Richard Sibbes on 2 Corinthians 1:2-4

VERSE 2. Grace be unto you, &c. GRace doth enter into the whole conversation of a Christian, and doth sweeten his very Salutations. Which I observe: because Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation. many men confine their Religion to places, to actions, and to times: there is a relish of holinesse in every thing that comes from a Christian, in his Salutations and Courtesies: St. Paul salutes them, Grace, and peace from God, &c. And the use of holy Salutations are; use of salutations. To Shew Love. Win To shew love and respect, therefore he salutes them; and by shewing love, to gain love: for there is a Loadstone in love. And thirdly, the use of salutations, is by them to convey some good: for these salutations are not meer wishes, but prayers, nay blessings: Gods people are a blessed people, and they are full of blessing, they carry a blessing in their very speeches. What is a blessing? A blessing is a prayer with the application of the thing prayed for, it is Quest. Blessing what; Answ. somewhat more then a prayer, Grace be with you, and peace. It is not onely a meer wish, I desire it: nay my desire of it is with an applying of it, grace shall be with you, and peace, and the more, because I heartily wish it to you. It is no light matter to have the benediction, and salutation of a holy man, especially those that are Superiours: for the Superiours blesse the Inferiours; there is a grace goes even with the very salutations, with the common prayers of a holy man. It is a comfortable sign when God doth enlarge the heart of a holy man to wish well to a man. And surely the very consideration of that should move us to let them have such incouragement from our carriage and demeanour, that they may have hearts to think of us to the throne of Grace, to give us a good wish, to give us a good desire: for every gracious desire, every prayer hath its effect when it comes from a favourite of God, especially from such a man as St. Paul was; from a Minister, a holy man in a calling, a man of God: they have their efficacy with them, they are not empty words, Grace and peace. The Popes think it a great favour when they bestow their Apostolical benediction and blessing: their blessing is not much worth; their curse is better then their blessing: but surely the blessing of a man rightly called, those that are true Ministers of Christ, they are cloathed with Power and efficacy from God: Grace be with you, and peace, it is no idle complement. And here you see likewise what should be the manner of the salutation of Christians, as they ought to salute, to shew love, and to gain love, so all Salutations should be holy. their salutations should be holy. There is a takingthe name of God in vain, in salutations oft times, God save you, &c. and it must be done with a kind Gods name taken in vain in Salutations. of scorn, and if there be any demonstration of Religion it becomes them not, that which should become them most. What should become a Saint, but to carrie himself Saint-like? and yet men must do it with a kind of scorn, with a kind of gracelesse grace: that which in the religious use of it is a comfortable and sweet thing, and is alway with a comfortable and gracious effect in Gods Children. Either it hath effect and is made grace to them to whom it is spoken, or returns to them that speak it: As Christ saith to his Disciples, when you come into a house, pronounce peace to them; and if the house be not worthy, your peace shall return to you So the salutations of a good man, if they be not effectual to the parties, if they be unworthy, rebellious creatures, they return again to himself, they have effect one way or other. Let it not be done therefore with a taking the Name of God in vain in a scornful manner, but with gravity and reverence, as becometh a holy action. There is some limitation, and exception of this. Salutations Salutations to be omitted. in some cases may be omitted. As in serious businesse, salute no man by the way, as Christ saith to his Apostles: 1. In serious businesse. A neglect sometimes is good manners, when respect is swallowed up in a greater duty. As it was good manners for David to Dance, and to carry himself (as it were) unseemly before the Ark: because he was to neglect respect to meaner persons, to forget the respect he was to shew to men, being altogether taken up with higher matters, it was a kind of decencie, and comlinesse. And overmuch scrupulousnesse and nicenesse in lesser things, when men are called to greater, is but unmannerly manners: in these cases, these lesser must give way and place to the greater; Salute no man by the way, dispatch the businesse you are about, that is, if it may be a hindrance in the way, salute not: this is in respect of time. And as for time, so for persons: a notorious, incorrigible Heretick salute not: to salute such a one would be (as it were) a connivence, or an indulgence 2. To an Heretick to him, salute him not. The denying of a Salutation many times hath the force of a censure: the party neglected may think there is somewhat in him for which he is neglected in that manner. In these cases salutations may be omitted sometimes: But I go unto the particulars. Grace be unto you and peace. These are the good things wished. We see the Apostle, a blessed man, that had been in the third heaven wrapt up, that had been taught of Christ, what things were most excellent, and had himself seen excellent things which he could not utter, when he comes to wishes, we see out of heavenly wisedom and experience he drawes them to two heads, all good things to Grace and peace. If there had been better things to be wished, he would have wished them, but Grace and peace are the principal things. What is meant by Grace here? Grace in this place, is the free favour and love of God from his own Quest. Grace what Answ. bowels, not for any desert, or worth, or strength of love of ours: it is his own free grace, and love, which is shed by the holy Ghost, and springs only from his own goodnesse and loving nature, and not from us at all; this is Grace: It must be distinguished from the fruits of it: as the Apostle doth distinguish them, Rom. 5. 15. Grace, and the gifts of grace. There is favour, and the gifts of favour, which is grace inherent in us. Here especially is meant the fountaine and spring of all the favour of God with the manifestation of it, with the increase of it, with the continuance of it. He wisheth these things; the favour of God, with the manifestation of it, to their souls; that as God would be gracious to them; so that he would shew his Grace, that he would discover it, and shine upon them: and to that end that he would give them his holy Spirit, to shed his love into their hearts. This shining of God into the heart, this shedding of the love of God into the heart, is the Grace here meant: Gods favour with the manifestation of it to the soul, and with the continuance of it, and the increase of it still. Grace unto you. As if he should have said, I wish you the favour of God, and the report of it to your souls: that as he loves you, through his Christ; so he would witnesse as much by his holy Spirit to your souls. And I wish you likewise the continuance of it, and the increase of it, and the fruits of it likewise: for that must not be excluded, all particular graces, which are likewise called Graces. They have the name of favours, because they come from favour, and favour is the chief thing in them. What is the chief thing in joy, in faith, in love? they are graces: they cannot be considered as qualifications, as earthly things in us: they proceed from the grace and love of God, and have their especial value from thence. So I wish you the manifestation, the continuance and increase of favour, with all the fruits of Gods favour, especially such as concern a better life. The word is easily understood, after the common sence, Grace is the loving and free respect of a superiour to an inferiour: the respect of a Magistrate to such as are under him: such a one is in grace with the Prince we say: we mean not any inherent thing: but free grace. So in Religion, it is not any inherent, habitual thing; Grace, but it is free favour, and whatsoever issues from free favour. This must be the rather observed, this phrase, against the Papists: we say, we are Justified by Grace, and so do they: what do they mean by being justified by Grace? that is, by inherent Grace; we say, No, we are justified by Grace, that is, by the free favour of God in Jesus Christ, so is the acception of the word. But to come to the point, that which I will now note, is this, that Doctr. A Christian needs Grace, when he is in state of Grace. A Christian, though he be in the state of Grace and favour with God, yet still he needs the continuance of it. He stands in need of the continuance of God. St. Paul here prayes for Grace, and peace to those that were in the state of Grace already. Why? The reason of it is, that we run into new Reas. We run daily into new breaches. breaches every day of our selves: as long as there is a spring of corruption in us, a cursed issue of corruption, so long there will be some actions, and speeches and thoughts, that will issue, that would of themselves break our peace with God; or at least hinder the sweet sence of it: therefore we have continual occasion to renew our desires of the sence and feeling of the favour of God, and to renew our pardon every day, to take out a pardon of course, (as we have now the liberty to do, so oft as we confesse our sins, he is mercifull to forgive us) and to win his favour, we have need every day still, still of Grace. I list not to joyn in conflict here with the Papists concerning their opinion, I will but touch it by the way, to shew the danger of it. They will not have all of meer Grace: but Christians are under Grace while they are in this World, as St. Paul saith, all is Grace, Grace still: nay, at the day of judgement, The Lord shew mercy to the house of One siphorus at that day: at the day of judgement, Grace, and mercy, must be our plea, till we come to heaven. They stand upon Grace to enable us to the work, and then by the work we may merit our own salvation, and so they will not have it of Grace, of gift; but as a stipend a thing of merite. Directly contrary to St. Paul Rom. 6. ult. Eternal life is [non-Latin text not transcribed], (the word comes of [non-Latin text not transcribed], of gift) The gift of God a free gift through Jesus Christ our Lord. So from the first Grace, to Eternall life, which is the complement of all, all is Grace. As for the New Testament, it is the Covenant of Grace: the whole carriage of our salvation is called the Covenant of Grace: because, God, of Grace doth enter into Covenant with us. He sent Christ of Grace, who is the foundation of the Covenant. The fulfilling of it on our part, is of Grace; he gives us faith, Faith is the gift of God, he puts his fear in our hearts that we should not depart from him. And when he enters into Covenant with us, it is of Grace and love. It was of Grace that he sent Christ to be the foundation of the Covenant; that in the satisfying of his justice, he might be gracious to us, without disparagement to his justice. Of Grace he fulfils the condition on our part: we are no more able to believe, then we are to fulfil the law; but he inables us by his word and spirit, (attending upon the meanes of Salvation) to fulfil the Covenant. And when we have done all, he gives us of Grace, Eternal life, all is of Grace. There is nothing in the Gospel but Grace; therefore in the Ephes. 1. it is stood upon by the Apostle, To the praise of the Glorie of his rich Grace. From Ephes. 1. Election to Glorification, all is to the Glorie of his Grace. We ought to conceive of God as a Gracious Father, withholding his anger (which we deserve to be poured upon us) by the intercession of How to conceive of God. Christ, withholding that anger, and the fruits of it. And notwithstanding we are in Grace, if we neglect to seek to God the Father; if we neglect to seek to Christ, who makes intercession for us, then (though we be in the first Grace still, we are not east away yet) we are filii sub ira sons under wrath, we are under Anger, though not under hatred. Therefore every day we should labour to maintain the Grace of God with the assurance of it. It is a great matter to carrie our selvs so, as we To maintain Gods Grace daily. may be under the sence and feeling of the Grace of God. It is not sufficient to be in the Grace of God, but to have the report of it to our own hearts, to have it shine upon us. How should we carry our selves so, that we may be in state of Grace, that is, in such a state, as we may find the sweet evidence and comfortable Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace. feeling continually, that we are Gods Children? First of all, there must be a perpetual, daily practise of abasing our selves, of making our selves poore; that is, every day to see the vanity of all Ans. things in the world out of us; to see the weaknesse of Grace in us; to see 1. abase our selves. the return of our corruptions that foile us every day; that so we may see in what need we stand of the favour of God: Considering that all comforts without are vanity, and that all the Graces in us are stained with corruption: considering, besides the staines of our Graces, that there is a continuall issue of corruption: these things will make our spirits poor, and make us hunger and thirst after the sence and feeling of free pardon every day. This will enforce us to renew our patent, to renew our portion in the Covenant of Grace, to have daily pardon. This should be our daily practise to enter deeper, and deeper into our selves. This is to live by faith. As God is continually ready to shew us favour in Christ, not onely at the first in acquitting us from our sins; but continually doth shew us favour upon all occasions, and is justifyng and pardoning, and speaking peace continually to us: so there must be an action answerable in us, that is depending upon God by faith; living by faith. This we do by seeing in what need we stand of Grace, God resists the proud, but gives Grace to the humble. Then again, that we may walk in the grace of God, and in the sence of it: let us every day labour to have our souls more and more enriched Labour to be rich in grace. with the endowments and graces of Gods Spirit, that we may be objects of Gods delight. Let us labour to be affected to things as he is affected, two cannot walk together except they be agreed. Let us hate that which God hates, and delight in that which God delights in, that we may have a kind of complacency, and be in love with the blessed work of the Spirit of God more and more: Let us labour to delight in them that grow in grace; as the nearer any one comes to our likenesse, the more we grow in familiarity with them. Labour also to preserve a clear soul, that God may shine upon us. God delights not in strangenesse to us, his desire is that we may walk in the sence and assurance of his grace and favour. How shall we know that we are in state of Grace with God? I Answer; (that we do not deceive our selves) we must look to the Quest. work of Gods grace: Gods grace is a fruitful grace; his favour is fruitful; Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour. it is not a barren favour, it is not a Winter Sun. The Sun in the Winter, it carries a goodly countenance, but it heats not to any purpose, it doth not quicken: but Gods grace, it carries life and heat where it comes: therefore 1. By joy of the Spirit. if we be in state of grace and favour with God, we may discern it. But in times of desertion, though a person be in grace and favour with God, yet many times he thinks he is not so. It is true then we must not alway go to our feeling at such times, and the enlargement of our hearts by the Spirit of comfort, but go to the work of 2. By the graces of the Spirit. grace: for where grace and favour is, there are the graces of the Spirit. As it is nor a bare favour in regard of comfort, so it is not a barren favour in regard of graces: for every heart that is in favour with God, hath some graces of the Spirit. God enriches the soul where he shewes favour; his love-tokens are some graces; therefore if the witnesse, and comfort of the Spirit cease in case of desertion, let us go to the work of the Spirit, and by that we may know if we be in grace with God. For Gods people are a peculiar people: and Gods children have alwayes some peculiar grace, some Ornaments, some Jewels the spouse of Christ hath, which others have not. Therefore examine thy heart, what work of God there is, and what desire thou hast after better things, what inward hatred against that which is ill, what strength thou hast against it: go to some mark of Regeneration, of the new Creature, and these will evidence that we are in a state of grace with God, because these are peculiar favours. And though we feel not the comfort, yet there is a work, and that work will comfort us more then the comfort it self will do. And this is one thing whereby we may know we are in favour with God; when we can comfort our selves, and can go to the throne of grace through 3. By going to God in extremity. Christ, when we can go boldly to God, it is a sign of favour: when we can call upon him, when we can go in any desertion to prayer; when in any affliction we can have inlarged hearts, it is a sign of favour with God. A meer hypocrite, or a man that hath not this peculiar grace, he trusts to outward things, and when they are gone, when he is in trouble, he hath not the heart to go to God; his heart is shut up, he sinks down, because he, relyed upon common matters: he did not relie upon the favour of God and the best fruit of it, which are graces, but upon common favours; therefore he sinks in despair. But a sound Christian, take him at the worst, he can sigh to God, he can go to him, and open his soul to him: by Christ we have an entrance to the Father, Ephes 3. 12. We have boldnesse through faith. Every Christian hath this in the worst extremity, he hath a Spirit of prayer: though he cannot enlarge himself, yet he can sigh and groan to God, and God will hear the sighes of his own Spirit, they are loud in his ears. David, at the worst, he prayes to God, Saul at the worst, he goes to the Witch, and from thence to his swords point. But usually, the usual temper and disposition of a man in the state of grace is joy: for as one saith, Grace is the begetter of joy, for they both have one root in the Greek Language, there is the same root for favour, and for joy: so favour is usually and ordinarily with a sweet enlargement of heart, we may thank our selves else, that, do not walk so warily, and so jealously as we should. The reward that God gives his Children that are careful, is a Spirit of joy, Rom. 5. 