Other reasons there may be given but these are sufficient If this be so then we ought from hence to learn that whatsoever we have we are debtors of it to others whatsoever comfort we have whether it be outward or inward comfort And even as God hath disposed and dispensed his benefits graces to us so let us be good stewards of it we shall give account of it ere long Let every man reason with himself why have I this comfort that another wants I am Gods Steward God hath not given it me to lay up but to lay out To speak a little of outward comforts It is cursed Athiesme in many rich Persons that think they are to live here only to scrape an estate for them and their children when in the mean time their Neighbour want and Gods Children want that are as dear to God as themselves and perish for want of comfort If they were not Athiests in this point they would think I am a steward and what comfort shall I have of scraping much that will but increase my account Such a Steward were mad that would desire a great account the more my account is the more I have to answer for and the more shall be my punishment if I quit not all well Now men out of Athiesme that they do not believe a day of Judgment a time of account they ingrosse comforts to them and theirs as if there were not a Church as if there were not an afflicted body of Christ they think not that they are Stewards Whereas the time will come when they shall have more comfort of that that they have bestowed then of that that they shall leave behind them to their children That which is wisely dispensed for the comfort of Gods people it will comfort us when all that we shall leave behind will not nay perhaps it will trouble us the ill getting of it And so whatsoever inward comforts we have it is for the comfort of others we are debtors of it whatsoever ability we have as occasion is ofâ—…ered if there be a necessity in those that are of the same body with our selves we ought to regard them in pitty and compassion If we should see a poor creature cast himself into a whirlpoole or plunge himself into some desperate pit were we not accessorie to his death if we should not help him if we would not pull one out of the fire Oh yes and is not the soul in as great danger and is not mercy to the soul the greatest mercy shall we see others ready to be swallowed up in the pit of despair with heaviness of spirit shall we see them dejected and not take it to heart but either we are unable to Minister a word of comfort to them or else unwilling as if we were of Cains disposition that we would look to our selves only we are none of their keepers It is a miserable thing to professe our selves to be members of that body whereof Christ is the Head to professe the communion of Saints and yet to be so dead hearted in these particular Exigences and occasions It lies upon us as a duty if God convey comfort to us from others and his end in comforting us any way of putting any comfort in our hands outward or inward it is to comfort others if we do it not we are liable to sin to the breach of Gods command and we frustrate Gods end But if this lie upon us as a duty to comfort others then it concerns us to know how to be able to do it That we may be able to comfort others let us be ready to take notice of the grievance of others as Moses went to see the afflictions of his brethren and when he saw it laid it to heart It is a good way to go to the house of mourning and not to balk and decline our Christian brethren in adversity God knowes our souls in adversitie so should we do the souls of others if they be knit to us in any bond of kindred or Nature or Neighbourhood or the like that bond should provoke us for bonds are as the veins and Arteries to derive comfort All bonds are to derive good whether bonds of Neighbourhood or acquaintance c. A man should think with himself I have this bond to do my Neighbour good It is Gods providence that I should be acquainted with him and do that to him that I cannot do to a stranger Let us consider all Bonds and let this work upon us let us consider their grievance is a bond to tie us And withall let us labour to put upon us the bowels of a father and mother tender bowels as God puts upon him bowels of compassion towards us So St. Paul being an excellent comforter of others in 1 Thess. 2. he shewes there how he carried himself as a Father or Mother or Nurse to them Those that will comfort others they must put upon them the affections of tender creatures as may be they must be patient they must be tenderly affected they must have love they must have the graces of communion What be the graces of communion The graces of Christian communion to fit us in the communion of Saints to do good they are a loving meek patient spirit Love makes patient as we see Mothers and Nurses what can they not endure of their câ—…ildren because they love them And they must be likewise wise and furnished they that will comfort others must get wisedom and abilityâ—… They must get Humility they must abase themselves that they may be comfortable to others and not stand upon terms these be the graces of communion that fit us for the communion of Saints What is the reason that many are so untoward to this duty and have no heart to it that they cannot indeed do it The reason is they consider not their Bonds they do not Consider the poor and needy Psal. 41. they have not the graces of communion they want loving spirits they want ability they are empty they are not furnished they have not knowledge laid up in store they want humble spirits the want of these graces makes us so barren in this practise of the communion of Saints Therefore we should bewaile our own barrennesse when we should do such duties and cannot And beg of God the spirit of love and wisedom that we may do things wisely that we may speak that which is fit a word in season is as apples of Gold with Pictures of Silver And let us beg a humble spirit that we may be abased to comfort others As Christ in love to us he abased himself he became man and when he was man he became a servant he abased himself to wash his Disciples feet talk with a silly woman and such base offices and if the Spirit of Christ be in us it will abase us to offices of love to support one another to bear one anothers burthens Again if we would comfort
things Magistrates and Officers go with their broad Seal and deliver things that they would have carried with authority sealed and the Seal of the Prince is the authority of the Prince so that a Seal is to make things authentical to give validity to things answerable to the value and esteem of him that seales These four principal uses there is of sealing Now God by his Spirit doth all these for God by his Spirit sets the stamp and likenesse of Christ upon us he distinguisheth us from others from the great refuse of the world he appropriates us to himself and like wise he authorizeth us and puts an excellency upon us to secure us against all when we have Gods Seal upon us we stand against all accusations Who shall separate us from the love of God we dare defâ—… all objections and all accusations of conscience whatsoever a man that hath Gods Seal he stands impregnable it so authorizeth him in his conscience for it is given us for our assurance and not for Gods God seales not because he is ignorant He knowes who are his But what is the Spirit it self this seal or the graces of the Spirit or the comforts of the Spirit what is this seal for that is the question now whether the Spirit it self or the work of the Spirit or the comfort and joy of the Spirit I answer indeed the Spirit of God where it is is a sufficient seal to us that God hath set us out for his for whosoever hath the Spirit of Christ is his and whosoever hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his but the Spirit is the Authour of this sealing and the sealing that is in us is wrought by the Spirit so that except you take the Spirit for that which is wrought by the Spirit you have not the right comprehension of sealing and so the Spirit with that which the Spirit works is the seal for the Spirit is alway with his own seal with his own stamp Other seales are removed from the stamp and the stamp remains though the seal be gone but the Spirit of God dwells and keeps a perpetual residence in the heart of a Christian guiding him moving him enlightning of him governing him comforting him doing all offices of a seal in his heart till he have brought him to heaven for the Holy Ghost never leaves us it is the sweetest inhabitant that ever lodging was given to he doth all that is done in the soul and he is perpetually with his own work in joy and comfort though he seems sometimes to be in a corner of the heart and is not discernable yet he alway dwells in us the Spirit is alwayes with the stamp it sets upon the soul. What is that stamp then to come to the matter more particularly what is that that the Spirit seales us with especially what is that work I answer the Spirit works in this order for the most part and in some of these universally First the Spirit doth together with the Word which is the instrument of the Spirit the Chariot in which it is carried convince us of the evil that is in us and of the ill estate we are in by reason thereof it convinceth us that we are sinners and of the fearful estate that we are in by sin this is the first work of the Spirit on a man in the state of nature it convinceth us of the ill that is in us and of the ill due unto us and thereupon it abaseth us therefore it is called the Spirit of bondage because it makes a man tremble and quake till he see his peace in Christ. When the Spirit hath done that then it convinceth a man by a better by a sweeter light discovering a remedy in Christ who is sealed of God to reconcile God and us And as he enlightneth the soul convinceth it of the all-sufficiency that is in Christ and the authority that he hath being sent and sealed of God for that purpose so he works on the affections he inclines the heart to go to God in Christ and to cast himself on him by faith Now when the soul is thus convinced of the evil that is in us and of the good that is in Christ and with this convincing is enclined and moved by the holy Spirit as indeed the holy Spirit doth all then upon this the Spirit vouchsafeth a superadded work as the Spirit doth still adde to his own work he addes a confirming work which is here called Sealing that seal is not faith for the Apostle saith After you believed ye were sealed so that this sealing is not the work of faith but it is a work of the Spirit upon faith assuring the soul of its estate in grace But what need confirmation when we believe Is not faith confirmation enough when a man may by a reflect act of the soul know that he is in the state of grace by believing It is true as the natural conscience knows what is in a man as the natural judgment can reflect so the spiritual understanding can reflect and when he believes he knowes that he believes without the Spirit by the reflect act of the understanding except he be in case of temptaton what needs sealing then This act of ours in believing and the knowledge of our believing it is oft terribly shaken and God is wondrous desirous as we see by the whole passage of the Scripture that we should be secure of his love he knowes that he can have no glory and we can have no comfort else and rherefore when we by faith have sealed to his truth he knowes that we need still further sealing that our faith be current and good and to strengthen our faith for all is little enough in the time of temptation and therefore the single witnesse of our soul by the reflect act knowing that we do believe when we do believe it is not strong enough in great temptations for in some tryals the soul is so carried and hurried that it cannot reflect upon it self nor know what is in it self without much ado therefore first the Spirit works faith whereby we seal Gods truth Joh. 3. He that believes hath put to his seal that God is true when God by his Spirit moves me to honour him by sealing his truth that Whosoever believes in Christ shall be saved then God seales this my belief with an addition of his holy Spirit so that this sealing is a work upon believing and as faith honours God so God honours faith with a superadded seal and confirmation But yet we not come particularly enough to know what this Seal is When we honour God by sealing his truth then the Spirit seales us certainly then the Spirit doth it by presence by being with us in our soules What then doth the Spirit work when we believe How shall we know that there is such a spiritual sealing I answer the Spirit in this seaâ—…g works these four things First a secret voyce or
part Prophane men Hypocrits Dan. 7. Quest. Ans. To make a St. there must be 1. a Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation Quest. Answ. Civil man who True Saint wherein different from an hypocrite Simile Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation use of salutations Quest. Blessing what Answ. Salutations should be holy Gods name taken in vain in Salutations Salutations to be omitted 1. In serious businesse 2. To an Heretick Quest. Grace what Answ. Doctr. A Christian needs Grace when he is in state of Grace Reas. We run daily into new breaches Ephes. 1. How to conceive of God To maintain Gods Grace daily Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace Ans. 1. abase our selves Labour to be rich in grace Quest. Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour 1. By joy of the Spirit 2. By the graces of the Spirit 3. By going to God in extremity Observ. Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull Ephes. 〈◊〉 To blesse God what We add nothing to God when we blesse him 1. It is a duty to God 2. It stirs up others 3. It is good for our selves 2. To mind them Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for Why a carnal man is unthankful Beg the spirit To stir up our selves to praise God To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse Motions to thankfulnesse 1. it is the imployment of heaven 2. It mitigates crosses God how considered the object of praise Doct. God as the Faâ—â—â—â— of Christ to be praysed Use 1. To bless God for Christ. God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. God is stiled Father of mercies 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied 2. Because he is naturally mercifull All Gods attributes without mercy terrible Mercie what Kinds of Gods mercie Simile Forgiving mercies the principal Men prone to presume of Gods mercies to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners Simile Simile Object Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace An encouragement to come to God Simile Late Repentance seldom true Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent To imitate God in mercy Men unmerciful to their own souls Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates To be fit for mercy I. Get broken hearts Quest. Answ. How to improve mercy daily Thankfulnesse for mercy Comfort what 1 The thing it self 2. Comfortable reasons 3. By the Spirit Comfort stronger then the maladie Comfort not compleat in this life Philosophicall reasons will not comfort God of comfort 1. That he can create it out of nothing God only can make something of nothing Out of contraries In what order God is 〈◊〉 God of comfort Conclusion Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians Ground of prayer To seek to God in the use of things comfortable Double application Quest. Answ. Christians ground of comfort in all estates Quest. Answ. Christians are uncomfortable 1 Ignorance 2. Passion 3. Aggravating the grievance 4 Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring Object Answ. God comforts his children in all tribulation Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life Inward comfort best To comfort What. Use. To go to God in the use of meanes We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate Quest. Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort 1. Look to the grievance especially sin Comforts against sin Luther No comfort for such as go on in sin Comforts for those that are relapsed Caution 2 Comfort against other grievances General comforts 1. The Covenant of Grace 2. The promise of mitigation 3. In the presence of God 4. Consider the end all work for good Simile 5. The promise of finall deliveanec To keep a daily course of comfort 1. Keep the soul in a good temper 2. Renew our resolutions Dayly feed on Christ. To be thankful 6. To be fruitful 7. Labour for sinâ—…erity And growth 8. Not to grieve the spirit 9. Be conversant in the scripture 10. To study Principles of Religion Observ. All are subject to discomforts In Comforting others there must he Ability Will. Example Sympathy Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them 2. They are not impaired by being communicated Use Comfort to weak Christians Doctr Comforts derived to men by men Every Christian to Communicate his comfort Simile Reason 1. To trie our obedience God not tied to means Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another Use We are debtors of the comforts we have To be able to comfort others Take notice of their grievance 2. To labour for bowels of compassion Graces of communion what 3. Get experience our selves Simile Quest. Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others 1. It increaseth knowledge It gaines confidence in the speaker How to comfort others from our experience 1. Search out their sin and misery 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it 3. To comfort them from our owne experience 4. By experience of Saints in scripture Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle Use. To depend on Gods ordinance The ministers Simile 2. Common Christians Difference in gifts and Grace How to distinguish men of great parts Simile Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance Ground of praising God Doctrines Doct. The sufferings of Christ abound in us â—ll suffer not alike Reas. 1. In respect of God Râ—as 2. In respect of Satan Reas. 3. In respect of the word Reas. 4. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of the good in us 2. The evill in us Afflictions necessary to purge corruptions contracted by the peace of the Church Object Ans. August Afflictions in the most peaceable times Three-fold suffering in the Church Use. How to judge of afflicted men Doctr The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ. Christ three waies taken in scripture Quest. Ans. They are the sufferings of Christ. 1 Because of Christ mystically 2. They are for Christs cause 3. By way of sympathy 4. He is present with us Differences between sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses 1. Sufferings as creatures 2. As men 3. As holy men Use encouragement to suffer for Christ. Christ persecuted by wicked men Encouragement to do good to Christians Consolation what Doctr. Comfort proportionable to sufferings Reas. 1 Troubles enlarge the capacity of the soul. Because they humble it 2. They exercise grace Reas. 3. From Gods wisedom Reas. 4. We have a nearer presence of God Reas. 5. Then we pray most Disproportions of sufferings and comfort Use 2. To judge aright of those that are afflicted Simile Use 3. Thankfulness Object Answ. What hinders comfort in afflictions No comfort to wicked men Doct. 4. Consolation 〈◊〉 bounds by
is not sufficient to be in the Grace of God but to have the report of it to our own hearts to have it shine upon us How should we carry our selves so that we may be in state of Grace that is in such a state as we may find the sweet evidence and comfortable feeling continually that we are Gods Children First of all there must be a perpetual daily practise of abasing our selves of making our selves poore that is every day to see the vanity of all things in the world out of us to see the weaknesse of Grace in us to see the return of our corruptions that foile us every day that so we may see in what need we stand of the favour of God Considering that all comforts without are vanity and that all the Graces in us are stained with corruption considering besides the staines of our Graces that there is a continuall issue of corruption these things will make our spirits poor and make us hunger and thirst after the sence and feeling of free pardon every day This will enforce us to renew our patent to renew our portion in the Covenant of Grace to have daily pardon This should be our daily practise to enter deeper and deeper into our selves This is to live by faith As God is continually ready to shew us favour in Christ not onely at the first in acquitting us from our sins but continually doth shew us favour upon all occasions and is justifyng and pardoning and speaking peace continually to us so there must be an action answerable in us that is depending upon God by faith living by faith This we do by seeing in what need we stand of Grace God resists the proud but gives Grace to the humble Then again that we may walk in the grace of God and in the sence of it let us every day labour to have our souls more and more enriched with the endowments and graces of Gods Spirit that we may be objects of Gods delight Let us labour to be affected to things as he is affected two cannot walk together except they be agreed Let us hate that which God hates and delight in that which God delights in that we may have a kind of complacency and be in love with the blessed work of the Spirit of God more and more Let us labour to delight in them that grow in grace as the nearer any one comes to our likenesse the more we grow in familiarity with them Labour also to preserve a clear soul that God may shine upon us God delights not in strangenesse to us his desire is that we may walk in the sence and assurance of his grace and favour How shall we know that we are in state of Grace with God I Answer that we do not deceive our selves we must look to the work of Gods grace Gods grace is a fruitful grace his favour is fruitful it is not a barren favour it is not a Winter Sun The Sun in the Winter it carries a goodly countenance but it heats not to any purpose it doth not quicken but Gods grace it carries life and heat where it comes therefore if we be in state of grace and favour with God we may discern it But in times of desertion though a person be in grace and favour with God yet many times he thinks he is not so It is true then we must not alway go to our feeling at such times and the enlargement of our hearts by the Spirit of comfort but go to the work of grace for where grace and favour is there are the graces of the Spirit As it is nor a bare favour in regard of comfort so it is not a barren favour in regard of graces for every heart that is in favour with God hath some graces of the Spirit God enriches the soul where he shewes favour his love-tokens are some graces therefore if the witnesse and comfort of the Spirit cease in case of desertion let us go to the work of the Spirit and by that we may know if we be in grace with God For Gods people are a peculiar people and Gods children have alwayes some peculiar grace some Ornaments some Jewels the spouse of Christ hath which others have not Therefore examine thy heart what work of God there is and what desire thou hast after better things what inward hatred against that which is ill what strength thou hast against it go to some mark of Regeneration of the new Creature and these will evidence that we are in a state of grace with God because these are peculiar favours And though we feel not the comfort yet there is a work and that work will comfort us more then the comfort it self will do And this is one thing whereby we may know we are in favour with God when we can comfort our selves and can go to the throne of grace through Christ when we can go boldly to God it is a sign of favour when we can call upon him when we can go in any desertion to prayer when in any affliction we can have inlarged hearts it is a sign of favour with God A meer hypocrite or a man that hath not this peculiar grace he trusts to outward things and when they are gone when he is in trouble he hath not the heart to go to God his heart is shut up he sinks down because he relyed upon common matters he did not relie upon the favour of God and the best fruit of it which are graces but upon common favours therefore he sinks in despair But a sound Christian take him at the worst he can sigh to God he can go to him and open his soul to him by Christ we have an entrance to the Father Ephes 3. 12. We have boldnesse through faith Every Christian hath this in the worst extremity he hath a Spirit of prayer though he cannot enlarge himself yet he can sigh and groan to God and God will hear the sighes of his own Spirit they are loud in his ears David at the worst he prayes to God Saul at the worst he goes to the Witch and from thence to his swords point But usually the usual temper and disposition of a man in the state of grace is joy for as one saith Grace is the begetter of joy for they both have one root in the Greek Language there is the same root for favour and for joy so favour is usually and ordinarily with a sweet enlargement of heart we may thank our selves else that do not walk so warily and so jealously as we should The reward that God gives his Children that are careful is a Spirit of joy Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by faith we have peace of God and joy in tribulation For even as it is in humane matters the favour and countenance of the King it is as a shower of rain after a drought it comforts his subjects there is a wonderous joy in the
there is a presence of the Spirit that comforts As we see oft times a man is comforted with the very sight of his friend without discourse to a man indued with reason whose discomforts are spirituall for the most part in the soule the very presence of a man that he loves puts much delight into him What is God then the God of comfort his very presence must needs comfort Comfort is taken many other wayes but these are the principall to this purpose First Comfort is the thing it selfe there is comfort in every creature of God and God is the God of that comfort In hunger meate comforts in thirst drink comforts in cold garments comfort in want of advice friends comfort and it is a sweet comfort God is the God of all comfort of the comfortable things But besides the necessary things every sense hath somewhat to comfort it The eye besides ordinary colours hath delightfull colours to behold and so the eare besides ordinary noise and sounds it hath musick to delight it the smell besides ordinarie savours it hath sweet flowers to refresh it and so every part of the body besides that which is ordinarie it hath somewhat to comfort it Because God is nothing but comfort to his creature if it be as it should be he is God of these comforts the God of all comfort of the comfort of outward things of friends c. So he is the God of the second comfort of comfortable reasons and arguments for a man especially in inward troubles must have grounds of comfort from strong reasons God ministreth these he is the God of these for he hath given us his Scriptures his Word and the comforts that are fetched from thence are strong ones because they are his comforts it is his Word The word of a Prince comforts though he be not there to speake it though it be a letter or by a Messenger yet he whose word it is is one that is able to make his word good he is Lord and Master of his word The Word of God is comfortable and all the reasons that are in it and that are deduced from it upon good ground and consequence they are comfortable because it is Gods word he is the God of all And those comforts in Gods word and reasons from thence they are wonderfull in the variety of them there is comfort from the liberty of a Christian laid out there that he hath free access to the throne of Grace comfort from the Prerogatives of a Christian that he is the Child of God that he is justified that he is the heire of Heaven and such like Comforts from the Promises of Grace of the presence of God of assistance by his presence these things out of the Word of God are wondrous plentifull Indeed the Word of God is a breast of comfort as the Prophet cals it Suck comfort out of the breasts of comfort Isa. 66. The books of God are breasts of comfort wels of comfort Isa. 11. there are springs of comfort Gods word is a Paradise as it were in Paradise there were sweet streams that ran through and in Paradise stirred the voyce of God not onely calling Adam where art thou terrifying of him but the voyce of God promising Adam the blessed seed So in the Word of God there is God rouzing out of sinne and there is God speaking peace to the soule there is a sweet current of mercie runs from the Paradise of God and there is the Tree of life Christ himselfe and Trees of all manner of fruit comforts of all sorts whatsoever And there is no Angel there to keep the doore and gate of Paradise with a fierie flaming sword No this Paradise is open for all and they are cruell Tyrants that stop th is Paradise that stop this Fountain as the Papists doe As God is the God of comfort so he is the God of comfort in that respect But this is not enough to make him the God of comfort we may have the Word of God and all the reasons from thence from priviledges and prerogatives and examples and yet not be comfortable if we have not the God of comfort with the Word of comfort the Spirit of God that must apply the comfort to the soule and be the God of comfort there For there must be application and working of comfort out of Gods word upon the soule by the spirit the spirit must set it on strongly and sweetly that the soule may be affected You may have a carnall man he for fashion or custome reads the Scriptures and he is as dead-hearted when he hath done as when he began he never looks to the spirit of comfort there must be the spirit of God to work and to apply comfort to the heart and to teach us to discourse and to reason from the Word not onely to shew the reasons of the Word but to teach us to draw reasons from the Word and to apply them to our particular state and condition the spirit teacheth this wisedome And therefore it is well called the comforter I will send you the comforter The poore disciples had many comforts from Christ but because the Comforter was not come they were not comfortable but heavie what was the reason because the Comforter was not come when the holy Ghost was come after the resurrection and ascension of Christ when he had sent the Comforter then they were so full of comfort that they rejoyced that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for Christ and the more they suffered the more joyfull and comfortable and glorious they were You see what a comfort is it is the things themselves and the word and reasons from it and likewise the spirit of God with the reasons and with presence sometimes without any reasons with present strength God doth establish the soule together with reasons there is a strengthning power of the spirit a vigour that goes with the spirit of God that joyns with the spirit of the afflicted person So whether it be the outward thing as reasons and discourse or the presence of the spirit God joyning with our spirit God is the God of that comfort the God of all comfort A comfort is any thing that allaies a maladie that either takes it away or allaies and mitigates it A comfort is any thing that raiseth up the soul The comforts that wee have in this life they are not such as doe altogether take away sorrow and griefe but they mitigate them Comfort is that which is above a maladie it is such a remedie as is stronger to support the soul from being cast down over much with the grievance whether it be grievance felt that we are in the sence of such a grievance as is feared when the soule apprehends any thing to set against the ill we feare that is stronger then it when the soule hath somewhat that it can set against the present sence of the grievance that is stronger
