Commentary on 2 Corinthians 1, Commentary · Commentary on verse 2 (2 of 3)
Indeed for height, it is higher then the heavens, for depth, it fetcheth the soul from the nether most-deep: we have deep miserie, (out of the deep Icryed to thee) yet notwithstanding his mercy is deeper then our misery. O the depth of his mercy! there is a depth of mercy deeper, then any misery or rebellion of ours, though we have sunk deep in rebellion. And for the extent ofthem (as I said before) his mercy is over all his workes, it extends to the utmost parts of the earth. The scripture doth wonderfully enlarge his merciemercy, beyond all dimensions whatsoever. These things are to good purpose: and it is a mercy to us, that he sets forth himself in mercy in his word; because the soul, sometime or other when it is awakned, (as every one that God delights in is awakened first or last) it needs all this, it is all little enough.
God is merciful to those that are heavy laden, that feel the burden of their sins upon their souls, such as are touched with the sence of their sins, God still meets them half way, he is more ready to pardon, then they are to ask mercy. As we see in the prodigall, when he had wasted all, when he was as low as a man could be, when he was come to huskes, and when he had despised his fathers admonition: yet upon resolution to return, when he was stung with the sence of his sins, his father meets him and entertains him; he upbraids him not with his sin.
Take sin, with all the aggravations we can, yet if we repent, and resolve uppon new courses, there is comfort, though we relapse into sin again, and again; if we must pardon 10. times 7. times, as Christ saith; certainly there cannot be more mercy in the Cistern, then there is in the fountain: there cannot be more mercy in us, then there is in the Father of mercies as God is.
Take sin in the aggravations, in the greatnesse of it, Manasses sin, Peters, denying of his Master, the thief on the crosse, and Pauls persecution, take sin as great as you will, he is the father of mercies. If we consider that God is infinite in mercy, and that the scripture reveals him as the Father of mercies, there is no question, but there is abundance, a world of comfort to any distressed soul that is ready to cast it self on Gods mercy.
For those that are converted that are in the state of Grace. Is God the father of mercies.Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace.
Let this stir us up to imbrace mercy, every day to live by mercy, to plead mercy with God in our daily breaches: to love and fear God, because there is mercy with him that he might be feared. It is a harder matter to make a daily sweet use of this then it is taken for. Those that are the fittest subjects for mercy, they think themselves furthest off from mercy. Come to a broken soul, who is catched in the snare; whose conscience is on the rack, he thinks, alas there is no mercy for me, I have been such a sinner, God hath shewed me mercy before, and now I have offended him again and again: those that are the subjects of mercy, that are the nearest to mercy, when their conscience is awakned they think themselves furthest off, and we have need to presse abundance of mercy, and all little enough to set the soul in frame. There is none of us all, but we shall see a necessity of pressing this one time or other, before we die. David when he had sinned, he knew well enough that God was merciful, oh, but it was not a slight mercy that would satisfie him, as we see Psal. 51. how he presseth upon God for mercy, and will a little serve him? No, according to thy abundant mercy, he presseth mercy, and abundance of mercy, a multitude of mercies, and unlesse he had seen infinite mercy, abundant mercy in God, when his conscience was awaked with the foulness of his sin: there being such a crie for vengeance, his sinne called and cried, if the blood of Christ had not cried above it, merciemercy, merciemercy, and abundance of mercy, multitudes of compassion, the soule of David would not have been stilled.
So other Saints of God, when they have considered the foulnesse of sin, how odious it is to God, they could not be quieted and comforted, but that they saw merciemercy, and abundance of merciemercy. As the Apostle St. Peter saith, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of his abundant merciemercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to an inheritance, immortall, &c.
God is the Father of mercies.
For faith will not have sufficient footing, but in infinite mercy, in the time of despaire, in the time of torment of conscience, in the time of desertion it must be merciemercy, and the Father of mercies, and multitudes of compassions, and bowels of love, and all little enough for faith to fix on, the faith of a conscience on the rack; but when faith considers of God set out (not as Satan sets him forth, a God of vengeance, a consuming fire, when faith considers God) pictured out in the Gospel, it sees him the Father of Christ, and our Father, and the Father of mercies and God of comfort; faith seeing infinite mercy in an infinite God; and seeing mercy triumph against Justice, and all other attributes, here faith hath some footing, and staies it selfe, or else the converted, sanctified soul, seeing the odiousnesse of sinne, and the clamorousness of sinne, such that it will not be satisfied, but with abundant mercy, and God must be presented to it as a father of merciemercy and compassion before it can have peace.
