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
look to the strength of the out-works let us consider seriously the Contignation within which requires no lesse then five Attributes of God each of them will Minister strength of Comfort then surely their union will prove a blessed Communion of Comfort 1. Gods Wisdome is absolute and transcendently matchlesse in prescribing us convenient congruent and fitting comforts God knowes what is better for us then the best of us can for himselfe because God is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} wise of himselfe wisedome it selfe for his wisdome is not by infusion or gift or instruction or experience or observation but of himselfe from himselfe without any counsell taking all wise Now this was the way the Prophets were commanded to take in comforting the People of God Comfort yee comfort yee my people Isai. 40. 1. But how must they doe it they must goe this way to work vers. 13 14. they must teach the people that their God is a God of such infinite incommunicable Wisedome he needs no Director no Counseller no Instructer no Teacher I use not so many Synonymies as the Prophet doth there but by this we collect that the all-wise Disposer of all things good or evill secret or manifest universall or singular necessary or contingent must needs by the forceable influences of his Wisdome dart warmth and comfort into his people who are called the children of wisedome because they are able both by reason and experience to justifie all the wayes of wisedome as that the Reproach of Christ is better then the pleasure of sinne for a season witnesse Moses and one day in the Courts of God better then a thousand elsewhere witnesse David The ground they build upon is this that God knowes what is best for every one of his so saith David Psal. 1. The Lord knowes the way of the Righteous that is the beames of Gods Wisdome in acknowledging their miseries are so settled upon them that they are wonderfully comforted and refreshed in all their wayes This is the first contignation giving strength to the Building of Comfort Gods Wisedome The second needs little Probation for all strength is from Gods Power it being the Principle of active strength in every thing as God is purissimus Actus so by his power God is principium activum primitive power in himself derivative from him to all things created this omnipotency doth knit and unite the whole Building of Comfort because nothing can resist the Power of God there is more strength of power with us then against us this is that other comfortable Argument urged by the Prophet Isaiah 40. 12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and meted out Heaven with the spanne and comprehended the Dust of the Earth in a measure and weighed the mountaines in scales and the hils in a ballance therefore for our infinite comfort God maugre all the adverse power can doe whatsoever he will as having his Name the mighty God Isaiah 9. 6. The third Contignation of the building of comfort Gods Justice is so absolute He can doe us no wrong that 's our comfort doe what he please the sorest chastisement that ever childe of God stood under was but his just Anger against him even the way of his displeasure was not unequall to punish our sinnes so severely in his own Sonne What more comfortable then this that all affliction is but Gods just pursuit of sinne in us to drive sinne out of us and us out of ourselves to flye wholly to our God Davids meate may be ashes and his teares mingled with his drink yet this proves a comfortable repast a sweet refreshing by reason that out of the Eater comes meat out of the strong comes hony out of Gods Justice against sinne issues true Comfort Fourth Contignation Gods Mercy God hath not more power then willingnesse to comfort us his Sonne being flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone in our Saviours desertion in the Garden and on the crosse he was content to want that unspeakable comfort in the presence of his Father both to beare the wrath of the Lord for a time for us and likewise to know the better how to comfort us in our greatest extremities 't is the Mercy of God that we are not consumed but tryed not for his pleasure but for our profit as a Father scourgeth his sonne yet pities his sonne so there is mercy with God that he may be feared as a Father and that we may be comforted as his children Thus the Father of mercies cannot but shew himselfe a God of all Consolation as St Paul joynes them together so the childe of God findes by Experience the Father of mercies is alwayes the God of all Comfort that is the fourth knitting and uniting of the Building of Comfort 5. Contignation Gods Truth it is no small Comfort that we are sure saith the Apostle Rom. 2. that the Judgement of God is according to Truth Truth it selfe must needs according to Truth in the inward parts judge all things but the height of Comfort is that Truth it self cannot but keep promise