then it though it doe not wholly expel it but the discomfort remains still in some degree it may be said well to be a comfort The reason why I speake of this mittigation is because in this life God never so wholly comforts his Children but there will be flesh left in them and that will murmure and there will be some resistance against comfort while there are remainders of sinne there will be ground of discomfort by reason of the conflict between the flesh and spirit For instance a man hath some crosse on him what saith the flesh God is mine enemy and I will take such and such courses I will not indure this this is the voyce of the flesh of the old man What saith the spirit Surely God is not mine enemy he intends my good by these things So while these fight here is the flesh against the spirit yet here is comfort because the spirit is predominant but it is not fully comfort because there is the old man in him that withstands comfort in the whole measure of comfort Therefore we must take this degree we cannot have the full comfort till we come to Heaven there all teares shall be wiped from our eyes in this world we must be content to have comfort with some griefe the maladie is not wholly purged Sometimes God removes the outward grievance more fully God helps many times altogether as in sickness to health perfectly but I speake not of that Comfort is that which is opposite to miserie and it must be stronger for there is no prevailing but by a stronger when the Agent is not above the Patient there is no prevailing there is a conflict till one have got the masterie The God of all comfort All that is of all comfortable things and of all divine reasons it must be most substantiall comfort The soule in some maladies will not be comforted by Philosophicall reasons saith the Heathen the disease is stronger then the Physick when he considers Platoe's comforts and the like so we may say of the reasons of Philosophical men Romanists and Moralists when they come to terrour of conscience when they come to inward grievances inward stings that are in a man from a mans conscience as all discomforts usually when they press hard it is with a guilty conscience what can al such reasons do to say it is the state of other men and it is in vaine to murmure and I know not what such reasons as Seneca and Plato and others have it will scarce still the conscience for a fit They are ignorant of the root alas how can they tell the remedie when they know not the ground of the maladie It must be God it must be his Word his truth the conscience must know it to be Gods truth and then it will comfort God is the God of comfort of the things and of the reasons they must be his reasons And he also is the Author of that spiritual presence he is with his children when they are in the fire he goes with them into the water as it is in Esay 45. he is with them in the valley of death they shall find God with them to comfort them so there is a kind of presence with Gods comforts and a banishing of all discomfort And this comfort is as large as the maladies as large as the ills are he is a God of comfort against every particular ill if there be diverse ills he hath diverse comforts if they be long ills he hath long comforts if there be strong ills he hath strong comforts if there be new ills he hath new comforts take the ills in what extent and degree you will God hath somewhat to set against them that is stronger then they and that is the blessed estate of Gods Children he is the God of all comfort St. Chrysostome an excellent preacher yields me one observation upon this very place It is the wisdome of a Christian to see how God describes himself there being some thing in God answerable to whatsoever is ill in the world The spirit of God in the scripture sets forth God fitting to the particular occasions speaking here of the misery and the disgraceful usage of St. Paul being taught by the spirit of God he considereth God as a Father of mercies and a God of Comfort Speaking of the vengeance on his enemies the Psalmist saith thou God of vengeance shew thy self In God there is help for every maladie Therefore the wisdom of a Christian is to single out of God what is fitting his present occasion in crosses and miseries think of him as a father of Mercies in discomforts think of him as a God of comfort in perplexities and distresse think of him as a God of wisdom and oppression of others and difficulties which we cannot wade out of think of him as a God and father almighty as a God of vengeance and so every way to think of God appliable to the present occasion And though many of us have no great affliction upon us for the present yet we should lay up store against the evill day and therefore it is good to treasure up these descriptions of God The father of mercies and God of all comfort To explaine the word a little what doth he mean by God in this place That he is the God of comfort that hath a further comfort in it in the very title that is called the God of comfort In that he is called the God of comfort it implyes two things First it shewes that he is a Creator of it that he can work it out of what he will out of nothing And then that he can raise it out of the contrary as he raised light out of darknesse in the creation and in the government of this world he raiseth his Children out of misery As he raised all out of nothing order out of confusion so in his Church he is the God of comfort he can raise comfort out of nothing out of nothing that is likely to yield comfort Put the case that there be neither medicine nor meat nor drink nor nothing to comfort us in this world as we shall have none of these things in heaven he is the God of Comfort that shall supply all our wants As he shall then be all in all so in this world when it is by the manifestation of his glorie when Moses was 40. dayes in the mountain he wanted outward comforts but he had the God of comfort with him and he supplied the want of meat and drink and all other comforts because he is the God of all comfort in him are all comforts originally and fundamentally and if there be none he can create and make them of nothing God as a God properly makes something of nothing that is to be a God for nothing but God can make somewhat of nothing Gods upon earth call men their creatures in a kind of imitation of God but that is but a
into discomfort no but Blessed be the God of comfort that comforts us in all tribulation It is more to raise good out of evill then not to suffer evill to be at all It shews greater power it manifests greater goodness to triumph over ill when it suffered to be and so not to keep ill from us but to comfort us in it He doth not say for the time past which hath comforted us or which can comfort us if it please him no he doth it it is his use he doth it alway it springs from his love he never at any instant or moment of time forgets his Children and he saith not he doth comfort us in one or two or a few tribulations but he comforteth us in al tribulations of what kind or degree soever It may be Objected to cleare the sence a little he doth not alway comfort for then there could be no time of discomfort I Answer He doth alway comfort in some degree for take a Christian at the lowest yet he hath so much comfort as to keep him from sinking when he is at the depth of miserie there is a depth of mercy lower then he Out of the deep have I cryed unto thee Lord and this is a comfort that he hath in the middest of discomforts that he hath a spirit of prayer and if not a spirit of prayer yet a spirit of sighing and groaning to God and God hears the sighs and groans of his own spirit in his children When they cannot distinctly pray there is a spirit to look up to God Though thou kill me yet will I trust in thee saith Job in the middest of his miseries So though God more notoriously to the view of the world sometime doth comfort before we come to trouble that we may beare it the better and sometime he doth comfort more apparently after we come out yet notwithstanding in the middest of discomforts he doth alway comfort so farre as that we sink not into despaire there is somewhat to uphold the soule For when Solomon saith A wounded spirit who can beare that is none can beare it it is the greatest griefe then I would know what keeps a wounded spirit from sinking that it doth not despaire is it not a spirit stronger then the wounded spirit Is it not God that is greater then the wounded conscience Yes then there is comfort greater then the discomfort of a wounded conscience that keeps it from despaire those that finally despaire they are none of Gods So that take the words in what regard or in what sence you will yet thâ—…re is a sweet and comfortable sense of them and the Apostle might well say he is the God of all comfort that doth comfort us in all tribulation It is here a ground supposed that Gods Children are subject to tribulation We are subject here to tribulation of all kinds for God comforts us in all our tribulations we are here in a state therefore needing comfort because we are in tribulation And the second is that God doth answer our state God doth comfort his Children in all tribulation And the ground is from himself he is the God of comfort he doth but like himselfe when he doth it the God of comfort shews that he is so by comforting us in all tribulations First It is supposed that In this world we are in tribulations Indeed that I need not be long in we must at one time or other be in tribulation some or other For though in regard of outward afflictions we are free from them sometimes we have a few holy-dayes as we say yet notwithstanding there is in the greatest inlargements of Gods Children in this world somewhat that troubles their minds for either there is some desertion God withholds comfort from them in some measure he shews himself a stranger which humbles them much or else they have strong temptations of Sathan to sin by prosperity c. which grieves them as much as the outward cross or else their grievance is that they cannot serve God with that chearefulness of spirit Is there nothing who ever thou art that troubles thee as much as the cross in the day of affliction certainly there is somewhat or other that troubleth the soule of a Christian he is never out of one grievance or other The life of a Christian is as a web that is woven of good and ill he hath good daies and ill dayes he hath tribulations and comforts As St. Austin sayth very well between these two tribulation on our part and comfort on Gods part our life runs between these two our crosses and God comforts they are both mingled together There is no child of God but knowes what these things mean troubles either from friends or enemies or both domesticall or personal in bodie or mind one way or other That is supposed and it were not an unproper argument to the text for when he saith in all tribulations it is laid as a ground that every man suffers tribulation one way or other but I shall have fitter occasion after to enlarge this Again we see here that God comforts his Children in all tribulation And his comforts are answerable to their discomforts and beyond them they are stronger to master all opposites whatsoever and all grievances there could be no comfort else Alas what are all discomforts when God sets himself to comfort when he will be a God of comfort one look one glance of his fatherly countenance in Jesus Christ will banish all terrours whatsoever and make even a very dungeon to be a paradise he comforteth us in all tribulat on And this he doth as you may perceive by the unfolding of the words either by some outward thing applied to the outward want or crosse or by some inward reasons that are opposite to the inward maladie or by an inward presence His comforts are appliable to the tribulation and to the strength and length and variety of it We may know it by his course in this life what miserie are we subject to in this life but we have comfort fit for it so good is God We may reason thus very well if so be that in our pilgrimage here in this life of ours which is but the gallery as it were to heaven if in this short life which is but a way or passage we have both day and night so many comforts In the very night if we look up to heaven we see what glorious things there are towards the earth here on this fide the heaven the stars of the light c. And if so be upon the earth there be such comforts especially in the spring and summer time if the very earth the basest dreggs of the World yield such comfort and delights to all the senses then a man may reason very strongly what comforts shall we have at home If God by the creatures thus comfort us in our outward wants what are the inward comforts of his spirit here
to his Children and what are the last comforts of all the comforts reserved at home when God shall be all in all Now there are some drops of comfort conveyed in smells some in garments some in friends some in diet here a drop and there a drop but when we shall have immediate communion there with the God of comfort himself what comforts shall we have there God comforts us here by providing for us and giving us things that are comfortable Or by giving reasons and grounds of comfort which are stronger then the reasons and grounds of discomfort reasons from the priviledges and prerogative of Christians c. the scripture is full of them But likewise which is the best of all and most intended the inward inspiring of comfort with the reasons and grounds he inwardly conveyes comforts to the soul and strengtheneth and supports the soul. And he doth this not onely by the application of the reasons and the things that we understand to the soul but by opening the soul to embrace them for sometime the soul may be in such a case as it may reject comfort that the consolation of the Almightie may seem light to it sometime there may be such a disposition of soule that the chiefest comforts in scripture yield it not comfort they are not embraced the soul is shut to them God provides reasons and grounds of comfort and likewise he applies these comforts by his spirit to the soul and he inwardly warmes and opens the soul to embrace comfort he opens the understanding to understand and the will and affections to embrace or else there will be no comfort Many are like Rachel her Children were gone and it is said of her Shee would not be Comforted God is the God of Comfort as he gives the matter and ground of comfort and reasons out of his holy word above all dsscomforts so by his spirit he frames and fits the heart to entertain these to take the benefit of them He comforts us in all tribulation To comfort is to support the soule against the grievance past or felt or feared There may be some remainders of grief for what is past grief present presseth most and grief feared Now God comforteth whatsoever the grievance is by supporting the soul against it as I said before We are in tribulation in this life and yet in all tribulations God doth comfort us to add to that I said before of this point let us therefore go to God in all the meanes of comfort because he is the God of it and he must comfort us Therefore when we send for divines or read Holy books for we must use all meanes we must not set God against his meanes but joyn them together to add that caution by the way We may not therefore necessitate the God of comfort that because he comforts us therefore we will neglect reading and prayer and conference with them that God hath exercised in the schoole of Christ who should speak comfort to the wearie soul by their office No No God and his meanes must be joyned together we must trust God but not tempt him to set God against his meanes is to tempt him that because he is the God of comfort therefore we will use no meanes no Physitian for the body or for the soul this is absurd he is the God of comfort in the means he comforts us in all tribulation by meanes if they be to be had If there be no meanes to be had he is the God of comfort he can create them and if it be so far that there be no meanes but the contrary he is a God that can comfort out of discomfort and can as I said make the greatest grounds of comfort out of the greatest discomforts But he is a God of the meanes if they be to be had if there be none then let us go to him and say thou God of comfort if thou do not comfort none can comfort if thou help not none can help and then he will help and help strongly It is necessary to looke to God what ever the meanes be it is he that comforts by them Therefore let him have the praise if we have any friend any comfort of the outward man or any solace of the inward man by seasonable speech c. blessed be the God of comfort who hath sent this comforter who hath sent me comfort by such and such let him have the praise whatsoever the means be the comfort is his And that is the cause that many have no more comfort they trust to the means overmuch or neglect the means Again if God comfort in all tribulation Let Christians be ashamed to be overmuch disconsolate that have the God of comfort for their God who comforteth in all tribulation Why art thou so cast down Is there no Balme in Gilead for thee Is there not a God in Israel It is the fault of Christians they pore too much on their troubles they look all one way they look to the grievance and not to the comfort There is a God of comfort that answers his name every way in the exercise of that attribute to his Church therefore Christians must blame themselves if they be too much cast down and labour for faith to draw near to this God of comfort It should make them ashamed of themselves that think it even a duty as it were to walk drooping and disconsolatly and deadly to have flat and dead spirits What is this beseeming a Christian that is in Covenant with God that is the God of comfort and that answers his title in dealing with his Children that is ready to comfort them in all tribulation what if particular comforts be taken from thee is there not a God of comfort left he hath not taken away himself What if thou be restrained and shut up from other comforts can any shut up Gods Spirit can any shut up God and our prayers Is not this a comfort that we may go to God alway and he is with us in all estates and in all wants whatsoever So long as we are in covenant with the God of comfort why should we be over much cast down Why art thou so troubled oh my soul David cheeks his soul thrice together for distrust in God he is thy God the God of all comfort What course shall we take that we may derive to our selves comfort from this God of comfort who comforteth us in all our tribulations Let us consider what our malady and grievance is especially let us look to our spiritual grievance and malady sin for sin is the cause of all other evils therefore it is the worst evil And sin makes us loathed of God the fountain of good it drives us from him when other evils drive us to from him and therefore it is the worst evil in that sense too Again in the third place look to the discomforts of sin especially in the discomforts of
would never have us in a state of despair For other grievances besides sin the comforts that we are to apply are more easie and they are infinite if we could reckon the particular comforts that God comforts his Children withall It is good to have generall comforts readie for all kind of maladies and grievances and this poor wretched life of ours in our absence from God is subject to As for instance that general comfort the Covenant of grace that is a spring of comfort that God is our God and Father in Christ what can come from a gracious and good God in covenant with us but that which is good nothing but what is favourably good I mean For the covenant is everlasting when God takes once upon him to be our Father in Covenant he is so for ever Dum castigas pater c. While he corrects he is a father and when he smiles upon us he is a father God in the covenant of Grace takes upon him a relation that ever holds as he is for ever the Father of Christ so he is for ever the Father of those that are members of Christ and whatsover comes from the Father of mercy whether he correct or smile whatsoever he doth is in mercy Again in the middest of any grievance remember the gracious promise of mitigation 1 Cor. 10. 13. God will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength but he will give an issue to the temptation he will give a mitigation and either he will raise our strength to the temptation or he will bring the temptation and trial to our strength he will fit them and this is a comfort There is comfort likewise in all troubles whatsoever of the presence of God God will be present with us if once we be in Covenant with him he will be present in all trials to assist us to strengthen us to comfort us to raise our spirits And if God be present he will banish all discomforts for God is light and where light is darknesse vanisheth Now God being the Father of light that is of all comfort where he is present he banisheth discomfort in what measure he is pleased to banish it Therefore David often reasoneth from the presence of God to the defiance of all troubles Psal. 3. If God be with me I will not fear ten Thousand that are against me And in Psal. 23. Though I walk in the valley of the shaddow of death I will not fear for thou art with me And if God be with us who can be against us Rom. 8. And when thou passest through the fire I will be with thee c. I will be with thee not to keep thee out but to uphold thee As he did the Mariyrs there was a fire of comfort in them above that fire that consumed their bodies and as we see he was with the Three Children there was a fourth like the Son of God So in all tribulations there is another with us that is the Spirit of God that comforts us in all and is present with us in all The Goldsmith when he puts the wedge into the fire he stands by till the drosse be consumed so God is with his Children in the furnace of affliction he brings them into affliction he continues with them in affliction and he brings them at last out of affliction The presence of God is a main and a Grand comfort in all tribulation Besides in all that befalls us whatsoever consider the end all is for a good end All things work together for the best to them that love God saith St. Paul Why do we endure Physick because we know the Physitian is wise and he is our friend and he doth it to carry away burdensome hurtful humours we shall be better and lighter afterwards do we do this in our common course in the things of this life Grace will much more certainly teach us to do it to reason it is from a father and it is for my good Let us look whence it comes and what it tends to with the promise of mitigation and of Gods presence in our troubles these are main comforts if we could think of them if the Divel did not take them out of our memorie And for the first ground of comfort that God doth comfort us withall in all tribulations it is the promise of finall deliverance and finall comfort for ever if none will raise our souls that will when we shall consider that it will not be long The short afflctions in this world bring an eternal weight of glory there will be a finall deliverance Life it self that is the subject that receives affliction that is short our life is but a moment therefore our afflictions must be short Life is longer then discomforts there is but a peece of our life subject to miseries and if that be but a vapour but a moment and as a point between eternity before and eternity after what are the miseries of this life certainly they are but for a moment Therefore the promise of final deliverance when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes this should comfort us if nothing else would This is the way therefore whereby God usually comforts by suggesting the heads and springs of comfort And indeed there is a daily method of comforting whereby we may comfort our selves in all crosses if we would use that daily method and order of comfort As there is a kind of diet to keep the bodie in temper so there is a kind of spirituall diet to keep the soul in temper in a course of comfort unlesse it be when God takes liberty to cast down for some special end as we see in Job Therefore let us take this course for God as he comforteth us so he comforts us as understanding creatures he useth our understanding to consider how we should comfort our selves and after we are once in a state of comfort if we be not wanting to our selves there is no great difficultie to keep our comfort there are meanes to keep daily comfort God hath provided them and he will be present to make good all his comforts Grant it therefore that we are in the covenant of Grace that God is our Father in Christ and we take him to be our God to be all sufficient then to keep our selves in a daily temper for comfort every day keep our souls tender that we may be capable of comfort keep the wound open that we may receive balme that there grow not a deadnesse upon the heart considering that while we live here there is alway some sin in us that must be wrought out by some course or other let us trie and search our souls what ill is in the wound let us keep it open and tender that there may be a fitnesse for mercy to receive the balme of comfort which will not be if we slubber over Certainly it is an excellent course every day to search our
friends seeing he died for us when we were enemies I but the remainders of corruption in this world trouble us that troubles our comfort the combate between the flesh and the spirit would you see comfort for that you shall see it in Romans 7. Oh miserable man who shall deliver me from this body of death Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So he shewes there what way to have comfort in the combate between the flesh and the Spirit to search into our corruptions to lay them open to God by confession And then in the beginning of the eight Chapter saith he there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus though there be sin yet there is no condemnation though there be this conflict between the flesh and the spirit so he comforts them And for the afflictions that follow our corruptions in this life there is a treasure of comfort against them in that Chapter for doth he not say if we suffer with him we shall reign with him And the same spirit helps our infirmities and teacheth us how to pray We can never be uncomfortable if we can pray but there is a promise of the spirit that stirs up sighs and groanes that cannot be expressed and a Christian hath alway a spirit of prayer at the least of sighs and groanes and God hears the sighs of his own spirit And what a grand comfort is that that I named before vers 28. All things work for the best to them that love God And if God be with us who can be against us And he sends us to Christ if Christ be dead or rather risen again who shall lay any thing to our charge Christ is ascended to heaven and makes intercession at the right hand of God Though Satan lay our sins to our charge Christ makes intercession in heaven at the right hand of God he makes continuall intercession for our continuall breaches with God who shall lay any thing to our charge I but all that power of hell and sin and all labour to separate us from God to breed division between God and us In the later end of that Chapter he bids defiance to all what shall separate us from the love of God in Christ it shall separate his love from Christ first Gods love is found in Christ he shall cease to love Christ if he cease to love us I but we may afterward fall into an uncomfortable case For that he saith neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate us What an excellent spring of comfort is there in that reasoning vers 32. If God spared not his own son but gave him to death for us all how shall he not with him give us all things eâ—…lse How many streames may be drawn from that spring if God spared not his own son but gave him to death for us all how shall he not with him give us all things else in this world necessar grace provision protection till he have brought us to heaven If he have given Christ he will give all whatsoever is written is written for our comfort I mean this epistle because I would name one instance for all All is written for our comfort as he saith after in the same Epistle The written word or the word unfolded the end of preaching is especially to comfort The Chirurgeon opens a wound and the Physitian gives a purge but all is to restore at the last all that the Chirurgeon aimes at is to close up the wound at the last so all our aime is to comfort We must cast you down and shew you your miserie that you are in and shew you that if you continue in that course hell and damnation belongs to you but this is to make you despaire in your selves and to flie to the God of comfort the law is for the Gospel all serve to bring the soul to comfort Therefore go to the word of God any portion the Psalmes or any special part of the scripture and that by the spirit of God will be a meanes to raise the soul the spirit in the word joyning with the spirit in us will make a sweet close together and comfort us in all tribulation And have recourse daily to common principles all the principles of religion serve for comfort especially the Articles of the Creed I believe in God the father Almightie What a spring of comfort is in that what can befall from a father but it shall turn to good and by a father Almightie though he be never so strongly opposed yet he will turn it to good he is a father Almightie and the Articles of Christ every article hath ground of daily comfort of his abasement in Christ I see my self he is my surety the second Adam I see my sins crucified with him This is the way to reape comfort when the conscience is disquieted when I look upon my sins not in my own conscience but take it out there and see it in Christ dying and crucified in the Articles of abasement to see our sin and miserie all in Christ. For he stood there as surety as a publick person for all What a comfort is this When I see how Christ was abased I see my own comfort for he was my surety if my sins being laid on him who was my surety could not condemne him or keep him in the grave but overcame sin that was laid to his charge surely I shall overcome my corruptions nothing that I have shall overcome mee because it could not overcome Christ my surety his victorie is mine And so if the soul be in any desolation and discomfort all the articles of his Glorification and exaltation his rising again acquits the soul therefore my sins are satisfied for because my surety is out of prison And his ascending into heaven shewes my triumph he lead captivity captive and the enemies that are left are for the tryal of my faith and not to conquer me for Christ hath Lead captivity captive and is ascended into heaven he led all in triumph and sits at the right hand of God to rule his Church to the end of the World he sits for me to overcome my enemies as St. Paul saith excellently Rom. 8. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people it is Christ that died or rather that is risen again who fits at the right hand of God And if we be troubled for the loss of a particular friend there is comfort in that article of the communion of Saints There are those that have more grace and that is for me If my own prayers be weak I believe the communion of Saints and have the benefit of their prayers every one that saith Our Father brings me in if I be in the Covenant of grace and of the Communion of Saints If I have weaknesses in my self I believe in the holy Ghost the comforter of Gods elect and my comforter If I fear death I believe the