Therefore if so be at any time our conscience be awakened, and the Devill layes hard to us, let us think of God as he hath made himself knowne in his Word, as a Father of mercies and God of comfort, represent him to our soules, as he represents himself in his Word. Times of desertion, when we seeme to be forsaken of God, will enforce this: times of desertion will come, when the soul will think God hath forgotten to be merciful, and hath shut up his love in displeasure; oh no, he is the Father of merciemercy he never shuts up his bowels altogether, he never stops the spring of his merciemercy. He doth to our feeling, but it is his merciemercy that he doth that, it is his merciemercy that he hinders the sence of mercy; he doth that in mercy, it is to make us more capable of merciemercy afterward.
Therefore saith the Father, when he comes to us in his love, and the sence of it, it is for our good: and when he takes the sence of his love from us, it is for our good; for when he takes away the sence of his love from us, it is to enlarge our soules to be more capable of merciemercy after, to prize it more, to walk warily, and jealously, to look to our corruptions better: Therefore in the time of desertion think of this, when God seemes to forget us. Can a Mother forget her Child? Isa. 49. 15. Suppose she should be so unnatural as to do it (which can hardly be believed) that a Mother should forget her child, Yet notwithstanding I will not forget you; you are written upon the palmes of my hands, that is, I have you alway in my eye. So that if there were no mercies to be found in nature, no bowels to be found in a Mother (where usually they are most abundant) yet notwithstanding there is merciemercy to be found in the Father of Mercies still: Therefore in such times let us make use of this.
And another thing that we ought to learne hence is this; if God be so in Christ Jesus (for we must alway put that in) for he is mercifull with satisfaction, and yet it is his merciemercy that he would admit of satisfaction; his mercy devised a way to content justice; his mercy set all on work: mercy is above justice in the work of Salvation: justice hath received contentment from mercy, (but that by the way) to make us have higher thoughts of mercy, then any other attribute of God in the Doctrine of the Gospel, in that Kingdom of Christ: it is a Kingdom of Grace and mercy, if we have hearts to imbrace it.
Let this incourage us to come to God, and to cast our selves into the arms of this merciful Father, If we have lived in other courses before, An encouragement to come to God.let the mercy of God work upon our souls. In Rom. 2. it is pressed there excellently; This mercy of God should lead us to repentance, it should encourage us. What makes a Thief, or a Traitor come in, when there is proclamation Simile.out against him? If there be a pardon sent after him, it makes him come in, or else he runs out still further and further, while the hue and cry pursues him; but hope of mercy and pardon will bring him in again. So it is that that brings us in again to God, the very hope of mercy and pardon; if we be never so ill, or have been never so ill: do not put off, but take this day now, Now is the time, now while it is called to day, take the present time. Here is our error, if God be the Father of mercy, I will cry him mercy at the hour of death. I, thou maiest go to hell with mercy in thy mouth: he is merciful to those that truly repent; but how dost thou know that thy repentance on thy death-bed will be true? It is not sorrow for sicknesse, and grief for death: and fear of that: but there must be a hatred of sin: and how shall conscience tell thee now thou hast repented, that it is a hating of thy sinful courses, rather then the fear of damnation? that is rather from the sence of grief. Conscience will hardly be comforted in this, for it will upbraid; I, now, now you would have mercy.
We see by many that have recovered again, that have promised great Late Repentance seldom true.matters in their sicknesse, that it is hypocritical Repentance, for they have been worse after then they were before. It is not a sufficient matter to yeeld thee comfort, that thou art much humbled in thy sicknesse, and at the hour of death: for it is hard for thee to determine whether it be true Repentance, or meer sorrow for sin as it brings judgement. Fear of damnation is not sufficient to bring a man to heaven, thy nature must be changed before thou come to heaven; thou must love Righteousnesse because it is Righteousnesse, thou must love God because he is good, thou must hate sin because it is sin.
How canst thou tell, when thou hast been naught before affliction, whether affliction have wrought this, that thou repentest only out of hatred of judgement to shun that, or out of hatred of sin, because it is sin? Therefore now a little repentance in thy health, and in the enjoying of thy prosperity; a little hatred of ill wayes now, will more comfort thee, then a thousand times more prayer, and striving will then. Although if thou canst do it truly then, yet the gate of mercy is open, but thy heart will scarce say it is truly done, because it is forced.