all the promises of Comfort in the Gospell the Word of truth ye may take Gods Word were it for a thousand Comforts why the world proposeth a thousand counterfait Comforts but our God in his Word doth furnish us with tenne thousand true reall Comforts Shortly all this knitting uniting faculty of comforting is by one joynt-view apprehended in Christ our Saviour thus 1. The Wisdome of his Father to know how and when to comfort us 2. From the Father all power is given him and authority of comforting us 3. His Fathers Justice is satisfied in him by becoming a man of sorrowes to comfort us a curse that we should not be accursed cursed be that man who accounts not this the greatest Comfort 4. and 5. for I finde them joyned together Heb. 2. 17. Christ made like to his brethren that he might be a mercifull and faithfull high Priest the words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} are comfortable words not only to compassionate us but to be true and Faithfull to us not to faile Christ will never faile us in the knitting and uniting of our Comfort within if we doe not faile our selves in setting up the Butteresses from without Christ is faithfull if we be not faithlesse There are three speciall Butteresses of the Building of Comfort 1. Submission to Gods Will a resignation of our selves to doe what he will with us is the main Fulciment Butteresse or spirituall shoare of true Comfort For in all crosses and losses of wife children friends c. the whole businesse is not to expresse sorrow but a submissive subjection to Gods good pleasure and will Eli failed much in the education of his sonnes yet he himself was a most dutifull childe to God his heavenly Father even when he heard that heavy judgement able to make both the eares of
Instruments of divine Comfort are sweet Messengers rare Interpreters Iob 33. 23. One of a thousand to declare unto a Man his uprightnesse i. Christs Righteousnesse they have a Declarative power in publishing the glad tidings of the Gospell these were Iobs best Comforters better then all his Friends in his extremity a Minister may be a greater Comfort to a Man in his sicknesse then all his Friends because Ministers are the Bridegroomes friends and bring the espoused soule good tydings of the Marriage day those blessed Nuptials with her Lord Christ Iesus therefore spirituall comforts are oft in Scripture compared to oyle and the powring forth of those Comforts to anointing peruse but one place p The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings vers. 1. to comfort all that mourne vers. 2. to give the oyle of Ioy for Mourning ver. 3. God doth anoint his Ministers that they may anoint his people with the oyle of gladnesse Every Sermon should be as a Feast to the Hearers and Preachers must doe as the Jewes used to doe in their Feasts they used in token of welcome to anoint their guests Luk. 7. 46. Mine head with oyle thou didst not anoint i. thou hast not bid me welcome nor cheared me but Ministers must feast poore soules powring upon their heads that Alabaster boxe of pretious oyntment the word of Consolation as we are the principall Instruments of Comfort we must cheare them up and bid them heartily welcome to Gods house with some comfortable Exhortation like this of St Paul in my Text Comfort one another with these words 3. In respect of the common work-men which are Gods people under the Title of One another in the Text Expositors use the word Invicem by course each Christian when his course comes must comfort another {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} one another no man is exempted from this office that is One or Other as the Ministers must make uses of Comfort 't is their office 't is the right way of preaching so the people must make good use of them 't is their duty 't is the right way of hearing to lay up Comforts in store both for themselves and others to be able to bring forth both new and old as occasion serves to comfort one another For all the members of the Militant Church are but of two sorts 1. Those that are comforted but in feare of affliction 2. Those that are afflicted but in hope of comfort Wherefore either for feare or hope be well provided with comforts before hand the Virgin Mary had not been left so compleatly furnished with Comforts after her Sonnes death had She not laid in her heart those sayings that She heard from her living Saviour imitate the blessed Virgin what comfortable saying yee heare commit it to safe custody in your hearts for yee know not what need any of you or any of your friends may have of it in the day of sicknesse or at the houre of death at furthest We may set before you heavenly treasure shew you the golden pots of Manna these words of comfort in my text but if yee will be enriched by them yee must receive by the hand of faith and distribute them by the tongue of comforting then yee own the Pearles when they are yours to give to one another Why to heare one who hath