1. Being Justified by faith we have peace of God, and joy in tribulation. For even as it is in humane matters, the favour and countenance of the King, it is as a shower of rain after a drought, it comforts his subjects: there is a wonderous joy in the favour, and grace of great persons alway. And as the favourable aspect of the heavens upon inferiour bodies▪ promiseth good things: and men promise themselves from that, favour and good: so the favour, and grace of God enlarge the soul with joy and comfort: And there is that measure of joy in those that are in the free favour of God, that they will honour God freely, to cast themselves upon his mercy. And it is with a disesteem of all things in the World besides; it is such a joy as works in the soul a base esteem of all things else: St. Paul esteemed all drosse, in comparison of the knowledge of Christ, and the favour of God in Christ. So in Psal. 4. David saith of some, There be many that will say, who will shew us any good? any good, it is no matter: but saith the Holy Spirit in David, Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me: He goes to prayer, he saith not, who will shew us any good? it is no matter what, or how we come by it, any earthly good worldly men desire: No, saith he, Lord shew us the light of thy countenance, he desires that above all things. So he saith Psal. 3. The loving kindnesse of the Lord is better then life it self. Life is a sweet thing, the sweetest thing in the World, but the grace and favour of God is better then that: For in this when all comforts fail, the Children of God have assurance, that neither life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, nor any thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ, which shews it self better then life it self. When life fails, this favour shall never fail, Nothing shall be able to separate us from the favour of God in Christ; it is an everlasting favour, and therefore everlasting because it is free: if it were Originally in us, it would fail when we fail: but it is an everlasting favour, because it is free, God hath founded the cause of love to us in himself: so much for that; Grace be unto you. And peace. All that I will say of peace in this place is this, to shew, That True peace issues from Grace. It is to be had thence. Peace, we take here for that sweet peace with God and peace of conscience, and likewise peace with all things; when all Observ. things are peaceable to us: when there is a sweet successe in all businesse, with a security in a good estate. It is a blessed thing when we know that all will be well with us. This quiet and peaceable estate issues from grace, peace of conscience especially; I observe it the rather: It hath been the errour of the world to seek peace where it is not, to seek peace in Sanctification: to seek it in the work of Grace within a man. Not to speak of worldly men, that seek peace in outward contentments, in recreations, in friends, and the like; alas it is a poore peace; But I speak of Religious persons that are of a higher straine, they have sought peace, but not high enough. True peace must be selected from Grace: the free favour in Christ. This will quiet and still the clamours of an accusing conscience. God reconciled in Christ will pacifie the conscience, nothing else will do it. For if our chief peace were fetched from sanctification; (as many fetch it thence in error of judgment) alas the conscience would be dismaid, and alwaies doubt whether it had sanctification enough or no. Indeed sanctication and grace within is required as a qualification, to shew that we are not Hypocrites, but are in the state and covenant of Grace; it is not required as a foundation of comfort, but as a qualification of the persons to whom comfort belongs. Therefore David, and St. Paul, and the rest that knew the true power and efficacy of the Gospel, they sought for peace in the grace and free favour of God. Let us lay it up, to put it in practise in the time of dissolution, in the time of spiritual conflict, in the time when our consciences shall be awakened (and perhaps upon the rack,) and Satan will be busie to trouble our peace; that we may shut our eyes to all things below, and see God shining on in Christ; that we may see the favour of God in Christ, by whose death and passion he is reconciled to us, and in the Grace and free favour of God in Ghrist we shall see peace enough. It is true likewise (besides peace of conscience) of all other peace, peace of successe, and peace of state; that all creatures, and all conditions are peacable to us, whence is it? It is from Grace: for God being reconciled, he reconciles all; when God himself is ours, all is ours, when he is turned, all is turned with him; when he becomes our father in Christ, and is at peace with us, all are at peace besides: so that all conditions, all estates, all creatures, they work for our good. It is from hence, when God is turned, all are turned with him. He being the God of the creature, that sustaines and upholds the creature, in whom the creature hath his being and working: he must needs therefore turn it for the good of them that are in covenant with him. All that are joyned in covenant with him he fills them with peace: because they are in Grace with him. This should stir up our hearts, above all things in the world to pray for Grace, to get Grace, to empty our selves of self-confidence, that we may be vessels for Grace: to make Grace our plea, to magnifie the Grace of God. We must never look in this world for a peace altogether absolute, that is reserved for heaven, our peace here is a troubled peace; God will have a distinction between heaven and earth. But when our peace is interrupted, when the waters are come into our souls, what must be our course? when we would have peace, go to Grace, go to the free promise of Grace in Christ. Grace and Peace. From God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. The spring of Grace and peace are here mentioned. After the Preface he comes to the Argument which he intends, and begins with blessing. One part of the scope of this blessed Apostle is, to avoid the scandall of his sufferings; for, he was a man of sorrows, if ever man was (next Christ, who was a true man of sorrow) the blessed Apostle was a man of miseries and sorrow. Now, weake shallow Christians thought him to be a man diserted of God, they thought it was impossible for God to regard a man so forlorn, so despicable as this man was: What doth he? before he comes to other matters, he wipes away this imputation, and cleers this scandal; You lay my crosses and sufferings, and disgraces in the world to my shame, it is your weakness, that which you account my shame, is a matter of praise. I am so farre from being disheartned or discouraged from what I suffer, that, Blessed be God the Father of Christ, the Father of mercies, &c. That which to the flesh is matter of scandall and offence, that to the spirit, and to a spirituall man is matter of glory, so contrary is the flesh and the Spirit, and so opposite is the disposition, and the current of the fleshly man to the spirituall man. Job was so farre from cursing God for taking away, that he saith, Blessed be the name of God, not onely for giving, but for taking away too. What ground there is in troubles and persecutions to blesse God, we shall see in the current and passages of the Chapter. To come then to the very verse it selfe, where there is a blessing and praysing of God first: And in this praysing consider The Act Object. Reasons. The Act, Blessed be God, which is a praysing. The Object is God the Father, The Reasons are inwrapped in the Object, Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: because he is the God and Father of Iesus Christ, therefore blessed be he. Secondly, another reason is, because he is the Father of mercies. Another reason is, from the Act of this disposition of mercie in God, he is the God of all comfort, and as he is comfortable, so he doth comfort, Thou art good and doest good, saith the Psalmist: thou art a God of comfort, and thou doest comfort; For, as he is, so he doth, he shews his Nature in his working. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and God of comfort, of which I shall speake when I come to them. Blessed be God the Father, &c. We see here the heart of the blessed Apostle being warmed with the sense and taste of the sweet mercy of God, stirrs up his tongue to bless God; a full heart and a full tongue. We have here the exuberancie, the abundance of his thankfulness, breaking forth in his speech, his heart had first tasted of the sweet mercies, and comforts of God before he prayseth God: The first thing that we will observe hence is, that, It is the disposition of Gods Children (after they have tasted the sweet mercy and Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull. comfort and love of God) to break forth into the praysing of God and to thanksgiving. It is as naturall for the new creature to doe so, as for the birds to sing in the Spring; when the Sun hath warmed the poore creature, it shews its thankfulnesse in singing; and that little blood and spirits that it hath, being warmed after winter, it is natural for those creatures so to do, and we delight in them. It is as natural for the new creature (when it feels the Sun of righteousness warming the soul, when it tastes of the mercy of God in Christ) to shew forth it self in thankfulnesse and praise: and it can no more be kept from it, then fire can keep from burning, or water from cooling: it is the nature of the new creature so to do. The reason is, every creature must do the the work for which God hath enabled it, to the which God hath framed it: the happinesse of the creature is in well doing, in working according to its nature; the heathen could see that. Now all the creatures; the new creature especially is for the glory of God in Christ Jesus. All the new creature, and what priviledges it hath, and what graces it hath, all is that God may have the glory of grace: why then, it must needs work answerable to that which God hath created it for; therefore it must shew forth the praise and glorie of God. Blessed be God, saith the Apostle Ephes. 1. And the blessed Ephes. [illegible: 1 word] Apostle St. Peter begins his Epistle, Blessed be the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who hath begotten us to an Inheritance Immortal and undefiled, which fadeth not away, reserved for us in Heaven. I shall not need to set down with the exposition of the word (Blessed). How God blesseth us, and how we blesse God. His blessing is a conferring To blesse God, what. of blessing; our blessing is a declaring of his goodnesse: it is a thing well enough known. Our blessing of God, is a praising of God, a setting out what is in him. Onely, one thing is to be cleared. What good can we do to God in blessing of him? he is blessed, though we blesse him not; and he is praised whether we praise him or no: he had Glorie enough before he made the world, he contented himself in the Trinity, the blessed Trinity in it self, before there were either Angels, or men or other creatures to blesse him; and now he can be blessed enough, though we do not blesse him. It is true, he can be so; and he can have heaven, though thou hast it not but be a damned creature, and he will be blessed whether thou blesse him or no. We add nothing to God when we blesse him. Our blessing of him is required as a dutie to make us more capable of his graces, to him that hath shall be given. To him that hath, (and useth 1. It is a duty to God. that he hath to the Glorie of God) shall be given more: we give nothing. The stream gives nothing to the fountain; the beam gives nothing to the Sun, for it issues from the Sun; our very blessing of God is a blessing of his. It is from his Grace that we can praise his Grace; and we run still into a new debt, when we have hearts enlarged to blesse him. We ought to have our hearts more enlarged, that we can be enlarged to prayse God. And to others it is good; for others are stirred up by it: Gods goodnesse 2. It stirs up others and mercy is enlarged in regard of the manifestation of it to others, by our blessing of God. Yea, this good comes to our souls, besides the increase of Grace, we 3. It is good for our selves. shall find an increase of joy and comfort; that is one end why God requires it of us, though he himself in his essence be alway alike blessed, yet he requires that we should be thankful to him alway, that we should blesse and praise him even in misery and affliction: & why then? because if we can work upon our hearts a disposition to see Gods love, and to praise and blesse him, we can never be uncomfortable; we have some comfort against all estates and conditions, by studying to praise God, by working of our hearts to a disposition to praise and bless God; for then crosses are light, crosses are no crosses then: That is the reason that the Apostles and Holy men so stirred up their hearts to praise and thansgiving, that they might feele their crosses the less, that they might be lesse sensible of their discomforts; for undoubtedly when we search for matter of praysing God in any afliction, and when we see there is some mercy yet reserved, that we are not consumed; the consideration that there is alway some mercy, that we are yet unthankfull for, will inlarge our hearts, and God when he hath thanks and praise from us, he gives us still more matter of thankfulnesse, and the more we thank him and praise him, the more we have matter of praise. This being a truth, that Gods Children, when they have tasted of his mercie, break forth into his praise, it being the end of his favours, and nature being inclined thereto; this should stirre us up to this duty, and that we may the better perform this holy duty, let us take notice of all Gods favours and blessings: Knowledge stirs up the affections, blessing of God springs immediately from an inlarged heart, but enlargement of heart is stirred up from apprehension: for as things are reported to the knowledge, so the understanding reports them to the heart and affections Therefore it is a duty that we ought to take notice of Gods favours, and with taking notice of them. To mind them, to remember them, forget not all his benefits, Psal. 103. Praise the Lord O my soule, and forget not all his benefits; insinuating 2. To mind them. that the cause why we praise not God is the forgetting of his benefits. Let us take notice of them, let us register them, let us mind them, let us keep diaries of his mercies and favours every day; he renews his mercies and favours every day, and we ought to renew our blessing of him every day, we should labour to do here, as we shall do when we are in heaven, where we shall do nothing else but praise and bless him; we ought to be in Heaven, while we are on the earth, as much as we may; let us register his favours and mercies. But what favours? Especially spirituall, nay, first spirituall favours, without which Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for. we cannot heartily give thanks for any outward thing; for the soule will cast with it self, till it feele it selfe in Covenant with God in Christ, that a man is the Child of God. Indeed I have many mercies and favours, God is good to me; but perhaps all these are but favours of the Traytor in the prison that hath the libertie of the Tower, and all things that his heart can desire; but then he looks for an execution, he looks for a writt to draw him forth to make him a spectacle to all; and so this trembling for fear of a future ill which the soul lookes for, it keepes the soul from thankfulnesse. It cannot be heartily thankful for any mercy, till it can be thankful for spiritual fauors. Therefore first let us see that our state be good, that we are in Christ, that we are in the covenant of Grace, that though we are weak Christians, yet we are true, there is truth in Grace wrought in us. And then when we have tasted the best mercies, spirituall mercies, when we see we are taken out of the state of nature (for then all is in love to us) when we have the first mercy, pardoning mercy, that our sins are forgiven in Christ, then the other are mercies indeed to us, not as favours to a condemned man. And that is the reason that a carnall man, he hath his heart shut, he cannot Why a carnal man is unthankful. praise God, he cannot trust in God: because he staggers in his estate, because he is not assured: he thinks, it may be God fattens me against the day of slaughter. Therefore I know not whether I should praise him for this or no. But he is deceived in that: for if he had his heart enlarged to blesse God for that, God would shew further favour still; but the heart will not yield hearty praise to God, till it be perswaded of Gods love. For all our love is by reflection. We love him, because he loved us first, and we praise and blesse him, because he hath blest us first in heavenly blessings in Christ. Let us take notice of his favours, let us mind them: let us register them, especially favours and mercies in Christ. Let us after think how we were pulled out of the cursed estate of nature, by what ministery, by what acquaintance, by what speech, and how God hath followed that mercie with new acquaintance, with new comfort to our souls, with new refreshings: that by his spirit he hath repressed our corruptions, that he hath sanctified us, made us more humble, more careful, that he hath made us more jealous, more watchful: these mercies, and favours, will make others sweet unto us. And then learn to prize and value the mercies of God, which will not be unlesse we compare them with our own unworthinesse: lay his mercies together with our own unworthinesse, and it will make us break forth into blessing of God. When we consider what we are our selves, as Jacob said, lesse than the least of Gods mercies. We forget Gods mercies every day, he strives with our unthankfulnesse: the comparing of his mercies with our unworthiness and our desert on the contrary, will make us to blesse God for his goodnesse and patience, that he will not onely be good to us, in not inflicting that which our sins have deserved; Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And (to name no more bút this one) above all, beg of God his holy spirit: Beg the spirit. for this Blessing of God is nothing else, but a vent from the spirit. For as Organs and wind Instruments do never sound except they be blown, they are dead and make no musick till there be breath put into them: so we are dead and dull instruments; therefore it is said, we are filled with the Holy Ghost. All Gods children they are filled with the spirit before they can praise God: the spirit stirres them up to praise him, and as it gives them matter to praise him; for, so it gives the Sacrifice of praise it self. God gives to his children, both the benefits to blesse him for, and he gives the blessing of a heart to blesse him. And we must beg both of God: beg a heart able to discern spiritual favours, to tast and relish them, and to see our own unworthinesse of them, and beg of God his holy spirit to awaken, and quicken, and enlarge our dead and dull hearts to praise his name. To stir up our selves to praise God. Let us stir up our hearts to it, stirr up the spirit of God in us every one that hath the spirit of God, should labour to stir up the spirit, as St. Paul writes to Timothy, and as David stirs up himself, Praise the Lord O my soul, and all that is within me praise his holy name; so we should raise up our selves, and stir up our selves to this duty. And shame our selves; what, hath God freed me from so great misery? To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse. and hath he advanced me to so happie an estate in this world? doth he put me in so certain a hope of glorie in the world to come? have I a certain promise to be carried to salvation? that neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus? doth he renew his mercies every day upon me? and can I be thus dead, can I be thus dull-hearted? Let us shame our selves. And certainly if a man were to teach a Child of God a ground of humiliation: if a Child of God that is in the state of grace should ask how he might grow humble and be abased more and more, a man could give no one direction better then this, to consider how God hath been good continually; how he hath been patient and good, and upon what ground we hope that he will be so: and to consider the disposition of our own drooping, drousie souls: if this will not abase a soul that hath tasted the love and mercie of God, nothing in the world will do it. There never was a Child of God of a dull temper and disposition, but he was ashamed, that being under such a covenant of favour, that he should yet not have a heart more enlarged to blesse God. To stir us up to this duty, for arguments to perswade us, what need we Motions to thankfulnesse. use many? It should be our duty in this world to be as much in heaven and heavenly imployment. Our conversation is in heaven (saith the Apostle) 1. it is the imployment of heaven. How can we be in heaven more then by practising of that which the Saints and Angels, and the Cherubins, and Seraphins spend all their strength in there? How do they spend all that blessed strength with chearfulnesse and joy, that are in that place of joy? How do they spend it, but in setting forth the praise of God, the wonderful goodnesse of God that hath brought them to that happinesse? Certainly that which we shall do for ever in heaven, we ought to do as much as we may do on earth. And it is (as I said before) 2. It mitigates crosses. in all aflictions and troubles, the only special way to mitigate them, to work our hearts to thankfulnesse for mercies and favours that we enjoy. We have cause indeed at the first to be abased and humbled; but we have more cause to rejoyce, in working our hearts to comfort in blessing of God, it will ease the crosse, any crosse whatsoever. I will not dwell further upon the point, I shall have occasion oft to digresse upon this duty. The Object of prayse here, is God, cloathed with a comfortable description; God how considered the object of praise. not God simply, for alas we have no hearts to praise God, take God onely armed with justice, cloathed with Majesty. Consider God thus, indeed he deserves glory and praise, but the guilty soule will not praise him thus considered, and abstracted from mercie and goodness, and love, therefore saith he, Blessed be God God how considered, Blessed be God. The Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. First, he is father of Christ, and then Father of mercies, and God of comfort. God, so considered, be blessed. God (as he is to be prayed unto, so) he is to be praised. And only God, this sacrifice, this perfume, this incense it must not be mispent upon any creature, we have all of his grace, and we should returne all to his glory, that is a duty. But consider him as he is described here, first the father of Christ, and then the father of mercies, and God of all comfort. And it is not to be omitted, thar first he begins with this. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ only as he is God, but the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ as he is man: for God being the Father of whole Christ, being father of the person, he is father of the manhood, taken into unitie with that person; so he is Father both of God and Man, they cannot be dividedin Christ, he being the Father of whol Christ, he is the Father God and Man. And he is first the Father of Christ, and then the Father of us, and the Father of mercies; for alas, unlesse he had been the Father of Christ, God and Man, Mediatour, he could never have been the Father of such cursed creatures as we are: but because he is the Father of Christ, of that blessed manhood, which Christ hath taken into Unitie of person with the God-head, therefore he is the Father of us, who by Union are one with Christ. The point then is, that, God (thus considered) as the Father of Jesus Christ is to be praysed. Doct. God as the Fa [illegible: 4 letters] of Christ to be praysed. Here is the reason of blessing and praysing him, in this, that he is the Father of Jesus Christ, for thence he comes to be our Father; it is a point that we think not oft enough on, but it is the ground of all comfort, for we have all at the second hand, Christ hath all first, and we have all from him: He is the first Son, and we are sons, he is the first beloved of God, and we are beloved in him; he is filled first with all grace, and we are filled from him, of his fulnesse we receive Grace for Grace: he was first acquitted of our sinnes, as our surety, and then we are justified, because he was iustified from our sins, being our surety, he is ascended into Heaven, we shall ascend; he sits at the right hand of God, and we sit with him in heavenly places; he judgeth, we shall iudge him; whatsoever we doe, Christ doth it first, we have it in Christ, and through Christ, and from Christ, he is the Father of Christ, and our Father. Therefore we ought to blesse God for Christ, that he would predestinate Use 1. To bless God for Christ. Christ to be our head, to be our Saviour; that he would take the humane nature of Christ, and make it one person with his Divine nature, and so predestinate us, and elect, and chuse us to salvation in him, blessed be God that he would be the Father of Jesus Christ. And as this should stirre us up to bless God for Jesus Christ; so likewise it should direct us to comfortable meditations, to see our Nature in Christ first, and then in our selves: See thy Nature abased in Christ, see thy Nature glorified in Christ, see thy Nature filled with all grace in Christ, and see this, that thou art knit to that Nature, thou art flesh of Christs flesh, and bone of his bone, and thou shalt be so as he is. In that Christs nature was first abased, and then glorified; this nature shall first be abased to death and dust, and then be glorified. Christ died, and rose again, thou art predestinated to be conformable to Christ; for as his flesh was first humbled and then glorious, so thine must be first humble, and then glorious. His flesh was holy, humble, and glorious, and so must ours be: whatsoever we look for (in our selves) that is good, we must see it in Christ first. Aud when we heare in the Gospel, in the Articles of the Creed, of Christ crucified, of Christ dying, of Christ rising, ascending, and sitting at the right hand of God: let us see our selves in him, see our selves dying in him, and rising in him, and sitting at the right hand of God. For the same God that raised Christ natural, will raise Christ mystical, he will raise whole Christ: for he is not glorified by pieces; as whole Christ natural, in his body and members was raised, so shall whole Christ mystical be. Therefore in every Article of the Creed blesse God, blesse God forabasing of Christ: blesse God for raising him up, blesse God for raising us up: Blessed be God who hath raised us up to an immortal hope, by the Reserrection of Christ, saith St. Peter: blesse God for the ascension of Christ, that our Head is in heaven. Let us blesse God, not for personal favours only, but go to the spring: blesse God for shewing it to Christ, and to us in him. This point the Apostle had learned well: therefore he begins with praise, Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the Virgin Mary thought her self blessed, and all Generations should call her Blessed, for bearing our Saviour in her Womb, and so being his Mother; then all Generations must needs do this duty to call God blessed, because he is the Father of Christ. So God the Father is to be blessed as the spring of favours: for he gave Christ. All Generations call the Virgin Mary blessed, because she was the Mother of Christ: but that was in a lower degree, then God was his Father. This point ought to take up our meditations; to think we have all in Christ first; to think of our selves in Christ, it is comfortable; and Christ shall have more glory by it; God the Father and the Son shall have glory by it, and we shall have comfort. The second consideration of God is, not only as he is the Father of Christ; but as he is, The Father of Mercies. God is the Father of Christ, and our Father, and the Father of mercies, God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. but as I said before in this method, he is first the Father of Christ, and then our Father, and then the Father of mercies. For he could never be the Father of mercies to us, except he were the Father of Christ: For mercy must see justice contented, one attribute in God must not devour another; all must have satisfaction, his Justice must have no wrong: nor it hath not now, it is fully satisfied by Christ. Therefore God is the Father of Christ, that Christ in our nature might die for us, and so he might be our Father notwithstanding our sins, having punished our sins in our surety Christ. So being the Father of Christ, and our Father, he is the Father of mercies, his justice hath no losse by it. If God had not found out a way out of the bowels of his mercy, how he might shew good to us, by reconciling mercy and justice in the Mediator Christ, in punishing him for our sins, to let us free, he had never been a Father of mercy, if he had not been the Father of Christ first; for we being in such contrary terms as God and we were, he being holinesse, and we nothing but a masse of sin and corruption: without sufficient satisfaction of an infinite person there could be no reconciliation: therefore he is the Father of Christ who died for us, he took our nature upon him to satisfie Gods justice; and then Father of us, and so Father of mercy to us. He may well be the Father of mercies now, being the Father of Christ; of our nature in Christ: for (as I said) he is the Father of Christ as man, as well as he is God: being the Father of our nature, being taken into the unity with his own Sons Nature (for both make one Christ,) he becomes the Father of mercies; he is a Father to him by nature; to us by Grace and Adoption; The Father of Christ, and Father of mercies. It is a necessary method; for God out of Christ is a fountain indeed, but he is a [illegible: 1 word] sealed up, he is a God Merciful and Gracious in his own nature, but there is sin that stops the fountain, that stops the current of the mercy: there must be therefore satifaction to his justice, and wrath, before there can be reconciliation, before there can any mercy flow from him. He is first the Father of Christ, and then the Father of mercies: we have all from Christ. If he were not the Father of Christ, he should be the Father of no body; for immediatly no man is able to appear before God without a mediator. Father of Mercies. By Father (which is a kind of Hebraisme,) is meant, he is the Original, the spring of mercies: he is the Father of mercies. He doth not say the Father of one mercy, but the Father of mercies. His mercy is one, it is his Nature, it is Himself, as he is one, so mercy in him is one: it is one in the fountain, but many in the streames: it is one in him, one nature, and one mercy: but because we have not one sin, but many sins, we have not one misery, but many, that lies upon this fraile nature of ours: therefore according to the exigences of us wretched Creatures, according to our sins and miseries, his mercies stream out, they are derived and run out to all kind of sin and misery whatsoever. The Father of mercies: If all mercies were lost, they must be found in him, he is the Father of mercies; they are his bowels (as it were) and mercy pleaseth him as a man is pleased with his own natural Child The Father of mercies, he doth not say the Author of mercies, but the Father of them: he gives them the sweetest name that can be: he doth not say the Father of revenge, or of judgement (though he be the father of them too): but to his Children the father of mercies: A sweet name under which none should despair. But to shew some reasons, why he is so stiled. There is good reason, God is stiled Father of mercies. being the Father of Christ, his justice being fully contented, sin being taken away that stopped the current of his mercies, he being naturally merciful, 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied. his mercies run freely: Father of Christ, and Father of mercies; it followes well, he is the father of mercies, because he is the Father of Christ, and because his justice is satisfied in him, and he being naturally merciful, what hinders but that mercy may run amain, freely, and abundantly upon those that are in covenant with him in Christ, that are members of Christ: that is one reason, because his justice is satisfied. And because he is naturally merciful, therefore he is the Father of mercies. 2. Because he is naturally mercifull. The Sea doth not more naturally flow, and is moist, and the Sun doth not more naturally shine, the fire doth not more naturally burn, heavy bodies do not more naturally sink to the center, then God doth naturally shew pitty and mercy where his justice is satisfied: for it is his nature, it is himself. The Apostle doth not name other attributes; for alas, other attributes All Gods attributes without mercy terrible. would scare us: As for example, if the guilty conscience consider him as a God of justice, it will reason thus: what is this to me? I am a sinner, and he will be just in punishing: if he consider he is a God of Wisedome, the conscience considers, he is the more wise to find out my windings, and turnings from him, and my covering of my sins; he is the more wise to find me out in my courses, and to shame me: he doth not say, he is a God of power, the Father of Power; the guilty conscience then would reason, he is the more able to crush me, and to send me to hell. Indeed there is no attribute of God, but it is matter of terrour, being secluded from mercy; but considering, God the Father of mercies, then we may consider sweetly and comfortably of all other attributes: He is mercifull and good to me; therefore his wisdom that shall serve to do me good, to devise good things for me, his power shall serve to free me from mine enemies, his Justice to revenge my quarrell, and so all other attributes, shall be serviceable to my comfort: they may be thought upon sweetly, where mercy is laid claime unto before: Therefore here he is called the Father of mercie, and not the Father of other attributes. Of Mercies. To unfold the word a little (mercie) is here, the same with grace Mercie, what. to a person in miserie: Mercie is but free favour shewed to a miserable person: Grace shews the freenesse of it, and mercie shews the state of the person to whom it is shown: alway where mercy is, either there is present or else possible miserie. There was mercie shewed to Angels that stood, to free them, to give them grace to stand; they might have fallen as the Devils did when they were Angels; none are the Subjects of mercie, but such as either are in misery, or are possible to fall into miserie: now when God keeps and upholds the creature from falling into that which he is subject to fall into, he being a creature taken out of nothing, and therefore subject to fall to nothing without assistance, to hold him from that whereto he would fall without being upheld; this makes him the Object of mercy, whatsoever the misery be spirituall or outward. Thus God is the Father of mercie, he upholds his Children from that which else they would fall into continually, He is the Father of mercie, before Kinds of Gods mercie. conversion, offering and injoyning mercie to them, that as they will be good to their soules, they would receive mercie. He joyns his glory and his mercy together, that he will be glorified in shewing mercie, and he presseth it upon us. What a mercie is this, that he should press mercie upon us for our own good? Why will ye dye, O House of Israel. And Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, there is mercie before conversion; and there is mercie in prolonging his wrath, in not punishing, and there is mercie in pardoning sinne freely, in pardoning all sinne, the punishment and the guilt, and all: and when we are in the state of Grace, and have our sins pardoned, still it is his mercy to forbeare the punishments due to us: in mitigating his corrections, and in seasonable corrections: for it is a mercy for God to correct his Children seasonably: Therefore we are corrected of God, that we should not be damned with the world. It is a mercy to have seasonable correction; it is a mercy to have correction mitigated, and sweetned with some comforts: It is a mercy after we are in the state of Grace (besides this) to have the continuance of outword blessings. God renews his mercies every day, His mercies faile not, Lament. 3. 22. his mercies are renewed continually upon us. So he is father of all kind of mercies; privative mercies, in freeing us from ill, and positive mercies, in bestowing good, pardoning mercies, healing mercies, preserving mercies, all mercies come from this Father of mercie. I will not stand to unfold them in particular; for indeed every thing that comes from God to his children, it is a mercy, it is as it were dipt in mercy before it comes to us: it is a mercy, that is, there is a freedome in it, and a pity to his creature: For the creature is alway in some necessity, and in some dependance: we are in a state of necessities in this life, in some misery or other, and that (as I said) is the object of mercy. Besides, we are dependant for the good we have; it is at Gods mercy to continue or to take away any comfort that he gives us, every thing is a mercie. And in every thing we take from God, we ought to conceive a mercy in it, and to think this is a mercy from God, if we have health, it is a mercy, if we have strength, it is a mercy, if we have deliverance, it is a mercy: it comes in the respect and relation of a mercie all that comes from God. He is not said to be the father of the thing: but the Father of mercies, there is a mercy contained in the thing, they come from the pity and love of God, and that is the sweetest: therefore he is said to be the Father of mercies. What use may we make of this, that God is the Father of Mercies? It is a point full of sweet and comfortable uses, to those that are not in the state of grace, and to those that are in the state of grace. To those that are not in the state of grace, they should see here a haven to flie to, a City of refuge, to flie unto: do but consider thou wretched soul, how God is stiled a Father of mercies to thee, a God of bounty: all is to allure thee to repentance, to allure thee to come in. He is not mercifull by accident, but he is naturally merciful in himself, he hath bowels of mercie in himself, Mercy pleaseth him, Micah 7. Therefore despair not thou drooping soul, whosoever thou art that art under the guilt of sin, come to the Father of mercies, cast thy self into this Sea of his mercie, hide thy self in these bowels, be not an enemy to thine own mercie, as Jonah saith, refufe not thy own mercie that is offered. There is mercie pressed upon thee, mercie with threatning if thou believe not mercy, now thou art called to receive it. The wrath of God hangs over thee as a weight, or as a sword ready to fall upon thee. As Christ sath Joh. 3. The wrath of God hangs over us, if we do not receive mercie offered us. Alledge not thy sins against mercie: thy sins are the sins of a creature, God is the Father of mercies, he is infinite: Christ thy Saviour hath made an infinite satisfaction, and thy sins are finite, and in that respect there is mercie for thee if thou wilt come in, if thou apprehend, and receive mercie. One deep calls upon another deep, the depth of thy sins and misery, drawes unto it, and calls upon the depth of mercy. The mercy of God is above all his works, Psal. 147. It is not only above all his works to cover them all, and under them to uphold them; but it is beyond them all, his mercy exceeds all other attributes to the creature. It is above his works, and upon his works, and under his works, and it is above thy works too. He is more glorious in his mercy then in any other attribute: he doth all for the glory of his mercy, both in the Creation, and in the Gospel: his mercy therefore is above his own workes, and above thy workes if thou come in. Oyl is of a Kingly nature, it swims above all other liquors: so the mercy of God, like oyl it swims above all other attributes in him, and Simile. above all sin in thee, if thou wilt receive it. Father of Mercies. In a corrupt estate the special mercy is forgiving mercy; if it were not Forgiving mercies, the principal. for forgiving mercies, all other gifts and mercies were to little purpose: for it were but a reserving of us to eternal Judgement, but a feeding the Traitor to the day of Execution, a giving him the liberty of the priison, which is nothing unlesse his Treason be pardoned; so the forgiving mercy leads to all the rest. Now these forgiving mercies, they are unlimitted mercies, there is no bounds of them: for he being the Father of Christ, who is an infinite person, and having received an infinite satisfaction from an infinite Person, he may well be infinitely merciful: and himself is an infinite God, his mercies are like himself, the satisfaction whereby he may be merciful is infinite: hereupon it is that he may pardon, and will pardon all sin without limitation, if they be never so great, never so many. This I observe the rather, to appease the conscience of a sinner when it is suppressed with terrour, and fear of the greatnesse of his sins. Consider how God hath set down himself, and will be known and apprehended of us, not onely as merciful, but a Father of mercies, and not of one mercy, but of all mercies, not only giving, but forgiving especially, Which forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thy infirmities, Psal. 103. This I observe against a pronenesse in us to despair: we are not now proner in the time of peace to presume, then when conscience is awakened to despair, we are prone to Men prone to presume of Gods mercies. both