Then again, perhaps, thou shalt not have the honour of it, thou shalt not have the mercy: thou that hast refused mercy and lived in a loose prophane course, thou that hast despised mercy all the while, God will not honour thee so much, as to have a good word, or a sorrowful word, that even very grief shall not extort it from thee: but as thou hast forgotten God in thy life, and wouldest not own his admonitions, thou shalt forget thy self in death, and be taken away suddenly, or else with some violent disease, that shal take away the use of the parts that God hath given thee, as inflammation of the Spirits or the like, that shall take away the use of sound reason. It is madnesse and no better to live as the most live, to cry God is merciful, &c. thou mayest go to hell for all that: repentance must be from a true hatred of sin: and that that must comfort thee, must be a disposition for the present: for then it is unforced.
Therefore all these sweet comforts are to you that come in, and leave Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent.your wicked courses; if you have been swearers, to swear no more; if you have been deceivers, to deceive no more, if you have been licentious, to be so no more: but to break off the course of your sins as God shall enable you; or else this one thing (think of it) that you now dawbe your conscience withall, and go on in sin with that will be the most terror to you, even Mercy: nothing will vex you so much as mercy afterward. Then thon shalt think with thy self, I have heard comfortable of the promises, and of the nature of God, but I put off and despised all, I regarded my sinful courses more then the mercy of God in Christ, they were sweeter to me then mercy. I lived in sins (out of the abundance of prophanenesse) that did me no good, I lived in sins, (out of the superfluity of prophanenesse) that I had neither profit nor pleasure by, and neglected mercy. The consideration of mercy neglected, with the continuing in a wretched course, it will more aggravate the souls torment.
Let us be incouraged to come in; such as intend to leave their sinfull courses, let them remember, that then they come to a Father of mercy. that is more ready to pardon, then you are to ask it: As you see in the prodigal Son (which I instanced in before) it is a notable sweet Story. I have a Father (saith he) when he had spent all, and was come to Huskes. Affliction is a notable means to make us to taste and relish mercy: I have a father, and there is plenty in his house, and he comes and confesseth his sin; he had no sooner resolved, but his Father (he doth not stay for him, but) he meets him and kisseth him.
Let us consider of this description of God the Father of mercy; it should move any that are in ill and lewd courses before, In my Fathers house there are good things, and in his heart there are bowels of mercy; I have a Father, and a Father of mercy, I will go home, and submit my self to him, and say to him, I have been thus and thus, but I will be so no more; you shall find that God by his Spirit will be readier to meet you, then you are to cast your selves at the feet of his mercy, and into the armes of his merciemercy: he will come and meet you, and kisse you; you shall find much comfort upon your resolution to come in, if it be a sound resolution.
The son fears his Fathers displeasure: but saith the Father, My thoughts are not as your thoughts. Oh! I fear he will not receive me: yes, yes, he is willing to imbrace you, mercy pleaseth him; and why will you perish O house of Israel.
Againe, God is the Father of mercies. This should stirre us up to an imitation To imitate God in mercy.of this our gratious Father: for every Father begets to his owne likeness, and all the sons of this Father are like the Father, they are mercifull, The Kings of Israel are merciful Kings, saith the Heathen King Benhadad, and the God of Israel is a mercifull God, and all that are under God are mercifull; his sons are mercifull as their heavenly father is mercifull. Therefore if we would make it good to our own hearts, and the opinion and judgement of others of us, that we are children of this mercifull Father, we must put on bowels of merciemercy our selves, as in Colos. 3. 2. Now therefore as the Elect of God, as you will make it good that God hath elected you, put on the bowels of merciemercy. Whatsoever we have from God, it comes in the respect of a merciemercy, and so it should doe from Gods Children, every thing that comes from them to them that are in miserie, it should be a mercy, they should not only bestow the thing, but a sweet mercy with the thing, a child of God he poures out his bowels to his Brother, as Esay saith, Poure out thy bowels, &c. There is some bowels, that is, there is an affection in Gods Children, they give not onelyonly the thing, the reliefe, but merciemercy with it, that hath a sweet report to the soule: there is pittie, that more comforts a sanctified soule, then the thing it selfe: We must not doe workes of merciemercy proudly, it is not the thing that God stands on, but the affection in the thing, his benefits are with a fatherly pittie, so should ours be with a pittifull respect, with a tender heart. The very mercies of the wicked are cruell. If they be mercifull, there is some pride of spirit, there is some tast of a hard heart, of an hypocriticall spirit, somewhat is not as it should be, their mercies are not mercies, we must in our merciemercy imitate the Father of mercies.