the tongue of comforting as Saint Paul had in the words before my text enlightning the minde rectifying the will moderating the desires quieting the affections and filling the soule with unspeakable joy is or would be a great delight to you yet nothing to that ye wil find when by the wils grace of God working upon your understandings and yee shall be able to produce all these divine effects upon occasion both in your selves and in others wherefore 't is needfull to comfort one another with these words 4. In respect of the place where comfort is ordained by God to be preached Gods Temple Gods House is to be called the House of comfort and if the Heathen Orator making an Oration in aede Concordiae a Temple consecrated to their goddesse Concord used the place for a Topick drew an argument from the house inscription where they met to enforce the Necessity of Peace and Concord much more may I making a Sermon in aede consolationis a Temple consecrated to the God of all Consolation use the place for a Topick and draw a strong enforcement to mutuall Comfort and Consolation for as this is the best place in which to bury the dead so 't is also to raise up comfort to the living A place of dust and ashes to the dead but a place appointed for the giving of Beauty for ashes to the living As the Prophet speakes q the house of mourning for the dead but heere the oyle of joy for mourning to the living Sometimes the fittest place for the spirit of heavinesse and sometimes the fittest place to change that to put on the Garment of praise as the Prophet continues the Allegory to have our hearts lips and countenances cloathed and adorned with the large roab of praise of our God who still comforts us according or farre beyond the time wherein he afflicts us wherefore in the house of comfort learne we how to comfort one another with these words The Perswasives inducing us to goe about this Building and to study this Art of divine Comfort Now to presse this duty hard upon us 1. from our Christian relation one to another in the Text Who should doe this good office of comfort but members of the same body As Christians in the mystiâ—â—ll body of Christ if a thorne be in the foote a sharpe affliction in the meanest member of Christ why out of a Sympathie the backe must bow the strong Christian and the rich man rich in grace must put to his helping hand to pluck it out and the eye the watchfull Minister must be busie to pry into the hurt and ready to apply a wholsome salve a word of Comfort Againe beloved in the Lord of Heaven are we not fellow-travellers to heaven why then as good travellers cheere up one another both by word and by example especially in the red Sea of Affliction the wheeles of the soule are taken off like Pharaohs Chariot wheeles they drive heavily they want this oyle to put them on comfortably Whence is it that so many droope under the burden of so many cares and are sore battered with so many temptations 't is because they are left comfortlesse onely to their owne spirits Dead stones in an Arch uphold one another and shall not the living 't is the worke of an Angell to comfort nay it pleaseth Gods Spirit to take this office upon him to be the Comforter thus also one Christian Friend may become an Angell nay a God to another with feeding lips and a healing tongue of Comfort the very leafes the words of the tree of Righteousnesse
propriae Dies venerit incunctantèr libentèr ad Dominum ipso vocante veniamus Let us shew our selves to be the same in our life that we are in our Faith that we may not over-mourne for our dearest friends and when the appointed day of Gods sending to any one of us shall come Come let us goe without delay and willingly to the Lord who himselfe cals us Here after that Father before I fall into him againe I can quickly tell you all that Oecumenius doth on my Text 't is to interpret my Text by those foregoing words of St Paul that yee sorrow not even as others that have no hope i. As the Heathen that had no hope of the Resurrection {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Oecumenius holds it proper for such onely to grieve excessively for the dead who have no hope of the Resurrection and how doth it traduce hopefull Christians as hopelesse men when we bewaile as utterly lost and extinct those whom we professe to live with God To this purpose that elegant tongu'd Father v Fidem quam sermone voce depromimus cordis pectoris testimonio non probemus Spei nostrae ac fidei praevaricatores sumus simulata ficta fucata videntur esse quae dicimus nil prodest verbis praeferre virtutem factis destruere veritatem The Profession of our hope of the Resurrection to life is but varnished over and dissembled because we destroy it more with our actions then we doe preferre it by our words else why doe we take on in such a grievous manner when God takes our Friends away from us I know that where hearts have been knit together by God they cannot be rent a sunder without exceeding great griefe as Iacobs could not from Rachel nor Davids heart from Ionathan I also know that our Lord and Master himselfe wept for Lazarus x I finde no fault with naturall affection much lesse with Christian compassion let Nature have her course but let Religion set her bounds let us water our plants of sincere affection and compassion but not drowne them by sorrowing as others doe that have no hope I finde no other fault but that St Paul findes in the proofe of the Doctrine of which my Text is the use when mourning exceeds Christian proportion and all true Measure Ioseph loved his Father better then the Egyptians did yet Ioseph wept but the tithe that the Egyptians did They mourned 70. dayes Gen. 50. 