alike: For here is the poyson of mans corruption. Is God so merciful? surely, I may go on in sin, and cry God mercy, and there is an end: God is merciful, nay, the Father of mercies. Now in the time of peace, sin is nothing with us, swearing is nothing, rotten discourse is nothing, going beyond others in our dealing and commerce is nothing, getting an estate by fraud and deceit is nothing: The bread of deceit is sweet; loose, licentious, libertine life is nothing: and those that do not follow the same excesse, and are dissolute, it is a strange matter with us, they are strange people; we think it strange that others do not so, and if they be better then we, it is but hypocrisie: men measure all by themselves, so all is nothing. Great, grosse swearing is nothing, men glory in it, and to make scruple of it; it is thus and thus: they have terms for it. And what is the bawde for all this? Oh! God is merciful, and Christ he is wonderous merciful, he took our nature that he might die for us, &c. It is true indeed; but when the conscience is awakened, then the conscience will tell thee another lesson, the conscience will set God as just, and Satan will help conscience, with accusations and aggravations: it is true, it is too true, the conscience will take part with God, and with his word: it is true thou hast done thus, and thus, these are thy sins, and God is just. And especially at the hour of death, when earthly comforts fail, and there is nothing but sin set before a mans eyes (the comforts that are set before him, can do him no good) then the conscience will hardly receive any comfort: especially the conscienconsciences of such as have gone on in a course of sin, in spight of good meanes: a conscience of such a man as either refuseth or rejects the meanes, because it would favour it self in sin; or a conscience that being under means, having had it sins discovered to it, that conscience will hardly admit of any comfort. And there is none, but they find it another manner of matter then they think it. Sin is a blacker thing then they imagine, their oathes that they trifle with, and their dissolute, and their rotten discourse (when they should be better affected) upon the sabbath, and such like: therefore we ought to look to it. Well; to presse this point of presumption a little further now I am in it. We are wonderous prone to abuse this mercie to presumption, and after to despaire. I consider this before hand, that however Gods mercy be unlimited, as to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted. indeed it is in it self; it is so unlimited to those that repent, and to those that receive and embrace mercy, and mercy in one kind as well as another; it is so to those that repent of their sins; for God is so the Father of Mercie, as that He is the God of Vengeance too, he is a just God too. The conscience will tell you this well enough, when the outward comforts (that now you dally with, and set as Gods in the room of God, and drown your selves in sensuality, and Idolatry, with the creature, and put them in the place of God, when they are taken away, conscience will tell you, that God is merciful indeed; but he is just to such that refuse mercies. Therefore though his mercy be unlimited to such as are broken hearted, to such as repent of their sins: (for he will glorifie his Mercy, as he may glorifie his other attributs) he is wisely merciful: if he should be merciful to such as go on in sin, he should not be wisely merciful. Who, among men, if he be wise would be mercifull to a Child, or Servant without acknowledgement of the fault? Was not David over merciful to Absalom? Yes, it was his fault: yet out of wisdome, he would not admit him into his presence, till he was humbled for his fault, and made intercession, though he doted upon him. God is infinitely wise, as he is Merciful: therefore He will not be Merciful to him that goes on in wickednesse and sin. This cannot be too often pressed: for the most of the auditors wheresoever we speak, the Divel hath them in this snare, that God is merciful &c. and doth he not know how to use it? He is so indeed, but it is to repentant souls, that mean to break off their course of sin. Otherwise, if the Mercie of God work the other way, hearken to Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners. thy doom, He that blesseth himself (saith God,) by Moses Denteronomy 29. 16 & saith, these curses shall not come to me: he that blesseth himself and saith: Oh, all shall be well, God is Mercifull &c. My wrath shall smoak against him, and I will not be merciful to him, that goes on in his sins. God will wound the hairie scalp of him that goes on in Sin. As the Apostle saith Romans 2. he that abuseth the bountie and patience of God, that should lead him to repentance, he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath. The Scripture is never in any case more terrible then this way. In Esay 28. you have made a covenant with hell and death, with Gods judgments: but hell, and death hath not made a covenant with you. You make a covenant, & think you shall do well, but God is terrible to such, his wrath shall smoak against such as make a covenant with his judgments, and treasure up wrath against the day of wrath. Take heed, if the proclamation of mercy, call thee not in: if thou stand out as a Rebell, and come not in, but go on still: then justice layes hold on thee: Gods wrath shall smoak against thee. As we see in Prov. 1. I will laugh at your destruction, speaking of those that would not come in, Chidas, it is in Esay. 27. 11. He that formed them and made them will have no mercy on them, nor shew them favour. He will have no delight in them. They are Ignorant sotts, and will not labour to know God, and his will, to do, and obey it: he that made them will have no delight in them, and he that formed them will reject them. It is a pittiful thing, when God that made them, and formed them in their mothers womb; whose creatures they are, shall have no delight in them, when he that made them, his heart shall not pittie them Ezek. 18. 18. he that goes on in a course of sin presumptuously, and doth not repent, Gods eye shall not pittie him, he that made him will have no delight in him. Therefore the Apostle, because we are disposed, and prone, to abuse the goodnesse and long suffering of God, and the mercies of Christ, he saith, Be not deceived, be not deceived, (he oft presseth this) for neither the covetous, nor licentious persons shall enter into heaven. Though God be mercifull; if thou live in these sins, be not deceived, thou shalt never enter into heaven. God will not be mercifull to the most of those that even now live in the bosome of the Church; because they make mercy a band to their sinful courses, God will harden himself; he will not blesse such: he hath no mercy for such, to such he is a God of vengeance. His mercy is to such as are weary of their sinful courses: (as I said) he is mercifull; but so, as he is wise. What Prince will prostitute a pardon to one that is a Rebell, and yet thinks himself a good Subject all the while? he is no Rebell, cares he for a pardon? And shall he have a pardon, when he cares not for it? Those that are not humbled in the sight and sence of their sins, that think themselves in a good estate, they are Rebells, that have not sued out their pardon, there is no mercie to them yet, He that made them will not pittie them, because they are Ignorant hardned wretches that live in blasphemy, in swearing, that in corrupt courses, in hardnesse of heart, that live in sins, that their own conscience, and the conscience of others about them, know that they are sins, devouring sins, that devour all their comfort, and yet notwithstanding they dream of mercy, mercy. Hell is their portion and not mercy that make an Idol of God. Thus it is with us, we are prone to presume upon Gods mercy. I speak this, that we should not surfet of this sweet doctrine, that God is the father of Mercies. He is so to repentant sinners, to those that believe, to those mercy is sweet. We know oyl is above all other liquors: Gods mercy Simile. is above all his own works, and above our sins. But what is the vessel for this oyl? this oyl of mercy it is put in broken vessels, it is kept best there, a broken heart, a humble heart, receives and keepes mercie. As for proud dispositions, (as all Sinners that go on in a course of sin, the Psalmist terms them proud men: he is a proud man, that sets his own will agaist Gods command) God resists the Proud: it is the humble yeelding heart, that will be led and lured by God, that is a vessel to receive mercy. It must be a deep vessel, it must be a broken vessel: deep with humiliation, broken by contrition, that must receive mercy. And it must be a large vessel laid open, capable to receive mercy, and all mercy; not only pardoning mercy, but healing mercy, as I said out of that Psalme, That forgiveth all thy sins, and healeth all thy transgressions. Therefore those that have not grace and mercy, to heal their corruptions, to dry up that issue in some comfortable measure, thay have no pardoning mercy: and those that desire not their corruptions to be healed, they never desired heartily their corruptions to be pardoned: those mercies go together. He is not the Father of mercy, but of all mercies that belong to salvation, and he gives them every one, and he that desires the one, desires the other. Let us consider, how the sweet descriptions of God, and how his promises work upon us. If they work on us to make us presume, it is a fearful case, it is as bad a sign as may be, to be ill, because God is good, to turn the Grace of God into wantonnesse. But as we are thus prone to presume; so when conscience is awaked, we are as prone to despair: therefore if they work with us this way, there is mercy with God, therefore I will come in; therefore I will cast down my weapons at his feet, I will cease to resist him, I will come in, and take terms of peace with him; I will yeeld him obedience for the time to come, therefore I will fear, and love, so good a God. If it work thus, it is a sign of an elect soul, of a gracious disposition. And then if thou come in, never consider what thy sins have been, if thou come in, God will imbrace thee in his mercy. Thy sins are all as a spark of fire that falls into the Ocean, that is drowned presently; so are thy sins Simile. in the Ocean of Gods mercy. There is not more light in the Sun, there is not more water in the Sea, then there is mercy in the Father of mercy, whose bowels are opened to thee if thou be weary of thy sinful courses, and come in, and imbrace mercy. In the Tabernacle (we know) there was a mercy Seat: we call it a propitiatory: In the Ark, which this mercy Seat covered, was the Law: now in the Law, there were curses against all sinners. The Mercy-Seat was a Type of Christ, covering the Law, covering the curse: though thou be guilty of the curse a thousand times, God in Christ is merciful. Christ is the Mercy Seat, come to God in Christ, there is mercy in Israel notwithstanding thy great sins. If we cast away a purpose of living in sin, and cast away our weapons, and submit our selves to him, he is the Father of mercies, that is, he is merciful from himself, he is the spring of them, and hath them from his own bowels: they are free mercies, because he is the Father of them. For he is just by our fault, he is severe from us, he takes occasion from our sins, but he is merciful from his own bowels: he is good from himself, we provoke him to be severe, and just: therefore be we never so miserable in regard of sin, and the fruits of sin, yet he is the Father of mercy, of free mercy, mercy from himself, mercy pleaseth him, Micah 7. he is delighted in it. Now that which is natural comes easily, as water from the fountain comes without violence, and heat from the fire comes without any violence, because it is natural. A Mother pitties her child, because it is natural; there is a sweet instinct of nature, that moves and pricks forward nature to that affection of love that she bears to her child. So it is with God, it is nature in him to be merciful to his, because they are his; Mercy is his nature: we are his, we being his, his nature being merciful, he will be merciful to all that are his, to such as repent of their sins, and lay hold of his mercy by a true faith. His word shewes likewise his mercy, there is not one attribute set down more in Scripture then mercy, it is the name whereby he will be known, Exod. 34. where he describes it, and tells us his name: what is the name of God? his long suffering, and mercy, &c. there is a long description of of God in that place, David in Psal. 3. (besides that which is in every Prophet almost) hath the fame description of God, to comfort Gods people in his time, in Psal. 86. 103. 145. there is the same description of God as there is in Moses, he is merciful and long suffering &c. he describes himself to be so, and his promises are promises of mercy; At what time soever a sinner repents, and without limitation of sins; all sins shall be forgiven, the blood of Christ purgeth us from all sin. If there be no limitation of persons whomsoever, of sins whatsoever, or of time whensoever; here is a ground that we should never despair; God is the Father of mercies. It is excellent that the Prophet hath in Isai. 55. 7. to prevent the thoughts of a dejected soul: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and return to the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God; for he will abundantly pardon. I, but I have abused mercy a long time, I have lived in sin, and committed Object. great sins, well notwithstanding that, (see how he answers it) My thoughts are not your thoughts; you are vindictive: if a man offend you, you are ready to aggravate the fault, and to take revenge &c. But my thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my wayes as your wayes saith the Lord: for as far as the heaven is above the earth, so are my thoughts above your thoughts, and my wayes above your wayes. We have narrow poor thoughts of mercy, because we our selves are given to revenge, and we are ready when we think of our sins to say, can God forgive them? can God be merciful to such? &c. My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor my wayes as your wayes. It is good to consider this, and it is a sweet meditation: for the time undoubtedly will come, that unlesse Gods mercy and Gods thoughts should be as him self is, infinite, unlesse his wayes should be infinitly above our wayes, and his thoughts infinitly above ours in mercy: certainly the soul would receive no comfort. The soul of a Christian, acquainted with the word of God, knows, that Gods mercy is, as himself is, infinite, and his thoughts this way, are, as himself is, infinite: Therefore the Scripture sets down the mercies of God, by all dimensions: There is the depth of Wisedom, but when he comes to speak of love and mercy, as it is in Ephes. 3. Oh the depth, and bredth, and height of this! 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 mercie, 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, mercie, mercie, 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 mercie, and abundance of mercie. As the Apostle St. Peter saith, 1 Pet. 1. 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of his abundant mercie 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 mercie, 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 mercie 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 mercie he never shuts up his bowels altogether, he never stops the spring of his mercie. He doth to our feeling, but it is his mercie that he doth that, it is his mercie that he hinders the sence of mercy; he doth that in mercy, it is to make us more capable of mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie: 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 mercie 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 mercie. Whatsoever we have from God, it comes in the respect of a mercie, 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 onely the thing, the reliefe, but mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie imitate the Father of mercies. Alas it is the fault of our time, there is little mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie 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 onely 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 mercie 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 mercie 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 mercie, that he would hold us in the same estate we are in, and go on with the work of grace, that he would uphold us in health, for that depends upon him; that he would uphold us in peace, for that depends upon him, he is the God of peace: that he would uphold us in comfort and strength, to do good and resist evil, we are in a dependant state and condition in all good of body and soul. He upholds the whole world, and every particular: let him take away his hand of merciful protection and susteining from us, and we sink presently. And every day consider, how we are invironed with any danger, remember we have compassing mercies, as we have compassing dangers, as it is Psal. 32. Mercy compasseth us round about. Every day indeed we have need of mercie, that is the way to have mercy; here is a fountain of mercie, the Father of mercy, bowels opened: the onely way to use it is to see what need we have of mercie, and to flie to God: to see what need we have in our souls, and in regard of outward estate, and to see that our condition is a dependant condition. And lastly, to make a use of thanfulnesse, Blessed be God the Father of mercy, Thankfulnesse for mercy we have the mercie of publick continued peace, when others have war, and their estates are consumed; blessed be God the Father of mercie, we sit under our own Vines, and under our own figtrees. If we have any personal mercies, blessed be God the Father of mercies this way: if he shew mercie to our souls, and pardon our sins, blessed be God the Father of mercies in this kind; that he hath taken us and redeemed us out of that cursed estate, that others walk in that are yet in their sins. Oh, it is a mercie, and for this we should have inlarged hearts. And withal consider the fearful estate of others, that God doth not shew mercie to, and this will make us thankfull. As for instance, if a man would be thankfull, that hath a pardon, let him see another executed, that is broken upon the Wheele, or the Rack, or cut in pieces and tortured, and then he will think, I was in the same estate as this man is, and I am pardoned. Oh what a gratious Soveraign have I! The consideration of the fearefull estate out of mercie, what a fearefull estate those are in, that live in sins against conscience, that they are ready to drop into Hell, when God strikes them with death; if they dye so, what a fearefull estate they are in; and that God should give me pardon and grace to enter into another course of life, that though I have not much grace, yet I know it is true, I am the child of God; the consideration of the miserie of others, in part in this world without repentance, and especially what they shall suffer in Hell; to consider the torment of the souls that are not in the state of Grace, this will make us thankfull for mercies, for pardoning and forgiving mercies, for protecting mercies, that God hath left thousands in the course of nature, going on in a wilfull course of sinne. This is that that the Apostle here practiseth. Blessed be God the Father of mercies. The other stile here is, The God of all comfort. The life of a Christian is a mysterie, as in many respects, so in this, that whereas the flesh in him (though he be not altogether flesh) thinks him to be a man disconsolate: the spirit finds matter of comfort and glory. From whence the world begins discouragement, and the flesh upbraiding from thence the spirit of God in holy Saint Paul begins matter of glory, they thought him a man neglected of God, because he was afflicted: no, saith he, Blessed be the God of all comfort, our comforts are above our discomforts: As the wisdom of the flesh is enmitie to God, and his spirit in all things: so in this, in the judgment of the cross, for that which is bitterest to the flesh, is sweetest to the spirit. Saint Paul therefore opposeth