Alas it is the fault of our time, there is little merciemercy to those that are in miserie. What a cruell thing is it, that so many (I would I could say Christian soules, I cannot say so (but) they are a company of men that have the Image of God upon them: men that live miserable poor, such as for ought I know) Gods merciemercy hath purchased with the blood of his Son, & may belong to Gods Kingdome: They have the Image of God upon them, yet they live without lawes, without Church, without Common-wealth, irregular persons; that have no order taken for them, or not executed at the least, to repress the sturdie of them, and to relieve those that are to be relieved for age or impotencie.
It is a pittifull thing, and a foule blemish to this Common-wealth, and will bring some ill upon wealth, and plague it from such irregular persons, he will plague the Common-wealth for such enormities. How do they live? As Beasts and worse, they submit themselves to no orders of the Church, they have none, and submit to none. Here is an Obiect of mercy to those that it concernes.
And likewise merciemercy ought to be shewed to the souls of men, as well as to their miserable and wretched estates. Is Poperie Antichristian? what mercy is it to suffer poysoners? what a mercy were it in a common wealth to suffer men that are incendiaries, to have liberty to do what mischief they would? or men that should poyson fountaines, and all that should refresh and nourish men? were this any policy for the body? And is it any policy to suffer those to poison the judgments of people with heresies to God, and treason to their Prince? to draw the affections of men from religion, and the state where is mercy all the while?
Oh, it is a mercy to them not to restrain them. Mercy! Is it mercy to the sheep to let the wolves at libertie. No, if you will be mercifull, to shew mercy to the souls of these men is to use them hardly, that they may know their error; they may now impute the liberty they have to the approbation of their cause, and so they are cruel, not onelyonly to others, but to their own souls.
I speak this the rather, it may be a seasonable speech at this time, to enforce good lawes this way. It is a great mercy, mercy to the soul, it is the greatest mercy, and so crueltie to the soul is the greatest crueltie that can be.
What should I speak of mercy to others? oh, that we would be merciful to our own souls. God is merciful to our souls, he sent his son to Men unmerciful to their own souls.visit us from on high, in bowels of compassion, he sent Christ as Zacharie saith: and yet we are not merciful to our selves. How many sinful wretched persons pierce their hearts through with covetousnesse, and other wicked courses that are more dangerous to the soul then poyson is to the body? They stab their souls with cares, and lusts, and other such kind of courses. What a mockery is this of God, to ask him mercy, when we will not be merciful to our own souls? and to intreat others to pray for us, when we will not be merciful to our selves? Shall we go to God for mercy, when we will not shew mercy to our selves? shall we desire him to spare us, when we will not spare ourselves? It is a mocking of God to come and offer our devotions here, and come with an intent yet to live in any sin. God will not heare us, if we purpose to live in sin, If I regard iniquity in my heart, God will not hear my prayer. As we ought to be merciful to the souls of others, and to the estates of others, so we should to our own souls.
How can they reform evills abroad, those that are Governours, when they do not care to refomr themselves? can they be merciful to the souls of others, that are cruel to their own? they cannot; Let mercy begin at home.
This is that, that the scripture aimes at, mercy, and the right use of it is the way to come to salvation, and the abuse of it is that that damnes, and they are damned most that abuse mercy. Oh the sins against the Gospel will lie upon the conscience another day. The sins against the law, they help with the Gospel to see mercy: but sins against mercy prefer our sins above mercy; and in temptations to despaire, to extenuate mercy, hereafter it will be the very hell of hell, that we have sinned against mercy, that we have not embraced it with faith, that we have not repented to be capable of it.
But to end the point with that which is the most proper use of all, which Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates.is an use of comfort in all estates, to go to God in all, he is the father of mercy. And when all is taken from us in losses and crosses to think, Well; our fathers may die, and our mothers may die, and our nearest, and dearest friends that have most bowels of pittie may die; but we have a father of mercy, that hath eternal mercy in him, his mercies are tender mercies, and everlasting mercies, as himself is. We are everlasting, our souls are immortal; we have an everlasting father, that is the Father of mercies. When all are taken away, God takes not himself away, he is the father of mercy still.
Now that we may make our selves still capable of mercy, still fit for mercy, let us take this daily course.To be fit for mercy.