3. he but seven dayes vers. 10. All that I speak is to condemne those who are too little like Rachel in serving the living God but too much like Rachel in weeping for the dead She would not bee comforted but these hopelesse Mourners cannot truly urge the Reason that Rachel did because they are not for we know that they are living with God that dye in the Lord we know that the good theefe was on the day of his death with Christ the Lord in Paradise and as 't is a comfort to know where they are so 't is a further comfort to know what they doe they follow the Lambe wheresoever he goes and is it not a height of comfort to know what they say they cease not to cry day and night Holy Holy Holy they are still a singing Halleluiah and shall not we give over weeping on Earth for them who shall never give over singing in Heaven shall we refuse to be comforted because they are not on earth who are and enjoy all the comforts in Heaven Wherefore comfort one another with these words and with the words of that judicious Father y Contristamur in nostrorum mortibus necessitate amittendi sed cum Spe recipiendi inde angimur hinc consolamur inde infirmitas afficit hinc fides reficit The necessity of loosing our friends that cuts us but the hope of receiving them againe this heales us that is our griefe this is our comfort wherefore against the losse of our deerest friends comfort one another with these words As Apothecaries make singular use even of the dust of gold so the Jewish Rabbins those Apothecaries of the Hebrew simples make profession that great Mountaines hang upon the smallest Jods in the Bible Then surely a discourse like a Mountaine for largenesse but above a Mountaine for fruitfulnesse may be raised from this conjunctive particle in my Text {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Itaque Wherefore and to make it so I passe from the particular relation of these words to S. Pauls former Doctrine I passe unto the generall Relation of these words to the whole Word of God Pars pro toto comfort one another with these words or with any the like words of Comfort out of Gods Word In the Greek {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} these Ratiocinations Arguments rather then bare words so it is that Scripture words are the strongest Reasons to evince and perswade Comfort the true Hearts ease growes only in Gods Paradise in Gods Word There may be some Tulip of Comfort some colour bark or flowre in the words and writings of men but the very pith and marrow of comfort effectuall for all the soules Maladies is no where to be found but in the Word of God in these words As it was said of the words spoken by the Word God Christ Jesus that Hee taught with Authoritie and not us the Scribes z the Scribes taught poore jejune heartlesse matter unprofitable uncomfortable and their forme of teaching was without Majesty without any command but our Saviours both Matter and Forme of teaching carried Authority with it the unusuall unheard of Majesty of the words accompanyed with matter most profitable and most comfortable did command his Auditors Now Christ hath still left the same Matter to us 't is true of all the Word of God that it comforts as having Authority and not as the Scribes not as humane writers who would usurpe upon this Authority which is the absolute Prerogative of Gods Word so that the maine point is this Only Gods Word hath full power and Authority to comfort mans heart 1. à Causa 2. à Subjecto 3. à Doctrinae certitudine 1. From the Efficient cause the Scriptures Authority of comforting is the same with Gods Spirit dictating both matter and words the saving worke of the Holy Ghost the Comforter that also goes along with the Word of God Gods Spirit and Gods Word goe together by way of Covenant Isaiah 59. 21. This is my Covenant with them saith the Lord My Spirit that is upon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth where Gods Word is the Counsellor Gods Spirit is the Comforter 2. à Subjecto the Subject of Gods Word carries with it the greatest and most infallible Authority of Comforting because 't is the onely Store-house of true Comfort in it is that supreme Treasure the Mediator Christ Jesus that dyed to reconcile us to God Rom. 5. 10.
