An Expository Comment on 2 Corinthians 1, Exposition · Sermon 34
SERM. XXXIV.
How God is the God of comfort, yea of all comfort and conſolations to all thoſe that are his.
2 COR. 1. 3.
And the God of all comfort.
THe next ground, why God is to be bleſſed, is, becauſe he is a God of all comfort. Now although this might ſeem to be the ſame with the former, when he is ſtiled the Father of mercies. Yet we may make that diſtinction, which Aquinas upon the place giveth, viz. That he is a Father of mercies, becauſe he doth either prevent, or remove thoſe miſeries, that our ſins do deſerve; but he is the God of all conſelation, in that, though our afflictions and tribulations be not taken away, yet while we are in them, he doth give many conſolations, and cauſeth much joy in the heart. God therefore is called the God of comfort, in this reſpect, that though for juſt and wiſe ends, he will not deliver his people from ſad exerciſes, yet he will in thoſe exercſes give them ſuch ſtrong cordials, and ſweet revivings, that they ſhall not only have patience to bear them, but even joy in them.
So that in the words we may take notice of what he is ſaid to be, a God; and then the Extent, or Univerſality of it, a God of comfort, and a God of all comfort. The Greek word foreign, is uſed ſometimes for exhortation; and ſometimes for comfort; for exhortation, Act. 13. 15. Rom. 12. 8. and for comfort in many places. In 1 Cor. 14. 3. there is foreign and foreign, Exhortation and comfort put together. Some ſay, therefore is the ſame word put for exhortation and comfort, becauſe ſpiritual conſolation is hardly received by the afflicted humbled ſinner; and therefore he muſt again and again be preſſed and exhorted to entertain it; for the Devil is the prince of darkneſs, and father of terrors and fears, and ſo immediately oppoſite to this glorious Attribute in God, The God of all comfort. The holy Ghoſt from this word is called foreign, the Comforter. So that although by way of oeconomy it is attributed to him in an appropriated manner, yet that doth not exclude the Father. For opera ad extra ſunt indiviſa, but (as was formerly ſaid) this fountain doth not need any ſtone to be removed from it, and therefore we may immediately drink of it. Obſerve,
That God is a God of all comfort to ſuch as are his.God is a God of all comfort to all his children.
The Apoſtle is not content to call him only the Father of mercies; but as a further aggravation of his goodneſs, repreſents him to us, as a God of all conſolation. For though he be a Father of mercies, yet becauſe a Father, he doth chaſten and correct us; it is neceſſary therefore that under thoſe corrections, we ſhould be ſupported by heavenly conſolations from him, Rom. 15. 5. Paul doth in that place alſo ſtyle him, The God of patience and conſolation; the God that giveth us to be patient and lowly under his hand. For who is not furious and fretting againſt God under chaſtiſements, if God give not a meek and patient ſpirit? But that is not all, he is alſo a God of conſolation, that is more than patience; he giveth ſongs in the night; he turneth our water into wine; Though tears may be for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning.
But let us conſider, how much is comprehended in this expreſſion, The God What is comprehended in that expreſſion, God is the God of comfort.of all conſolation, wherein every word hath ſome emphaſis. As
Firſt, In that he is ſaid to be a God of comfort, a God, that intimateth theſe things to us:
1. That he hath a ſupream power, and independent Dominion and Sovereignty over us, whereby he diſtributeth comfort, when, where, and to whom he pleaſeth. For in being a God of it, that ſuppoſeth all comfort is at his command; he makes it go where he goeth, and he taketh it away where he pleaſeth. Hence we read in Scripture a cup of conſolation, Jer. 16. 7. and a cup of ſalvation, Pſal. 116. 3. and Pſal. 23. 5. David ſpeaketh of his cup running over, that is, a cup of gladnes and joy. Now why is it called a Cup? Expoſitors ſay, It's an alluſion to the maſter of a feaſt amongſt the Jews, whoſe cuſtome was to aſſign the Cup of praiſe, and thanks to thoſe who were to drink of it. In that then it is called the Cup of gladneſſe, that ſuppoſeth it to be a cup in Gods hand, who is the chief governour of the world, and that he giveth thoſe to drink, whom he approveth of. Even as the Scripture ſpeaks alſo of a Cup of aſtoniſhment, a cup of anger and fury in his hand, which he will make nations to drink off whether they will or no, Jer. 25. 28. God then hath a cup of joy in his hand, and he giveth his people to drink of it, when he pleaſeth; we cannot have joy and comfort when we pleaſe. The godly afflicted ſoul would give a world for comfort in his heart, but he cannot procure a drop to his own ſoul by his own power.