Let us labour every day, to have broken, and deep souls (as I said before) I. Get broken hearts.it is the broken heart that is the vessel that containes mercy, a deeper heart that holds all the mercy; we need therefore to empty our selves by confession of our sins, and search our own thoughts and waies, and afflict our souls by repentance, and when we shall be fit objects for God the father of merciemercy to shed mercy into misery, it is the Load-stone of mercy, misery felt and discerned, and complained of. Let us search and see our misery, our spiritual misery especially: for God begins mercy to the soul in his children, he begins mercy there especially. General mercy he shews to beasts, to all creatures, but speciall mercy begins at the soul. Now I say, misery being the Loadstone of mercy, let us lay before God by confession and humiliation the sores and sins of our souls. And then make use of this mercy every day: for God is not only merciful in pardoning mercy at the first, in forgiving our sins at the first, but every day he is ready to pardon new sins, as it is Lament. 3. He renewes his mercies every day, every morning. God renewes his mercies not only for body, but for soul: there is a throne of grace and mercy every day open to go to; and a Scepter of merciemercy held out every day to lay hold on, and a fountain for Judah and Jerusalem to wash in every day: it is never stopped up, or drawn dry, the fountain is ever open, the Scepter is ever held forth, and the throne is ever kept.
God keepes not terms; Now the Court of Chancerie is open, and now it is 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 Quest.made a breach in thy conscience, every day believe this, that God is the Father Answ. How to improve mercy daily.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 merciemercy, 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 merciemercy, that is the way to have mercy; here is a fountain of merciemercy, the Father of mercy, bowels opened: the onelyonly way to use it is to see what need we have of merciemercy, 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, Thankfulnesse for mercywe have the merciemercy of publick continued peace, when others have war, and their estates are consumed; blessed be God the Father of merciemercy, 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 merciemercy 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 merciemercy, and for this we should have inlarged hearts.
And withal consider the fearful estate of others, that God doth not shew merciemercy 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 merciemercy, 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 merciemercy, & 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 onelyonly, his pen was first dipt in his heart and soule when he wrote this: God is the Father of merciemercy, 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 Comfort what?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 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 1 The thing it selfthirst 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 2. Comfortable reasons.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 onelyonly 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 merciemercy 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 3. By the Spirit.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 onelyonly 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: Comfort stronger then the maladie.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, Comfort not compleat in this life.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 Philosophicall reasons will not comfort.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?(God) of comfort.
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.1. That he can create it 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 God only can make something of nothing.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 phrase that puffs them up: they are but Gods in a kind of sence, and the other are but creatures in a kind of sence: because perhaps they have nothing in them, and in that sence, deservedly creatures: but it is proper to God, to make somewhat of nothing: and so he is the God of Comfort: where there is no comfort at all, he can raise comfort, as he made the World of nothing by his very Word.
And which is more, it is the property of God as God, it is peculiar to Out of contraries.God to make comfort out of that which is contrary: therein he shews himself most to be a God of all; he can raise comfort out of discomfort, life out of death. When Christ had been three dayes in the grave, he raised him. As it is with the head of comfort, with the head of believers, so it is with every particular Christian, he raiseth them, out of death: those that sow in sorrow, they reape in joy. What cannot he do that can raise comfort out of discomfort? and discomforts oftimes are the occasions of the greatest comforts. Let a Christian go back to the former course of his life, and he shall find that the greatest crosses that ever he suffered will yeeld him most comfort, and who did this? certainly it must be God, that can raise all out of nothing, and that can make comfort not only out of comfortable creatures that are ordained for comfort; but he can draw honey out of the Lions belly; Out of the eater came meat, and out of the stronge c…me sweetnesse, saith Sampson in his Riddle. When a hony combe shall c… out of the Lions belly, certainly this is a miracle, this may well be a Riddle. This is the Riddle of Christianity; that God who is the God of comfort, he raiseth comforts, out of our chief discomforts, he can create it out of that which is contrary.
Therefore Luthers speech is very good, All things come from God to his In what order God is … God of comfort.Church, especially in contraries: as he is righteousnesse, but it is in sin felt: he is comfort, but it is in misery, he is life, but it is in death, we must die before we live; indeed he is all, but it is in nothing, in the soul that feels it self to be nothing, there is the foundation for God to work on. Therefore the God of comfort can create comfort, if none be, he can make comfort, if the contrary be, he can raise contraries out of contraries, he is the God of all comfort. Every word hath Emphasis and strength in it.Conclusion. Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring.
The God of all Comfort.
Amongst divers other things that flow from hence, mark the order; he is the God and Father of Christ first, and then the Father of mercy, and the God of comfort.
Take him out of this order, and think not of him as a God of comfort, but as a Consuming fire; but take the method of the text, now he is the God of comfort after he is the Father of Christ. This being laid as a ground, the text it self as a doctrine; what subordinate truths arise hence?
First of all, if God be God of all comfort, there is this conclusion hence: that,
Whatsoever the meanes of Comfort be, God is the spring of it.
