One-Hundred Forty-Five Sermons Upon John 17, Sermon 77
SERMON LXXVII. Of Joy and Comfort, Snewing how many waies the Spirit of God works it in the hearts of his People.
JOH. 17.13.
Theſe things I ſpeak in the world, that they might have my joy fullfilled in themſelves.
IT's Chriſts ſpeciall Care and will (as you have heard) that his people ſhould walk joyfully, Severall Demonſtrations have been thereof, Chriſts Commands to rejoyce in his promiſes, his Miniſters are appointed for their joy.
In the next place, This will appear true if yeu conſider the works of Gods Spirit, and Chriſts end of ſending them into his Church;V. Chriſts care that his people ſhould walk joyfully appears, From the works of the Spirit, and Chriſts end in ſending him into the Church. The Spirit of God is not only to convince of ſinne, To ſanctifie and make holy, but it is alſo to comfort; Hence he is four times called the Comforter, Joh. 19.16.26. Joh. 15.26. Joh. 16.7. Even thoſe who pleade to render the word Advocate, and not a Comforter, yet it comes to this at laſt, Seeing the end of all his actions is to bring Conſolation into the afflicted Soul, That as the Spirit of God moved at firſt on the waters, to make a lightſome and glorious world, ſo he doth on the waters of the broken in heart, to make as it were New Heavens, and a new Earth there, where was nothing but horrid confuſion; That as the devil is the Prince of darkneſſe, is alwaies accuſing and troubling the godly endeavouring to bring them to horrour and deſpair, Therefore he kept the poſſeſſed party about the ſolitary Tombs, and endeavoured that the Inceſtuous perſon ſhould be ſwallowed up with overmuch ſorrow; So on the contrary the Spirit of God is wholly to comfort, to ſupport, to revive, and to make glad the grieved in Spirit, inſomuch that the Hebrews have a Proverb, Super maeſtum non cadet Spiritus Sanctus, for this Reaſon ſay ſome Learned men the Prophets before they could propheſie ſometimes took an Inſtrument of Muſick to play on, as Elijah, Iſaac would eat of Veniſon, to refreſh his Spirits before he did prophetically bleſſe his Children, Howſoever the Spirit of God being expreſly called a Comforter, it's plain, that in all his operations and workings he intends ſolid and true joy, called therefore Joy in the holy Ghoſt, not only objectively but efficiently, becauſe it is wrought by him, and indeed we need the Spirit of God to comfort us, for we cannot attain to this joy by our own ſtrength, That as we need the Spirit of God to regenerate us, becauſe dead in ſinne, So alſo to comfort us becauſe under the guilt of ſinne, We are like ſo many Judaſſes and Cains; Naturally we are a barren wilderneſſe, not only in reſpect of graces, but alſo of Conſolations; Look upon many afflicted and tempted Children of God, No Friends, No Miniſters can comfort, Reade the Promiſes, apply them never ſo powerfully yet they cannot be comforted, till God work it in them.
How many waies the …pirit of God is a Comforter to Beleevers.Now the Spirit of God is a Comforter to his people ſeveral waies.
1. By way of Inſtruction and conviction, It informeth that it's a ſinne not to beleeve in Chriſt, that it's not humility but frowardneſſe when we keep off from the Promiſes; That as it would be ſelf-murther not to eat or drink, ſo it's Soul-murther not to eat or feed on Chriſt,1. By way of Inſtruction and conviction. which is called beleeving, Joh. 6. Hence this Spirit of God is ſaid to convince the world of ſinne, Joh. 16 9. And wherein, or what ſinne eſpecially? Even becauſe they would not beleeve in Chriſt; Oh this is a ſpeciall mercy, when the Spirit of God hath by the Goſpel ſo farre convinced thee, that thou ſeeſt it thy duty to beleeve, to rejoyce, for who is there when once feeling the burthen and weight of ſinne, doth not with Adam run and hide himſelf, doth not conclude, his ſins are greater then he can bear? It's not for ſuch a wretch as I am, to have a drop of water to refreſh me, much leſſe a drop of Chriſts bloud, yea, his whole bloud; Hence when we come to a tempted Chriſtian, we may admire at the ſubtleties and ſtrong Objections he can bring againſt his comfort: Never did any Heretique more ſubtilly and pertinaciouſly oppoſe the Truth of Chriſt, then ſuch an one will object againſt the Promiſes, So that you heard it was the tongue of the Learned, Iſa. 50.4. that could know to ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to ſuch wearied perſons, yea, to this day are not the Proteſtant Writers conflicting with the Papiſts about the particular application of Chriſt to every Beleever, aſſerting that it is every Chriſtians duty to ſay with Paul, Gal. 2. who loved me and gave himſelf for me; Now this particular appropriation of Chriſt to a man, is the foundation of all joy and peace: And do not the Papiſts bring all thoſe Objections that a tempted Chriſtian is apt to produce, Such as theſe Gods Promiſes they are indeed true, I doubt not but God is able, only I queſtion my ſelf whether I have ſuch conditions and qualifications as are required for the Promiſes? Again the Promiſes are general, whoſoever ſhall beleeve or repent, ſhall finde mercy, but my great fear is, whether I do truly repent or beleeve; Yet again, They object, as Bellarmine, the heart is deceitfull: how many have perſwaded themſelves, they do repent and love God, when indeed they doe not, and it may be I am ſuch an one.