resurrection of the body If I fear the day of judgment I believe that Christ shall be my judge he shall come to judge the quick and the dead In all the miseries of this life considering that they are but short I believe the life everlasting So that indeed if we would dig to our selves springs of comfort let us go to the Articles of our Faith and see how there are streams of comfort from every one answerable to all our particular exigences and necessities whatsoever And to close up this point remember whatsoever means we use what prerogative soever we think of whatsoever we do remember we go to the God of comfort and desire him to blesse his Word in the ministery and desire him to work in the Communion of Saints with his Spirit to warm our hearts alway remember to carry him along in all that we may have comfort from the God of Comfort who comforteth in all tribulations Next words are That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble These words shew the end why God doth comfort us in all tribulation One main end is that we should be comforted in our selves that is the first And then that we being comforted our selves from that ability should be able to derive comfort to others we are comforted in all tribulations that we should be able to comfort them that are in any tribulation It is not St. Pauls case only and great men in Religion Ministers and the like it is not their lot and portion alone to be persecuted and troubled but We are all in this life subject to disquiets and discomforts Every one whosoever will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Therefore the Apostle saith not onely our tribulation but that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble Trouble is the portion of all Gods Children one with another I do but touch that by the way But that which I shall more stand upon it is the end one main end why God comforteth especially Ministers it is that they should be able to comfort others with the comforts that God hath comforted them withall That we may be able c. Now you must conceive that this ability it is not ability alone without will and practise as if he meant God hath given me comfort that I might be able to comfort others if I will that is not Gods end only that we may be able but that we may exercise our ability that it may be ability in exercise As God doth not give a rich man riches to that end that he may be able to relieve others if he will No but if thou be a Child of God he gives thee ability and will too he gives an inward strength So the meaning here is not that we may be able to comfort others if we will but that we may be both able and willing to comfort others And to comfort others not only by our example that because we have been comforted of God so they shall be comforted it is good but it is not the full extent of the Apostles meaning for then the dead examples should comfort as well as the living And indeed that is one way of comfort to consider the examples of former times but the Apostles meaning is that I should comfort them not only by my example of Gods dealing with me that they should look for the like comfort that is but one degree His meaning is further therefore that we should be able to comfort them by Sympathizing with them as indeed it is a sweet comfort to those that are in distresse when others compassionate their estate And not only so by our example and sympathy with them but likewise that we may be able to comfort them by the inward support and strength and light that we have found by the Spirit of God in our selves that is that that will enable us to comfort others from that very support and inward strength that we have found from God by those graces and that particuliar strength and comfort that we have had When there is a sweet expressing of our inward comfort to them shewing something in our comfort that may raise them up in the like troubles that we were in then the comfort will not be a dead comfort when it comes from a man experienced Personated comfort when a man takes upon him to comfort that only speaks comfort but feels not what he speaks there is little life in it we are comforted that we may comfort others with feeling having been comforted our selves before with feeling and comfortable apprehensions in our selves The point considerable in the first place to make way to the rest is this that Gods Children they have all of them interest in diuine comforts St. Paul was comforted that he might comfort others Divine comforts belong to all they are the portion of all Gods people the meanest have interest as well the greatest There is the same spiritual Physick for the poorest subject and the greatest Monarch there is the same spiritual comfort for the meanest and for the greatest Christian in the World St. Paul hath the same comfort as St. Pauls children in the Faith VVhat is the reason that they are communicable thus to all that they lie open to all God is the God and Father of all light and comfort Christ is the Saviour of all all the priviledges of Religion belong to all equally all are Sons and Heirs and all are alike Redeemed the Brother of low degree and the Brother of hâ—…gh degree they may differ in the references and relations of this life but in Christ all are alike Besides it is the nature of spiritual priviledges and blessings they are communicable to all alike without impairing the more one hath the lesse another hath not all have an equal share every one hath interest intire every one hath all without losse or hinderance to others As for instance the Sun every particular man hath all the good the Sun can do as well as all the World hath it is peculiarly and intirely every mans own every man in soliduâ—…m hath the use of it the Sun is not one mans more then another As a publick fountain or Conduit every man hath as much right in it as another So in Religion the graces and priviledges and favours they lie open as the prerogatives and priviledges of all Gods children and that is the excellency of them In the things of this life it is not so they are not common to all alike there is a losse in the division the more one hath the lesse another hath and that is the reason why the things of this life breed a disposition of pride and envy one envies another because he wants that that another hath and one despiseth another because he hath more then another hath but in the comforts of Gods Spirit and the prerogatives that are the ground of those comforts
all have interest alike Only the difference is in the vessels they bring if one man bring a large vessel a large faith he caries more and another that brings a less faith caries lesse but it lies open to all alike As St. Cyprian saith we carry as much from God as we bring vessels but all have Interest alike in divine comforts Therefore among Christians there is little envy because in the best things which they value best all may have alike and that which one desires another may have as much as he he knowes he hath never the lesse The point is comfortable to all even to the meanest and to them especially that howsoever there be a difference between others and them in outward things that cease in death for all differences shall cease ere long between us and others yet the best things are common In this life those things that are necessary they are common as the Light and the Elements Fire and Water c. and those are necessarie that are not common but especially in spiritual things the best things are common Let no man be discomforted if he be Gods Child comfort belongs to him as well as to the greatest Apostle The chiefest comforts belong to him as well as to the chiefest Christian. Therefore let us envy none nor despise none in this respect In the next place we may observe here hence that Though these comforts be common yet God derives these comforts commonly by the means of men This is Gods order in deriving these comforts to the soul he comforts one that another may be comforted Not that the comforts themselves that joyn with our spirits come from men but that together with the speech and presence of men whom we love and respect and in whom we discern the appearance of the Spirit of God to dwell together with the speech of persons in whom the spirit is strong and powerful the Spirit of God joyns and the Spirit raiseth the soul with comfort so the Spirit comforteth by comforting others that they may comfort us This is not only true of Ministers but it is true of Christians as Christians for St. Paul must be considered in something as an Apostle in something as a Christian in something as a Minister of Christ. As an Apostle he had the care of all the Churches c. As a Christian he comforted and exhorted others one Christian ought to comfort another therefore he would have done it as a Christian if he had not been an Apostle And in something he is to be considered as a Minister of Christ as a Teacher and Ambassador of Christ a teacher of the Gospel He was somewhat as an Apostle somewhat as a Minister somewhat as a Christian. Therefore it concerns us all to consider how to comfort one another as Christians We are all members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head therefore whatsoever comfort we feel we ought to communicate The Celestial bodies will teach us this whatsoever light or influence the Moon and the Stars receive they bestow it on these inferiour bodies they have their light from the Sun and they reflect it again upon the creatures below In the Fabrick of mans body those official parts as we call them those parts and members of the body the Heart and the Liver which are both members and official parts that do office and service to others parts they convey and derive the spirits and the blood to all other parts they receive strength partly for themselves first and then to convey it to other members The Liver is fed it self with some part of the blood and it conveyes the rest to the veins and so to the whole bodie The heart is nourished it self of the purest nourishment the spirits are increased and those spirits are spread through the Arteries The stomach feeds it self with the meat it digests and with the strength it hath being an official part it serves other parts and strengtheneth other parts and if there be a decay in it there is a decay in all the parts of the body So a Christian ought to strengthen himself and then strengthen others no man is for himself alone And although whatsoever the means be the comfort comes from God yet he will have comfort to be conveyed to us by men this way Partly to try our obedience whether we will respect his Ordinance he will have us go to men like our selves Now if we will have comfort we must look to his Ordinance we must have it of others and not altogether from our selves And that is the reason why many go all their life time with heavy drooping spirits out of pride and neglect they scorn to seek it of others they smother their grief and bleed inwardly because they will not lay open the state of their souls to others Although God be the God of comfort he hath ordained this order that he will comfort us by them that he hath appointed to comfort us he comforteth others that they may comfort us Though God be the God of comfort yet he conveyes it for the most part by the means of others I say for the most part for he ties not himself to means though he tie us to means when we have means Occasion may be when a man is shut from all earthly comforts as in contagious diseases and restraint c. A man may be shut from all entercourse of Worldly comforts but even then a Christian is never in such an estate but he hath one comfort or other then God comforts immediately and then he comforts more sweetly and strongly then the soul cleaves to him close and saith now thou must comfort or none now the honour is all thine Now the nearer the the soul is to the fountain of comfort the more it is comforted but the soul is never so near to God as in extremitie of affliction when all means fail then the soul goes to the fountain of comfort and gives all the glory to him But I say when there is means God hath appointed to derive his comfort by means when we may have the benefit of the Communion of Saints of the word c. God will not comfort us immediatly in the neglect of the means he comforteth us that we might comfort others And as he doth it to try our obedience So partly to knit us in love one to another For is not this a great bond to knit us one to another when we consider that our good is hid in another the good that is derived to us it is hid in others And this makes us to esteem highly of others how sweet are the looks and sight of a friend and more sweet the words of a friend especially of an experienced friend that hath been in the Furnace himself Thus God to knit us one to another in loveâ—… hath ordained that the comfort that he conveyes it should be conveyed by the means of others
others as we should let us labour to get experience of comfort in our selves God comforteth us that we might be able to comfort others He will easily kindle others that is all on fire himself and that is comforted himself he can easily comfort others with that comfort he feels himself those that have experience can do it best As we see in Physitians if there be two Physitians whereof the one hath been sick of the disease that he is to cure in another the other parhaps is more excellent then he otherwise but he hath never been sick of it the patient will sooner trust himself with the experienced Physitian then with the other for undoubtedly he is better seen in that then the other though perhaps the other may be a greater booked Physitian then he As it is with the Physitians of the body so it is with the Physitian of the soul the experienced Physitian is the best What is the reason that old men and wise men are the mercifullest of all because they have had experience of many crosses and miseries a wise man knows what crosses are he understands them best The way then to comfort others is to get experience of divine comforts our selves And that we may get experience of Gods comforts let us mark what was said before of the rules of comfort and work upon our own hearts whatsoever may be comfortable to others That we may not be empty Truncks to speak words without feeling He that is well may speak very good things to a sick man but the sick man sees that he speaks without pitty and compassion those that have been sick of the same disease when they come to comfort they do it with a great deal of meeknesse and mildnesse Those that are fit to comfort others must be spiritual themselves first As the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 1. saith the wise and holy Apostle if any man be overtaken as alas we are all overtaken with some corruption or other ye that are spiritual restore such a one set him in joynt as the word is with the spirit of meeknesse knowing that thou thy self maist â—…e tempted The Spirit of God is a Spirit of comfort the more we have of the Spirit the fitter we are to comfort others We see many men will speak very good things but they do but personate sorrow and personate comfort it comes from them without feeling as he saith if thou didst believe these things that thou speakest wouldest thou ever say them so He that speakes good things without experience he speaks as if he did never believe them Those that speak things with experience that have wrought them upon their hearts and spirits there is such a demonstration in the manner of their speaking of a spirit of love and meeknesse and compassion that it prevailes marvailously It is so true that our Saviour Christ himself that he might have the more tender bowels of compassion towards us he made it one end of his Incarnation as it is pressed again and again in Heb. 2. and Heb. 4. the Apostle dwels upon it It became him to be man to take upon him our infirmities that he might be a merciful Redeemer a merciful high Priest It was one end of his Incarnation that he might not only save us but that he might be a merciful Redeemer that he might have experience of our infirmities of persecution he was persecuted himself of want he wanted himself of temptation he was tempted himself of wrath he felt it himself my God my God why hast thou forsaken me Here is the comfort of a Christian soul that Christ hath begun to him in all therefore it became him to be mam not only to Redeem us but to be a merciful high priest a comfortable high Priest The way then you see how to comfort others is to get our own hearts sensible of spiritual comfort Two Irons if they be both hot do close together presently but unlesse both be hot they do not joyn together handsomly so that that makes us joyn together strongly is if two spirits meet and both be warm if one godly men comfort another godly man if one holy man labour to breed an impression of heat in another there is a knitting of both spirits they joyn strongly together Therefore we ought to labour to get experience that we may comfort others seeing none can comfort so well as experimental Christians Why is experience such an enabling to spiritual comfort I answer because it brings the comfort home to our own soules The Divell knowes comfort well enough but he feeles none Experience helps faith it helps all other knowledge Our Saviour Christ is said to learn by experience for he learned obedience in that he suffered Experience is such a meanes of the increasing of knowledge as that it bettered the knowledge of Christ that had all knowledge in him he had knowledge by looking upon God being the Wisedom of God yet he learned somewhat by the experience he bettered himself by experience he knew what to bear the cross was by experience he knew what infirmities were by experience he knew what he could suffer by experience so it added to his knowledge as man And so the Angels themselves are continual students in the mysteries of the Gospel they get experimental knowledge to the knowledge that they have inbred that knowledge that they have by the presence of God to that they add experimental knowledge So then if it bettered the knowledge of our blessed Saviour and increased it it was a new way increased by experience and it adds to the knowledge of the Angels much more to ours Then again it gains a great confidence in the speaker for what we speak with experience we speak with a great deal of boldnesse Again experimental comforts those that we have felt our selves and have felt likewise the grievance we speak them with such expressions as no other can do in the apprehension of the partie whom we comfort so well as an experienced person for he goes about the works tenderly and gently and lovingly because he hath been in the same himself And that is the reason that the Apostle St. Paul in the place I named before Gal. 6. 1. presseth this duty upon spiritual men especially because themselves have been tempted and may be tempted those that have been tempted and think they may be afterward this doth wondrously fit them for this work of comforting others But to add a little in this point to shew how to comfort others by our own experience and skill I spake before of an Art of comforting our selves there is a skill likewise in comforting others Even as we comfor our selves in that method we must comfort others When we comfort our selves we must first consider our need of comfort search our wounds our maladies have them fresh in our sight that so we may be forced to seek for comfort and as we ought
to do this daily so when we are to comfort others we ought not onely to comfort them but to search them as much as we can what sin is in them and what miserie is upon them and acquaint them with their own estate that they are in as far as we can discerne we may judge of them partly by our selves For we must not prostitute comforts to persons that are indisposed till we see them fitted God doth comfort but it is the abject Christ heales but is the wounded spirit he came to seek but it is to those that are lost he came to ease but it is those that are heavy laden Therefore that we may comfort them to purpose we ought to shew and discover to them what estate they are in that we may force them to comfort if they be not enemies to comfort and to their own souls He is an unwise Physitian that administers cordials before he gives preparatives to carry away the noysome humours they will do little good we ought therefore to prepare them this way if we intend to do them good And then when we see what need they stand in bring them to Christ and the Covenant of Grace that is the best way to comfort them to bring them to see that God is their father when we discern some signs of grace in them For this is the maine stop in all comfort that there is none but they shall find by experience they are ready to say you teach wondrous comforts that there is an inheritance in heaven that God hath provided and on earth there is an issue of all for good and there is a presence of God in troubles this is true but how shall I know this belongs to me This is the cavil of flesh and blood that turnes the back to the most heavenly comforts that are The main and principal thing therefore in dealing with others and with our own hearts is to let them see that there are some signs and evidencies that they are in the covenant of grace that they belong to God Unlesse we see that all the comfort we can give them is to tell them that they are not yet sunk into hell and that they have space to repent But as long as men live in sinful courses that they are not in the state of Grace we can tell them no comfort except they will devise a new Scripture a new Bible if they do so they may have comfort but this word of God and God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin and will do so we should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of Grace And ofttimes those are indeed most intitled to comfort that think it furthest from them therefore we should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace that God looks to truth therefore if we discern any true broken humble spirit a hungring and a thirsting after righteousnesse and a desire of comfort Blessed are those that hunger and thirst it belongs to them we may comfort them If we see spiritual poverty that they see their wants and would be supplied blessed are the poore in spirit be of good comfort Christ calls such If they see and feel the burden of their sins we may comfort them Christ calls them Come unto me yee that are weary and heavy laden If we descern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions if we discover and descern this in their practise and obedience God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him And he accepts the will for the deed There is a desire of happinesse in nature that comforts not a man it is no sign of grace to desire to be free from hell and to be in heaven it is a naturall desire every creature wishes well to heaven but if there be a desire of the meanes that tend to heaven a desire of Grace these are evidences of grace these are the pulses that we may find grace by when they see their infirmities and groane under them and would be better and complain that they are not better and are out of love with their own hearts there is a combat in their hearts they are not friends with themselves When we see this inward conflict and a desire to better and to get victories against their corruptions though there be many corruptions and weaknesses a man may safely say they are in the state of Grace they are on the mending hand For Christ will not break the brused reed nor quench the smoaking flax And where he hath begun a good work he will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He will cherish these weak beginnings therefore we may comfort them on good ground Then besides that in our dealing with them when we have discovered by some evidence that they belong to the covenant that we see by some love to good things and to Gods Image in his Children and by other evidences then we may comfort them boldly and then to fetch from our own experience what a comfort will it be to such When we can say my estate was as yours is I found those corruptions that you groane under I allowed not my self in them as you do not when a man can say from his own experience that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of Gods spirit that I am his then he can comfort others by his own experience And what a comfort is it to go to the experiments of scripture it is an excellent way As now let a man be deserted of God David will comfort him by his experience Psal. 77. Where he saith he found God as his enemie and as Job saith the terrors of God drank up his spirit be of good comfort David would come and comfort thee if he were alive If the terror of God be against thee for sin that thy conscience is awakned be of good comfort Christ if he were on earth would shew thee by his own example that he indured that desertion on the Cross. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me If thou be molested and vexed with Satan Job will comfort thee by his example his book is most of it combating and comfort and so for all other grievances go to the scriptures whatsoever is written is written for our learning Pray to God and he will heare thee as he did Elias Oh but Elias was an excellent man The scripture prevents the objection Jam. 5. he was a man subject to infirmities if God heard him he will hear thee Believe in Christ as Abraham did the Father of the faithful in the promised Messias and he will forgive thee all thy sins Oh but he had a strong faith What hath the scripture to take away this objection In Rom. 5. This was not written for Abraham onely but for those that believe with the faith of Abraham I but I am a wretched sinner there