Christ is the Conduit next to God, for he is close to God; God is the God of Christ, and the Holy Ghost is usually the stream: The streams of comfort come through Christ the Conduit, from God the Father, the fountain, by the graces of the Spirit: But I speak of outward comforts. Blessed be God the Father Son, and Holy Ghost, all are comforters: God the father is the father of comfort: the Holy Ghost is the comforter; Christ Jesus likewise is the God of Comfort; whatsoever the outward meanes be, yet God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are the comforters, take them together, that is the conclusion hence.
I observe it the rather, to cure a disposition to Atheisme in men, that look Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men.bruitishly to the thing, they look to the comfort, and never look, to the comforter: even for outward comforts. Wicked men, their bellies are filled with the comforts of God, but it is with things that are comfortable that are abstracted from the comforter, they care not for the root, the favour and mercy of God: so they have the thing, they care not.
Therefore they are not thankful to God, nor in their wants they go not to the God of comfort, why? they think they have supply enough, they have friends, they have riches, that are their strong hold, and if they have outward necessaries to supply and comfort them, that is all they care for; as for the God of comfort, they trouble not their hands with him.
A Christian, whatsoever the comfort be, if it be outward, he knowes that Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians.the God of comfort sends it, and that is the reason he is so thankful for all outward comforts: if they be the necessaries for this life: in meat he tasts the comfort of God, in drink he tasts the comfort of God, in the ornaments of this life, he tasts the comfort of God; It is God that heates him with fire, it is God that cloaths him with garments, it is God that feeds him with meat, it is God that refresheth his senses in these comforts.
Therefore the Heathen out of their Ignorance, they made every thing a God, that was comfortable, out of which they received comfort; they made a God of the fire, and of the water: these are but instruments of the God of comfort, but the Heathen made gods of them. A Christian doth not so, but he sees God in them, and drives these streames from the fountain, God is seen to be the God of Comfort in them all.
Again, considering that God is The God of all comfort; This should teach Ground of prayer.us (as thankfulnesse to God, so) prayer in the want of any comfort, that he would both give the thing, and the comfort of the thing. We may have the thing, and the wrath of God with it, but thou that art the God of comfort, vouchsafe the outward comforts to us, and vouchsafe comfort with them: thou that art the God of every thing, and of the comfort of the thing, vouchsafe both.
Again, if God be the God of all comfort whatsoever, then here is a ground To seek to God in the use of things comfortable.of diverse other truthes: as for instance, that if we look for any comfort from the things, or from reasons, and discourse, or from God: we should go to God in the use of the thing, before the use, after the use, at all times; before the use, that God would suggest, either by reading or hearing &c. reasons of comfort, in the use, that he would settle and seal comfort to our souls.
Lord I hear many sweet things, I read many comfortable things, these would affect a stone almost, yet unlesse thou set them on my soule, they will never comfort me: thou art the God of comfort, the materials are from thee, but except with revelation & discovery, thou joyne application, all will not comfort unlesse with revelation and application (in the third place) thou open my soul to joyn with these comforts. There must be a discovery, and application, and an opening of the soule to them. As there be diverse flowers that open and shut with the sun: so the soul by the spirit of God, it opens to comforts: though comforts be put close to the soul, if that do not open to them, there is no comfort given: for all is in the application. There is a double application, of the thing to the soul, and of Double application.the soul to the thing: God must do all.
What is the reason, that many here Sermons, and Read sweet discourses, Quest.and yet when they come to suffer crosses and afflictions, they are to see?
They go to the stream, they cut the Conduits from the spring, they go Answ.not to the Well-head, they see not the derivation of comfort: it is necessary for the deriving of comfort to the soul, to take the scales from the eye of the soul, they see not the necessity of a divine presence to apply it, and and to lay it close to the soul, and to open the soul, to joyn the soul to those comforts; God is the God of all comfort. If any thing will stir up devotion much to pray to God, undoubtedly this will be effectual: that whatsoever the comfort be, whether it be outward things, or reasons, and discourses, whatsoever, we may go to God that he would give it.Christians ground of comfort in all estates
Well, this being so, if God be the God of all comfort, the Well of comfort, the Father of comfort, and hath remedies for every malady; Then you see here whither to go: you see a Christian in all estates hath ground of comfort, for he is in Covenant with the God of comfort.
You will say to me, what is the reason that Christians are no more comfortable, Quest.having the God of comfort for their God?