Laſtly, They doubt not of Gods power (they ſay) or of his ability to pardon all their ſins, and to juſtifie worſe ſinners then themſelves, Only here is the Queſtion whether God will or no, God hath no where in his Word ſaid, Thou ſuch an one, thy ſins are forgiven thee; Theſe and the like Objections which Popiſh Writers urge with much vehemency, The tempted Chriſtian preſſeth with great ſtrength, becauſe ſuch are in a contrary diſpoſition to beleeving, and ſo feel nothing but ſinne in the guilt of it, and Unbelief doth as much deceive and diſturb the ſoul, as Melancholy or madneſſe will the fancy.
I have been large in this, to ſhew what mighty and gracious work of Gods Spirit, that is, to inſtruct, and convince the heart of this duty, to beleeve and rejoyce, to be able to ſay, God delights not in theſe perplexed thoughts, as he ſaith of theſe ſuperſtitious duties ſo theſe immoderate fears and dejections, Who hath required theſe things at your hands? I ſhall anſwer for unbeleeving ſorrows as well as carnall mirth, for thoſe dejecting fears and unquiet troubles of ſoul, Thou art to fear hell and damnation as well as for Licentious jollities.
6. By directing into the way of comfort.2. The Spirit of God doth not only inform of the duty of Comfort, but alſo directs unto the way of comfort; It doth leade into the true way of Juſtification, Joh. 14.16. The Comforter will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance; As he is the Comforter he will teach them what way to take, that they may have true Conſolation, for as by nature it's an ingrafted principle in all to deſire happineſſe: Ask any man in the world, and he will anſwer affirmatively to this Queſtion, So every man troubled and humbled for ſinne would willingly have comfort, as the lame man would to walk, the blinde man to ſee, but how to have true peace with God, there is the difficulty; As there were above an hundred Opinions amongſt the Philoſophers, wha… was the ſummum bonum, So there are great diſputations about that Righteouſneſſe whereby we are juſtified, the ground of peace, So that it's an heavenly skill to be directed into the right way for comfort, Heb. 6. The babe is unskilfull in the word of Righteouſneſſe, As the young Childe though it cryeth for the breaſt, yet knoweth not how to come at it; Before the Goſpel was purely preached, how many falſe waies were obſerved to comfort the afflicted conſcience, how many Pilgrimages, devotional praiers, and ſeveral penitential practiſes were enjoyned, to comfort the timerated heart through ſinne, but all theſe were like Jobs miſerable Comforters, Phyſicians of no value; The ſouls Mountebanks that inſtead of healing did enflame and enrage the wounds more; Therefore as to the infant new-born, it's a great matter to fall into the hands of a good Nurſe, for the education of it and care about it; No leſſe is it, for people when once awakened through the guilt of ſinne, and deeply wounded for their iniquities, to have ſuch ſpiritual Phyſicians that can prepare them the true Goſpel-cordials, and direct them into the right way for Conſolation, This is the Art of Arts, Nothing being more tender and to be handled with more c…rumſpection then a wounded Spirit; Theſe are therefore two diſtinct benefits, to be convinced of the duty to walk comfortably, and to be dire…ed into the way of it, for who is not here out of the way? Doth not every one think to obtain comfort by working and not beleeving? Do they not labour to qualifie themſelves ſufficiently firſt, and then go to Chriſt? Do we not think by works to come to Faith, and not by faith to works? To do enough to comfort our ſelves and then go to Chriſt for comfort: This is the prepoſterous courſe that every afflicted ſoul doth naturally take? Oh then as the wiſe men when they ſaw the Starre that directed them to Chriſt, rejoyced with exceeding great joy, ſo when the Spirit of God ſhall direct thee by the word into this ſupernatural way of rejoycing bleſſe God for thou mightſt have wandred through dark and uncomfortable waies into hell it ſelf.
