nothing can set our thoughts free but thy comforts oh God The comforts of thy Providence as a Faithfull Creator and Preserver The comforts of thy providing and protecting care as a loving Father and Redeemer providing all good grace mercy and favour protecting from all evill sinne Satan death the grave and hell our loving Father will not suffer us to want any thing that is good our deere Redeemer will not suffer any thing that is evill to come neere us but for our good These thy comforts delight my soule saith David These or nothing can truly and really delight the soule earthly things may delight the body that is made of earth but the spirituall soule must have spirituall things to delight it worldly things delight not the soule within a man the worldly man may draw a curtain betwixt the world and his heart and seeme the only merry man in the world when there is many a bitter pull in the heart vides laetitiam in ore St Ambrose yee may heare shouting from his tongue but aske what cheere within like a poore Taverne