upon the face of the waters that is the swelling tumultuous restlesse thoughts and comfortlesse apprehensions The Hebrew is an apt Metaphor Rachaph Incubare from birds that sit brood on their Egges to sustaine and cherish them the Spirit of God doth not only forme and sustaine the thoughts of man from vanishing into nothing but also nourish and cherish and foster them to support a regenerate man in the comfortable estate of well being a Christian Not a thought of comfort can rise in the heart but first hatched by the Spirit of God we are quite voyde and empty not the least Motion of Comfort before the Spirit of God move upon our thoughts Beloved at the first coming of the Holy Ghost Acts 2. 2. a rushing mighty winde filled all the house the winde hath one property to cleanse and purge the Aire to make it comfortable and refreshing nor is there any true refreshing or comfort untill we are filled with the Spirit of God as the saile of a Ship is filled with winde For let a ship be never so well tackled and provided yet all is in vaine without a winde and let never so eloquent Sermons spread their sailes in the ship of the Church unlesse the good winde of Gods Spirit blowes where it list when it list how it list and upon whom it list I say Gods Spirit must be both winde to drive us and Pilot to direct us to the Port of Comfort Now if Caesar did encourage that Ship-Master who feared Ship-wrack with a Caesarem vehis feare not thou carriest Caesar the Worlds Conquerour yet by his leave as great as he was he was not the Seas Commander nor the obeyed rebuker of the Winds and Waves as he is whom we carry in our tossed breasts cheere thy thy self with a Paracletum vehis thou carriest the Comforter in thy heart the rebuker of heart-risings the Lord controller of Troubles the commander of stormy swelling afflictions the Conqueror of temptations Whose very conquest is a mighty comfort to the conquered Soule because his Conquest is atchieved by Love for as the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Sonne per modum Amoris as the Schoole speakes so the Spirit workes in us by way of Love sweetly St Bernard styles the Holy Ghost Osculum Patris filii the kisse of the Father and the Sonne God the Father kisseth by his Sonne but we feele not this kisse untill God the Sonne kisseth us by his Spirit Now what more comfortable to a chast wife then a sweet kisse from her Husband so prayes the Bride Cant. 1. 2. Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips and she gives a reason why She would be kissed for thy love is better then Wine more comfortable then wine that is to close this let Christ unite himselfe to his Church with this sweet expression of his speciall favour even by his Spirit to seale up the lips of our hearts our thoughts to the most comfortable day of Redemption Thus have we seene the Spring-head whence flowes the Habituall Abilitie of all true Comfort The actuall Ability to make good use of this Art of comforting in the Platforme of Comfort set up according to the exact Rule of Gods Word implyed in these words in the Text Justly reprehended are they who take the wrong way of Comfort Play bookes and fabulous stories forsaking this Fountaine of living waters they dig pits that can hold no water no true refreshment of comfort The God of all consolation did cause his Word to be written for our Comfort shall we frustrate the End why it was written He that made mans heart best doth know what Maladies and what Cordialls to give let us follow his Prescripts away with all other shallow sandy comforts of the worlds Mountebanks which the weary soule cannot rest and build upon David a King could not want the comforts of this life yet he disclaimes them all in comparison of Gods Word g This is my Comfort in my affliction for thy Word has quickned me Gods Word did revive Davids dead spirits David did look out for comfort but found none but this h mine eyes faile for thy Word saying when wilt thou comfort me Debiles effecti sunt animae meae Oculi i The Eyes of my soule faile me my desires faile with looking out for Comfort which makes me cry when wilt thou comfort me David thought it long till God did comfort him It seemes David had forgot the right way to comfort himselfe till he went this way to worke k I remembred thy Iudgements of old O Lord and have comforted my selfe Now as St Paul exhorts Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ so be yee followers of me as I am of David for I know words especially prevaile when they are uttered more from the bowels then the braine and from our owne Experience which made Christ himselfe a more compassionate High Priest Therefore out of compassion I shall now comfort others with the same pretious Comforts wherewith I have comforted my selfe out of Davids Psalmes l He that hath the key of David opening and no man shutteth assist me effectually to open unto you a few words of Comfort out of the Psalmes of David The truth is that in the extremity of her sicknesse and since her death who was flesh of my flesh and bone of my bone that which I then most desired was to repose my troubled thoughts and to compose the jarring strings of my heart to rest which at last I pegged up to some concord and harmony by listning to the sweet Songs of Sion set to Davids well tuned Harpe and heavenly tuned Heart For my Meditations did bring together foure Verses out of foure severall Psalmes which being put well together by the Spirit of God in the heart of man are sufficient Materialls to raise up a Platforme of the strong and stately Building of true Christian Comfort The foure Verses may challenge this Methode the first verse is the Removing of the Rubbish The second Verse is the laying of the Foundation The third Verse is the Raising up of the Body of the Building The fourth Verse is the laying on of the Roofe 1. The Removing of the Rubbish to fit the place for the Foundation that is done by taking away and cleering the Soule of all dejections and disquietments in this life Psalme 42. last verse Why art thou cast downe oh my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God King David finding his soule over sensible of troubles checks and chides his soule sharply for it with why and why and this chiding goes so farre as to lay a strict charge upon his soule to the contrary Hope thou in God for why should that soule be cast downe and disquieted that can Answer that Question now Lord what is
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