is little hope of me Yes St. Paul will come and comfort thee by his example and experience this is a faithful saying that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners of whom I am chief I he came to save such sinners as St Paul was I saith St. Paul and that I might be an example to all that shall believe in Christ to the end of the world he takes away that objection And the Apostle is so heavenly wise that where he speakes of priviledges he inlargeth it to others There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus And what shall separate us from the love of God But when he speaks of matter of abasement that we may see that he was in regard of his corruptions as much humbled as we then he speaks in his own person Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Therefore his comforts belong to thee Now as these examples in scripture and the experiences of Gods Children there be appliable to us so much more the experience of Gods Children that are alive Therefore we should be willing to do offices of comfort in this kind Those that are of abilitie either men or women they will have in their houses somewhat to comfort others they will have strong waters and cordials and medicines and they account it a glorie to have somewhat that their neighbours may be beholding to them for and though they bestow it freely yet they think and account it a sufficient recompence that they can be beneficial to others People do this for things of this life and think they deserve a great deal of respect for their goodnesse in this kind surely if we consider there is a life that needs comfort more then this faing life and there are miseries that pinch us more then the miseries of the bodie Every one should labour to have in the house of his soule somewhat some strong waters of comfort that he may be able to tell others this refreshed my soul this hath done me good I give you no worse then I took my self first this wondrously commends the comfort in the party that gives it and it commends it to the party that receives it to take benefit by the comforts of other men For is it not a strengthening to our case when another shall say to our comfort it was my case Is it not sealed by the evidence of two surely it is a great assurance when we have another to tell us his experience Again if this be Gods order that he will convey comfort to us by others then we ought to depend upon Gods Ordinance we ought to expect comfort one from another especially from the ministers who are messengers of comfort I speak it the rather because in what degree we neglect any one meanes that God hath ordained to comfort us though he be the God of comfort yet in that measure we are sure to want comfort and this is one principal ordinance the ministerie and the communion of Saints Some there be that will neglect the meanes of salvation they have dead spirits and live and die so for the most part they have much ado to recover comfort Those men that retire themselves that will work all out of the flint themselves they are commonly uncomfortable God hath ordained one to help another As in an Arch one stone strengtheneth another the ministery especially is ordained for comfort And likewise God hath ordained one Christian to comfort another as well as the ministers Let us therefore regard much the communion of Saints Let one Christian labour to comfort another and every one labour to be fit to receive comfort from others labour to have humble and willing spirits It is so true that God doth convey comfort even by common Christians as well as the ministers that St. Paul himself Rom. 1. 12. he desires to see the Romans that he might receive mutual comfort from them For a minister may have more knowledge and book-learning perhaps then another Christian that may have better experience then he especially in some things and there is not the meanest Christian but he may comfort the greatest Clerk in the world and help him by his experience that God hath shewed to him by declaring how God shewed him comfort at such a time and upon such an occasion The experience of Gods People the meanest of them may help the best Christians therefore he will have none to be neglected There is never a member of Christs body but hath some ability to comfort another for Christ hath no dead members God will have it so because he will have one Christian to honour another and to honour them from the knowledge of the use and necessity that one hath of another If God should not derive comfort from one to another in some degree and from the meanest to the greatest one would despise another but God will not have it so he will have the communion of Saints valued to the end of the world What will one Christian regard another what would weak Christians regard the strong and what would strong Christians regard the weak if there were not a continual supply one from another Therefore God hath ordained that by the ministery and by the communion of Saints we should comfort one another Let us not think that this doth not concern us it concerns us all therefore when we have any trouble in mind let us regard the communion of Saints let us regard acquaintance And let us know this that God will hold us in heavynesse till we have used all the meanes that he hath appointed if one help not perhaps another will perhaps the ministery will help perhaps acquaintance will help but if we find not comfort in one let us go over all And would you have more Christ himself did he not take two disciples into the garden with him when his spirit was heavy Did not he know that God had ordained one to comfort another Two are better then one if one be alone he shall be a cold but if there be two they heat one another if there be one alone there can hardly be true spiritual heat If two be together if one fall the other may raise him up but if one be alone and fall who shall raise him up It is meant spiritually as well as bodily and outwardly by Solomon We cannot have a better president then our blessed Saviour Solitarinesse in such times in Spiritual desertion it is the hour of temptation When did the divel set on Christ when he was alone it was the fittest time to tempt him when Christ was severed So the Divell sets on single persons when they are alone and tempts them and presseth them with variety of temptations Woe to him that is alone Christ sent his Disciples by two and two that one might comfort another and one might strengthen another Now though in particular it
belong to ministers in a more eminent sort yet let every one lay it to heart you ought to have abilities to comfort others and to receive comfort of others And consider it is an angelical work to comfort others we imitate God himself and the most Excellent creatures the Angels whose office it is to comfort Even our very Saviour they came to comfort him in his greatest extremity A man is a God to a man when he comforts when he discomforts and directs and withdrawes he is a divell to a man men are beasts to men Divels to men that way but he that is an instrument to convey comfort he is a God to a man God is the God of comfort Thou art in the place of God to a man when thou comfortest him thou shalt save thy self and others God honours men with his own title when they comfort not onely ministers but others save men thou shalt gain thy brother by thy admonition and reproof what greater honour can yee have then Gods own title to be saviours one of another It is the office I say of Angels they were sent to comfort Christ it is their duty to pitch their tents about Gods Children to suggest holy thoughts as the divel suggests evill and to be about us though we think not of it Nay it is not onely an angelical work but it is the work of Gods spirit the sweetest stile of the Holy Ghost is to be a Comforter What shall we think of cursed spirits that insult over others misery that give them gall to eat and vinegar to drink that add affliction to the afflicted What shall we say to barren spirits that have not a word of comfort to say but come in a prophane and dead manner I am sorry to see you thus and I hope you will be better barren soul as the wildernesse What a member of Christ of the communion of Saint and no way furnished no word of comfort to a distressed soul We may know the comfort we have our selves to be comfort indeed and from the grace and favour of God when we have hearts enlarged to do good to others with it How do gifts and grace differ to add that useful distinction And man may have a great many gifts and be proud and full of envy and have a divellish poysonful spirit to draw all to himself and not be good but be carried with self-love and die a divell notwithstanding his excellent parts Why here are such gifts and parts but there is a bitter roote of self-love to draw all to himself to deifie himself to make an Idol of himself but grace with gifts works otherwise that turnes all by a spirit of love and humility to the good of others There is no envy in a gracious heart so far forth as it is gracious there is no pride nor scorn to do good to others How shall we distinguish men of excellent parts whether they be Christians or not Christians They have both of them wit and memorie they have both courage I but whether of them improve their parts and abilities most to the good of others Whether of them hath the most humble spirit the most loving spirit the most discreete spirit to be wittie to do others to good upon all advantages there is the Christian that hath Gods Grace with his gifts But for the other Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostle what edifies and builds up Love edifieth knowledge gathers many materials stone and timber c. what builds the house the bodie of Christ It is a loving and humble spirit Therefore let us think that we have nothing in Christianity by any parts we have of memory or witt or reading c. unlesse we have a humble spirit that we can deny our selves and abase our selves to do good to others upon all the best advantages or else we have not the spirit of Christ that sweet spirit of Christ that denied himself to do good to us Where grace is established once and is in the right nature there is a publick mind and it is one of the best signs of a heart that is fashioned to the image of Christ who denied himself and became all in all to us to have a publick mind to have self-love killed to think I have nothing to purpose as I should have except I can make use of it to the good of others therefore let us be willing to do good in this kind And as I said let us make use of comfort from others think that they are reserved to the times and place where thou livest that thou mightest make use of them Therefore those that need comfort should not flatter themselves in their grief but humbly depend upon the meanes that God hath ordained And let every man think what if God have hid my comfort in another man what if he have given him the tongue of the learned to speak a word in season unto me Let no man think to master his trouble and grief by himself we are members of the body and the good that God will convey to us must be from and by others Therefore it is a mutual duty those that have comfort ought to comfort others and those that do need comfort ought to repiare to others it is the ordinance of God As Job saith for one of a thousand to shew a man his righteousnesse Though a man be never so wise yet sometimes he knowes not his owne comfort he knowes not that portion of comfort that belongs to him till some others discover it to him Physitians will have others to heale themselves to judge of their diseases and certainly one reason why persons that are excellent in themselves have passed their daies in darknesse it hath been this that they think to overmaster their heavinesse and distraction of spirit with their own reason c. which will not be God what he will do he will do by his own meanes and ordinance Let us therefore learn hence to see the goodnesse of God that besides the Ministery that he hath ordeyned and the salvation that he keeps for us and the promises that he hath given us and the Angels that attend us c. he doth even ordain others that are men and have bodies with our selves other fellow-Christians to be instruments to convey comfort he trains them up that they may be able to comfort and do good to us and he hides the good he intends to us in them and conveyes it to us by them it is a speciall goodnesse of God that every thing should tend to our good Thus all things are for us the sufferings of others tend to increase our comfort and the comfort of others is for our comfort There is such a sweet prudence in directing us to heaven that God makes every thing help not onely our own troubles that we suffer our selves but he doth sweetly turn the troubles of others and the comforts of others to our good It ministreth an
what is the ground of it They are many to name some First of all this is a ground that the more capable the soul is of comfort the more comfort it receives but great troubles bring a capacity and capablenesse of soul fitting it to receive comfort How is that Troubles do humble the soul and humility is a grace and the vessel of all grace and of comfort too a low and meek spirit is a deep spirit and the lower and deeper and the larger the spirit is the more capable it is to contain heavenly comfort We know the more empty a man is of himself the more fit he is for comfort but crosses and afflictions empty us of our selves to see that there is nothing in us that what we are we must be out of our selves and the lesse we are in our selves the more we are in God And that is the reason that St. Aust. saith that nothing is more strong then a humble emptie spirit because it makes the creature to go out of it self to him that is strength it self and comfort it self Now that which makes us go out of our selves to strength that is strong but this doth crosses and afflictions that is the main reason why the proportion holds Again another reason is this troubles and afflictions and crosses do exercise graces and the more grace is exercised the more comfort is derived for comfort followes Graces the comforts of the spirit follow the graces of the spirit as the heat followes the fire or as the shadow followes the bodie Now the more grace the more comfort the more affliction the more exercise of Grace the more exercise of Grace the more Grace it self As we see the deeper the root the higher the tree after the sharpest winter usually there is the sweetest spring and the fruitfullest summer and Autumn because in the sharpest winter the ground is mellowed most and the seed sinks the deepest and the ground is inwardly warmed the soile the earth is prepared for it and thereupon when the outward heat comes to draw it forth it comes to be abundantly fruitful We see it in nature that that we call Antiperistasis the environing if one contrary with another increaseth the contrary Whatsoever is good is increased being environed by the contrary ill because they are put to the conflict So it is with the soul it is the showers of affliction that bring the sweet flowers of comfort after the soul is prepared and manured for them the soul is exercised and inlarged and fitted for them every way In the multitude of my sorrowes thy comforts refreshed my soul saith David Psal. 94. 19 answerable to our discomforts God comforts refresh our souls And God is so wise that before we enter to suffer any great matter he will give us more Grace answerable to the greatnesse of our suffering and after great suffering he will give great comfort God is so infinitely loving and wise that he will not call us to suffer great troubles till he give us some grace answerable As a Captain will not set a fresh-water Souldier in a sharp brunt but some experienced man Whatsoever wisdom is in man it is but a drop in regard of that infinite wisdome that is in God he proportions our strength before we suffer and in suffering he doth increase it and after suffering then comfort comes following amain indeed especially after a little while waiting for Gods time is the best time And we shall have most experience of the presence of Christ and his holy spirit at such times The nearer to the spring of comfort the more comfort but in the deepest and sharpest afflictions we are nearer to God therefore the more comfort How is this proved The more we are stripped of outward comforts the more near we are to God who is stiled the God that comforteth the abject and the nearer to God the nearer to comfort it self for all comfort springs from him and when outward meanes fail that should convey comfort to us then he conveys it immediately by himself I confesse he is present at all times but when the comfort is conveyed by the creature by man it is not so sweet as when God joyns with the soul immediately as in great crosses he doth Such occasion and such extreamity may be that none can comfort a man but God by his spirit When Christ comes to the soul immediately what abundance of comfort is there then As a King that doth not send a messenger but comes immediately in his ownperson to visit one in misery what a grace is it So what a grace is is to a soul afflicted and deserted to ha ve Christ immediately present As the Martyrs found when no other creature could comfort them there was a fire within above all the outward fire and torment which abated and allayed the torments that were without the divinest comforts are kept for the harshest and the worst times we shall have the presence of Christ in the absence of all other creatures and he will minister comfort They may keep outward comforts from us they can never keep the God of comfort from us so long as a Christian soul and God can close together it cannot want comfort Another reason why comforts increase because we pray most then when we pray most we are most happie but in our greatest sufferings we pray most and most ardently therefore then we feele most comfort When God and a christian soul can talke together and have communion though he cannot speak to God with his tongue yet he can sigh and groan to God he can pour forth his spirit to God and as long as we can pray we can never be miserable as long as the heart can ease it self into the bosome of God there will alway be a return of a sweet answer Of all the exercises of Religion that exercise that hath most immediate communion with God is prayer then we speak familiarly to God in his own language and words and call upon him by his own promises we alledge those to him and this cannot be we cannot speak and confer and converse with the God of Comfort without a great deal without a world of comfort great crosses drive us to this and therefore then we have great comfort What use may we make of this first for our selves we would not fear nor faint neither faint in troubles nor fear troubles faint not in them we shall have comfort proportionable and let us not fear troubles before they come or any measure of them proportionable to the measure of our afflictions shall be our comfort Let us not fear any thing we shall suffer in this world in a good cause for as we suffer so we shall receive from God we fear our own good For it is better to have the comfort we shall have in suffering any thing for a good cause then to be exempted from the suffering and to want the comfort there
Christian he is now afflicted and now comforted not for his own sake onely but for the good of others and when he shall be afflicted and how long and what comfort he shall have how much he leaves it to the wisdom of God It is a blessed estate if we could think of it to be a Christian that we need to care for nothing but to serve God we need to care for nothing but study to keep a good conscience Let God alone with all our estate for God will inable us to want and to abound in our owne persons and likewise he will sanctifie our estate for the good of others And a Christian will be willling to be tossed and to be changed from vessel to vessell from state to state for the good of others If his afflictions may do good to the Church he is content that God should withdraw his blessings from him and humble him with crosses If his example may be good to others he is likewise joyfull when God gives him rest and causeth an inward comfort he knows that this is good for others he hath learned in his first entrance into Christianity self-denyall not to live to himself but for the glory of God and the good of others as much as he may We should labour therefore to content our selves in all conditions knowing that all is for the best not only to our selves and Gods glory but for the good of others God when he takes things from us and afflicts us and when he comforts us he intends the comfort of others So we should reason when we indure any thing and when we are comforted certainly God intends the good of others by this therefore I will have a speciall care in suffering to carrie it decently and exemplarily knowing that the eyes of many are upon me I wil carry my self so that God may have glory and others may have edification and comfort knowing that I am but Gods Steward to convey this to others that are of the same body with my self Therefore in our communion we have with others upon any good occasion we ought to express the blessed experience of the comfort of God upon us This is the practise of holy men in their meeting with others to shew them the comforts of God to their soules Come I will shew you what God hath done for my soule saith the Psalmist All are the better for a good man he doth good to all and therefore Solomon saith When a righteous man is advanced the Citie rejoyceth They have cause for he hath a publique mind nothing doth more characterise and is a better stamp of a true Christian then a publique mind A carnall man out of self love may grieve at his own sins and may labour to comfort himself but a Christian thinks others shall take good by me It is the mind of Christ and it is the mind of all the Members of Christ when a man thinks he hath nothing except he have it to improve for the good of others A dead sullen reserved spirit is not a Christians spirit if by nature we have such we must labour to help it with grace for grace is a diffusive communicating thing not onely in the Ministers of God but in every Christian grace will teach them to make savourie their conversation to others this way that whatsoever they are or whatsoever they can do or whatsoever they suffer they study to improve all to the good of others And marke the extent of the loving wisedom and providence of God how many things he doth at once for in the same affliction oft times he corrects some in his Children in the same affliction he tries some grace in the same affliction he witnesseth to his truth in them in the same affliction he doth good to others besides the good he doth to them In the same affliction that others inflict he hastneth the ruine of them that offer it at one time and in one action he hastneth the destruction of the one by hastning the good of the other he ripens grace in his Children making them exemplary to others and all in the same Action so large is the wise providence of God It should teach us likewise to follow that providence and to see how many wayes any thing we suffer any kind of way may extend that if one way will not comfort another may When we suffer and are grieved let us consider withall that he that doth the wrong he hastens his ruine and judgment As Pharaoh when he hastned the overthrow of the children of Israel he hastned his overthrow in the red Sea so a pit is digged for the wicked when they digg a pit for the godly And consider to comfort thy self thou hast some sinne in thee and God intends not onely to witnesse his truth but to correct some sinne in thee and thou must look to that thou hast some grace in thee and he intends the tryall of that Look to these things this shews strong heavenly mindedness when there is self-denyall Let us consider what God cals us to for God looks to many things in the same act wherefore doth God give us reason and discourse but to be able to follow him in his dealing as farre as we can reach to But I go on to the next verse VERS VII And our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the suffering so you shall be also of the consolation THis verse is nothing but a strengthning of what he said before he had told them that whatsoever he suffered it was for their comfort too and now he repeats it again and sets a seal upon it Our hope of you is stedfast knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings so you shall also be of the consolation In these words he shews that they shall share in the good with him as well as in the ill that the Spirit of God in them should help them to take all the good they could both by his sufferings and by his comfort For as he by the help of the spirit of God intended the publique good intended their good and comfort in all whether he were afflicted or comforted so he saith here he was assured that as they were partakers of his sufferings so they should be of his comforts likewise Here is the truth And the seal of the truth The truth That they were partakers of his sufferings and should be partakers of his consolations And the Seal is in the manner of affirming these truths Our hope of you is stedfast And in this order I will speak of them First Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others The Corinthians were partakers of the sufferings of S. Paul Gods Children are partakers of the sufferings of others many wayes First by way of sympathy taking to heart the estate of the Church and Children of God abroad It grieved the Corinthians to hear that S. Paul was afflicted for
whom we trust in growes and as his strength growes the more rich and strong a man growes in whom I trust and the more gracious and good he growes and the more my knowledge of him is increased with it too that I see he is so able so true so loving a man a man so affected to me the more he growes and my knowledge of him the more my trust is carried to him So a Christian the more he considers the infinitenesse of Gods love of his wisdom and goodnesse the more he is carried in trust and confidence to it Not to trouble you with many places the 62. Psal. is an excellent Psal. for trust and confidence in God the whole Psal. is to that purpose to stir up himself to trust in God for that followes knowledge when upon knowledge we rouze up our hearts God is my rock and my salvation and defence Is he so then my soul trust in God he chargeth it upon his soul Therefore I will trust in God And then he blames his soul Is God so Why art thou so disquieted O my soul This is the exercise of a Christian heart when upon sound knowledge he can charge his soul to trust in God and check his soul Why art thou cast down still trust in God Why dost thou not trust in him Is he not true Is he not wise He is The God of my salvation And in verse 8. Trust in God at all times in prosperity in adversity why God is my refuge There he sets forth his nature If our troubles be never so many there is somewhat in God that is answerable as in Psal. 18. He is a rock and a shield he hath somewhat in him that is opposite to every ill And withall Pour out thy heart to God for where there is trust there is prayer Trust in God at all times and pour out thy heart before him for he is our refuge And so Trust not in oppresion and Robbery If-riches increase set not your hearts upon them for God hath spoken once and twice that power belongs to God Trust not any other thing but God Power and Mercy belong to him This is a notable way to trust in God to know that power and mercy belong to him If another man love me hath not God another mans heart in his hand The Kings heart is in his hand therefore trust in God for the favour of men Hath he not all the power that that another man hath that affects me it is but a derived power from him he hath inclined him to do good to me All Mercy and Love it is from God and he turnes and disposeth it as it pleaseth him as it is the Scripture-phrase the language of Canaan the heart is in Gods hands he inclined the heart of such a man The knowledge of God with prayer and stirring up our selves to trust in God and checking our souls for the contrary it is a notable meanes to trust in God And though we feel no present comfort from God trust him for his word trust him for his promise though he seeme now to be a God hidden As a Child in the dark he holds his Father fast by the hand he sees not his Father but he knowes his Fathers hand is strong and though he see him not yet he believes it is his Father and holds him though it be in the dark Men they cast anchor in the dark at midnight though they cannot see yet they know that the anchor will hold fast Cast anchor upon God in darknesse and temptation hold God fast in the dark night although we see nothing we shall alway find this that he is a God able to fulfill his promise that he is a true and faithfull and able God cast anchor in him therefore though thou feele or see nothing be sure in all extremities to trust in God Besides other things trust in God is properly and primarily wrought by the promises trust in God so far as he hath discovered himself to be trusted I can trust a man no further then I have a writing or a word of mouth from him or a message from him Now what have we from God to trust him for we have his Word written and that is sealed by the Sacrament The way to trust in God therefore is to know the promises The general promises that doe concern all Christians and all conditions and estates of men God will be a Sun and a Shield a Sun for all good and a Shield to keep away all evill and no good thing shall be wanting to him that lives a godly life Again general promises for issue All things shall work for good to them that love God Romans 8. 28. And he will give his Spirit to them that ask him It is a generall promise to all askers whatsoever that they shall have the Spirit of God which is a promise that hath all particular graces in it for the Spirit is the Fountain of all grace it is the Spirit of Love of Faith of Hope all are in the promise of the Spirit and God hath promised this Let us trust in God for these generall things And for particular promises he hath made a promise to be a Husband to the Widow and a Father to the Fatherlesse He will regard the cause of the Widow and he is a God that comforteth he Abject He hath made promises to those that are afflicted to all estates and conditions of men trust in God for these But how he hath made these with conditions in regard of outward things Let us trust him so farre forth as he hath promised that is he will either protect us from dangers or give us patience in dangers he will give us all outward things or else contentment which is better take him in that latitude trust in him as he will be trusted to for outward things ' he will either give the things or give the grace which is better he will either remove the grievance or he will plant the grace which is better If he remove not the evill he will give patience to bear it and what do I lose if he give me not the good thing if he give me contentment I have grace to supply it which makes me a better man If he give me the thing without the Grace what am I the better a carnal Reprobate may have that So let us trust him as he will be trusted for Grace and spiritual things all shall be for our good without fail but for the things of this life either he will give them or else graces Let us trust God therefore as he will be trusted in his word and promises Now this trusting of God to speak a little to the present purpose because Saint Paul was now in great affliction when he learned to trust in God he was in fear of Death Let us see how we are to exercise this trust in great crosses and in the hour of Death St.