his comforts spirituall to his disgraces outward, and because it is unfit to mention any comfort, any good from God, without blessing of him, that is the spring and fountain from whence we have all, he takes occasion, together with the mention of comfort, to blesse God, The God of all comfort. The verse contains a wise prevention of scandall at the cross: Saint Paul was a man of sorrows, if ever any was (next to Christ himselfe) and that might prevent all scandall at his crosses, and disgracefull afflicted usage, he doth shew his comforts under the cross, which he would not have wanted to have been without his cross: therefore he begins here with praysing of God. We praise God for favours, and indeed the comforts he had in his crosses were more then the grievance he had by them, therefore had cause to bless God, Blessed be God, &c. The God of all comfort. The God of comfort, and the God of (All) comfort we must give Saint Paul leave to be thus large: for his heart was full, and a full heart, a full expression: And he speaks not out of books, but from sense, and feeling, though he knew well enough, that God was the Father of mercie, & God of all comfort, that way; yet these be wordsthat come from the heart, come from feeling, rather then from the tongue: they came not from Saint Pauls pen onely, his pen was first dipt in his heart and soule when he wrote this: God is the Father of mercie, and God of all comfort, I feele him so, he comforts me in all tribulations. The God of all comfort. To explaine the word a little; Comfort is either the thing it selfe, a comfortable 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 self thirst drink comforts, in cold garments comfort, in want of advice friends comfort, and it is a sweet comfort, God is the God of all comfort, of the comfortable things. But besides the necessary things, every sense hath somewhat to comfort it. The eye besides ordinary colours hath delightfull colours to behold, and so the eare besides ordinary noise and sounds, it hath musick to delight it: the smell, besides ordinarie savours, it hath sweet flowers to refresh it, and so every part of the body, besides that which is ordinarie, it hath somewhat to comfort it. Because God is nothing but comfort to his creature, if it be as it should be, he is God of these comforts, the God of all comfort, of the comfort of outward things, of friends, &c. So he is the God of the second comfort, of comfortable reasons and 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 onely calling Adam where art thou? terrifying of him, but the voyce of God promising Adam the blessed seed. So in the Word of God, there is God rouzing out of sinne, and there is God speaking peace to the soule: there is a sweet current of mercie runs from the Paradise of God; and there is the Tree of life, Christ himselfe, and Trees of all manner of fruit, comforts of all sorts whatsoever. And there is no Angel there, to keep the doore and gate of Paradise with a fierie flaming sword; No, this Paradise is open for all: and they are cruell Tyrants, that stop th is Paradise, that stop this Fountain, as the Papists doe. As God is the God of comfort, so he is the God of comfort in that respect. But this is not enough to make him the God of comfort; we may have the Word of God, and all the reasons from thence, from priviledges and prerogatives, and examples; and yet not be comfortable, if we have not the God of comfort, with the Word of comfort, the Spirit of God, that 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 onely to shew the reasons of the Word, but to teach us to draw reasons from the Word, and to apply them to our particular state and condition; the spirit teacheth this wisedome. And therefore it is well called the comforter, I will send you the comforter. The poore disciples had many comforts from Christ, but because the Comforter was not come, they were not comfortable, but heavie; what was the reason? because the Comforter was not come, when the holy Ghost was come after the resurrection, and ascension of Christ, when he had sent the Comforter, then they were so full of comfort, that they rejoyced, that they were thought worthy to suffer any thing for Christ, and the more they suffered, the more joyfull, and comfortable, and glorious they were. You see what a comfort is; it is the things themselves, and the word, and reasons from it, and likewise the spirit of God with the reasons, and with presence: sometimes without any reasons with present strength. God doth establish the soule together with reasons there, is a strengthning power of the spirit, a vigour that goes with the spirit of God, that joyns with the spirit of the afflicted person. So whether it be the outward thing, as reasons and discourse, or the presence of the spirit; God joyning with our spirit; God is the God of that comfort, the God of all comfort. A comfort is any thing that allaies a maladie, that either takes it away, or allaies and mitigates it. A comfort is any thing that raiseth up the soul: 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[illegible: 1 letter]me sweetnesse, saith Sampson in his Riddle. When a hony combe shall c[illegible: 3 letters] 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 [illegible: 1 word] 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 mercie, 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[illegible: 1+ letters]re is a sweet and comfortable sense of them, and the Apostle might well say, he is the God of all comfort, that doth comfort us in all tribulation. It is here a ground supposed that, Gods Children are subject to tribulation. We are subject here to tribulation of all kinds, for God comforts us in all our tribulations; we are here in a state therefore needing comfort, because we are in tribulation. And the second is that God doth answer our state. God doth comfort his Children in all tribulation. And the ground is from himself, he is the God of comfort, he doth but like himselfe; when he doth it, the God of comfort shews that he is so, by comforting us in all tribulations. First, It is supposed that, In this world we are in tribulations. Indeed, that I need not be long in; we must at one time or other, be in tribulation some or other: For, though in regard of outward afflictions, we are free from them sometimes, we have a few holy-dayes (as we say) yet notwithstanding, there is in the greatest inlargements of Gods Children in this world, somewhat that troubles their minds▪ for either there is some desertion, God withholds comfort from them in some measure, he shews himself a stranger which humbles them much; or else they have strong temptations of Sathan to sin by prosperity, &c. which grieves them as much as the outward cross, or else their grievance is, that they cannot serve God with that chearefulness of spirit. Is there nothing (who ever thou art) that troubles thee as much as the cross in the day of affliction, certainly there is somewhat or other that troubleth the soule of a Christian, he is never out of one grievance or other. The life of a Christian, is as a web, that is woven of good and ill, he hath good daies, and ill dayes, he hath tribulations, and comforts. As St. Austin sayth very well, between these two, tribulation on our part, and comfort on Gods part, our life runs between these two, our crosses, and God comforts, they are both mingled together. There is no child of God, but knowes what these things mean, troubles either from friends or enemies, or both; domesticall, or personal, in bodie, or mind, one way or other. That is supposed, and it were not an unproper argument to the text; for when he saith in all tribulations, it is laid as a ground that every man suffers tribulation one way or other; but I shall have fitter occasion after to enlarge this. Again we see here, that God comforts his children in all tribulation. 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 onely by the application of the reasons, and the things that we understand, to the soul; but by opening the soul to embrace them; for sometime the soul may be in such a case as it may reject comfort, that the consolation of the Almightie may seem light to it: sometime there may be such a disposition of soule that the chiefest comforts in scripture, yield it not comfort, they are not embraced, the soul is shut to them. God provides reasons and grounds of comfort; and likewise he applies these comforts by his spirit to the soul, and he inwardly warmes, and opens the soul to embrace comfort: he opens the understanding to understand, and the will and affections to embrace, or else there will be no comfort. Many are like Rachel, her Children were gone, and it is said of her, Shee would not be Comforted. God is the God of Comfort; as he gives the matter, and ground of comfort; and reasons out of his holy word above all dsscomforts; so by his spirit, he frames and fits the heart, to entertain these, to take the benefit of them. He comforts us in all tribulation. To comfort is to support the soule 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- [illegible: 2 pages] 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 mercie in Israel for such daylie trespasses as we run into. Therefore let none be discouraged, but flie presently to the God of comfort, and Father of mercies. And think not that he is wearie of pardoning as man is: for he is infinite in mercy And though he be the party offended, yet he desires peace with us. But yet notwithstanding, that we shall not love to run into his Bookes, Caution. he doth with giving the comfort of the pardon of sin (when we fall into it) add such sharpe crosses, as we shall wish we had not given him occasion to correct us so sharpely: we shall buy our comfort dear, we had better not have given him occasion. God forgave the sin of David after he had repented (though he were a good man before) but David bought the pleasure of his sin dear; he wished a thousand times that he had never given occasion to God, to raise good out of his evil, to turn his sin to his comfort: yet God will do this, because God would never have us in a state of despair. For other grievances besides sin, the comforts that we are to apply are 2: Comfort against other grievances. General comforts. more easie, and they are infinite if we could reckon the particular comforts that God comforts his Children withall. It is good to have generall comforts readie for all kind of maladies, and grievances, and this poor wretched life of ours (in our absence from God) is subject to. 1. The Covenant of Grace. As for instance, that general comfort, the Covenant of grace, that is a spring of comfort, that God is our God, and Father in Christ, what can come from a gracious and good God in covenant with us, but that which is good? nothing but what is favourably good I mean: For the covenant is everlasting, when God takes once upon him to be our Father in Covenant, he is so for ever: Dum castigas pater, &c. While he corrects he is a father, and when he smiles upon us, he is a father. God in the covenant of Grace takes upon him a relation that ever holds: as he is for ever the Father of Christ, so he is for ever the Father of those that are members of Christ, and whatsover comes from the Father of mercy, whether he correct, or smile, whatsoever he doth is in mercy. Again, in the middest of any grievance, remember the gracious promise 2. The promise of mitigation. of mitigation, 1 Cor. 10. 13. God will not suffer us to be tempted above our strength, but he will give an issue to the temptation: he will give a mitigation, and either he will raise our strength to the temptation, or he will bring the temptation and trial to our strength, he will fit them, and this is a comfort. There is comfort likewise in all troubles whatsoever, of the presence of 3. In the presence of God. God, God will be present with us if once we be in Covenant with him: he will be present in all trials to assist us, to strengthen us, to comfort us, to raise our spirits. And if God be present, he will banish all discomforts: for God is light, and where light is, darknesse vanisheth; Now God being the Father of light, that is, of all comfort: where he is present, he banisheth discomfort in what measure he is pleased to banish it. Therefore David often reasoneth from the presence of God to the defiance of all troubles, Psal. 3. If God be with me, I will not fear ten Thousand that are against me. And in Psal. 23. Though I walk in the valley of the shaddow of death, I will not fear, for thou art with me. And if God be with us, who can be against us? Rom. 8. And when thou passest through the fire, I will be with thee, &c. I will be with thee, not to keep thee out, but to uphold thee; As he did the Mariyrs, there was a fire of comfort in them, above that fire that consumed their bodies: and as we see he was with the Three Children; there was a fourth like the Son of God. So in all tribulations there is another with us, that is, the Spirit of God that comforts us in all, and is present with us in all. The Goldsmith when he puts the wedge into the fire, he stands by till the drosse be consumed: so God is with his Children in the furnace of affliction: he brings them into affliction, he continues with them in affliction, and he brings them at last out of affliction. The presence of God is a main, and a Grand comfort in all tribulation. Besides, in all that befalls us whatsoever, consider the end, all is for a good 4. Consider the end all work for good. Simile. end: All things work together for the best to them that love God (saith St. Paul) Why do we endure Physick? because we know the Physitian is wise, and he is our friend, and he doth it to carry away burdensome hurtful humours, we shall be better and lighter afterwards; do we do this in our common course in the things of this life? Grace will much more certainly teach us to do it, to reason, it is from a father, and it is for my good. Let us look whence it comes, and what it tends to, with the promise of mitigation, and of Gods presence in our troubles; these are main comforts, if we could think of them, if the Divel did not take them out of our memorie. And for the first ground of comfort that God doth comfort us withall, in all tribulations, it is the promise of finall deliverance, and finall comfort 5. The promise of finall deliveanec. for ever; if none will raise our souls, that will: when we shall consider that it will not be long. The short afflctions in this world, bring an eternal weight of glory: there will be a finall deliverance. Life it self that is the subject that receives affliction, that is short, our life is but a moment, therefore our afflictions must be short. Life is longer then discomforts, there is but a peece of our life subject to miseries; and if that be but a vapour, but a moment, and as a point between eternity before, and eternity after, what are the miseries of this life? certainly they are but for a moment. Therefore the promise of final deliverance, when all teares shall be wiped from our eyes; this should comfort us if nothing else would. This is the way therefore whereby God usually comforts by suggesting the heads and springs of comfort. And indeed there is a daily method of comforting, whereby we may comfort our selves in all crosses, if we would use that daily method, and order of comfort. As there is a kind of diet to keep the bodie in temper; so there is a kind of spirituall diet to keep the soul in temper, in a course of comfort, unlesse it be when God takes liberty to cast down, for some special end, as we see in Job. Therefore let us take this course (for God as he comforteth us, so he comforts us as understanding creatures, he useth our understanding to consider To keep a daily course of comfort. how we should comfort our selves, and after we are once in a state of comfort, if we be not wanting to our selves, there is no great difficultie to keep our comfort; there are meanes to keep daily comfort: God hath provided them, and he will be present to make good all his comforts. Grant it therefore that we are in the covenant of Grace, that God is our Father in Christ, and we take him to be our God, to be all sufficient, then to keep our selves in a daily temper for comfort, every day keep our souls tender, that we may be capable of comfort, keep the wound open that we 1. Keep the soul in a good temper. may receive balme, that there grow not a deadnesse upon the heart, considering that while we live here, there is alway some sin in us that must be wrought out by some course or other; let us trie and search our souls, what ill is in the wound, let us keep it open and tender, that there may be a fitnesse for mercy to receive the balme of comfort, which will not be, if we slubber over. Certainly it is an excellent course every day to search our hearts and wayes, and presently to apply the balme of comfort, the promise of pardon; take the present, when we have searched the wound, to get pardon and forgivenesse daily, as we sin daily, Christ bids us ask it daily. This will make us fit for comfort by discerning the estate of our souls, and the remainders of corruption. That which sharpens appetite and makes the balme of God to be sweet indeed, is the sence of, and the keeping open of our wound: a daily search into our wants, and weaknesses; a daily fresh sight of the body of sin in us: and experience how it is fruitful in ill thoughts, and desires and actions, this will drive us to a necessity of daily comfort. And certainly a fresh sight of our corruptions, it is never without some fresh comfort. We see St. Paul Rom. 7. he sets himself to this work, to complain of his indisposition by reason of sin in him; and how doth he end that sight and search into his own estate? he ends in a triumphing manner, Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord: There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. After he had complained, Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this bodie of death. There can be no danger in a deep search into our waies and hearts, if this be laid as a ground before, that there is more supplie, and heavenly comfort in God and the promises of God, then there can be ill in our souls, then the more ill we find in our selves, the more we are disposed to fetch grounds of comfort from God. And together with this searching of our souls and asking daily pardon, let us for the time to come renew our covenant with God, that we may 2. Renew our resolutions. have the comfort of a good conscience to get pardon for our sins past, and renew our resolutions for the time to come. And withall that we may use an orderly course of comfort: let us every Dayly feed on Christ. day feed on Christ, the food of life, let us every day feed upon something in Christ; consider the death of Christ, the satisfaction he hath made by his death; his intercession in Heaven; his blood runs afresh that we may every day feed on it. We may run every day into new offences against the law, to new neglect of duty, into new crosses; let us feed upon Christ, he came into the World to save sinners, to make us happie with peace of conscience here, and with Glorie afterward. Let us feed on Christ daily; as the bodie is fed with cordialls; so this feeds and comforts and strengthens the soul. This is to live by faith, to lead our lives by faith, to feed on Christ every day. And likewise, if we will keep our souls in a perpetual temper of comfort, let us every day meditate of some prerogatives of Christians, that may raise our souls: Let us single out some or other. As for example, that excellent prerogative to be the Sons of God: What love? saith the Apostle, that we of Rebels and Traitors, in Christ should be made the sons of God? That of slaves, we should be made Servants, of servants sons, of sons heires, and of heires, fellow-heires with Christ, what prerogative is this, that God should give his Son, to mak us that were Rebels sons, heires and fellow heires with Christ? And to consider what follows upon this liberty, that we have from the curse of the Law, to goe to God boldly, to go to the throne of Grace through Christ our elder brother by prayer, to think of eternall life as our inheritance, to think of God above as our Father, Let us think of our prerogatives of Religion, adoption and justification, &c. Upon necessity we are driven to it, if