I answer, it is partly from Ignorance, we have remainders of Ignorance, Answ. Christians are uncomfortable.that we know not our own comfort: Satan doth vail the eye of the soul in the time of trouble, that we cannot see that there is a well of comfort. Poor Hagar, when shee was almost undone for thirst, yet she had a fountain 1 Ignorance.of water near hand, but she saw it not, she was so overtaken with grief. Ignorance, and Passion hinder the sight of comfort, when we give way so 2. Passion.much to the present malady, as if there were no God of comfort in heaven; as if there were no Scripture that hath breasts of comfort, that is as full as a breast that is willing to discharge it self of comfort: as if there were no matter of comfort, they feed upon grief, and delight to flatter their selves in grief, as Rachel that mourned and would not be comforted: so out of a kind of Ignorance and Passion, and Wilfulnesse, they will not be comforted.
And again, as Bildad saith, Job 18. are the comforts of God light to thee? 3. Aggravating the grievance.These are good words, but my discomforts are greater, my malady is greater; so the comforts of the Holy Ghost, the comforts of Gods Spirit seem light to them. Ignorance, and Passion, and dwelling too much makes us neglect comfort, it makes us to see comfort to be no comfort in a manner. Mary, when Christ was before her eyes, they were so blubbered with tears, with fear that her Lord was lost, that she could not see him, even when he was before her: so grief, and Passion hinder the soul so much from seeing Gods comforts, that we see them not when they are before us, when they are present. So men are guilty of their own discomfort, it is their own fault.
Again oft times forgetfulnesse, as the Apostle saith, Heb. 12. have ye forgotten the Consolation that speaks? have ye forgotten that every Son that 4, Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts.God chastizeth not is a bastard? have ye forgotten? insinuating that if they had remembred this, it would have comforted them; have ye forgotten?
And then one especial cause is, that I spake of before, the looking to 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring.things present, forgetting the spring, the well-head of comfort God himself; the looking too much to the means; oh! say some, (if they be in distresse,) if I had such a Book, if I had such a man to comfort me, certainly it would be otherwise with me, I should be better then I am: put case he were with thee, alas he is not the spring, it is the God of comfort that must comfort thee (man) in all thy distresses whatsoever, therefore if thou attribute not more to God, then to the creature, nay then to an Angel, if he were to comfort thee, thou shalt find no comfort. I even I am he that comforts thee. I am he that pardons thy sins, which is the cause of all discomfort, that is comfort, that is the sting of all, I am he that pardons thy sins
We as Criers may speak pardon to the soule, but God must give it; we may speak comfort, but God must give it: he must say to the soule, I am thy salvation. When men Idolize any discourse in books, or any particular man overmuch (though we may value those that are instrumentall above others; there may be a difference of gifts, but) the resting too much in the creature, it is an enemy to comfort, and some grow to that wilfulness in that kind, that they will neglect all, because they have not that they would have, whereas if they would look to God, meaner meanes would serve the turne oft times, if they would goe to the God of comfort.
Who comforteth us in all tribulation.
Afflictions and crosses, as they are irkesome in suffering, so they are likewise disgracefull, and as it was in the cross of Christ, there was two things, torment and shame, the one he felt himselfe, the other he had from others, those two; (disgrace is proper to the cross:) so it is in all the crosses that we suffer, there is some disgrace with it, therefore Saint Paul to prevent the scandall and disgrace of the cross (as I said before) he doth here begin with praysing God, even for crosses in the midst of them. Blessed be God the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all tribulations, &c.
Who comforteth us in all tribulation.
These words contain a making good of the former title, He is the God of comfort, and doth comfort, he is good and doth good: He fils up his name by his works, he shews what he is, the Scripture doth especially describe God, not in all things as he is in himself; but as he is, and works to his poore Church; and they are usefull termes, all of them, he is the Father of merciemercy, because he is so to his Church; he is the God of comfort, because he is so to his people, therefore he saith here, as he is the God of comfort, so he doth comfort us in all tribulation. He doth not say, who keeps us out of miserie; blessed be the God of comfort, that never suffers us to fall 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 Object.comfort; for then, there could be no time of discomfort.
I Answer, He doth alway comfort in some degree: for take a Christian Answ.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 th…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, thatGod comforts his children in all tribulation.
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 Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life.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 Inward comfort best.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 onelyonly 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 To comfort What.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 Use. To go to God in the use of meanes.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 We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes.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 Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate.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?Quest.
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 Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort.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.1. Look to the grievance especially sin.
Again in the third place, look to the discomforts of sin, especially in the discomforts of conscience of those that are awakened, and Satan useth that as a means to despair in every crosse.