by prayer to remove the cloud that hangs over our heads the sooner it passeth by many help much as many brands make a great fire and many little rivers running into a common channell they make the river swell greater so prayer is strong when it is carried by the spirits of many yea those that are not perhaps so well experienced But as I said sometimes men not only great in place but great in grace need the help of others the Spirit of prayer is not in a like measure in them sometime they are too secure sometime they are too presumptious sometime too negligent and carelesse in stirring up the Grace of God in them sometime they are prone to be lifted up too much sometime to be cast down too much If this be so what a benefit is this then to have the help of others when oft-times a man meaner in gifts may have as great a measure of the Spirit of prayer as another Prayer it is not a work of gifts but of grace it is a work of a broken heart of a believing heart And in prayer there be diverse gifts which are far more eminent in one then in another yet all excellent good in their kind some have the gift to be fluent to be large in words in explication of themselves some men have not so much in that but they have a broken heart some again have it in zeal and earnestnesse of affections so that there is something in the very action of prayer which helps in many one helps with his ability with his large gift of Speech another with his humble and broken spirit another with his zeal and ardencie to wrastle and strive with God to get a blessing Moses was a man of a stammering tongue and yet Moses was a man for prayer Aaron and Hur were silent and were fain to hold up his hands but Moses must pray and yet Moses was no man of eloquence and he pretends that for his excuse when he was to go to Pharaoh Therefore it is a matter of the heart a matter of grace of humilitie of strong faith and not a matter of words though that be a speciall gift too God will have it thus in his wise dispensation because he will have every man esteemed and because he will have no man to be proud he will humble his own to let them know that they stand in need of the prayers of the weakest Every man in the Church of God hath some gifts that none should be despised and none have all gifts that none should presume over-much and be proud In the Church of God in the Body of Christ there is no idle member in the communion of Saints there is none unprofitable every one can do good in his kind God will have this because he will have none despised It was a fault in St. Jame's time The brother of high degree did despise the brother of low degree that is the rich Christians despised the poore Christians but saith Saint James Hath not God chosen the poore in the World rich in faith Now faith is the ground of prayer It is a fault in all times men have swelling conceits against the meaner sort and undervalue them God will not have it so he will have us see that we stand in need of the meanest Christians and by this he will raise up the dejected spirit of weak Christians What a comfort is it then that I should be able to help the greatest man in the World that he should be beholding to me for that duty So it abaseth the greatest that they stand in need of the meanest and it raiseth the meanest that the greatest are helped by them and it knits all into a sweet communion For when a great Christian shall think yonder poore Christian he is gracious in the Court of heaven howsoever he be neglected in the world he may do me good by his prayers It will make him esteem and value him the more and it will make him value his friendship he will not disparage him he will not grieve the spirit of such a one whose prayer may prevail with God and draw down a blessing for him We see here the Corinthians help the Apostle by their prayers You see the reason of it that God will knit Christians together and humble them that think themselves great and that he might comfort every mean Christian. Therefore let no Christian slight his own prayers no not those that are young ones That great divine Paulus Phagius who was a great Hebrecian in his time and one that helped to restore the Gospel in England it was a good speech of him he was wont to say I wish the prayers of younger Scholars for their souls are not tainted with sin and God often hears the poore young ones that are not tainted and soiled with the sins of the World as others are sooner then others a weak Christian that hath not a politick head and a divellish spirit meaner persons that are but young ones they have more acquaintance many times with God then others despise not the prayer of any And let none despise his own prayer Shall I pray to God will some say I pray do you pray for me Why dost thou not pray for thy self I am unworthy Unworthy dost thou so basely esteem of it when God is not onely willing that thou shouldest pray for thy self but requires thee to pray for others hast thou so base an esteem of this incense Let my prayers be directed in thy sight as incense saith David God esteemes this as odour and wilt thou say I am not worthy abase not that which he hath vouchsafed so to honour God esteemes so highly of it that he will not only hear thy prayers for thy self but for others Again there is no pretence for any man to be idle in the profession of Religion Thou hast not riches thou canst not give thou hast not place thou canst not shew countenance to others but if thou be a Child of God thou hast the Spirit of prayer the Spirit of Adoption the Spirit of a son in thee which enables thee to pray for thy self and others there is no Christian but he may do this you also helping together by your prayers for me The fourth and last observation out of these words is that Prayer is a prevailing course with God It prevailes for the removing of ill or for the preventing of ill or for the obtaining of good I shall be delivered I shall be continued in the state of deliverance but yet you must pray your prayers will obtain and beg this of God Prayer is a prevailing course because as I said it is obedience to Gods order he bids us call upon him and he will hear us prayer binds him with his own promise Lord thou canst not deny thy self thou canst not deny thy promise thou hast promised to be near all those that call upon thee in
not rob God of any honour It was a proud term the Philosophers had as I said sometimes they called their moral vertues habits and if we consider them meerly as they are in the person they are habits but indeed they are graces the Scripture gives them a more heavenly term Grace those things that we guide our lives by as Wisdome Love Temperance Sobriety Grace is a fitter word then habit because then we consider them as they come from God freely they are graces they come from grace and favour And when men differ one from another in wisdome they differ in grace and favour he gives more light he opens the understanding of one more then another Therefore S. Paul was wise and careful this way when he speaks of that he had done himself lest he should rob God Not I oh not I 1 Cor. 15. but the Grace of God that was in me that was all in all For indeed we are what we are and we do what we do by Grace Even as by our selves we are men we are what we are and we do what we do by our soules by our reason and understanding so it is with spiritual grace we are what we are out of our selves by spiritual grace and we do what we do by spiritual grace And when that ceaseth when God suspends the blessed motions of his Spirit to humble us alas we are dark a man is a confused creature he is at a losse he is in darknesse for the particular managing of his life he knowes not what to do he knowes not what to speak he is puzzled in every particular action And therefore when he hath spoken or done that which is fit he should consider it is a grace My Conversation hath been in the Grace of God saith the Apostle Therefore let us sanctifie God in our hearts this way And when we stand in need of any direction desire God of his grace to give us wisdome and to give us the grace that we stand in need of That is for the phrase The point as I told you was this That All wisdome comes from Grace And God is ready to give us his Grace For saith S. Paul My Conversation hath been in Grace which God did minister to me and hath ministred to me to lead my life by The Reason is this Christ hath undertaken to give us grace if we be his Men under grace shall never want grace to lead a Christian life For Christ hath undertaken to be our Head to be our Husband to be our guide in our way to heaven As our head he is to give us motion to move us as his members As he is our Shepherd as he saith I am the good Shepherd so he is to lead us in our wayes and passages in his paths to conduct us to happinesse And as he is our husband so he is to be the head of his wife to guide us it is his office And he works according to his own office He is a King to subdue in us whatsoever is contrary to his good Spirit to subdue our rebellions and to bring all our Imaginations under his Spirit as well as to be a Priest to make peace between God and us He is a King to rule us and to over-rule in us whatsoever is ill And he is a Prophet to teach us and to guide us He is the Angel of the Covenant the great Counsellour that hath the Spirit of Counsel in him Esay 9. 6. not for himself onely but for his Church Therefore as all the things that we need come from grace and from the favour of God so we need not doubt of the grace of God in Christ being reconciled he is willing to give us grace This I observe to cut off all cavils of flesh and blood and to arm us against all discouragements There are two things that greatly hinder us from a Christian course Presumption and Despair Presumption to set upon things without asking grace of God without depending upon his direction by the strength of naturall parts of naturall wit And then Despair when a man saith What should I go about these things I shall never bring them to passe No First consider thy standing thy place and calling and then consider the abilities that God hath given thee consider thy parts consider thy duty that thou art to do And beg of God assistance and strength and if it be a thing that belong to thee go on set on all the duties that belong to thy place in this confidence that thou shalt have grace Go to the Fountain to Christ for grace for the direction of thy life he is the light of life he is the Way he is all in all to bring us to heaven Wherefore serves all the Promises not onely of life everlasting but even of grace but to encourage us to set on holy duties in confidence that if we have a will to be out of Satan's Kingdome and if we have a will to be out of fleshly wisdome God will take us into his Kingdome and into his Government He will give the Spirit to them that ask him Now the Spirit is a Spirit of direction a Spirit of assistance a Spirit of strength and comfort it serves all turnes How many Promises are wrapped in that promise of the Spirit In want of direction he shall be our Counsellour in want of strength to assist us In perplexities when we know not which way to turn us to advise us In extremities when we are ready to sink to comfort us He will give us his holy Spirit to supply all our defects in a fit time if we ask him If we find our need and if we will renounce our carnal wisdome Therefore set on those duties that God calls you to And withall do as S. Paul doth here he sets the negative before the affirmative renounce carnal wisdome be not guided by that trust perfectly to the Word of Grace and to the Spirit of Grace for the Word of Grace and the Spirit of Grace go together and then you shall find that God will do abundantly above all that you are able to ask or think Luther when he set on the work of Reformation those that saw him at the first might have said Get thee into thy Cloyster and say Lord have mercy upon thee for thou settest on a work impossible But he saw the parts that God had given him that he had wit to understand the abuses of the times and he had given him courage he saw by his profession he was called to be a Divine his conscience was awaked to see the abominations of the times and he set on to discover these things Did Christ leave him No he did not but gave successe to him to be admired of all When all the world was set against one man yet he prevailed against them all even because he walked as S. Paul did here in sincerity and simplicity that is he looked
a Christian to be cowardly because he hath death and hell conquered and every thing is made serviceable to help him to heaven But for another man to set light by these things it is more madnesse No man but a Christian can be stout and couragious except it be from a false spirit especially in things that are above mans natural power as death it is eternal and what man can stand out against the eternal wrath of God And therefore those that put on a Roman stoutnesse and courage though they seem to have strong spirits it is but false either they are besotted with sensuality or else with a spirit of pride When they look before them and see eternity and see their sins and that they must all appear at the day of Judgment they cannot be strong Let us labour therefore to have our hearts stablished by the Spirit of God and try our selves often by propounding Queries how we do things with what minds and upon what grounds Again another Evidence whereby we may know that we have spiritual strength and stability in Christ wrought in us by the Spirit of God is this when it makes us desire the coming of Christ when it makes us think of death and of the time to come with joy and comfort and that for the present it gives us boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremities He that in extremity can go to God in Christ it is a sign his heart is established Hypocrites in extremity flye to desperate courses as Saul and Achitophel did but in extremity the soul that is stablished goes to God My God my God saith Christ so Job Though he kill me yet will I trust in him I say it is an evidence of a soul stablished upon Christ by the Spirit of God to have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace in extremity nay when God seems to hide himself which is the principal extremity of all as in Divine temptations when God seems to be an enemy then for a man to fight and wrastle with God and tug with the temptation and not to let God go though he kill him this is a true Israel a conquerour of God this is a heart fortified by the Spirit It is an argument of a heart established when besides for the present for the time to come he can chearfully and boldly think how it will be with him when death shall come that he shall go to Christ that the Match shall be fully made up that is begun by God between Christ and him for the contract is in this world but the nuptials are celebrated in heaven and in confidence hereof can say Come Lord Jesus come quickly A heart that is not stablished saith Oh come not Wherefore art thou come to torment us before our time say the Devils to Christ so an unstablished heart at the hour of death is afraid it shall be tormented before the time and therefore come not come not saith such a soul. But the soul that is stablished upon Christ and upon the promises in Christ of forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting by the Spirit of Christ that saith Come Lord Jesus come quickly I have been larger upon this Point then I intended these unsettled times moved me to speak a little more then ordinary that we might labour to have our hearts stablished that whatsoever comes we may have somewhat that is certain to stick to that our estate in Christ may be sure whatsoever becomes of our state in the world otherwise VERSE XXII Who hath anointed us and also sealed us and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts THe Apostle having formerly laid open the riches of a Christian In this Verse he cometh to shew his strength His riches consisteth in the promises of God in Christ His strength in being stablished upon those promises Now that which he had spoken of more generally in the word stablishing he unfolds in three borrowed Terms Anointing Sealing Earnest Implying therein the manner of the Spirits establishing a Christian. He who stablisheth us how is that wrought By the Spirit anointing by the Spirit sealing and by the earnest of the Spirit which three terms do all argue assurance For you know that in the old Law Kings Priests and Prophets were anointed that is they were authorized and confirmed in their places And for sealing Writings among our selves are sealed for security And an Earnest secures Contracts and Bargains So that whatsoever may serve to strengthen a Christians faith and assurance is here laid down God to help our soules by our senses fetcheth it from humane affaires applying words borrowed from earthly commerce by a heavenly anagogical sense to spiritual things First the sure estate of a Christian is set down in the general by stablishing and then in particular we are anointed and sealed and have the Earnest of the Spirit God in the Covenant of grace doth our part and his own too he gives faith and strengthens faith and seales us he gives us promises he doth stablish us upon those promises and works our hearts to an embracing of them he anoints us and seales us and gives us the Earnest of the Spirit All in the Covenant of Grace depends upon the faithfulnesse of God and not upon ours but upon ours dependantly as he is faithful in stablishing us Now because the holy Apostle would have us settled in the excellency of the state of a Christian in the Covenant of grace you see how large-hearted he is he useth four words implying one and the same thing Stablishing Anointing Sealing and giving Earnest all of them words used in ratification amongst men God is pleased to stoop to speak to us in our own language to speak of heavenly things after an earthly manner and therefore he sets down the certain estate of a Christian by borrowed speeches This is a gracious condescending of God stooping as it were lower then himself and indeed so he alwayes abaseth himself when he deales with man coming down far below himself To come to the words in particular And hath anointed us This word hath a double reference The holy Ghost carries our minds first to the relation and proportion that is between the graces of the Spirit of God and the oyntment with which in former times they were anointed in the Jewish Politie And it hath reference likewise and relation to the persons that were anointed The persons were Kings Priests and Prophets Now God hath anointed us in Christ. The order is this First Christ himself as Mediatour is anointed with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes but for his fellowes The oyntment is first poured on the head of spiritual Aaron and then it runs down to all the skirts of his garment that is to the meanest Christian. Even as the least finger and toe is actuated and enlivened and moved by the soul and spirits that the head and the chief vital parts are so every Christian though he be but as the toe or
witnesse to the soul that we are the sonnes of God Secondly a voyce or speech in us again to God causing us to have accesse to the Throne of grace with boldnesse Thirdly a work of Sanctification Fourthly Peace of Conscience and joy in the Holy Ghost By these four wayes we may know the sealing of the Spirit after we believe and that our faith is a sound belief and that we are in the state of grace indeed First I say the Spirit speaks to us by a secret kind of whispering and intimation that the soul feeles better then I can expresse Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee saith he to the soul I am thy salvation there is I say a sweet joyning a sweet kisse given to the soul I am thine and thou art mine God by his Spirit speaks so much there is a voyce of Gods Spirit speaking peace to his people upon their believing And then secondly the Spirit of adoption stirres up the speech of the soul to God that as he sayes to the soul Because thou believest now thou art honoured to be my child so the Spirit stirres up in the soul a Spirit of prayer to cry Abba Father it can go boldly to God as to a Father for that Abba Father it is a bold and familiar speech There are two things in a prayer of a Christian that are incompatible to any carnal man there is an inward kind of familiar boldnesse in the soul whereby a Christian goes to God as a child when he wants any thing goes to his father a child considers not his own worthinesse or meannesse but goeth to his father familiarly and boldly so I say when the Spirit of God speaks to us from God and tells the soul I am thine I am thy salvation thy sins are forgiven thee be of good comfort and when the soul again speaks to God when it can pour forth it self with a kind of familiar boldnesse and earnestnesse especially in extremity and in time of trouble and can wait in prayer and depend upon God this spiritual speech of God to the soul and of the soul to God it is a seal of the Spirit that indeed we are true believers because we can doe that that none can do but Christians God speaks to our souls he raiseth our souls and by his Spirit he puts a spirit of supplication into us and helps our infirmities for we know not what to ask but he helps our weaknesse and enables us to lay out the wants of our soules to God these are evidences of the presence and of the seal of the Spirit In the third place this sealing of the Spirit after we beleeve is known by the sanctifying work of the Spirit for as I told you before in the unfolding of the Point the Spirit seals our spirits by stamping the likenesse of the Spirit of Christ on us so that when a man finds in his soul some lineaments of that heavenly Image of Christ Jesus when he finds some love he may know by that love that he is translated from death to life when he finds his spirit subdued to be humble to be obedient when he finds his spirit to be heavenly and holy as Christ was when he finds this stamp upon the soul surely he may reason I have not this by nature naturally I am proud now I can abase my self natureally I am full of malice now I can love I can pray heartily for mine enemies as Christ did naturally I am lumpish and heavy now in afflictions I can joy in the Holy Ghost I have somewhat in me contrary to nature surely God hath vouchsafed his Spirit upon my believing in Christ to mark me to seal 〈◊〉 to stamp me for his I carry now the Image of the second Adam I know the Holy Ghost hath been in my heart I see the stamp of Christ there Know you not that Christ is in you except you be cast awayes saith the Apostle so upon search the Christian soul finds somewhat of Christ alwayes in the soul to give a sweet evidence that he is sealed to the day of redemtpion The fourth evidence that the Spirit of God hath been in a mans heart is the joy of the Holy Ghost and peace of conscience sanctification is the ordinary seal that is alwaies in the soul this is an extraordinary seal peace and joy when the soul needs incouragement then God is graciously pleased to superadd this to give such spiritual ravishings which are as the very beginnings of heaven so that a man may say of a Christian at such times that he is in heaven before his time he is in heaven upon earth but especially God doth this when he will have his children to suffer or after suffering after some special conflict after we have combated with some special corruption with some sinfull disposition with some strong temptation and have got the victory To him that overcometh will I give of the hidden Manna and a white stone and a new name that none can read it but he that hath it that is he shall have assurance that he is in the state of grace and the sweet sense of the love of God and that sweet heavenly Manna that none else can have thus God dealt with Job after he had exercised that Champion a long time at the last he discovered himself in a glorious manner to him so it is usually after some great crosse or in the middest of some great crosse when God sees that we must be supported with some spiritual comfort we sink else then there is place and time for spiritual comfort when earth cannot comfort thus St. Paul in the middest of the dungeon when he was in the stocks being sealed with the Spirit he sang at midnight Alas what would have become of blessed Paul his spirit would have sunk if God had not stamped it with Joy in the Holy Ghost and so David and the three young men in the fiery furnace and Daniel in the den God doth then even as parents smile upon their children when they are sick and need comfort so above all other times God reserves this hidden sealing of his children with a spirit of joy when they need it most sometimes in the middest of afflictions sometimes as a reward when they come out of their afflictions sometimes before so our Saviour Christ had James and John with him upon the mountain to strengthen them against the scandal of suffering after so God when he hath a great work for his children to do some suffering for them to go through as an encouragement before-hand he enlargeth their spirits with the joy of the Holy Ghost and some times also after a holy and gracious disposition in the Ordinances of God God doth adde an excellent portion of his Spirit a seal extraordinary for indeed God thinks nothing enough for his children till he have brought them to heaven seal upon seal and comfort upon comfort and the more we depend upon him
because they grieve the Spirit and quench the Spirit by doing that which is contrary to the Spirit Let us therefore that we may have the more comfort preserve the stamp of the Spirit fresh by the exercise of all grace and communion with God and by obedience and by faith honour God by believing and he will honour thee by stamping his Spirit on thee more and more And let this be our work every day to have the stamp of the Spirit clear Oh what a comfort it is to have this in us at all times if a man have nothing in him better then nature if he have nothing in him in regard of grace if he have not Christs Image upon his soul though he be a King or an Emperour yet he shall be stript of all ere long and be set on the left hand of Christ and be adjudged to eternal torments It is the folly of the times come up of late there is much labouring for Statues and for curious workmanship of that kind and some pride themselves much in it and account it great riches to have an old Statue Alas alas what a poor delight is this in comparison of the joy that a Christian hath by the seal of the Spirit and what is this to the ambition of a Christian to see the Image and representation of Christ stamped in his soul that he may be like the second Adam that he may be transformed more and more by looking on him and seeing himself in him to love him considering that he hath loved us so much for we cannot see the love of Christ to us but we must love him the more and be transformed into him Now this transforming our selves into the Image of Christ is the best picture in the world therefore labour for that every day more and more There is besides the common broad seal of God his Privy Seal as I may call it It is not sufficient that we have the one that we have admittance into the Church by Baptisme but we must have this privy seal which Christ sets and stamps upon the soul of the true Christian Alas for a man to build onely on the outward seals and outward prerogatives which in themselves are excellent yet the standing upon them betrayes many soules to the Devil in times of distresse It is another manner of seal then the outward seal in the Sacrament that will satisfie and comfort the conscience in the apprehensions of wrath at the hour of death or otherwayes It must be this privy seal and then comes the use of those publick open known seales the broad seales then a man with comfort may think upon his Baptisme and upon his receiving the Communion when he hath the beginnings of faith wrought in him by the Spirit of God when a man finds the beginnings of faith in him then he may make use of the broad seal to be a help to his faith We must not be so prophane as to think slightly and irreverently of Gods Ordinances they are of great and high consequence for when Satan comes to the soul and shakes the confidence of it and saith Thou art not a Christian and God doth not love thee Why saith the soul God hath loved me and pardoned my sins he hath given me promises and particularly sealed them in the Sacrament here is the excellency of the Sacrament it comes more home then the Word it seales the general promise of God particularly to my self I am sealed in the Sacrament and withall I find the stamp of the Spirit in my heart and therefore having the inward work of the Spirit and God having fortified the inward work and strengthened my faith by the outward seal I can therefore stand against any temptation whatsoever They are excellent both together but the speciall thing that must comfort must be the hidden seal of the Spirit Let us labour therefore to be sealed inwardly and observe Gods sealing-dayes as we use to speak which though it may be every day if we be in spiritual exercises yet especially on the Lords Day for then his Ordinance and his Spirit go together Now as there is a sealing of our estates that we are the children of God so there is of truths and both are in the children of God as for instance this is a truth Whosoever believes in Christ shall not perish but have everlasting life now the same Spirit that stirred up the soul to believe this seales it in the soul even to death and in all times of temptation and likewise there is no promise but upon the believing of it it is sealed by the Spirit upon the soul for those truths onely abide firm in the soul which the Spirit of God sets on What is the reason that many forget the comforts and consolations that they hear because the Spirit sets them not on the Spirit seales them not What is the reason that illiterate men stand out in their profession to blood whereas those that have a discoursive kind of learning they yield the reason is this the knowledge of the one is sealed by the Spirit it is set fast upon the soul the Spirit brings the knowledge and the soul close together whereas the knowledge of the other is onely a notional swimming knowledge it is not spiritual Those therefore that will hold out in the end and not apostatize those that will stand out in the hour of death against temptation and those that will hold out in the time of life against solicitations to sin they must have a knowledge suitable to the things they know that is they must see and know heavenly things by a heavenly light spiritual things by the Spirit of God And therefore when we come to hear the Ministers of God we should not come with strong conceits in the strength of our wit but with reverend dispositions with dependance upon God for his Spirit that he would teach us together with the Ministers and close with our soules and set those truths we hear upon our soules we shall never hold out else And it must be the Holy Ghost that must do this for that which must settle and seal comfort to the soul must be greater then the soul especially in the time of temptation when the terrours of the Almighty are upon us and when the hell within a man is open when God layes open our consciences and writes bitter things against us and our consciences tell us our sins wondrous near they are written as it were with a pen of Iron and the point of a Diamond upon our soules now I say those truths that must satisfie conscience that is thus turmoiled must be set on by that which is above conscience the Spirit of God who is above our spirits can onely set down our spirits and keep them from quarrelling and contending against the truth and quiet the conscience and this the Spirit doth when it sets the truth upon the soul. And therefore when our soules are disquieted