3. The Spirit of God is given by Chriſt to comfort us Cauſali…èr, that is, it doth by a mighty efficacious power work joy in the ſoul; Is bids the heart rejoyce,3. By a mighty efficacious power. and it will rejoyce; Neither greatneſſe of ſins, ſence of unworthineſſe, weight of Temptations, oppoſitions of Satan ſhall diſcourage; But as it's ſaid in Job, when he ſpeaks peace, who ſhall make Trouble? So it's here; When God commands the heart to be quiet and to rejoyce before him, who can forbid it? Hence Gal. 5.22. Joy and peace are made the fruits of the Spirit; It's only the God of all Conſolation and Father of all comforts that comforteth us in tribulations, 2 Cer 1. So that as the Almighty inſuperable power of God goeth to make a gracious heart, ſo alſo it doth to give a comfortable heart; That God who made Iron to ſwim, and the waters of Jordan to go backward, he alſo and he alone makes the heavy heart to ſing for joy; Oh therefore pray for this work of Gods Spirit, though thou canſt not of thy ſelf rejoyce, yet the Spirit of God can make thee joyfull.
4. The Spirit of God is a Comforter by witneſſing and ſealing unto us that we are the Children of God, 4. By witneſſing to us that we are the Children of God.for then we have joy in the fulneſſe of it when we have aſſurance, not only reſting on Chriſt for Salvation, but aſſured that we are in him: Now this is the proper work of Gods Spirit to witneſſe unto us, Rom. 8. and to ſeal unto us, Eph. 4 30. when the Spirit of God doth thus aſſure, then the Oyl of joy doth overflow, On the contrary many of Gods Children do therefore walk in darkneſſe, and are like the Paſſengers with Paul in his Voyage, toſſed up and down with waves and tempeſts, not ſeeing the Sun for many daies, and all becauſe they have not this ſealing and witneſſing unto them, had they this, then they could with old Simeon ſay, Lord, let thy Servant depart in peace, I can live and die comfortably, when he hath thus ſeeen the Salvation of God; Hence he is called the Spirit of Adoption, which being ſent into the hearts of the Godly makes them to cry Abba Father, Gal. 4.6.
VI. From the end for which Chriſt came into the world, and wrought what he did for us.Laſtly, The Spirit of God comforts them by bleſſing the Ordinances, and making them ſucceſſeful to them; Theſe are like Jonathans eating of honey, like Eliſha feeding himſelf to go a long journey: The Goſpel is a Goſpel of comfort, The Sacraments Seals of Comfort, The Preaching of the Word inſtrumental to encreaſe joy, Praier is an heaven to the Soul; Now the Spirit of God bleſſing theſe to the godly ſoul, doth thereby fill him with heavenly Conſolations, That as Chriſt in Praier had his countenance changed, ſhining like the Sun, and his garments with glorious Light, and as Moſes in his Communion with God, had his face ſhining ſo as to dazle the eyes of his beholders; Thus many times the children of God in theſe duties, have ſoul-transfigurations, and are ſo full of joy that they can ſcarcely bear it, deſpiſing the pleaſures of this world for ſuch ſpiritual joy. Thus you have heard it's Chriſts will, we ſhould have compleated joy in us, becauſe of the holy Ghoſt.
But in the next place, if we conſider Chriſt himſelf, for what end he came into this world, and what he hath wrought for us, this makes it evident that Chriſt left nothing unwrought that might procure our joy, for what are his three Offices but to procure our peace, Did he not as Prieſt make an atonement for our ſins? Did he not as Prophet reveal the good pleaſure of God about our Salvation? Did he not as King ſubdue all our enemies? Now what is the fruit of all this, but joy and peace; Therefore he is called our peace, and the Prince of peace, Iſa. 9. yea, Is he not ſtill our Advocate ever-living to make Interceſſion for us, and can any other thing then honey diſtill from theſe ſweet Combs?
Ʋſe of Exhortation To the people of God, Awe your ſelves with this Duty; As Jonah ſaid, he did well to be angry, ſo you think you do well to be thus immoderately grieved with Peter, You bid Chriſt go from you becauſe you are a ſinner, you pleade for your unbelief, you argue for your troubles; Is not this to oppoſe the comforting ſpirit of God within you? Did not Judas murmure and cry? but becauſe there was no faith and holy joy, therefore he became miſerable, 2 Cor. 7.10. you ſee there is a ſorrow oppoſite to godly ſorrow, and that is when it is not in the manner, God hath appointed: There is a repentance to be repented of, There is a grief thou muſt be grieved for, how many ſad thoughts and tears will require more ſad thoughts and tears.
Ʋſe of Inſtruction on the contrary, It's Chriſts ſpecial will that all who live wickedly ſhould have no comfort; Wo to ye that laugh, and there is no peace to the wicked, Iſa. 57.21.