2. He is a God of conſolation, and that ſuppoſeth him to be alone the efficient cauſe of it. That if we would have our ſad and darkned hearts filled with joy, it is God alone that can do it: So that as he is called, The God of all grace, becauſe there is no grace, whether outward or inherent that we are made partakers of; but it cometh alone, and freely from God the fountain: So is he alſo the God of all comfort, becauſe it's he alone that worketh this comfort in us. The leaſt affliction, the leaſt ſinne in its guilt, would be enough to overwhelm us, did not God come in with comfort. David under the ſenſe of Gods wrath for his ſins, and complaining of his broken bones, Pſal. 51. doth earneſtly pray to God, To reſtore joy to him again. Alas he was never able to bring joy more into his ſoul: But as when the Sun is ſet, all the men in the world cannot make it riſe again, it would be perpetual night, if God did not make the Sunne to ariſe. So the godly heart humbled for ſinne, would find continual blackneſs and horrour, would be in a perpetual hell, if God did not create light in that ſoul. Hence Gal. 5. Joy is made the fruit of the Spirit, becauſe it's the Spirit of God that can only comfort the heart truly. Indeed there is much carnal and worldly joy, that men may for a while ſport themſelves with, but this is no true enduring comfort; It is but a vapour, a dream, a blaze, like the tickling upon a ſcratch, that leaveth more ſmart afterwards. He is therefore a God of conſolation, becauſe God only can vouchſafe it.
3. He is the God of comfort, becauſe whom he will comfort, ſhall be comforted. As he makes men drink the cup of his anger, whether they will or no, ſo even thoſe humbled ſouls, who with frowardneſs and unbelief ſet themſelves againſt comfort; they do with Rachel refuſe all comfort, yet God doth wonderfully bring comfort into their hearts. How ſubtil and reſolute are ſometimes Gods own ſervants, while in darkneſs, to argue againſt, and reſuſe the comfort, that the Miniſters of the Goſpel bring to them; They will not let the good Samaritans pour oyl into their wounds. But when God cometh with comfort, then theſe boiſterous winds and waves will preſently be ſilent. Hence David, Pſal. 4. acknowledgeth, God had put more comfort in his heart, then they had in the abundance of all earthly joy. God did put it into his heart, even with a kind of holy irreſiſtibleneſs; when he comforts, neither ſinne, or the Law, or the Devil can diſcomfort. Inſomuch that it's great matter of praiſe to God, when the ſoul hath been at the very borders of hell, and hath been ready to be ſwallowed up with overmuch grief, that then, even then God hath cauſed joy to ariſe in the ſoul, ſo that all his doubts, all his darkneſs, they are diſpelled; and as the Church ſaid, When their captivity was turned as the ſtreams in the South, they were like men in a dream. Thus are they even aſtoniſhed to ſee what a wonderfull alteration God hath made upon them, turning a barren wilderneſs into a pleaſant pool. Thus God comforts, as he teacheth; none teacheth like him; for he doth not only reveal the object to be known, but prepareth and fitteth the ſubject to underſtand: whereas man teacheth only by propounding Truths, but cannot give a mind to underſtand. Thus God alſo comforteth, as no friend can, no Miniſter can, becauſe God doth perſwade the heart; he can take away the fears and the doubts, and ſo make all comfort to have an immediate illapſe into the ſoul: whereas even the Miniſters of the Goſpel, though they bring the glad tidings of peace; Though they have the tongue of the learned to ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to the afflicted ſoul, yet they can bring this no further than into the ear, they cannot make it at all deſcend into the heart; inſomuch that Miniſters comfort in vain, and the Sacraments they ſeal comfort in vain, till God do alter and change the heart. And thus much is conſiderable, becauſe it's ſaid, The God of conſolation.