is great in security and assurance a shilling may secure a bargain of a thousand pounds perhaps so the Spirit it is little in quantity it may be but it is great in assurance And as we value an earnest not for the bignesse of the piece for alas it may be it is but little but we value and esteem it for that which it is an earnest of So the work of the Spirit the joy and peace of the Spirit the comforts of the Spirit though they be little yet they are great in security and are to be prized according to that excellent bargain and possession of which they are an Earnest Fourthly an Earnest is given rather for the security of the party that receives it then in regard of him that gives it so God gives the Earnest of the Spirit grace and comfort this not so much in regard of God for God meaneth to give us heaven and happinesse he hath passed his Word and he is Master of his Word be is Jehovah that gives a being to his Word as well as to every other thing but notwithstanding having to deal with doubtful mistrustful persons he doth it for our security he regards not himself so much but us He works answerable to his own greatnesse strongly but he speaks according to our weaknesse and therefore here is the term of Earnest borrowed for this purpose And lastly an Earnest is never taken away but it is made up with the bargain so it is with the Spirit of God the graces and comforts of it are never wholly taken from a Christian but accomplished in heaven I will leave you the Comforter saith our Saviour Christ that shall abide with you for ever So that in these and such like other respects the Spirit of God by it self together with the graces of it and the comforts it bringeth for they go both together are called an Earnest Hence then having thus cleared the words we may observe some particular Doctrines As first I Observe from the first property of an Earnest that it secures the whole bargain this That A Christian ought to be and may be assured of his estate in grace Because as I said before an Earnest is given for security and that not so much for Gods sake as for our sakes this then must needs follow either none have this earnest or those that have it may be assured or else God is fickle and playes fast and loose with his children which is blasphemy to affirm If none have this earnest then the Apostle speakes false when he saith here he stablisheth us and gives us the earnest of his Spirit and us with you both together ordinary Christians as well as grand ones as well as Paul may be assured of their salvation And if this be so then either those that have this earnest this seal of the Spirit they may be assured or no and if not where is the fault doth not God mean in good earnest to them when he gives them this undoubtedly he doth and why is it given but for assurance he is desirous that we should be perswaded of his love in all things and therefore Gods Children they may and they ought to be assured of his love in this world It is a Point that we have often occasion to meet with in other portions of Scripture I speak it therefore here only as a ground out of this place in that the Spirit of God together with the graces and comforts are called an Earnest I say therefore from hence that we may be assured of our salvation I beseech you what is the aim of the Epistles to the 〈◊〉 to the Ephesians of the Epistle of S. John but a stirring of them up to whom they wrote to be perswaded of Gods love to them and to shew what excellent things we have by the love of God in Christ And S. Johns Epistle it is for nothing else in respect of the substance of it but to give evidences how we may know that we are the sons of God Wherefore did God become man Wherefore was Christ himselfe sealed by the Father Son and Holy Ghost to his office when he was baptized and wherefore he did dye and rise againe and wherefore doth he make intercession in heaven that we should doubt of Gods love when he hath given us that which is greater then salvation that which is greater then all the world his own Son Would we have a greater pledge of his love Is not all this that we should not doubt of his love to us if we cast our selves upon him by faith Christians may and ought and have had assurance these here had assurance and the Scripture speaks of such as had it they have had it we may have it because the Spirit is a Seal and an Earnest and we ought to have it because God hath framed both his Word and his Sacraments and all his dealing to man so as to perswade us of his love Yet adde this Caution That Christians have not at all times a like assurance of their salvation neither all Christians at all times have it not nor the best have it not at all times For there is an infancy of grace when we know not our own estate and condition and there is a time of temptation after infancy when likewise we stagger in our assurance there be times likewise of desertion when God to make us look better to our footing leaves us a little as if he would forsake us when indeed he leaves us to draw us after him to cleave more closely to him for this shaking is to settle us deeper So there be times and seasons wherein though we be assured yet we cannot then know our own assurance And this assurance differeth in Christians for some have more some lesse even as the constitution of the body some are of a melancholy constitution that helps Satan in his temptations and they are subject to fearing and misdoubting and so as there is a difference in regard of tempers some are more hardly brought to be perswaded then others so there is a difference likewise in care and diligence for those that use more care and diligence have more assurance there is a difference likewise in growth and continuance in Christianity some are fathers and some are babes Answerable to the difference of constitutions and of care and diligence and of age and growth in Christianity so is the difference of assurance Nay it is possible that for a long time Gods child may want this act of assurance for there is a double act of faith An Act whereby the soul relies upon God as reconciled in Christ and relies upon Christ as given of God and relies upon the promise And then there is a reflect act whereby knowing we do thus we have assurance Now a man may perform the one act not the other we may do that deed that may found our assurance if the waters of the soul
case it be in a dungeon if he have a little light shining into him from a little crevice that little light discovers that the Day is broke that the Sun is risen Put the case there be but one grape on a vine it shewes that it is a vine and that the vine is not dead So put the case there be but the appearance of but a little grace in a Christian perhaps the Spirit of God appeares but in one grace in him at that time yet that one grace sheweth that we are vines and not thistles or thorns or other base plants and it shewes that there is life in the root The Spirit of God appears not in all graces at once it appears some time or other in some one grace We see in plants the vertue of them appears diversly In Winter the vertue of them lyes in the root In the spring-time in the bud and the leaf In the Summer in the fruit it is not in all parts alike so it is with the Spirit as it is an Earnest it appears not in all graces in a flourishing manner at the first sometimes it appears in the root in humility sometimes in faith sometimes in love sometimes in one grace sometimes in another though the Spirit be in every grace yet in appearance to a mans self and others it appeares but in one An Earnest is little especially at the first Weak Christians therefore should not be discouraged Despise not the day of little things there is cause of mourning we that have received the first fruits of the Spirit we mourn because we have but the first-fruits and we would have the full harvest but as there is cause of mourning because we have but the first-fruits so there is cause of comfort because it is the first-fruits it is an Earnest onely and not the whole bargain therefore we have cause of mourning that it is so imperfect that it is so weak as it is yet there is cause of comfort because though it is not the whole yet is a part and secures us of the whole And therefore Christians should labour to mingle duties and let one grace qualifie another For indeed a Christian is a mixed Creature his comforts are mixed and his mourning is mixed With a carnal man it is all otherwise if he mourn he is all a mort because he hath no goodnesse if he joy he is mad his mirth is madnesse A Christian joyes indeed some times he hath joy unspeakable and glorious because he looks to his hope and the accomplishment of it and yet he mourns because he hath but the Earnest because he hath but the beginnings because he hath but the first-fruits here And therefore again as it should comfort us if we have any thing so it should exhort us to examine rather the truth then the measure of any grace we have examined the truth it is the truth of this Earnest the truth of grace and comfort it is an excellent speech of our Saviour Christ in Rev. 3. to the Church of Philadelphia in verse 8. Because thou hast a little strength and hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name there is a great promise made to the Church of Philadelphia and why Because thou hast a little strength how is that discovered Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name So then if that little be true God respects not that little as it is little in quantity but as he means to make it ere long he looks upon the Earnest as he means to make up the bargain he looks upon the foundation as he means to rear up a goodly building he looks upon the first-fruits as he means to adde the harvest and therefore Ephes. 1. and other places We are elected to be holy and blamelesse in his sight So Ephes. 5. latter end He purgeth the Church that she may be presented to him without spot So Christ looks upon his Church as he is purging and washing till he have made it holy in his sight We are elected not to Earnest not to first-fruits but to be unblameable we are elected to perfection it is the comfort of Christians that God looks upon his not as they are imperfect here but as they are in beginning and as they are growing and as he intends to bring them to perfection afterwards For all things are present we know to him the time to come what we shall be he considers us as if we were in heaven already we are in our degree and in our faith So now we sit in heavenly places therefore as he looks on us as we shall be so faith answers his looking when we are framed by the Spirit to comfort faith looks not upon the weak Earnest the poor beginnings but as we shall be after in heaven without spot and wrinckle I but how shall we know the truth of his Earnest that it is true though it be little To speak a word or two of that for tryal Where the Spirit of God is with the relation of an Earnest he is as an Earnest by way of grace and comfort for those two wayes the Spirit discovers himself in us to sanctifie our nature or by comfort and peace and joy and such like Then it doth stir up the soul to mourn that is but an Earnest as I said before and to wait for the accomplishment as the Apostle saith in Rom. 8. We that have received the first-fruits of the Spirit mourn in our selves that it is no better with us then it is and withal We wait for the redemption of the sons of God the adoption of the sons of God we wait for the accomplishment hereafter it is the nature therefore of the Spirit of God as it is an Earnest to stirre up the spirits of Gods children to mourn something and likewise to wait patiently to wait for the full accomplishment hereafter and as a fruit of their waiting to endure quietly patiently and comfortably that which is between the Earnest and the accomplishment of it and therefore God gives them the grace of hope and constancy and of perseverance till all be accomplished for there is the tediousnesse of time between which is irk some hope deferred and a tediousnesse of deferring and besides many afflictions withal Now Gods children that have the Earnest of the Spirit they have a spirit likewise to wait and that they may be strengthened to wait they have the Spirit of Constancy a Spirit of patience to endure trouble and to persevere and to hold out in regard of the tediousnesse of the time So that they may not give over religious courses though they have it not fully here but go on still and wait And likewise those that have the Earnest of the Spirit that have the Spirit as it hath this qualification upon it of an Earnest it stirres them up to frame themselves answerable to the full ccaomplishment for He that hath
this hope saith the Apostle purgeth himself he that finds some little beginnings of grace and comfort the beginings of heaven upon Earth he frames himself to the perfect state in heaven for it is the nature of faith and hope wheresoever they are to frame the disposition of the person in whom those graces are planted by the Spirit to the condition of that that soul believes and hopes for it is in the nature of the thing it should be so For doth not hope in any man that hopes to appear before some great person make him alter his attire and fashion his carriage and deportment as may be plausible before the person whom he goes to and doth not faith and hope of better things where they are in truth fashion and dispose every man to be such as may be fit for heaven The title to heaven we have indeed by Christ but the soul knowes there must be a qualification No unclean thing shall enter into heaven and therefore where the Earnest is there is a continual desire to be better a continual relinquishing of corruptions more and more a perfecting of the work of mortification and the work of grace more and more for the same Spirit that is an Earnest and gives us any beginning of a better life it likewise stirres us up it fits and prepares us for that state that is kept for us it is impossible it should be otherwise In what strength the Earnest is in that strength sanctification and mortification are and therefore persons that live in sins against Conscience that defile their tongues and defile their bodies let them talk what they will it is but a presumptuous conceit it is not the voyce of Gods Spirit but of carnal presumption for wheresoever the Spirit is an Earnest of heaven it is alwayes preparing and fitting the soul for that glorious happy estate And wheresoever likewise this Earnest of the Spirit is wheresoever this grace is begun in truth there is a desire of accomplishment an earnest desire of the coming of Christ to finish all to finish the bargain Rev. 22. The Spirit and the Spouse say Come that is the Spouse by direction of the Spirit where the Spouse is guided by the Spirit and so far as the Spouse is guided by the Spirit she saith Come Come Lord Jesus come quickly Except in two Cases Except the Christian hath grieved and wounded his conscience grieved the Spirit and then it is loath to go hence Unlesse likewise the spirit of a Christian be careless and would settle things in better order before he go to Christ for this is the fruit of presumption and carelesnesse that it grieves the Spirit of God and the Spirit being grieved grieves them he makes that which should be their comfort their going to Christ by death he makes it terrible for as we see a weak eye cannot endure the light so a gauled guilty conscience trembles to think of Christs coming though the Earnest be there yet if the soul tremble that the soul be wounded stay a while Oh stay saith the Psalmist before I go hence and be no more seen When the wife hath been negligent she would have her husband stay but when she hath been diligent then the wife is willing her husband should come but perhaps things are not settled as they should and therefore she doth not desire his coming as at other times But take a Christian in his right temper he is willing to dye nay he is willing and glad and joyful to go to Christ then he knowes the Earnest shall be accomplished with the bargain then he knowes what God hath begun he will perfect then he knowes all the Promises shall be performed when all imperfection shall be removed and all enemies shall be conquered c. A carnal man doth not say as the Spirit in the Spouse speaks Come Lord come but stay Lord stay and as the Devil that possessed that person What have we to do with thee Art thou come to torment us before our time they think of it with quaking For otherwise they that have the Earnest of the Spirit have joyful thoughts of it and wishes answerable to those thoughts Again wheresoever this Earnest is in truth the Earnest of the Spirit there is growth for it is the nature of things imperfect to come to their perfection that they may encounter with whatsoever is contrary to them and that they may do their functions that they are fitted by for God Now God having fitted the new creature to serve him and to go through all the impediments in this world and all the crosses where he hath begun this work it will labour to come to perfection As in the natural body we are not content to live but when we have life we desire health and when we have health we are not content with that but we desire strength not onely health but strength to perform that we should do So where the spiritual life is begun the living soul is not content to live to find an Earnest a little beginnings but if he have that he would have health he would not have any spiritual disease to lye on the soul that might hinder it in the functions of it and together with health it desires fuller and fully strength because it hath many temptations to encounter with many corruptions to resist many actions to do many afflictions perhaps to bear all which require a great deal of strength wheresoever grace is in truth it is alwayes with a desire of growth and answerable to that desire will be the use of all the means of growth Again to name one or two more and so end Wheresoever the Spirit is as an Earnest it doth as the seal doth spoken of before that as it hath a quieting power an assuring power it quiets the soul wheresoever it si it is given to stay the soul to comfort it that the whole shall be performed in time and therefore the soul that hath the Earnest of the Spirit so far forth as he hath this Earnest it quiets and stayes the soul. A man may know true faith from false and true Earnest from presumption by this as we know other things I say it stills and quiets the soul and it will endure the tryal We say of Alcumy gold it is counterfeit it will not strengthen the heart true gold hath a corroborating power to strengthen the heart whether it be so or no let the Alcumists look to it but it is true that true Eanest the beginnings of faith though it be but in a little measure it hath a quieting a stilling a strengthening power to strengthen and corroborate the soul for it is given for that purpose And a man that hath the least grace will endure the search as true gold will endure the touchstone the false will not and it is a sign that a man hath true grace in him although it be with much
imperfection that desires to be searched in preaching hearing searching Sermons and desiring to be searched in Conference and that doubts not his conscience but would be searched throughly When men fret at the searching of their sins they will not be searched and are content to go on in presumptuous courses and think all is well it is a sign there is not so much as an Earnest But not to go farther that in the Revelation shews the truth of a little grace what saith he Thou hast a little strength what doth that little strength move the Church of Philadelphia to do Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Where there is a little strength there will be a keeping of the Word in obedience a keeping of it in conversation where is not a regard to Gods Word a moulding of the soul into it in obedience of it there is not so much as a little strength of grace and therefore those that live in rebellious courses have not so much as an Earnest to them yet Thou hast kept my Word and withal thou hast not denyed my Name Where a little strength is there they will not deny Christs Name they will hold out in the profession of the truth and confesse it if occasion serve and therefore where any are slight in their profession that give in if they be ready to dash upon any displeasure of any one if they be to venture their estates or so then they are ashamed of Christ and that profession which they took upon them they deny his Name at least they do not own it they have not so much as a little strength if they do not recover Peter was in such a temptation but he recovered his strength and got more strength and a firm standing upon it the shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him So God to shame his children suffers them sometimes to have dastardly spirits but they recover themselves they are ashamed of it but those that are common Politicians in this kind that will not stand out in a good cause to maintain their truth and profession when God thrusts his cause into their hands specially at such times when God saith to them Who is on my side who now is the time to appear then if they have not a word for God they will not own the quarrel and cause of God and Religion they have not a little strength for they that have a little strength here keep the Word and have not denyed the Name Those therefore that can fashion themselves to all Religions to all companies they will have a Religion mutable and flexible to their occasions where is the Earnest of the Spirit the Spirit as much as he is is strong and vigorous and powerful these men have not so much as a little strength that are as water which is fashioned to the vessel it is in like to the Samaritans as Joseph the Historian of the Jews writes of them When the Jewes prospered oh then they would be Jewes when the Jewes had ill successe then they were great enemies to the Jewes so you have many that are no friends to the afflicted to the disgraced truth but as long as the Cause of Religion is carried out with the Countenance of the State with the favour of great ones so far they will own it but if Christ once comes to be abased they will not know Christ nor his Cause I beseech you let us take notice of it it is a sign there is no grace at all where there is such an habitual disposition without shame or grief or repentance for Gods children sometimes may be overtaken with a spirit of dastardlinesse which afflicts them sore afterwards that they gather more strength A man may know if he be Gods child in such a state for it is universally true Gods children are never overtaken with a spirit of cowardlinesse and fear but they regain it and grow more strong upon it as we see in Cranmer and others God purposeth sometimes to let them see what they are in themselves without his support and strength but afterwards they gather new resolutions new purposes to stick firmer to the truth then ere before I might adde many other things but I go on to that which followes You see here now how we may try if we have any true Earnest in us at all or no. Now I beseech you let us labour to have this Earnest if we have it not to have this assurance especially let me desire those of the younger sort to labour to have the seal of this Spirit and the Earnest before they be further and further engaged into the world and before they be so hardened that they will not receive a contrary stamp to their corruptions It is a wondrous advantage that Gentlemen and others that are young before the world hath soiled them and before their understandings be darkened and their affections are crooked and carried away much with the stream and errours of the time they have much advantage above others for they have spirits fitter for grace fitter to receive the impression of this seal of the Spirit fitter for the Earnest Let us labour for this Earnest betimes what a comfortable thing will it be to carry along with the Earnest an assurance of a better estate from our youth to our age and from our age to our old age and so to heaven with us what a deal of comfort do young ones deprive and rob themselves of that will not be gracious betimes Let us labour to have the stamp of the Spirit set on us in our prime time in the strength of our years But I will presse the Point if the time will give leave afterwards Now we must know that God gives this Earnest not for himself but for us to secure us and that is one reason why it is called an Earnest There is besides bargaining another state and condition that Earnest is applyed unto which perhaps the Apostle aimes at as marriage whatsoever was before the Consummation of the marriage was a kind of Arrah a kind of Earnest to assure the affection of the contracted person and persons that loved one another till the Consummation of the marriage So Christ now contracts us on the earth and having love to us and taking our Nature on him that he might woo us in our own flesh and in our own nature taking upon him the Earnest of our flesh he gives us the Earnest of his Spirit and to assure us thaâ—… he loves us and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards he sends us love-tokens graces and comfort and joy Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca he sent by his servants Bracelets and Jewels and such things to secure her of his love So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the Match he sends us here graces and comforts of the Spirit and all to secure us all is for us I say
which I observe the rather because I would raise your hearts to hate unbelief and distrust exceedingly because God labours to undermine it by all means possible Wherefore doth he use so many terms here of Sealing Anointing and Earnest with words and Sacraments and all whatsoever may confirm you The Holy Ghost applyes it to us all this is that we may not doubt of the favour of God and therefore when we find any goodnesse in us let us accompt that to give false witnesse against our selves is a horrible sin it is to make God a liar God stands upon his credit and therefore take heed what we say specially if we have found the work of grace in former time any Earnest that we have no grace God doth this for our assurance all his dealing of Word and Sacraments of Earnest and Oath and all that may be to assure us and therefore we should not crosse the goodnesse of God so as to cherish such a disposition as is most contrary to him that he labours to undermine by all means And therefore here is the poyson of Popish Religion that it maintaines doubting and leaves men doubting indeed they do well to maintain it in their Doctrine for indeed they false found a man upon satisfaction they false found him upon Purgatory and merits and the foundation they have of a Christian soul is uncertain and therefore they may well teach doubting it suits with the course that they take but I say it is very corrupt for God useth all means that we should not doubt and therefore it is idly objected God for his part will but for our part we have reason to doubt why he in all things stoops to us he labours to secure us and therefore in the Covenant of grace he doth his part and ours too But I hasten to that which followes because I would end with the time To touch that a little distinctly by it self that the Spirit doth all the Earnest of the Spirit for indeed though Spirit be not added to stablishing yet the Spirit stablisheth by Christ and the Spirit it anoints and the Spirit seales to the day of redemption and the Earnest of the Spirit So it is the Holy Ghost doth all here you have the three Persons in the Trinity we have three grand Enemies the world the flesh and Satan Now here are the three persons in the Trinity stronger then all our enemies He which stablisheth us is God the Father by his Spirit upon whom upon Christ â—…n Christ and gives us the Earnest of his Spirit you have I say the three Persons of the Trinity here but why doth the Spirit give us the Earnest why doth the Spirit give us grace and comfort seal us and doth all and stablisheth us I answer First of all because now since the fall we have no principles of supernatural good and therefore it must be a principle above our nature to work both grace and comforts in our barren hearts Again as there is no principle to that which is supernaturally good so there is opposition to that which is supernaturally good and therefore there must be somewhat to overpower the corruption of our nature But why the Spirit rather then the Father and the Son He comes from both and proceeding from both he is fit to witnesse the love of both for the Holy Ghost is in the breast of the Father and the Son and proceeds from both and he knowes the secret love of the Father to us and the love of Christ Jesus Mediatour to us Now the Spirit knowing the secrets of God as a mans spirit saith the Apostle knowes his own secrets he knowes his love and he knowes whom he loves So the Spirit of God knowing the affection of the Father and the affection of Jesus Christ to us is fit to be an Earnest fit to be a Seal Indeed all things are wrought by the Spirit in grace for application the desert is from the Son originally from the Father but in regard of application of what is wrought by the Son all is by the Holy Ghost both graces and comforts the Holy Ghost takes from Christ for if grace be wrought it is with divine reasons from the love of God in Christ if grace he wrought it is from the wondrous love of God reconciled in Christ wherein heaven is opened hell is vanquished it is by reasons fetched from Christ and so he takes of mine as Christ saith He shall take of mine and give to you he takes reasons from Christ the holy Ghost whereby he makes all the application is altogether by the Spirit And it must be by the Spirit again because the Spirit of God and no lesse then the Spirit can quiet our spirits for when the soul is distempered it is like a distempered lock that no key can open So when the Conscience is troubled what creature can settle the troubled Conscience can open the ambages of a troubled Conscience in such perplexity and confusion and therefore to settle the troubled Conscience aright it must be somewhat above Conscience and that which must quiet the Spirit must be such a Spirit as is above our spirits This is excellently set down in this Epistle in the 3. Chap. the work of the holy Ghost in this kind But I cannot stand upon it now at this time I go on Likewise in the first Epistle to the Corinthians the second Chapter and 11. ver that one place shall stand in stead of all What man knowes the things of a man but the spirit of a man that is in him So the things of God no man knowes but the Spirit Now We have received the spirit not of the world but the Spirit of God to know the things that are freely given us of God if our spirits were in the heart and soul of another man in the breast of another man we should know what another man thinks if a man had a spirit in another mans spirit surely he would know all his thoughts and all his affections Now the holy Spirit of God is in the breast of the Father and the Son and he knowes our spirits better then we know our own spirits he searcheth he is a searcher as the word is in the original the Spirit is a searcher he searcheth our own hearts and he searcheth the secret love of God to us that is the Spirit must stablish us Well then if the Spirit doth all how shall we know then that we have this Spirit A note or two and so go on If we have this Spirit of God to seal us and to be an Earnest I will not speak all that may be but a little for indeed all comes from the Spirit Even as in our souls how may a man know that he hath a soul by living and moving by actions vital c. So we may know a man hath the Spirit of God by those actions that come onely from the Spirit which is to