we consider the grievances of this world, together with our corruptions: our corruptions, and afflictions, and temptations, and desertions, one thing or other will drive us to go out of our selves for comfort, to feed on the benefits by Christ. And consider what he hath done, it is for us: the execution of his office, and all for us, what he is, what he did, what he suffered, what procured, all is for us. The soul delighting it self in these prerogatives, it will keep the soul in a perpetuall estate of comfort. Therefore the Scripture sets forth Christ by all terms that may be comfortable, he is the door to let us in, He is the way, the truth and the life, the water and the bread, &c. In sinne, he is our righteousness, in death he is our life, in our ignorance he is our way, in spirituall hunger and thirst, he is the bread and water of life, he is all in all: And if we cannot think of some prerogative of Christianity, then think of some promise, (as I said before) think of the Covenant of Grace, there is a spring of comfort in that, that God in Christ is our God to death, and for ever, and that promise I speak of, that All things shall work for the best. Let us every day think of these things, and suggest them to our owne souls, that our souls may be affected with them, and digest them, that our souls and they may be one, (as it were.) And every day stirre up our hearts to be thankfull, a thankfull heart can never want comfort, for it cannot be done without some comfort and To be thankful. chearefulness, and when God receives any praise and glory, he answers it with comfort; a thankfull heart is alway comfortable. And let us stirre up our hearts to be fruitfull in the holy actions, the reward of a fruitfull life is a comfortable life, besides Heaven, God alway in 6. To be fruitful. this life gives a present reward to any good action, it is rewarded with peace of conscience. Besides, it is a good foundation against the evil day, every good action, as the Apostle sayth to Timothie, it layes up a good foundation. The more good we do, the more we are assured, that our faith is not hypocritical, but sound, and good, and will hold out in the time of tryall. It will be a good foundation, that we have had evidence before that we have a sound and fruitful faith. What do wicked men, carelesse, sinful creatures, that go on in a course of prophanenesse, and blasphemie &c? they lay a ground of despaire, a ground of discomfort to be swallowed up in the evil day: then conscience will be awaked at the last, and Satan will be ready to joyn with conscience, and conscience will seal all the accusations that Satan layes against them, and where is the poor soul then? As it is with them, so, on the contrary the Christian soul that doth good, besides the present comfort of a good conscience, it layes a good foundation against the time to come: for in the worst times, it can reason with it self, my faith is not fruitlesse, I am not an hypocrite; though the fruits of it be weak, and mixed with corruptions, yet there is truth in them; this will comfort us when nothing else will. Therefore let us every day be setting our selves in some good way; for comfort is in comfortable courses, and not in ill courses: in Gods waies we shall have Gods comforts. In those waies let us exercise the spiritual strength we have: let us pray to God and performe the exercise of Religion with strength, shew some zeal in it: let us shew some zeal against sin, if occasion be, if it be in Gods work, in Gods way. Let a man set himself upon a good worke, especially when it is in opposition; for the honour of God, and the peace of his conscience, presently there is comfort upon it. And that we may not be discouraged with the imperfection of our performances, 7. Labour for sin [illegible: 1+ letters]erity. one way of daily comfort is to consider the condition of the covenant of Grace between God and us. In the covenant of Grace our performances if they be sincere they are accepted, and it is the perfection of the Gospel, sincerity. Sincerity will look God in the face with comfort, because he is with the upright; so much truth in all our dealings, so And growth much comfort. And with sincerity labour for growth, to grow better and better. God in the Gospel meanes to bring us to perfection in heaven by little and little. In the law there was present perfection required; but in the Gospel, God requires that we should come to perfection by little and little, as Christ by little and little satisfyed for our sins, and not all at once. In the condition of the covenant of Grace, we must live and grow by grace by little and little, and not all at once. The condition of the covenant of grace is not to him that hath strength of grace in perfection; but if we believe and labour to walke with God, if there be truth of Grace, truth goes for perfection in the covenant of Grace. We should labour for sound knowledge of the covenant of Grace, that now we are freed from the rigor as well as from the curse of the law, that though we have imperfections, yet God will be our father, and in this condition of imperfection he will be a pardoning father, and lookes on our obedience though it be feeble and weak, and imperfect: (yet being the obedience of children in the covenant of grace) and he accepts of what is his owne, and pardons what is ours. 8. Not to grieve the spirit. And every day labour to preserve the comforts of the spirit that we have, not to grieve the spirit, for comfort comes with the spirit of God, as heat accompanies the fire. As wheresoever fire is, there is heat: so wheresoever the spirit of God is, there is comfort: because the spirit of God is God, and God is with comfort, wheresoever comfort is, God is, and wheresoever God is, there is comfort. If we would have comfort continually every day, let us carefully watch that we give way to the spirit of God, by good actions, and meditations, and exercises. And by no meanes grieve the spirit, or resist the spirit, for then we resist comfort. If we speake any thing that is ill, we lose our comfort for that time, conscience will check us, we have grieved the spirit. If we heare any thing with applause, and are not touched with it, we lose our comfort, conscience will tell us we are dead-hearted, and not affected as we should be: there is a great deal of flesh and corruption that is affected with such rotten discourse. And so if we venture upon occasions we shall grieve the spirit, either if we speak somewhat to satisfie others that are nought, or if we hear somewhat that is ill from others. Want of wisdome in this kind, doth make us go without comfort many times: want of wisdom to single out our companie, or else if we be with such, to do that, that may please them, and grieve the spirit, and hinder our own comfort. These and such like directions if we would observe, we might walk in a course of comfort: the God of comfort hath prescribed this in the book of comfort. These are the courses for Gods children, to walk in a comfortable way till they come to heaven. More especially, if we would at any 9. Be conversant in the scripture. time take a more full measure of comfort, then take the book of God into your hand, those are comforts, that refresh the soul: single out some speciall portion of scripture, and there you shall have a world of comfort. As for example; let a man single out the epistle to the Romans, if a man be in any grievance whatsoever, what a world of comfort is there fitting for every maladie? there is a method how to come to comfort. There St. Paul in the beginning, first strips all men of confidence of any thing in themselves, and tells them that no man can be saved by works, Jewes nor Gentiles, but all by the righteousnesse of God in Christ: All are deprived of the Glorie of God, Jewes, and Gentiles, every bodie: And when we are brought to Christ, he tells us (in the later end of the third Chapter) that by Christ we have the forgivenesse of all our former sins whatsoever, he is the propitiation for our sins. In the 4. Chapter he comforts us by the example of Abraham, and David, that they were justified without works by faith, not by works of their own, but by laying hold of the promises of comfort and salvation meerly by Christ: and all that saith St. Paul is written for us. But in the first Chapter especially, because all the miseries of this life come from the first Adam, because we are Children of the first Adam, death and miserie comes from that: he opposeth the comfort in the second Adam, and he shewes that there is more comfort by the second Adam, then there is discomfort by the first. Righteousnesse in the second Adam reigns to life everlasting, and Glorie. Sin, and miserie came by the first, but there is the pardon of all sin, by the second Adam, he doth excellently oppose them in the latter end of that Chapter. In the begining of the fifth Chapter he shewes there the method, and descent of joy, Being justified by faith (in Christ, we have peace with God: Considering that by the righteousnesse of Christ we are freed from sin. We have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And we have boldnesse to the Throne of Grace, and we rejoyce in tribulation, knowing that tribulation brings forth patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. He sets himself there of purpose to comfort in all tribulation, and he saith in these things we rejoyce, We rejoyce in tribulation. I, but for our sins after our conversion, after we are in the state of Grace, what comfort is there for them? there is excellent comfort in the fifth of the Romans. If when we were enemies he gave his son for us: if he saved us by the death of Christ when we were enemies; much more Christ being alive, and in heaven, he will keep it for us, and keep us to salvation now when we are friends, seeing he died for us when we were enemies. I, but the remainders of corruption in this world trouble us, that troubles our comfort, the combate between the flesh, and the spirit; would you see comfort for that? you shall see it in Romans 7. Oh, miserable man, who shall deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So he shewes there what way to have comfort in the combate between the flesh, and the Spirit, to search into our corruptions, to lay them open to God by confession. And then in the beginning of the eight Chapter saith he, there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus: though there be sin, yet there is no condemnation, though there be this conflict between the flesh and the spirit: so he comforts them. And for the afflictions that follow our corruptions in this life, there is a treasure of comfort against them in that Chapter: for doth he not say, if we suffer with him, we shall reign with him? And the same spirit helps our infirmities and teacheth us how to pray? We can never be uncomfortable if we can pray, but there is a promise of the spirit that stirs up sighs, and groanes that cannot be expressed, and a Christian hath alway a spirit of prayer, at the least of sighs and groanes, and God hears the sighs of his own spirit. And what a grand comfort is that, that I named before vers. 28. All things work for the best to them that love God? And if God be with us who can be against us? And he sends us to Christ, if Christ be dead, or rather risen again, who shall lay any thing to our charge? Christ is ascended to heaven, and makes intercession at the right hand of God. Though Satan lay our sins to our charge, Christ makes intercession in heaven at the right hand of God, he makes continuall intercession for our continuall breaches with God, who shall lay any thing to our charge? I, but all that power of hell and sin, and all labour to separate us from God, to breed division between God and us. In the later end of that Chapter he bids defiance to all, what shall separate us from the love of God in Christ? it shall separate his love from Christ first, Gods love is found in Christ, he shall cease to love Christ if he cease to love us. I, but we may afterward fall into an uncomfortable case. For that he saith neither things present, nor things to come, shall be able to separate us. What an excellent spring of comfort is there in that reasoning vers. 32. If God spared not his own son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things e[illegible: 1+ letters]lse? How many streames may be drawn from that spring? if God spared not his own son, but gave him to death for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things else in this world necessar, grace, provision, & protection, till he have brought us to heaven? If he have given Christ, he will give all; whatsoever is written, is written for our comfort. I mean this epistle, because I would name one instance for all. All is written for our comfort, as he saith after in the same Epistle. The written word, or the word unfolded; the end of preaching, is especially to comfort. The Chirurgeon opens a wound, and the Physitian gives a purge, but all is to restore at the last, all that the Chirurgeon aimes at, is to close up the wound at the last; so all our aime is to comfort. We must cast you down, and shew you your miserie that you are in, and shew you, that if you continue in that course, hell, and damnation belongs to you; but this is to make you despaire in your selves, and to flie to the God of comfort; the law is for the Gospel, all serve to bring the soul to comfort. Therefore go to the word of God, any portion; the Psalmes or any special part of the scripture, and that by the spirit of God will be a meanes to raise the soul, the spirit in the word joyning with the spirit in us will make a sweet close together, and comfort us in all tribulation. And have recourse daily to common principles: all the principles of religion 10. To study Principles of Religion. serve for comfort, especially the Articles of the Creed. I believe in God the father Almightie. What a spring of comfort is in that? what can befall from a father but it shall turn to good, and by a father Almightie, though he be never so strongly opposed, yet he will turn it to good, he is a father Almightie, and the Articles of Christ (every article hath ground of daily comfort) of his abasement in Christ, I see my self, he is my surety, the second Adam, I see my sins crucified with him. This is the way to reape comfort when the conscience is disquieted; when I look upon my sins, not in my own conscience, but take it out there, and see it in Christ dying, and crucified, in the Articles of abasement to see our sin, and miserie, all in Christ. For he stood there as surety, as a publick person for all. What a comfort is this? When I see how Christ was abased, I see my own comfort, for he was my surety: if my sins being laid on him, who was my surety, could not condemne him, or keep him in the grave, but overcame sin that was laid to his charge, surely I shall overcome my corruptions, nothing that I have shall overcome mee, because it could not overcome Christ my surety, his victorie is mine. And so, if the soul be in any desolation, and discomfort, all the articles of his Glorification and exaltation, his rising again acquits the soul: therefore my sins are satisfied for, because my surety is out of prison. And his ascending into heaven shewes my triumph; he lead captivity captive: and the enemies that are left are for the tryal of my faith, and not to conquer me; for Christ hath Lead captivity captive, and is ascended into heaven, he led all in triumph, and sits at the right hand of God to rule his Church to the end of the World: he sits for me to overcome my enemies, as St. Paul saith excellently Rom. 8. who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods people? it is Christ that died, or rather that is risen again, who fits at the right hand of God. And if we be troubled for the loss of a particular friend, there is comfort in that article of the communion of Saints. There are those that have more grace, and that is for me. If my own prayers be weak, I believe the communion of Saints, and have the benefit of their prayers: every one that saith Our Father brings me in, if I be in the Covenant of grace, and of the Communion of Saints. If I have weaknesses in my self, I believe in the holy Ghost the comforter of Gods elect and my comforter. If I fear death, I believe the resurrection of the body. If I fear the day of judgment, I believe that Christ shall be my judge: he shall come to judge the quick, and the dead. In all the miseries of this life, considering that they are but short, I believe the life everlasting. So that indeed if we would dig to our selves springs of comfort, let us go to the Articles of our Faith, and see how there are streams of comfort from every one answerable to all our particular exigences, and necessities whatsoever. And to close up this point, remember whatsoever means we use, what prerogative soever we think of, whatsoever we do, remember we go to the God of comfort, and desire him to blesse his Word in the ministery, and desire him to work in the Communion of Saints, with his Spirit to warm our hearts: alway remember to carry him along in all, that we may have comfort from the God of Comfort, who comforteth in all tribulations. Next words are, That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble. These words shew the end why God doth comfort us in all tribulation. One main end is, that we should be comforted in our selves, that is the first. And then▪ that we being comforted our selves, from that ability should be able to derive comfort to others: we are comforted in all tribulations, that we should be able to comfort them that are in any tribulation. It is not St. Pauls case only, and great men in Religion, Ministers and the like; it is not their lot and portion alone to be persecuted and troubled, but We are all in this life subject to disquiets and discomforts. Observ. All are subject to discomforts. Every one, whosoever will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution. Therefore the Apostle saith not onely our tribulation: but that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble. Trouble is the portion of all Gods Children one with another: I do but touch that by the way. But that which I shall more stand upon, it is the end, one main end why God comforteth, (especially Ministers, it is that they should be able to comfort others with the comforts that God hath comforted them withall: That we may be able &c. Now you must conceive that this ability, it is not ability alone without will and practise, as if he meant, God hath given me comfort, that I might be able to comfort others if I will, that is not Gods end only, that we may be able, but that we may exercise our ability, that it may be ability in exercise. As God doth not give a rich man riches to that end that he may be able In Comforting others there must he, Ability. Will. to relieve others if he will: No, but if thou be a Child of God, he gives thee ability and will too, he gives an inward strength. So the meaning here is, not that we may be able to comfort others if we will, but that we may be both able, and willing to comfort others. And to comfort others not only by our example, that because we have been comforted of God, so they shall be comforted; it is good, but it is Example. not the full extent of the Apostles meaning, for then the dead examples should comfort as well as the living. And indeed that is one way of comfort to consider the examples of former times: but the Apostles meaning is, that I should comfort them not only by my example of Gods dealing with me, that they should look for the like comfort, that is but one degree. His meaning is further therefore, that we should be able to comfort Sympathy. them by Sympathizing with them: as indeed it is a sweet comfort to those that are in distresse when others compassionate their estate. And not only so, by our example and sympathy with them, but likewise that we may be able to comfort them by the inward support, and strength, and light that we have found by the Spirit of God in our selves; that is that that will enable us to comfort others, from that very support, and inward strength that we have found from God, by those graces, and that particuliar strength and comfort that we have had. When there is a sweet expressing of our inward comfort to them shewing something in our