Secondly, What is implied in the word Conſolation: And
1. We are to know, this is one of the ſweeteſt mercies in all Gods ſtore-houſe, comfort What is implied in the word conſolation.and conſolation; and that in this valley of tears, where we meet with ſo much diſcomfort, where there are ſo many grieving and tormenting paſſages. This makes the mercy to be of greater moment. For what if a man had the abundance his heart can deſire, yet if he have no comfort in any thing, a dead man, yea a dead dog is better than ſuch an one. Inſomuch that a mans whole life is almoſt for nothing but a comfortable life. Comfort and delight is ſo great a matter, that ſome Philoſophers placed utmoſt happineſs therein. Look over the whole world, and you will ſee, not every man that is moſt wiſe, or moſt great, not every one that liveth in moſt abundance and moſt honour, but he that liveth moſt comfortably, liveth the life moſt to be deſired. Yea many time a Crown of gold is a crown of thorns; and a cottage hath more comfort than a Palace. So that the mercy here ſpoken of, is the ſalt that ſeaſons all conditions; without this a man is no better than a Cain, or a Judas; without this every houſe and field is an hell. When therefore it's ſaid, The God of comfort, here is inſinuated the moſt deſirable thing that can be. Yea, it's no wonder to hear, that if a man hath wealth and honours, but without comfort, that his life is a torment. For although a man have true grace, and be an eminent ſervant of God, and therefore will be certainly bleſſed hereafter, yet becauſe he hath no comfort in his ſoul, his condition is very terrible and ſad: As you ſee it was with Job, yea with Chriſt himſelf, though the only Sonne of God, yet becauſe without comfort, when at the ſame time he was full of grace and holineſs, what grief and agonies did he conflict with. So that your comfort is like oyl (it's called the oyl of gladneſs) for it will be alwayes uppermoſt in the ſoul.
2. Comfort is ſuch a rare mercy, that unleſs God give it, it is not to be found in the heart of a man. For how can comfort and ſinne be together? Every man hath by nature forfeited all his comforts. There is not the leaſt drop of comfort, but every man hath outed himſelf of it; ſo that man and the Devils are all alike in reſpect of deſerts. As the Devil cannot any where gather up ſo much as a crum of a comfort, ſo neither might any man living. The whole world might juſtly become an hell, and not one drop of comfort to be found in it. Therefore that God is a God of comfort to a believer, it's an unſpeakable mercy, for of himſelf cannot come any comfort, nothing but briars and thorns, nothing but helliſh torments and deſpair, will naturally ariſe in our hearts. So that comfort is the more to be prized, becauſe we have loſt all, and might juſtly be as full of horrour and fears, as we are of ſin. As ſin hath abounded, ſo not grace, but vengeance might abound much more. Hence
In the third place, Therefore is God a God of conſolation, becauſe Chriſt hath made a full atonement for us by his bloud. Such a glorious expreſſion as this, could not have been true in the world, but for Chriſt; if no Chriſt, then no comfort. Hence in the Text it is ſaid, The Father of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt; and then followeth, The God of comfort. So that as we are to pray in the name of Chriſt, ſo we are alſo in his name to offer up praiſe and thankſgiving. It's then through Chriſt alone, that he is a God of comfort; and indeed without Chriſt, he is the God of all wrath and vengeance, of all anger and judgements; his holineſs and juſtice is ſuch, that were it not through him, he would be a conſuming fire, and the moſt holy man would not be able to ſtand in his ſight. So that it coſt Chriſt dear to make a way and paſſage of comfort for us.
Laſtly, God through Chriſt being thus the fountain of all conſolation, hence it is that he doth moſt genuinely and properly of himſelf, ſhew mercy and vouchſafe comfort. Even as the Bee of it ſelf makes honey, but never ſtings, except when provoked. Thus if we walk not alwayes comfortably, if we live not in holy joy and gladneſs of heart, this ariſeth from our ſelves. The vapours that turn into ſtorms and thunder come from our own bowels, otherwiſe God would alwayes be communicating conſolations to us; we ſhut out the light from us, we turn ſweetneſs into bitterneſs. Thus the Pſalmiſt ſaith, That God doth not afflict willingly. The works of juſtice are commonly called alienum opus; but Gods works of juſtice are his proper works, as well as of mercy; only our ſins ſtirre him up, and provoke him to the one, but his meer goodneſs and mercy inclineth to the other, ſo that now God would alwayes fill the hearts of his children with rejoycing, did not they obſtruct it themſelves.
In the third and laſt place, he is ſaid to be the God of all conſolation. There is How he is a God of all conſolations.the extent of it, All conſolation, which implieth,
1. That there is no conſolation but cometh from him; no true and ſolid comfort, but God beſtoweth it. As for that prophane and wicked mirth, which the Devil ſtirreth up ungodly men unto, that is not worth the name of joy, it's a madneſs, for they deſcend quick as it were to hell from theſe jollities; all true comfort is from God.
2. There is implied, That God hath a ſtore-houſe of all kind of comforts, whatſoever thy neceſſity and wants are, he can comfort thee. It is not every comfort that will heal every wound, but God hath a treaſury of all; if thy ſoul need comfort, he can comfort that; if thy body need comfort, he can do that. Oh then, let not theſe conſolations of God ſeem a ſmall thing to you! Job 15. 11.