the soul as the soul is in the body for as all beauty and motion comes from the soul to the body so to the soul from the Spirit all comes of the Spirit and therefore every saving grace is a sign that the Spirit is in us In a word the Spirit is in us in the nature of fire as in other things so in this in transforming wheresoever the Spirit dwells he transforms the soul he transforms the party like himself holy and gracious Those therefore that find the Spirit transforming and changing them in the use of the Ordinance of the Word they may know that they have the Spirit sealing them and being an Earnest to them They may know likewise that they have it wrought by the Spirit for every one grace you may knowspiritual graces are with conflict for what is true is with a great deal of resistance of that which is counterfeit Comforts and graces that are not the Earnest of the Spirit are with little conflict but where there are true comforts and graces of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit it is with much conflict with Satan and with himself for there is a great deal of Envy in the Divell against the man that walkes in the Spirit Thinks he what such a base creature as this is to have the Earnest of heaven to walk here as if he were in heaven already and to defie all opposite powers Nay I will trouble his peace he shall go mourning to heaven if he go there this is the reasoning of the cursed spirit and hereupon he labours to shake the assurance and perswasion and the grace and Comfort of a Christian it is with much conflict and temptation not onely with Satan but with his own heart Our hearts misgive us when we are guilty of some sins as alwaies there is guilt on the soul so much guilt so much doubt till the soul be free from giult it wil never but be casting of doubts and therefore there is alwaies resistance in us and there must be a higher power then the heart and soul of a man to set the heart down and quiet it It is alwaies in conflict And the gracet and comforts of the Spirit wrought by the Spirit are alwaies in the use of meanes holy means and it carries a man above the strength of nature it carries a man to the practice of that which he could not do by nature to pardon his enemies to pray for them to overcome revenge and to enjoy prosperity without pride in a comfortable measure and it enables him to practise the last Comandement That he shall be content with his estate and not lust after others and the first Comandement the graces of the holy Spirit enables a man to love God and to rejoyce in him above all as his best portion it makes his joy spiritual and it makes him delight in all connatural things that are like the Spirit as whatsoever is spiritual is connatural to the Spirit If a man have the graces of the Spirit he joyes in spiritual company he joyes in the presence of God he hates sin as being contrary to the Earnest of the Spirit he hates terrour of conscience and the way unto it he will look on good things as God lookes on them and as the Spirit looks on them and every thing that is spiritual he relisheth he savours the things of the Spirit Now be cause I will not detract your thoughts there are some six or seven properties of the Spirit in one Chapter that you may have them all together in Rom. 8. I will not name all but such as are easie First of all it is said in the 9. ver that the Spirit where it is it dwells as in a house now wheresoeve the Spirit is he is dwelling and ruling for the holy Ghost will not be an underling to lusts and he repaires and makes up the breaches of the soul where the Spirit dwells all the breaches are made up Ignorance to knowledge he begets knowledge and affection and love he prepares all he prepares his own dwelling and it is familiar and constant to the Spirit a dwelling implyes familiarity and constancy he is not in us as he is in wicked men that have the Spirit As Austin saith The Spirit of God knocks at their hearts but he doth not dwell there To go on that is the first The Spirit dwells in us if we have the Spirit And then the Spirit doth subdue the contrary for the Spirit when it comes into a man it pulls down all the strong holds it makes way for it self and therefore it is said to mortifie the deeds of the flesh ver 13. If you mortifie the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit you are led by the Spirit Those therefore that by the help of the Spirit by spiritual reasons subdue their corruptions they are led by the Spirit those that cherish corruptions or mortifie them not by spiritual reasons but out of civil respect to carry authority among men and therefore they would be free from aspersions as might disable their reputation they have not the Spirit Thirdly as many as are led by the Spirit are the sons of God the Spirit leads them as the Angel that went before the Israelites from Egypt unto Canaan so the Spirit of God like the Angel goes before us and leads us the way and removes the lets it doth lead us I say sweetly and not violently as the Devil leads his that are possessed with his spirit So that those that have the Spirit working grace and comfort in them sweetly he leads them and yet strongly too for it is strongly because it is against corruption and opposition from without but yet sweetly preserving the liberty and freedom of the soul. We by nature are like children or blind men we cannot lead our selves and therefore the Spirit leads us Those therefore that have the Spirit it leads them they submit themselves to the guidance and leading of the Spirit That is another evidence A fourth is this That it is a Spirit of adoption it assures us that we are the sons of God it gives us assurance of our adoption that we are the sons of God the same Spirit that sanctifieth us it witnesseth to us it makes us holy it witnesseth to us that we are the sons of God And then again the Spirit stirres up sighs and groans that cannot be expressed when we are not of our selves able to pray this is an evidence of the Earnest of the Spirit when we can send our sighes and groans to God I say God will hear the groans the voice of his own Spirits for whence come those sighes and groanes to God why should we not rather sink in despair in troubles but because the Spirit is in us Those therefoore that in extremity having nothing to comfort them and yet are able to send forth sighes and groans to God they may certainly know that they
and but helpers They do but utter and propound matter of joy grounds of joy from the Word of God but it is the Spirit of God that doth rejoyce the heart The fruit of the lips is peace it is true but it is when the Spirit of God speaks peace to the soul together with the lips God creates the fruit of the lips to be peace saith Esay The fruit of the lips is peace bâ—… God creates it to be so so the Ministers are comforters but God saith I even I am thy comforter We speak matters of comfort and grounds of comfort but God seals them to the heart by his holy Spirit God is the comforter himself He is the Father of comfort and the God of all consolation And the Spirit is called the comforter to shew unto us that however in the Ordinances the materials of comfort be set abroach to Gods people yet notwithstanding that that that speaks peace to the heart and sets on those comforts to the soul and conscience it is the Spirit of God God himself So there is the outward preaching and the spiritual preaching He hath his chair in heaven that teacheth the heart as S. Austin saith S. Paul speaks but God opens the heart of Lydia he hath the Key to open the heart Therefore you have all attributed to the Spirit of God In Joh. 16. I go hence but I will send you the comforter the Holy Ghost and what shall the Comforter do he shall convince the world of sin of righteousnesse and judgment Do not pretend therefore your own inability that you are unable to comfort or to cast down or to seal unto people their righteousnesse do you that that is your duty propound grounds of direction and casting down and of righteousnesse and of judgment of holy life after and then the Holy Ghost shall go with you the Comforter shall do this to the hearts of people the Holy Ghost shall convince What is Paul or what is Apollo but Ministers Paul may plant and Apollo may water but if God give not the increase what is all Therefore Christ promiseth his disciples that the Holy Ghost should accompany their teaching They might have objected Alas we shall teach the world that they are Gentiles that they are obstinate persons hardened in superstition Do not fear saith he I will send the Holy Ghost he shall fall upon you and furnish you Now when the Holy Ghost was in them and the Holy Ghost in their auditors too together with the Word inspired by the Holy Ghost when the Spirit meetes in these three there are wonders wrought When the Spirit of God is in the teacher and the Spirit of God in the hearers and the Spirit of God in the Word I say when there is one Spirit in the teacher and in the hearers and in the Word there are wonders wrought of conversion and comfort It is the Spirit that must do all we are nothing but Ministers Let a man conceive of us as Ministers and dispensers of the Gospel Ministers of comfort we are and but Ministers just so we are helpers of your joy but we are but helpers Those that account us not helpers of joy know not our calling and those that account us more that we are able to comfort people by the Word they turn the preaching of the Word to magick to a charm We can speak the Word but God must speak to the heart at the same time As it is with Physical water there is the water and there are many strong things in it What doth the water cure or purge it is a dead thing it hath no efficatious quality but to cool c. Whence comes the efficacy There are some cool herbs some strong things in it and then it doth wonders So what is the infusion of the Word but water but aqua vitae water of life the dew of heaven Rosa solis whence is it so as water no but there is a Divine influence and vigour in it that refresheth and quickeneth the soul. It doth not do it of it self but it hath a Divine influence of the Spirit So we see though Ministâ—…s be helpers of joy they are but helpers they are but the conduits that convey that that comes from the Spirit of God they are instruments of the Spirit You see it clear then that God only speaks comfort because the Spirit of God only knowes our spirits throughly The spirit of God can only comfort because he knowes all the discomforts of our hearts he knowes all our griefs all the corners of our hearts that the Minister cannot do The Minister may speak general comforts but the Spirit of God knowes all the windings and turnings of the heart and all the disconsolate pangs of the heart and soul every little pang and grief the Spirit of God knowes it Therefore the Spirit of God is the Comforter he strikes the nail and seales the comfort to the soul we are but helpers Then again the Spirit of God must do it because the soul must be set down with that that is stronger then it self it must be so convinced and set down that it must have more to say against the griefe or temptation then can be alledged by the Devil himself The soul before it be comforted it must be quieted and stilled Now who is above the soul and Satan that tempts the soul Let Satan be let loose to tempt the soul and the soul hath a hell in it self if God let it alone who is above those unspeakable torments of coascience if they be not allayed by the Spirit of God Who is above the soul but the Spirit of God will the soul allay it self no it will never Therefore the Spirit of God that is stronger and wiser then the soul and is the Spirit of light and strength it must set down and quiet and calm the soul that it hath nothing to say against the comfort it brings but quiets it self and saith I must rest I must see this is from heaven I am quiet This the Spirit doth Therefore make this Use of it that in all our endeavours to procure peace to our consciences and spiritual balm to the wounds of our soules let us go to this heavenly Physician not depend over-much upon the Ministery or reading or any outward task but in the use of all things lift up our hearts to God that he would comfort us by his Spirit that he would send the Comforter into our soules Though the disciples had comfort upon comfort by Christ yet till the Comforter came whose office it was to do it to seal his Word to their soules alas they were dead-hearted people but after the resurrection when the Comforter came and refreshed their memories and convinced their understandigs then they could remember all the sweet comforts that our blessed Saviour had taught them before So it is with us we hear many sweet comforts day after day out of Gods
sincerity by pleading corruptions By pleading afflictions Order in sincerity 1. A deep foundation 2. Faith 3. Love Simile Sincerity extends to all a mans life Wicked men have fits of goodnesse God judgeth by the tenour of our life Observ. Christianity may stand with converse in the world Observ. Religion makes a man converse in the world untainted Reason A Christian hath a spirit above the world Grace increased by opposition Not to tempt God by rushing into ill company Object Answ. Times appointed by God Halting in Religion brings danger Observ. We must have our conversation in sincerity while we live here Depravers of goodnesse blamed Observ. A true Christian best where he is best known Christians substantial not painted Use. To approve our selves most where we are best known Simile Ministers win by Life as well as Doctrine Wisdom either 1. Natural Simile Politick wisdome 3. Spiritual 4. Fleshly wisdom Wisdome what Carnal wisdome what Why fleshly wisdome Flesh what The Soul placed between good and evil Wisdome according as the man in whom it is All carnal men have not fleshly wisdome Observ. Fleshly wisdome where there is not sincerity Doctr. Gods Children noâ—… ruled by fleshly wisdome Reason 1. It is Gods enemy 2. It is our enemy Reason 2. It is base Reason 3. They must mortifie it Reas. 4. It doth all the mischief in the world It hinders from good It sets it self against good It hinders from reforming of ill It hinders from suffering It provokes to evil It keeps in ill Carnal wisdome mistaken Ground of Credulity Jealousie Use. To disclaim fleshly wisdome A great Judgement to begiven up to our selves August Use 2. To get our hearts changed Get assurance of salvation See the vanity of earthly thingse Not to walk by fleshly wisdome breeds joy To repent of carnal devices Gods Children not led onely by the rules of reason Christians renouncing fleshly wisdome have a better guide Quest. Why tâ—… Apostle names Grace not Wisdome Answ. Wisdome not from our selves but Gods Grace 2. We are guided not only by wisdome but other Graces 3. Our want of wisdome supplyed by grace Gods wisdome for us more then in us Why weaker christiani are sometimes safer Obser. A Christian needs wisdome 1. To avoid dangers 2. Because of the likenesse between good and evill 3. In regard of hindrances and helps to good 4. Good is not good without it 5. Good is hid under evil Wisdome may be bad Use. To go to God for wisdome God gives wisdome for the things of this life Men leaving Gods wisdome miscarry Use. Reprooâ—… of those that subordinate Religion to State-Policy Observ. True wisdome toucheth Conversation Use. Bad livers no bodies in Religion Grace two-fold 1. The favour of God 2. Something wrought in us 1. A Change 2. Particular graces 1. Heavenly light 2. Love 3. Hope Patience 4. Faith 3. Exciting applying strengthening Grace Doctr. All our wisdom from Grace Every thing necessary to heaven a grace Use. Not to ascribe any thing to our selves God ready to give Grace Reason Christ hath undertaken it Presumption Against Despair Consider our parts and duty Beg assistance of God Go to Christ. Go to the Promises Renounce Carnal Wisdome Incouragements to be guided by Grace Quest. Answ. Signes of being led by Grace 1. To renounce carnal wisdome Sign 2. Simplicity Sincerity Sign 3. The strength of Grace Sign 4. In men of great parts By abasing his gifts and parts In men of weaker parts Sign 5. From the ground of his actions Sign 6. Graces are together Every Grace of use to a Christian Sign 7. When a man provides for his best good Help 1. Submit all to the Spirit of Grace Self-denyal 〈◊〉 Humility 3. High esteem of wisdome 4. To acquaint our selves with God 5. To meditate on the free love and Grace of God 6. Challenge the Covenant of Grace Popery founded on carnal wisdome 1. In the Government 2. In their Worship 3. Opinions Best Statesmen who Observ. A Christian uniform Abuse of signes Observ. God is wise for those that walk by Grace Observ. Gods Children have place in the conscience of others Use. To approve our selves to mens consciences Trust what S. Paul's good conceit of the Corinthians Reason 1. Reason 2. Reas. 3. To entertain good conceits of others Saint Paul's resolution to hold to the end S. Paul's sourse to persevere How the Corinthians were S. Paul's rejoycing To imitate S. Paul in this Resolution The glory of a good life To take God in our resolutions Saint Paul's comfort Things of the world uncertain To examine what we acknowledge Men deceived in the death of others Danger of ill company Aggravation of Hell-torments Ground of ill mens cruelty To be constant in good courses Observ. A sign of a good estate to acknowledge him that hath told us of our sins Use. Tryal Acknowledgment what Christ acknowledged in the Minister Acknowledge Christ what Who acknowledgeth not Christ. To acknowledge the Word To acknowledge the Minister Ministers joyned with Christ in acceptance and neglect Doctr. A faithful Minister the joy of the people Reason He brings Christ the cause of joy Original of our joy Christ must be opened by the Ministery Use of the Ministery Ministers wooers for Christ. Ministers a gift of God The Ministery a great blessing Why God brings men to heaven by men Gods benefits come by the Ministery Use. To rejoyce in enjoying Gids Ordinance Doct. The peoples good is the Ministers joy 1. The matter of his joy 2. A meanes to increase his joy 3. The seal of his Ministery 4. To evidence that he was a good man Use. To be good under the Ministery Good communicative Wicked men draw others to sin Use. To labour to make others good The misery of opposers of goodnesse Not to leave Churches for some corruptions Observ. Christ hath a Day Simile Doctr. Christians rejoycing as it will be at the last day What will avail at the last day who take the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Application to the Sacrament How we are acquainted with Christ. To acknowledge Christ in the Sacrament what Thoughts of Judgment make us painful Observ. Good as far as may be to cherish a good opinion of others Reason 1. Reason 2. Not to cast off men for infirmities Use. Encouragement to inferiours to give occasion of good hope Observ. Personal presence hath a special power Use. To esteem Gods Ordinance Object Answ. Saint Paul's end in coming to Corinth Observ. Holy men work from holy ends Use. To look to our aimes in our actions Doctr. The preaching of the Gospel a special grace Reason It is the means to work all good in us Use. To esteem the Word as a Grace How to come to be thankful Doctr. Those that are in the state of Grace need a second grace Reason 1. From inward opposition Reas. 2. From without Reas. 3. From new temptations Reason 4. From the time to come Reason 5. From Satan Reason 6. From the capacity of the soul.
abuse Promises of this life 2. Gods Promises wondrously performed 3. God deferreth his performance To wait Gods time Believe contraries in contraries To have Amen for Gods Amen Complaint of Unbelief Faith in the Promises honours God Why God honors faith so much To make the Promises familiar How to make use of former examples What use to make of the story of our own lives Comfort in the false dealing of men To deceive trust odious Comfort in all changes in the world How the Word of the Lord endures for ever To rely constantly on the constant Promises To observe how God daily fulfills his Promises 1. For temporals 2. For spirituals Turn Promises into Prayers Labour to know the Promises Work the Promises on our hearts Evidences of believing the Promises 1. They breed joy 2. They quicken to obedience 3. They purge 4. They quiet the soul. 5. A staying of tâ—…e soul when all iâ—… contrary 6. Faithfulnesse in our Promises to God Quest. Answ. God gives grace to perform the Covenant God promiseth the things be requires Promises Legacies Covenant a Testament Threatnings of God Amen as well as Promises 7. Opposition of flesh and fleshly men Carnal men despise those that trust in Gods Promises To go to God in Christ to perform the promises How to think of Christ. All in the world nothing without Christ. Observ. Gods glory manifested in the Gospel More then in the Creation Our estate in Christ better then Adam's Glory of Gods Justice His Mercy Wisdome Power Truth To see Gods Attributes in Christ. To honour God by believing the Gospel Glory of God by the Ministery Observ. A double Amen 1. In Gods Promises 2. In our Faith Necessity of application Difference between faith and presumption Observ. Stablishing grace necessary Reason 1. In regard of our indisposition 2. In regard of oppositions Difference between true Christians and others Degrees of faith Observ. Christ the foundation of our stability 1. Our Judgment stablished in Christ. 2. Our Will 3. Our affections A Christians stability more then Adam's or Angels None are firm but Christians Observ. God onely can stablish the soul. 1. By shewing our misery and Christs excellency The ground of believing Gods Word Reason of Apostasie The reason of unfruitfulnesse The reason of Despair Spiritual knowledge necessary Observ. God will stablish us 1. Because he is constant All of Grace from God Ground of a Christians not falling away God stablisheth bâ—… working stablishing graces Fear Wisdome Faith Peace To value all good Christians The Spirit works as we are in the body Bond of communion of Saints Use. To give God the glory of our stablishing Strengthen radical graces 1. Humility 2. Faith 3. Knowledge Knowledge must be spirituall 1. Be acquainted with Gods Word 2. Take no scandal at those that shrink 3. Retain the truth in love 4. Practise truths â—…nown 5. Be frequent in holy conference 7. Pray to God to stablish us 8. Be spiritually poor 9. Hate lukewarmnesse Use 2. Examination of our stablishing 1. When it is grounded on the Word 2. When weak men overcome strong temptations 2. By freedome from base fears cares c. Examine our knowledge Examine our course of life None but a Christ an truly couragious in death 2. Desire of Christs coming Why God useth so many several words to secâ—… us What the Spirit is an Earnest of The Spirit an Earnest 1. For security 2. It is part of the whole 3. An Earnest is little to the whole 4. It serves the party receiving it 5. It is never taken away Observ. A Christian man be assured of his estate in grace All in the work of Redemption is for that end Christians not alike assured at all times Double act of saith 1. Direct 2. Reflect The reflect act may be hindred Naughty hearte content with a state of doubling Observ. Gods Children may be assured they shall held out to the end Grace and glory differ but in degrees Observ. Those that look to be happy must first be holy Observ. We may be assured from a little measure of grace The Spirit appears not in all graces at once A Christian is a mixed creature Use 2. To examine the truth of grace We may know grace is true though little 1. The soul mournes that it is little 2. Wait 3. To wait with Patience 4. Constancy 5. To purge our selves 6. Desire of accomplishment Cautions 1. When conscience is wounded 2. Have been carelesse 7. Growth in grace 8. Quieting of the soul. 9. True gold will endure the tryal 10. It will persevere Christians get strength by their falls To labour for assurance Earnest given for our sakes To labour against unbelief Earnest the work of the Spirit 1. He proceeds from Father and Son 2. He only can quiet the soul. How to know we have the Spirit 1. By life and motion 2. By transforming us 3. By Conflict 4. By supernatural obedience 5. It dwells in us 6. It mortifies sin 7. It leads us 8 It is a Spirit of adoption 9. It teacheth to pray 10. And to wait Directions to have the Spirit 1. Attend Gods means 2. Not to grieve the Spirit 1. By cherishing Lusts. 2. Obey the Spirit 3. Pray for the Spirit The Spirit makes impregnable No thankfulnesse without the Spirit No joy without the Spirit No willâ—…ngnesse to dye without it Parts of the Verse Observ. Mans nature prone to suspition Grounds of suspition 1. The infirmity of men 2. Guiltinesse 3. From Probabilities Suspition more then fear lesse then judgment Suspition what Suspition makes the worst construction Why the Devil cherisheth suspition Mischief from suspition Observ. To labour to avoid suspition Suspition a Canker That that is suspected is made unprofitable God labours â—…o free himself from suspition Christ labours to be freed from suspition Sin must be censured and judged Doctr. Gentle courses first to be used Reason 1. It is suitable to â—…ns nature Reason 2. To Gods disposition Reason 3. To the carriage of our salvation Reason 4. Gods course Reason 5. It is most successeful Reason 6. It is tasting Use. To deal gently with others Doctr. When gentle means prevail not severe must be used Reason Men must not spare that God may Against selfrâ—…spects in reproos of sin Use. People to be willing to bear of their sins How to prevent severity in others Vexation in hell to those that were cherished in sin Three-fold correction 1. Private admonition 2. Before others Definition of an Oath None but good men should take an Oath To swear by none but God Invocation in an Oath Imprecation Oath to be taken onely in serious matters An Oath must be 1. In Truth 2. In Judgment 3. In Justice Against equivocation An oath only in matters in determinable Oath lawful Ordinary Swearing forbidden Object Answ. Swearing without good life nothing Object Answ. Custome no plea for swearing Object Answ. Company no excuse for swearing Swearing ordinarily argues a vile heart Original of common swearing 1. Atheisme 2. Cherishing passion 3. Affectation 4. Shame Men should abstain swearing in love to the Kingdome For love to theâ—…r own sam lies Conscience of lessâ—…r oathes Ordinary Swearers curse themselves A Christians life a kind of oath Doctr. No man hath dominion over anothers faith 1. What it is not to have dominion over the faith of others What â—…ranny over the faith of others is Quest. Answ. The Church of Rome domineers over the faith of others 1. By Traditions 2. Will-worship 3. That the Pope cannot erre A grand lie that hinders their Reformation 4. Church Judge of Controversies 5. In the intentioâ—… of the Minister in the Sacrament Confession Satans malice to sit in Gods throne Popery would subdue all Use. To be thankful for freedome from this tyranny How to think of Popery Grounds of spiritual Tyranny Salvation termed joy why Doctr. 1. The state of a Christian is joy Nature teacheth it God gives matter of joy 1. Freedom from ill 2. The good they are brought to Reason 1. That God may have glory Reason 2. It makes active in doing good Reason 3. And able to suffer ill Reason 4. To encourage others Doctr. 2. The Word unfolded helps this joy To comfort what The Ministers helpers of joy 1. By shewing people their ill 2. By shewing the remedy 3. By advice Light Liberty Victory 4. By forcing it as a duty 5. In death Object Answ. Ministers trouble the joy of carnal men Object Answ. Private means will not comfort when publick are neglected Object Answ. The sorrow caused by the Ministery tends to joy Simile Object Answ. Simile Comfort what Use. To esteem the Ministery To open the case of our soules to spiritual Physitians Doctr. 3 Ministers but helpers not the authours of joy Simile Gods Spirit only specks comfort 1. He only knowes our hearts 2. He only can set down the soul. Use To look for comfort from the Spirit by the means Not to idolize the Ordinances why S. Paul varies the phrase Observ. Faith breeds joy 1 Faith takes away all that may discourage 2. It shewes Gods love in Christ. Pedigree of joy Use. To try if our joy be good 1. If it spring from the Word 2. It springs from faith 3. It is above discouragements or allurements 4. It is with humility Standing what meant by it Quest. Answ. Why our stand ing is by faith Four degrees of assent 1. Opinion 2. Knowledge 3. Believing 4. Experience How we stand by faith Quest. Answ. What faith it self stands on God our Father The nature of God Observ. The foundation of faith out of us Faith withstands opposition Quest. Answ. How we stand by faith when conscience is awakened for sin The firmnesse of a Christians standing If our knowledg of Scripture be not spiritual 1. We fall into sin 2. To despair 3. To Apostasie The Sacrament strengthens faith Faith the radical grace