comfort that may raise them up in the like troubles that we were in, then the comfort will not be a dead comfort, when it comes from a man experienced. Personated comfort, when a man takes upon him to comfort, that only speaks comfort, but feels not what he speaks, there is little life in it, we are comforted that we may comfort others, with feeling, having been comforted our selves before, with feeling and comfortable apprehensions in our selves. The point considerable in the first place (to make way to the rest) is this, that Gods Children they have all of them interest in diuine comforts. St. Paul was comforted, that he might comfort others: Divine comforts Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts belong to all, they are the portion of all Gods people: the meanest have interest as well the greatest. There is the same spiritual Physick for the poorest subject, and the greatest Monarch: there is the same spiritual comfort for the meanest, and for the greatest Christian in the World: St. Paul hath the same comfort as St. Pauls children in the Faith. VVhat is the reason that they are communicable thus to all; that they lie open to all. God is the God and Father of all light and comfort, Christ is the Saviour Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them of all: all the priviledges of Religion belong to all equally, all are Sons, and Heirs, and all are alike Redeemed, the Brother of low degree, and the Brother of h[illegible: 1+ letters]gh degree: they may differ in the references, and relations of this life: but in Christ all are alike. Besides, it is the nature of spiritual priviledges and blessings, they are communicable to all alike without impairing, the more one hath the lesse another hath not, all have an equal share, every one hath interest intire, every one hath all without losse or hinderance to others. As for instance, the Sun, every particular man hath all the good the Sun can do, as well as 2. They are not impaired by being communicated. all the World hath, it is peculiarly and intirely every mans own, every man in solidu[illegible: 1+ letters]m hath the use of it, the Sun is not one mans more then another. As a publick fountain or Conduit, every man hath as much right in it as another. So in Religion, the graces and priviledges, and favours, they lie open as the prerogatives and priviledges of all Gods children: and that is the excellency of them. In the things of this life it is not so, they are not common to all alike, there is a losse in the division, the more one hath, the lesse another hath: and that is the reason why the things of this life breed a disposition of pride, and envy: one envies another because, he wants that that another hath; and one despiseth another, because he hath more then another hath: but in the comforts of Gods Spirit, and the prerogatives that are the ground of those comforts, all have interest alike. Only the difference is in the vessels they bring, if one man bring a large vessel, a large faith, he caries more, and another that brings a less faith caries lesse, but it lies open to all alike: As St. Cyprian saith, we carry as much from God as we bring vessels: but all have Interest alike in divine comforts. Therefore among Christians there is little envy, because in the best things (which they value best) all may have alike, and that which one desires, another may have as much as he, he knowes he hath never the lesse. The point is comfortable to all, even to the meanest, and to them especially, Use Comfort to weak Christians. that howsoever there be a difference between others and them in outward things that cease in death (for all differences shall cease ere long between us and others) yet the best things are common. In this life those things that are necessary, they are common; as the Light, and the Elements, Fire, and Water &c. and those are necessarie that are not common: but especially in spiritual things, the best things are common. Let no man be discomforted, if he be Gods Child, comfort belongs to him as well as to the greatest Apostle. The chiefest comforts belong to him as well as to the chiefest Christian. Therefore let us envy none, nor despise none in this respect. In the next place we may observe here hence, that Though these comforts Doctr, Comforts derived to men by men. be common, yet God derives these comforts commonly by the means of men. This is Gods order in deriving these comforts to the soul, he comforts one, that another may be comforted; Not that the comforts themselves that joyn with our spirits come from men, but that together with the speech, and presence of men, whom we love and respect, and in whom we discern the appearance of the Spirit of God to dwell, together with the speech of persons in whom the spirit is strong and powerful, the Spirit of God joyns, and the Spirit raiseth the soul with comfort: so the Spirit comforteth, by comforting others that they may comfort us. This is not only true of Ministers, but it is true of Christians, as Christians: for St. Paul must be considered, in something as an Apostle, in something Every Christian to Communicate his comfort. as a Christian, in something as a Minister of Christ. As an Apostle, he had the care of all the Churches, &c. As a Christian he comforted and exhorted others: one Christian ought to comfort another; therefore he would have done it as a Christian, if he had not been an Apostle. And in something he is to be considered as a Minister of Christ, as a Teacher and Ambassador of Christ, a teacher of the Gospel. He was somewhat as an Apostle, somewhat as a Minister, somewhat as a Christian. Therefore it concerns us all to consider how to comfort one another as Christians. We are all members of the same body whereof Christ is the Head; therefore whatsoever comfort we feel, we ought to communicate. The Celestial bodies will teach us this, whatsoever light or influence the Moon, and the Stars receive, they bestow it on these inferiour bodies, they Simile. have their light from the Sun, and they reflect it again upon the creatures below. In the Fabrick of mans body, those official parts, (as we call them) those parts and members of the body, the Heart and the Liver, which are both members and official parts, that do office and service to others parts, they convey and derive the spirits, and the blood to all other parts: they receive strength, partly for themselves first, and then to convey it to other members The Liver is fed it self with some part of the blood, and it conveyes the rest to the veins, and so to the whole bodie. The heart is nourished it self of the purest nourishment, the spirits are increased, and those spirits are spread through the Arteries. The stomach feeds it self with the meat it digests, and with the strength it hath (being an official part) it serves other parts and strengtheneth other parts: and if there be a decay in it, there is a decay in all the parts of the body. So a Christian ought to strengthen himself, and then strengthen others: no man is for himself alone. And although whatsoever the means be, the comfort comes from God, yet he will have comfort to be conveyed to us by men, this way. Partly, to try our obedience, whether we will respect his Ordinance: he Reason 1. To trie our obedience. will have us go to men like our selves. Now if we will have comfort, we must look to his Ordinance, we must have it of others, and not altogether from our selves. And that is the reason why many go all their life time, with heavy drooping spirits; out of pride and neglect, they scorn to seek it of others, they smother their grief, and bleed inwardly; because they will not lay open the state of their souls to others. Although God be the God of comfort, he hath ordained this order, that he will comfort us by them that he hath appointed to comfort us; he comforteth others that they may comfort us. Though God be the God of comfort, yet he conveyes God not tied to means. it (for the most part) by the means of others. I say for the most part; for he ties not himself to means, though he tie us to means, when we have means. Occasion may be when a man is shut from all earthly comforts, as in contagious diseases, and restraint &c. A man may be shut from all entercourse of Worldly comforts: but even then, a Christian is never in such an estate but he hath one comfort or other; then God comforts immediately, and then he comforts more sweetly and strongly: then the soul cleaves to him close, and saith, now thou must comfort or none, now the honour is all thine. Now the nearer the the soul is to the fountain of comfort, the more it is comforted, but the soul is never so near to God as in extremitie of affliction: when all means fail, then the soul goes to the fountain of comfort, and gives all the glory to him. But I say, when there is means, God hath appointed to derive his comfort by means; when we may have the benefit, of the Communion of Saints, of the word &c. God will not comfort us immediatly in the neglect of the means: he comforteth us, that we might comfort others. And as he doth it to try our obedience; So partly, to knit us in love one to another: For is not this a great Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another. bond to knit us one to another, when we consider that our good is hid in another? the good that is derived to us, it is hid in others. And this makes us to esteem highly of others: how sweet are the looks, and sight of a friend? and more sweet the words of a friend; especially of an experienced friend, that hath been in the Furnace himself. Thus God to knit us one to another in love[illegible: 1+ letters], hath ordained that the comfort that he conveyes, it should be conveyed by the means of others. Other reasons there may be given, but these are sufficient. If this be so, then we ought from hence to learn, that whatsoever we Use We are debtors of the comforts we have. have we are debtors of it to others, whatsoever comfort we have, whether it be outward, or inward comfort. And even as God hath disposed and dispensed his benefits & graces to us, so let us be good stewards of it, we shall give account of it ere long. Let every man reason with himself, why have I this comfort that another wants? I am Gods Steward, God hath not given it me to lay up, but to lay out. To speak a little of outward comforts. It is cursed Athiesme in many rich Persons, that think they are to live here only to scrape an estate for them and their children; when in the mean time their Neighbour want, and Gods Children want (that are as dear to God as themselves) and perish for want of comfort. If they were not Athiests in this point, they would think; I am a steward, and what comfort shall I have of scraping much? that will but increase my account. Such a Steward were mad that would desire a great account: the more my account is, the more I have to answer for, and the more shall be my punishment if I quit not all well. Now men out of Athiesme, that they do not believe a day of Judgment, a time of account, they ingrosse comforts to them and theirs, as if there were not a Church, as if there were not an afflicted body of Christ: they think not that they are Stewards. Whereas the time will come, when they shall have more comfort of that that they have bestowed, then of that that they shall leave behind them to their children. That which is wisely dispensed for the comfort of Gods people, it will comfort us, when all that we shall leave behind will not, nay perhaps, it will trouble us, the ill getting of it. And so whatsoever inward comforts we have, it is for the comfort of others, we are debtors of it; whatsoever ability we have, as occasion is of[illegible: 1+ letters]ered, if there be a necessity in those that are of the same body with our selves, we ought to regard them in pitty and compassion. If we should see a poor creature cast himself into a whirlpoole, or plunge himself into some desperate pit, were we not accessorie to his death, if we should not help him, if we would not pull one out of the fire? Oh yes; and is not the soul in as great danger? and is not mercy to the soul the greatest mercy? shall we see others ready to be swallowed up in the pit of despair, with heaviness of spirit, shall we see them dejected, and not take it to heart? but either we are unable to Minister a word of comfort to them, or else unwilling: as if we were of Cains disposition, that we would look to our selves only: we are none of their keepers. It is a miserable thing to professe our selves to be members of that body whereof Christ is the Head, to professe the communion of Saints, and yet to be so dead hearted in these particular Exigences and occasions. It lies upon us as a duty, if God convey comfort to us from others: and his end in comforting us any way, of putting any comfort in our hands outward or inward, it is to comfort others, if we do it not, we are liable to sin, to the breach of Gods command, and we frustrate Gods end. But if this lie upon us as a duty to comfort others, then it concerns us to To be able to comfort others. know how to be able to do it. That we may be able to comfort others, let us be ready to take notice of the grievance of others: as Moses went to see the afflictions of his Take notice of their grievance. brethren, and when he saw it, laid it to heart. It is a good way to go to the house of mourning, and not to balk and decline our Christian brethren in adversity. God knowes our souls in adversitie, so should we do the souls of others, if they be knit to us in any bond of kindred, or Nature, or Neighbourhood, or the like, that bond should provoke us; for bonds are as the veins and Arteries to derive comfort. All bonds are to derive good, whether bonds of Neighbourhood, or acquaintance &c. A man should think with himself, I have this bond to do my Neighbour good. It is Gods providence that I should be acquainted with him, and do that to him that I cannot do to a stranger. Let us consider all Bonds, and let this work upon us: let us consider their grievance is a bond to tie us. And withall let us labour to put upon us the bowels of a father and mother, 2. To labour for bowels of compassion. tender bowels, as God puts upon him bowels of compassion towards us. So St. Paul being an excellent comforter of others, in 1 Thess. 2. he shewes there how he carried himself as a Father, or Mother, or Nurse to them. Those that will comfort others they must put upon them the affections of tender creatures as may be; they must be patient, they must be tenderly affected, they must have love, they must have the graces of communion. What be the graces of communion? The graces of Christian communion Graces of communion what. to fit us in the communion of Saints to do good, they are a loving, meek, patient spirit: Love makes patient; as we see Mothers and Nurses, what can they not endure of their c[illegible: 1+ letters]ildren, because they love them. And they must be likewise wise, and furnished, they that will comfort others must get wisedom and ability[illegible: 1+ letters] They must get Humility, they must abase themselves that they may be comfortable to others, and not stand upon terms: these be the graces of communion that fit us for the communion of Saints. What is the reason that many are so untoward to this duty, and have no heart to it, that they cannot indeed do it? The reason is, they consider not their Bonds. they do not Consider the poor and needy Psal. 41. they have not the graces of communion, they want loving spirits they want ability, they are empty, they are not furnished, they have not knowledge laid up in store, they want humble spirits: the want of these graces makes us so barren in this practise of the communion of Saints. Therefore we should bewaile our own barrennesse when we should do such duties, and cannot. And beg of God the spirit of love and wisedom, that we may do things wisely, that we may speak that which is fit, a word in season is as apples of Gold with Pictures of Silver. And let us beg a humble spirit that we may be abased to comfort others. As Christ in love to us he abased himself, he became man, and when he was man, he became a servant, he abased himself to wash his Disciples feet, talk with a silly woman and such base offices: and if the Spirit of Christ be in us, it will abase us to offices of love, to support one another, to bear one anothers burthens, Again, if we would comfort others as we should, let us labour to get experience 3. Get experience our selves. of comfort in our selves; God comforteth us that we might be able to comfort others. He will easily kindle others that is all on fire himself; and that is comforted himself, he can easily comfort others with that comfort he feels himself, those that have experience can do it best. As we see in Physitians, if there be two Physitians, whereof the one hath been sick of the disease that he is to cure in another: the other parhaps is more excellent then he otherwise, but he hath never been sick of it: the patient will sooner trust himself with the experienced Physitian, then with the other: for undoubtedly he is better seen in that, then the other, though perhaps the other may be a greater booked Physitian then he. As it is with the Physitians of the body, so it is with the Physitian of the soul: the experienced Physitian is the best. What is the reason that old men, and wise men, are the mercifullest of all? because they have had experience of many crosses and miseries: a wise man knows what crosses are, he understands them best. The way then to comfort others is to get experience of divine comforts our selves. And that we may get experience of Gods comforts, let us mark what was said before of the rules of comfort, and work upon our own hearts whatsoever may be comfortable to others. That we may not be empty Truncks to speak words without feeling. He that is well may speak very good things to a sick man, but the sick man sees that he speaks without pitty and compassion: those that have been sick of the same disease when they come to comfort, they do it with a great deal of meeknesse and mildnesse. Those that are fit to comfort others must be spiritual themselves first: As the Apostle saith Gal. 6. 