Therefore let us search and try our souls for our sins, for our chief discomfort are from sin: for alas, what are all other comforts? and what are all other discomforts? If a mans conscience be quiet, what are all discomforts? and if conscience be on the rack, what are all comforts? the disquiet and vexation of sin is the greatest of all: because then we have to deal with God, when sin is presented before us, and the judgements of God, and God as an angry judge, and conscience is awaked and on the rack, what in the world can take up the quarrel and appease conscience, when we and God are at difference, when the soul speaks nothing but discomfort?
In this case remember that God doth so far prevent objections in this kind Comforts against sin.from the accusations of conscience, that he reasons that he will comfort us, from that that cöscience reasons against comfort: he doth this in the hearts of his children to whom he means to shew mercy: as we see in the poor Publi-
Lord be merciful to me a sinner saith he: God taught him that reasoning.
Nature would have taught him to reason as Peter did, Lord depart from me, I am a sinful man, and therefore I have nothing to do with God.
So our Saviour Christ, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden: they think of all people they ought to run from God, they are so laden with sin, they have nothing to do with God: Oh, come unto me saith Christ. Therefore when thy conscience is awakened with the sense of sin, remember what is said in the Gospel, Be of good comfort, be calleth thee: be thou of good comfort, thou art one that Christ calls, Come unto me ye that are we ary and heavy laden: and Blessed are those that mourn.
That which thou and the Divel with thy conscience would move thee to use as an argument to run away, our Saviour Christ in the Gospel useth as an argument to draw thee forward: he comes for such, to seek, and to save the lost sinners This is a faithful saying (saith St. Paul) that Christ came to save sinners: therefore believe not Satan: he presents God to the soul that is humbled and terrified in the sight of sin, as cruel as a terrible judge, &c. He hides the mercy of God from such: to men that are in a sinful course he shewes nothing but mercy. I, but now there is nothing but comfort to thee that art cast down and afflicted in the sence of thy sins: for all the comforts in the Gospel of forgivenesse of sins, and all the comforts from Christs Incarnation, the end of his coming in the flesh, the end of his death, and of all, is to save sinners.
Look thou therefore to the throne of mercy and grace, when thy conscience shall be awakened with the sence of sin, and Satan shall use that as an argument to draw thee from God; consider the Scripture useth this as an argument to drive me to God, to allure me to him: Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden. And Christ came to seek, and to save that which was lost. Luther, a man much exercised in Spiritual conflicts, he confessed Luther.this was the Balme that did most refresh his soul, God hath shut up all under sin that he might have mercy upon all. He shut up all under sin as prisoners, to see themselves under sin, and under the curse, that he might have mercy upon all, upon all those that are convinced with the sence and sight of their sins, he hath shut up all under sin, that he might have mercy upon all those that belong to him.
This raised up that blessed man: therefore let us not be much discomforted, but be of good comfort, Christ calls us.
For such as are sinners, that are given to the sins of the tongue, and of the life, to rotten discourse, to swearing and such like, to such as mean to be No comfort for such as go on in sin.so, and think their case good; oh, God is the God of comfort, To such as I said before, I can speak no comfort, nor the word of God speaks none: they must have another Word, and another Scripture: for this word speaks no comfort to such that are sinful and wretched, and will be so, and justifie themselves to be so.
All the judgments in the Scripture are theirs, hell, and damnation and wrath, that is their portion to drink.
We can speak no comfort to such, nor the word of God that we unfold: it hath not a drop of comfort for them, God will not be merciful to such as go on in wicked, rotten, scandalous courses, that because hell hath not yet taken them, they may live long, and so make a covenant with hell and death, and blesse themselves. Oh, but thou hast made no covenant with God, nor he hath made none with thee, and hell, and death have made no covenant with thee: though thou hast made one with them, but there are two words go to a covenant: Death and Hell shall seize upon thee notwithstanding thy covenant.
Those that will live in sin in despight of the ministery, in spight of afflictions: there is no comfort to such, I speak only to the broken heart, which are fit vessels for comfort: God is the God of comfort to such: What shall we say then to such, as after they have had some evidence of their good estate, that they are Christians, are fallen into sin? is there any comfort for such?
Yes, doth not St. Paul in 2 Cor. 5. desire such to be reconciled to God? we are as Ambassadors of Christ desiring you to be reconciled if you have sinned: so Comforts for those that are relapsed.God hath comfort for those that have sinned: Christ knew that we should every day run into sins unawares, therefore he teaches us in the Lords prayer to say every day forgive us our debts, our trespasses: there is Balme in Gilead, there is merciemercy in Israel for such daylie trespasses as we run into.