shut but he keepes Court every day therefore Christ in the Gospel enjoynes us to go to God every day every day we say the Lords prayer forgive us our trespasses insinuating that the Court of mercy is kept every day to take out our pardon every day there is a pardon of course taken out At what time soever a sinner repents c. How shall we improve this mercy every day Do this when thou hast made a breach in thy conscience every day believe this that God is the Father of mercies and he may well be merciful now because he hath been sufficiently satisfied by the death of Christ He is the Father of Christ and the Father of mercies This do every day And withall consider our condition and estate is a state of dependance In him we live and move and have our being this will force us to mercie that he would hold us in the same estate we are in and go on with the work of grace that he would uphold us in health for that depends upon him that he would uphold us in peace for that depends upon him he is the God of peace that he would uphold us in comfort and strength to do good and resist evil we are in a dependant state and condition in all good of body and soul. He upholds the whole world and every particular let him take away his hand of merciful protection and susteining from us and we sink presently And every day consider how we are invironed with any danger remember we have compassing mercies as we have compassing dangers as it is Psal. 32. Mercy compasseth us round about Every day indeed we have need of mercie that is the way to have mercy here is a fountain of mercie the Father of mercy bowels opened the onely way to use it is to see what need we have of mercie and to flie to God to see what need we have in our souls and in regard of outward estate and to see that our condition is a dependant condition And lastly to make a use of thanfulnesse Blessed be God the Father of mercy we have the mercie of publick continued peace when others have war and their estates are consumed blessed be God the Father of mercie we sit under our own Vines and under our own figtrees If we have any personal mercies blessed be God the Father of mercies this way if he shew mercie to our souls and pardon our sins blessed be God the Father of mercies in this kind that he hath taken us and redeemed us out of that cursed estate that others walk in that are yet in their sins Oh it is a mercie and for this we should have inlarged hearts And withal consider the fearful estate of others that God doth not shew mercie to and this will make us thankfull As for instance if a man would be thankfull that hath a pardon let him see another executed that is broken upon the Wheele or the Rack or cut in pieces and tortured and then he will think I was in the same estate as this man is and I am pardoned Oh what a gratious Soveraign have I The consideration of the fearefull estate out of mercie what a fearefull estate those are in that live in sins against conscience that they are ready to drop into Hell when God strikes them with death if they dye so what a fearefull estate they are in and that God should give me pardon and grace to enter into another course of life that though I have not much grace yet I know it is true I am the child of God the consideration of the miserie of others in part in this world without repentance and especially what they shall suffer in Hell to consider the torment of the souls that are not in the state of Grace this will make us thankfull for mercies for pardoning and forgiving mercies for protecting mercies that God hath left thousands in the course of nature going on in a wilfull course of sinne This is that that the Apostle here practiseth Blessed be God the Father of mercies The other stile here is The God of all comfort The life of a Christian is a mysterie as in many respects so in this that whereas the flesh in him though he be not altogether flesh thinks him to be a man disconsolate the spirit finds matter of comfort and glory From whence the world begins discouragement and the flesh upbraiding from thence the spirit of God in holy Saint Paul begins matter of glory they thought him a man neglected of God because he was afflicted no saith he Blessed be the God of all comfort our comforts are above our discomforts As the wisdom of the flesh is enmitie to God and his spirit in all things so in this in the judgment of the cross for that which is bitterest to the flesh is sweetest to the spirit Saint Paul therefore opposeth his comforts spirituall to his disgraces outward and because it is unfit to mention any comfort any good from God without blessing of him that is the spring and fountain from whence we have all he takes occasion together with the mention of comfort to blesse God The God of all comfort The verse contains a wise prevention of scandall at the cross Saint Paul was a man of sorrows if ever any was next to Christ himselfe and that might prevent all scandall at his crosses and disgracefull afflicted usage he doth shew his comforts under the cross which he would not have wanted to have been without his cross therefore he begins here with praysing of God We praise God for favours and indeed the comforts he had in his crosses were more then the grievance he had by them therefore had cause to bless God Blessed be God c. The God of all comfort The God of comfort and the God of All comfort we must give Saint Paul leave to be thus large for his heart was full and a full heart a full expression And he speaks not out of books but from sense and feeling though he knew well enough that God was the Father of mercie God of all comfort that way yet these be wordsthat come from the heart come from feeling rather then from the tongue they came not from Saint Pauls pen onely his pen was first dipt in his heart and soule when he wrote this God is the Father of mercie and God of all comfort I feele him so he comforts me in all tribulations The God of all comfort To explaine the word a little Comfort is either the thing it selfe a comfortable outward thing a blessing of God wherein comfort is hid or else it is reasons because a man is an understanding creature reasons from which comfort is grounded or it is a real comfort inward and spirituall by the assistance and strength of the Spirit of God when perhaps there is no outward thing to comfort and perhaps reasons and discourse are not present at that time yet
despight of the world that will beare the cross of Christ For the other as their jollity increaseth in the world so their crosses and troubles shall increase As it is said Revel 18. 17. of mysticall Babylon the Church of Rome that hath flourished in the world a great while and sate as a Queen and blessed her self As she gloried herself and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her So it is true of every wicked man that is in an evill course and will be and as the Scripture phrase is blesseth himself in an evil course they shall be sure of the curse of God and not of comfort for in what proportion they have delighted themselves in this world in sin in that proportion they shall have torment of conscience if conscience be awaked in this world and in that proportion they shall have torment in the world to come As sin is growing so rods are growing for them wicked men saith St. Paul they grow worse and worse the more they sin the more they may they sink in rebellion and the more they sink in rebellion the more they sink in the state of damnation they fill up the measure of their sins and treasure up the wrath of God against the day of wrath Whosoever thou art that livest in a sinfull course and wilt do so in spight of Gods Ordinance in spight of the motions of the spirit that hast the good motions of the spirit knocking at thy soule and yet wilt rather refuse comfort then take comfort together with direction go on still in this thy wicked course but remember as thy comforts increase in this world so thy torment is increasing And here is the disproportion between Gods children and others they have their sufferings first and their comfort afterward but others have their pleasure first and their torment after theirs are for a time but others for ever Thus we see what we may comfortably observe from this that comforts increase as crosses increase A Word of the fourth and last point How comes this to pass that as our afflictions abound so our consolations abound They abound by Chrst saith the Apostle God the Father he is the God of comfort the Holy-Ghost is the Comforter but how comes this to pass that we that are not the Objects of comfort but of confusion should have God the Father to be the God of comfort and the Holy-Ghost to be our comforter Oh it is that Jesus Christ the great peace-maker hath satisfied God and procured the Holy-Ghost for the holy-Ghost is procured by the satisfaction and death of Christ and he was sent after the resurrection and ascension of Christ. Therefore Christ is called the consolation of Israel and those that waited for Christ waited for the consolation of Israel All comfort is hid in Christ he is the store-house of comfort we have it through him and by him and in him For that God is the Father of comfort it is because Christ is our Mediatour and Intercessour in Heaven that the Holy-Ghost is the comforter it is because Christ sent him and the comforts of the holy-Ghost are fetched from Christ from the death of Christ or the ascention of Christ from some argument from Christ. Whatsoever comforteth the soule the Holy-Ghost doth it by fetching some argument from Christ from his satisfaction from his worth from his intercession in Heaven something in Christ it is So Christ by his Spirit doth comfort and the reasons fetched by the Spirit are from Christ therefore it is by Christ. What is the reason that a Christian soule doth not feare God as a consuming fire but can look upon him with comfort It is because God hath received satisfaction by Christ. What is the reason that a Christian soule feares not Hell but thinks of it with comfort Christ hath conquered Hell and Satan What is the reason that a Christian feares not death Christ by death hath overcome death and him that had the power of death the Devill Christ is mine saith the Christian soule therefore I do not feare it but think of it with comfort because a Christian is more then a Conquerour over all these What is the reason that a Christian is not afraid of his corruptions and sins He knows that God for Christs sake will pardon them and that the remainder of his corruptions will worke to his humiliation and to his good All shall work for the best to them that love God What is the reason that there is not any thing in the world but it is comfortable to a Christian When he thinks of God he thinks of him as a Father of comfort when he thinks of the Holy-Ghost he thinks of him as a spirit of comfort when he thinks of Angels he thinks of them as his attendants when he thinks of Heaven he thinks of it as of his inheritance he thinks of Saints as a communion whereof he is partaker whence is all this By Christ who hath made God our Father the holy-Ghost our Comforter who hath made Angels ours Saints ours heaven ours earth ours Devils ours death ours all ours in issue For God being turned in love to us all is turned our crosses are no curses now but comforts and the bitterest crosses yield the sweetst comforts All this is by Christ that hath turned the course of things and hid blessings in the greatest crosses that ever were And this he did in himself before he doth it in us for did not his greatest crosses tend to his greatest glory who ever in the world was abased as our head Christ Jesus was that made him crie My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee All the Creatures in the world would have sunk under the sufferings that Christ indured what abasement to the abasement of Christ and what glorie to the glorie of Christ Phil 2. He humbled himself to the death of the cross wherefore God gave him a name above all names that at the name of Jesus euery knee should bow both of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth Now as it was in our head his greatest abasement ushered in his greatest glorie so it shall be in us our greatest crosses are before our greatest comforts he is our President he is the exemplarie cause as well as the efficient working cause it is by Christ all this that consolations abound in us it was performed first in him and shall be by him by his Spirit to the end of the world The use that we are to make of this is that in all our sufferings before we come to Heaven we should look to Christ he hath turned all things let us study Christ and fetch comfort from him our flesh was abased in him our flesh is glorified in him now in Heaven in his person And so it must be in our own persons our flesh must be abased and then as he is glorious in Heaven so shall we be in our selves That very
Spirit that raised and advanced him at the lowest that very spirit there being but one spirit in the head and members in our greatest abasement shall vouchsafe us the greatest advancement that we can look for to sit at the right hand of God to reigne with Christ for if we suffer with him we shall reign with him And hence you may have a reason likewise why Christians have no more comfort they doe not studie Christ enough they consider not Christ and the neernesse wherein Christ is to them and they to Christ that both make one Christ they doe not consider how Christ hath sweetned all he hath turned God and turned all to us he hath made God our Father and in him all things favourable unto us so that now the fire is our friend the Stone and the Gout and all diseases disgrace and temptation all are at peace and league with us all is turned in the use and issue to good to the help and comfort of Gods Children All things are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods 2 Cor. 3. ult There is not the worst thing but it is at peace with us because the malignant power it hath in order to damnation is taken away now it doth not hurt us but there is a soveraigne curing power to turne it to good I confesse Gods Children are discomforted but then they wrong their principles they wrong their grounds their religion their Saviour they wrong all the comforts they have interest in because they do not improve them when occasion serves As Job is checked Hast thou forgot the consolations of the Almighty or why dost thou forget them so if we have consolations and forget them and dote and pore upon our grievance it is just with God to leave us comfortless not that we want any comfort but we flatter our grievance and forget our comfort Let us change our object and when we have looked upon our grievance and been humbled in the sight of our sins let us look upon the promises let us look upon Christ in glory and see our selves in Heaven triumphing with him What can terrifie a Soul not Death it self when it sees it self in Christ Triumphing Faith sees me as well Triumphing in Heaven and sitting at the Right Hand of God as it doth Christ for it knowes I am a Member of Christ and whatsoever is between me and that happiness that is reserved for me in Heaven I shall triumph over it Christ triumphed in his own person over death Hell sin the Grave the Devil and she will triumph in me his mysticall body what he hath done in himself he will doe in me This faith will overcome the world and the Devill and Hell and all that is between us and Heaven A Christian that sees himself sitting at the right hand of God with Christ triumphing with him he is discouraged at nothing for faith that makes things to come present it sees him conquering alreadie Let us be exhorted to joy Rejoyce and again I say rejoyce we have reason to do so if we look to our grounds but when we yield to Satan and our own flesh we robb God of his glory and our selves of comfort but we may thank our selves for it But I come to the sixth verse wherein the Apostle inlargeth himself by shewing the end of his sufferings in regard of them by setting downe both parts both affliction and comfort VERS VI. Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation or whether we be comforted it is for your consolation and salvation IT is much in every thing how the mind is prepared to receive what is spoken the Apostle therefore to make way for himself in their hearts he removes therefore scandall from his sufferings and he shews that it was so farre that they should take offence at it that they ought to do as he did to bless God for it for as the sufferings of Christ abounded in him so his comfort abounded And because they should think themselves no way hurt by his sufferings and base usage in the world he tels them in the verse that all was for their good no man should be offended at his own good they had no reason to take scandall at that which was for their good but saith he if you think basely of me for my sufferings you think basely of your own comfort for my sufferings are for your good and my comforts are for your good whether I suffer or be comforted it is or you The crosse is a distastfull thing to us and likewise the crosse in others is a distastefull thing not onely distastfull and bitter to us but shamefull St. Paul knowing this because he would as I said work himself into their good conceit that he might prevaile with them for their good saith he you ought not to think a whit the worse of me for this for all is for you So you see the scope of the words Whether we be afflicted it is for your c. But first he speakes of affliction alone and then of comfort alone If we be afflicted it is for your good and if we be comforted it is for your good His reason is because sometimes afflictions appeare without comfort therefore he saith not If we be comforted onely it is for your good but if we be afflicted it is for your good Sometimes comfort is before our afflictions that we may indure it the better God cheares us to it Sometimes God sheds his Spirit in affliction that there is abundance of comfort in it but for the most part it comes after after we have waited but in it there is always such a measure of comfort that supports us that we sink not yet the speciall degree of comfort usually comes after therefore he speaks of affliction in the first place If I be afflicted it is for you c. The Point is easie that The afflictions of the Saints are for the good of others The afflictions of Gods Church are Gods peoples especially the afflictions of Pastors and Leaders of Gods Armie God singles out some to suffer for the good of others the good especially of consolation and salvation for these two goods How can this be that the afflictions of Gods people are for the consolation and salvation of others I answer many wayes as we shall see afterwards more particularly but onely now to make way Afflictions are for the good and comfort of others because we have their example in suffering to traine us up how to suffer Example is a forcible kinde of teaching therefore saith the Apostle our afflictions are for you to lead and teach you the way how to suffer Words are not enough especially in matter of suffering there must be some example therefore Christ from Heaven came not onely to redeem us but to teach us not onely by words but by example how to doe and suffer willingly and chearfully and stoutly in obedience to God as he
forgiven witnessing that he lives as a Christian should do witnessing that he hath the evidences of his justification that he hath a holy life the pledge likewise of future glory his joy is well bred Likewise it is permanent Other mens joy and rejoycing is but as a flash of thornes as the Wise man calls it as it were a flame in thornes as the crackling of thornes which is sooner gone And it is an unseemly glorying and rejoycing for a man to glory in that which is worse then himself and in that which is out of himself as all other things are out of a mans self and worse and meaner then a mans self therefore a man cannot rejoyce in them and be wise It is a disparagement to the wisdom of a man to glory in things that are meaner then himself and that are out of himself A holy Christian hath that in himself and that which is more excellent then himself to glory in This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience All other rejoycing it is vain glorie and vain rejoycing therefore in Jerem. 9. saith he Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome let not the strong man glory in his strength let not the rich man glorie in his riches but if a man will glorie let him glorie that he knowes the Lord to be his and that he knowes himself to be the Lords When he knowes the Lord to be his and himself to be Gods by faith and a good conscience then there is matter of glorying Of all kind of men God doth hate proud boasters most of all for glory is the froth of pride and God hates pride he opposeth pride and sets himself in battel aray against it and who can thrive that hath God for his enemie boasting and pride in any earthly thing it is against all the commandements almost It is Idolatrie it makes that we boast and glorie in an Idoll whereas we should glorie in God that gives it And it is spirituall adulterie when we cleave in our affections to some outward thing more then to God It is false witnesse pride is a false glasse it makes the things and the men themselves that enjoy them to seem greater then they are The divell amplifies earthly things to a carnall man in a false glasse that they seeme big to him whereas if he could see them in their true colours they are false things they are snares and hinderances in the way to heaven and many such names they have The Scripture gives an ill report of them They are vanity and vexation of spirit because we should be discouraged from setting our affections on these things and from glorying in them Therefore let us take heed of false glorying if we will glorie we see here what we are to glory in This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience c. And this we may justify and stand by that it is good It is the Testimony of conscience This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience The testimony of conscience it is a matter and ground of joy to a true Christian here we are to consider these things First to consider a little the nature of conscience And then that conscience beares witnesse that there is a testimony of conscience And that this conscience bearing witnesse is a ground of comfort For the first Every man feeles and knowes what conscience meanes There be many rigid disputes of it among the Schoole men that had leisure enough of all men knew as little and felt what it was as any sort of men living under the darkness of Poperie and superstition and being in thraldome to the Pope and to the corruptions of the times they lived in They have much jangling about the description of it whether it be the soule it self or a facultie or an act In a word Conscience is all these in some sort in diverse respects therefore I will not wrangle with any particular opinion For what is conscience but the soul it self reflecting upon it self It is the propertie of the reasonable soule and the excellencie of it that it can return upon it self The beast cannot for it runs right forward it knowes it is carried to the object but it cannot returne and recoile upon it self but the soule of the reasonable creature of all even from men to God himself who understands in the highest degree though he do not discourse as man doth yet he knowes himself he knowes and understands his owne excellencie And wheresoever there is understanding there is a reflect act whereby the soule returnes upon it self and knowes what it doth it knowes what it wills it knowes what it affects it knowes what it speakes it knowes all in it and all out of it It is the propertie of the soule Therefore the originall word in the Old Testament that signifies the heart it is taken for conscience Conscience and heart are all one I am perswaded in my soul that is in my conscience and the Spirit witnesseth to our spirit that is to our conscience Conscience is called the spirit the Heart the soul because it is nothing but the soul reflecting and returning upon it self Therefore it is called conscience that is one knowing joyned with another because conscience knowes it self and it knowes what it knowes it knowes what the heart is it not onely knowes it self but it is a knowledge of the heart with God It is called conscience because it knowes with God for what conscience knowes God knowes that is above conscience It is a knowledge with God and a knowledge of a mans selfe And so it may be the soule it self indued with that excellent facultie of reflecting and returning upon it self therefore it judgeth of its own acts because it can return upon it self Conscience likewise in some sort may be called a faculty the common stream runs that way that it is a power It is not one power but conscience is in all the powers of the soule for it is in the understanding and there it rules conscience is it by which it is ruled and guided Conscience is nothing but an application of it to some particular to some thing it knowes to some rules it knowes before Conscience is in the will in the affections the joy of conscience and the peace of conscience and so it runs through the whole soule It is not one facultie or two but it is placed in all the faculties And some will needs have it an act a particuler act and not a power When it doth exercise conscience it is an act when it accuseth or excuseth or when it witnesseth it is an act at that time it is a facultie in act So that we need not to wrangle whether it be this or that let us comprehend as much in our notions as we can that it is the soul the heart the spirit of a man returning upon it self and it hath something to doe in
all the powers and it is an act it self when it is stirred up to accuse or to excuse to punish a man with fears and terrours or to comfort him with joy and the like Now Conscience it is a most excellent thing it is above reason and sense for conscience is under God and hath an eye to God alway An Atheist can have no conscience therefore because he takes a way the ground of conscience which is an eye to God Conscience lookes to God it is placed as Gods Deputy and vicegerent in man Now it is above reason in this respect Reason saith you ought to do this it is a comely thing it is a thing acceptable with men amongst whom you live and converse it becomes your condition as you are a man to carrie your self thus it agrees with the rules and principles of nature in you Thus saith reason and they are good motives from reason But conscience goeth higher There is a God to whom I must answer there is a judgment therefore I do this and therefore I do not this It is a more divine a more excellent power in man then any thing else then sense or reason or whatsoever As it is planted by God for special use so it looks to God in all Therefore the name for conscience in the Greek and Latine signifies a knowledge with another because it is a knowledge with God God and my own heart knowes this God and my conscience as we use to say There are three things joyned with conscience It is a knowledge with a rule with a generall rule that is alway the foundation of conscience in a man For there is a general rule Whosoever commits murther whosoever commits adultery whosoever is a blasphemer a swearer a covetous corrupt person he shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven as the Apostle saith Here is the generall rule now conscience applies it but I am such a one therefore I shall not enter into heaven so here the conscience it practiseth with a rule It is a knowledge of those particulars with a generall rule And then it is a knowledge of me of my own heart I know what I have done I know what I doe and in what manner whether in hypocrisie or sincerity I know what I think And then it is a knowledge with God for God knows what conscience knowes he knowes what is thought or done Conscience is above me and God is above conscience Conscience is above me and above all men in the world for it is immediately subjugated to God conscience knowes more then the world and God knowes a thousand times more then Conscience or the world It is a knowledge with a general rule for where there is no generall rule there is no conscience To make this a little clearer all have a rule those that have not the Word which is the best rule of all yet they have the Word written in their hearts they have a naturall Judicature in their souls their conscience excusing or accusing one another they have a generall rule you must do no wrong you must do that which is right In the soule there is a treasurie of rules by nature the Word doth add more rules the Law and the Gospel and that part of the soule that preserves rules is called intellectual because it preserves rules all men by nature have these graven in the soule And therefore the Heathen were exact in the rules of justice in the principles which they had by nature grafted and planted in them Now because the copie of the Image of God the Law of God written in nature was much blurred since the fall God gave a new copie of his law which was more exact therefore the Jewes which had the Word of God should have had more conscience then the Heathen because they had a better generall rule And now we having the Gospell too which is a more Evangelicall rule we should be more exact in our lives then they But every man in the world hath a rule If men sin without the Law they shall be judged without the law by the principles of nature if they sin under the Gospell they shall be judged by the Word and Gospell So that conscience it is a knowledge with a rule and with the particular actions that I have done and a knowledge with God In a word to clear this further concerning the nature of conscience know that God hath set up in man a Court and there is in man all that are in a Court There is a Register to take notice of what we have done besides the generall rule for that is the ground and foundation of all there is conscience which is a Register to set down whatsoever we have done exactly the conscience keeps diaries it sets down every thing it is not forgotten though we think it is when conscience is once awaked As in Jer. 17. The sins of Judah are written with a pen of Iron and with the point of a Diamond upon their souls all their wit and craft will not rase it out It may be forgotten a while by the rage of lusts or one thing or other but there is a Register that writes it downe conscience is the Register And then there are Witnesses The testimony of conscience conscience doth witness this I have done this I have not done There is an Accuser with the witness the conscience it accuseth or excuseth And then there is the Judge conscience is the Judge there it doth judge this is well done this is ill done Then there is an Executioner and conscience is that too upon accusation and judgement there is punishment The first punishment is within a man alway before he come to hell The punishment of conscience it is a prejudice of future judgment there is a flash of hell presently after an ill act The Heathen could observe that God hath framed the heart and the brain so as there is a sympathic between them that whatsoever is in the understanding that is well and comfortable the understanding in the braine sends it to the heart and raiseth some comfort If the understanding apprehend dolorous things ill matters then the heart smites as Davids heart smote him the heart smites with grief for the present and with fear for the time to come In good things it brings joy presently and hope for the time to come that followes a good excusing conscience God hath set and planted in man this Court of conscience and it is Gods Hall as it were wherein he keeps his first judgement wherein he keeps his Assizes And conscience doth all the parts it registreth it witnesseth it accuseth it judgeth it executes it doth all Now you see in generall what the nature of conscience is and why it is planted in us by God One maine end among the rest besides his love to us to keep us from sin and then by smiting us