1. saith the wise, and holy Apostle, if any man be overtaken (as alas we are all overtaken with some corruption or other) ye that are spiritual restore such a one, set him in joynt, as the word is with the spirit of meeknesse, knowing that thou thy self maist [illegible: 1+ letters]e tempted The Spirit of God is a Spirit of comfort, the more we have of the Spirit, the fitter we are to comfort others. We see many men will speak very good things, but they do but personate sorrow, and personate comfort, it comes from them without feeling: as he saith, if thou didst believe these things that thou speakest, wouldest thou ever say them so? He that speakes good things without experience, he speaks as if he did never believe them. Those that speak things with experience that have wrought them upon their hearts and spirits, there is such a demonstration in the manner of their speaking, of a spirit of love and meeknesse, and compassion, that it prevailes marvailously: It is so true, that our Saviour Christ himself, that he might have the more tender bowels of compassion towards us, he made it one end of his Incarnation, as it is pressed again, and again in Heb. 2. and Heb. 4. the Apostle dwels upon it, It became him to be man, to take upon him our infirmities, that he might be a merciful Redeemer, a merciful high Priest. It was one end of his Incarnation, that he might not only save us, but that he might be a merciful Redeemer, that he might have experience of our infirmities: of persecution, he was persecuted himself, of want, he wanted himself, of temptation, he was tempted himself, of wrath, he felt it himself, my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Here is the comfort of a Christian soul that Christ hath begun to him in all: therefore it became him to be mam, not only to Redeem us, but to be a merciful high priest, a comfortable high Priest. The way then you see how to comfort others is, to get our own hearts sensible of spiritual comfort. Two Irons, if they be both hot do close together Simile. presently, but unlesse both be hot, they do not joyn together handsomly: so that that makes us joyn together strongly is, if two spirits meet and both be warm; if one godly men comfort another godly man, if one holy man labour to breed an impression of heat in another; there is a knitting of both spirits, they joyn strongly together. Therefore we ought to labour to get experience, that we may comfort others; seeing none can comfort so well as experimental Christians. Why is experience such an enabling to spiritual comfort? Quest. I answer, because it brings the comfort home to our own soules. The Divell knowes comfort well enough, but he feeles none. Experience Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others. helps faith, it helps all other knowledge. Our Saviour Christ is said to learn by experience, for he learned obedience in that he suffered. Experience is such a meanes of the increasing of knowledge, as that it bettered the knowledge of Christ, that had all knowledge in him: he had knowledge 1. It increaseth knowledge. by looking upon God, being the Wisedom of God, yet he learned somewhat by the experience, he bettered himself by experience: he knew what to bear the cross was by experience; he knew what infirmities were, by experience; he knew what he could suffer by experience: so it added to his knowledge as man. And so the Angels themselves are continual students in the mysteries of the Gospel, they get experimental knowledge, to the knowledge that they have inbred, & that knowledge that they have by the presence of God, to that they add experimental knowledge. So then, if it bettered the knowledge of our blessed Saviour and increased it, it was a new way increased by experience, and it adds to the knowledge of the Angels, much more to ours. Then again, it gains a great confidence in the speaker, for what we speak with experience, we speak with a great deal of boldnesse. Again, experimental comforts, those that we have felt our selves, and It gaines confidence in the speaker. have felt likewise the grievance, we speak them with such expressions, as no other can do (in the apprehension of the partie whom we comfort) so well as an experienced person: for he goes about the works tenderly, and gently, and lovingly, because he hath been in the same himself. And that is the reason that the Apostle St. Paul in the place I named before Gal. 6. 1. presseth this duty upon spiritual men, especially because themselves have been tempted, and may be tempted; those that have been tempted, and think they may be afterward, this doth wondrously fit them for this work of comforting others. But to add a little in this point, to shew how to comfort others by our own experience and skill, I spake before of an Art of comforting our How to comfort others from our experience. selves: there is a skill likewise in comforting others. Even as we comfor our selves, in that method we must comfort others. When we comfort our selves: we must first consider our need of comfort, search our wounds, our maladies, have them fresh in our sight, that so we may be forced to seek for comfort, and as we ought to do this daily, so when we 1. Search out their sin and misery. are to comfort others, we ought not onely to comfort them, but to search them as much as we can what sin is in them, and what miserie is upon them, and acquaint them with their own estate, that they are in as far as we can discerne: we may judge of them partly by our selves. For we must not prostitute comforts to persons that are indisposed till we see them fitted. God doth comfort, but it is the abject: Christ heales, but is the wounded spirit: he came to seek, but it is to those that are lost: he came to ease, but it is those that are heavy laden. Therefore that we may comfort them to purpose, we ought to shew, and discover to them what estate they are in, that we may force them to comfort, if they be not enemies to comfort and to their own souls. He is an unwise Physitian, that administers cordials before he gives preparatives to carry away the noysome humours, they will do little good, we ought therefore to prepare them this way, if we intend to do them good. And then when we see what need they stand in, bring them to Christ, 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace. and the Covenant of Grace, that is the best way to comfort them, to bring them to see that God is their father, when we discern some signs of grace in them. For this is the maine stop in all comfort, that there is none but they shall find by experience they are ready to say, you teach wondrous comforts, that there is an inheritance in heaven, that God hath provided; and on earth, there is an issue of all for good, and there is a presence of God in troubles: this is true: but how shall I know this belongs to me? This is the cavil of flesh and blood, that turnes the back to the most heavenly comforts that are. The main and principal thing therefore in dealing with others (and with our own hearts) is to let them see that there are some signs and evidencies that they are in the covenant of grace, that they belong to God. Unlesse we see that, all the comfort we can give them is to tell them that they are not yet sunk into hell, and that they have space to repent. But as long as men live in sinful courses, that they are not in the state of Grace, we can tell them no comfort, except they will devise a new Scripture, a new Bible, if they do so they may have comfort: but this word of God, and God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin and will do so, we should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of Grace. And ofttimes, those are indeed most intitled to comfort, that think it Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it. furthest from them: therefore we should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace, that God looks to truth: therefore if we discern any true, broken humble spirit, a hungring and, a thirsting after righteousnesse, and a desire of comfort, Blessed are those that hunger and thirst, it belongs to them, we may comfort them. If we see spiritual poverty that they see their wants, and would be supplied, blessed are the poore in spirit▪ be of good comfort. Christ calls such. If they see and feel the burden of their sins we may comfort them, Christ calls them, Come unto me yee that are weary and heavy laden. If we descern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions, if we discover and descern this in their practise and obedience. God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him. And he accepts the will for the deed. There is a desire of happinesse in nature, that comforts not a man, it is no sign of grace, to desire to be free from hell, and to be in heaven, it is a naturall desire every creature wishes well to heaven: but if there be a desire of the meanes that tend to heaven, a desire of Grace: these are evidences of grace, these are the pulses that we may find grace by, when they see their infirmities and groane under them and would be better, and complain that they are not better, and are out of love with their own hearts, there is a combat in their hearts, they are not friends with themselves. When we see this inward conflict, and a desire to better, and to get victories against their corruptions, (though there be many corruptions, and weaknesses) a man may safely say, they are in the state of Grace, they are on the mending hand. For Christ will not break the brused reed, nor quench the smoaking flax. And where he hath begun a good work he will perfect it to the day of the Lord. He will cherish these weak beginnings therefore we may comfort them on good ground. Then, besides that, in our dealing with them, when we have discovered, by 3. To comfort them from our owne experience. some evidence that they belong to the covenant, that we see by some love to good things, and to Gods Image in his Children, and by other evidences: then we may comfort them boldly, and then to fetch from our own experience, what a comfort will it be to such? When we can say, my estate was as yours is; I found those corruptions that you groane under, I allowed not my self in them as you do not; when a man can say from his own experience, that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of Gods spirit, that I am his; then he can comfort others by his own experience. And what a comfort is it to go to the experiments of scripture? it is an excellent way. As now, let a man be deserted of God: David, will comfort 4. By experience of Saints in scripture. him by his experience Psal. 77. Where he saith, he found God as his enemie, and as Job saith, the terrors of God drank up his spirit, be of good comfort, David would come and comfort thee if he were alive. If the terror of God be against thee for sin, that thy conscience is awakned: be of good comfort, Christ if he were on earth would shew thee by his own example, that he indured that desertion on the Cross. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? If thou be molested, and vexed with Satan, Job will comfort thee by his example, his book is most of it combating and comfort, and so for all other grievances, go to the scriptures, whatsoever is written, is written for our learning. Pray to God, and he will heare thee as he did Elias. Oh, but Elias was an excellent man. The scripture prevents the objection Jam. 5. he Object. was a man subject to infirmities, if God heard him, he will hear thee. Believe Ans. in Christ (as Abraham did, the Father of the faithful) in the promised Messias, and he will forgive thee all thy sins. Oh, but he had a strong faith. What hath the scripture to take away this objection? In Rom. 5. Object. This was not written for Abraham onely, but for those that believe with the Ans. faith of Abraham. I, but I am a wretched sinner, there is little hope of me. Yes: St. Paul. Object. will come, and comfort thee by his example and experience: this is a Ans. faithful saying, that Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners, of whom I am chief, I, he came to save such sinners, as St Paul was. I, saith St. Paul and that I might be an example to all that shall believe in Christ to the end Object. of the world, he takes away that objection. And the Apostle is so heavenly Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle. wise, that where he speakes of priviledges, he inlargeth it to others. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. And what shall separate us from the love of God? But when he speaks of matter of abasement; that we may see that he was in regard of his corruptions as much humbled as we, then he speaks in his own person. Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death. Therefore his comforts belong to thee. Now, as these examples in scripture, and the experiences of Gods Children there, be appliable to us: so, much more the experience of Gods Children that are alive. Therefore we should be willing to do offices of comfort in this kind. Those that are of abilitie, either men, or women, they will have in their houses somewhat to comfort others, they will have strong waters, and cordials, and medicines; and they account it a glorie to have somewhat that their neighbours may be beholding to them for; and though they bestow it freely, yet they think and account it a sufficient recompence that they can be beneficial to others. People do this for things of this life, and think they deserve a great deal of respect for their goodnesse in this kind: surely, if we consider, there is a life that needs comfort, more then this faing life; and there are miseries that pinch us more then the miseries of the bodie. Every one should labour to have in the house of his soule somewhat, some strong waters of comfort; that he may be able to tell others, this refreshed my soul, this hath done me good, I give you no worse then I took my self first; this wondrously commends the comfort in the party that gives it, and it commends it to the party, that receives it, to take benefit by the comforts of other men. For, is it not a strengthening to our case, when another shall say to our comfort, it was my case? Is it not sealed by the evidence of two? surely it is a great assurance when we have another to tell us his experience. Again, if this be Gods order, that he will convey comfort to us by Use. To depend on Gods ordinance. others; then we ought to depend upon Gods Ordinance, we ought to expect comfort one from another, especially from the ministers who are messengers of comfort. I speak it the rather, because in what degree we neglect The ministers. any one meanes that God hath ordained to comfort us (though he be the God of comfort, yet) in that measure we are sure to want comfort: and this is one principal ordinance, the ministerie, and the communion of Saints. Some there be that will neglect the meanes of salvation, they have dead spirits, and live and die so, for the most part: they have much ado to recover comfort. Those men that retire themselves, that will work all out of the flint themselves, they are commonly uncomfortable. God hath ordained one to help another; As in an Arch one stone strengtheneth another, the ministery especially is ordained for comfort. And likewise God hath ordained one Christian to comfort another, (as Simile well as the ministers) Let us therefore regard much the communion of 2. Common Christians. Saints. Let one Christian labour to comfort another, and every one labour to be fit to receive comfort from others, labour to have humble and willing spirits. It is so true that God doth convey comfort, even by common Christians as well as the ministers, that St. Paul himself Rom. 1. 12. he desires to see the Romans, that he might receive mutual comfort from them. For a minister may have more knowledge and book-learning perhaps, then another Christian that may have better experience then he, especially in some things: and there is not the meanest Christian, but he may comfort the greatest Clerk in the world, and help him by his experience that God hath shewed to him, by declaring how God shewed him comfort at such a time, and upon such an occasion, The experience of Gods People, the meanest of them may help the best Christians; therefore he will have none to be neglected. There is never a member of Christs body, but hath some ability to comfort another; for Christ hath no dead members. God will have it so, because he will have one Christian to honour another, and to honour them from the knowledge of the use and necessity that one hath of another. If God should not derive comfort from one to another in some degree, and from the meanest to the greatest, one would despise another, but God will not have it so, he will have the communion of Saints valued to the end of the world. What will one Christian regard another, what would weak Christians regard the strong, and what would strong Christians regard the weak, if there were not a continual supply one from another? Therefore God hath ordained that by the ministery, and by the communion of Saints we should comfort one another. Let us not think that this doth not concern us, it concerns us all: therefore when we have any trouble in mind, let us regard the communion of Saints, let us regard acquaintance. And let us know this, that God will hold us in heavynesse till we have used all the meanes that he hath appointed; if one help not, perhaps another will, perhaps the ministery will help, perhaps acquaintance will help; but if we find not comfort in one, let us go over all. And (would you have more?) Christ himself, did he not take two disciples into the garden with him when his spirit was heavy? Did not he know that God had ordained one to comfort another? Two are better then one, if one be alone, he shall be a cold, but if there be two, they heat one another: if there be one alone, there can hardly be true spiritual heat. If two be together, if one fall, the other may raise him up, but if one be alone and fall, who shall raise him up? It is meant spiritually, as well as bodily and outwardly by Solomon. We cannot have a better president then our blessed Saviour. Solitarinesse in such times in Spiritual desertion it is the hour of temptation. When did the divel set on Christ? when he was alone; it was the fittest time to tempt him when Christ was severed. So the Divell sets on single persons when they are alone, and tempts them, and presseth them with variety of temptations. Woe to him that is alone. Christ sent his Disciples by two, and two, that one might comfort another, and one might strengthen another. Now, though in particular it belong to ministers in a more eminent sort; yet let every one lay it to heart, you ought to have abilities to comfort others, and to receive comfort of others. And consider it is an angelical work to comfort others; we imitate God himself, and the most Excellent creatures the Angels, whose office it is to comfort. Even our very Saviour, they came to comfort him in his greatest extremity. A man is a God to a man when he comforts; when he discomforts, and directs, and withdrawes, he is a divell to a man: men are beasts to men, Divels to men that way: but he that is an instrument to convey comfort, he is a God to a man, God is the God of comfort. Thou art in the place of God to a man when thou comfortest him, thou shalt save thy self and others. God honours men with his own title when they comfort; not onely ministers, but others save men: thou shalt gain thy brother by thy admonition and reproof, what greater honour can yee have then Gods own title, to be saviours one of another? It is the office I say of Angels, they were sent to comfort Christ; it is their duty to pitch their tents about Gods Children, to suggest holy thoughts, as the divel suggests evill, and to be about us, though we think not of it. Nay, it is not onely an angelical work, but it is the work of Gods spirit, the sweetest stile of the Holy Ghost is to be a Comforter. What shall we think of cursed spirits, that insult over others misery, that give them gall to eat, and vinegar to drink, that add affliction to the afflicted? What shall we say to barren spirits, that have not a word of comfort to say, but come in a prophane, and dead manner, I am sorry to see you thus, and I hope you will be better; barren soul, as the wildernesse. What, a member of Christ, of the communion of Saint, and no way furnished, no word of comfort to a distressed soul? We may know the comfort we have our selves to be comfort indeed, and from the grace and favour of God, when we have hearts enlarged to do good to others with it. How do gifts, and grace differ? (to add that useful distinction.) And Difference in gifts and Grace. man may have a great many gifts and be proud, and full of envy, and have a divellish poysonful spirit to draw all to himself, and not be good, but be carried with self-love, and die a divell notwithstanding his excellent parts. Why? here are such gifts, and parts, but there is a bitter roote of self-love to draw all to himself, to deifie himself, to make an Idol of himself: but grace with gifts works otherwise, that turnes all by a spirit of love and humility to the good of others. There is no envy in a gracious heart, so far forth as it is gracious, there is no pride, nor scorn to do good to others. How shall we distinguish men How to distinguish men of great parts of excellent parts whether they be Christians or not Christians? They have both of them wit and memorie, they have both courage. I, but whether of them improve their parts and abilities most to the good of others? Whether of them hath the most humble spirit, the most loving spirit, the most discreete spirit, to be wittie, to do others to good upon all advantages? there is the Christian, that hath Gods Grace with his gifts. But for the other, Knowledge puffeth up saith the Apostle; what edifies, and builds up? Love edifieth, knowledge gathers many materials, stone, and timber &c. what builds the house, the bodie of Christ? It is a loving and humble spirit. Therefore let us think that we have nothing in Christianity, by any parts we have, of memory or witt, or reading &c. unlesse we have a humble spirit, that we can deny our selves, and abase our selves to do good to others upon all the best advantages: or else we have not the spirit of Christ, that sweet spirit of Christ that denied himself to do good to us. Where grace is established once, and is in the right nature, there is a publick mind: and it is one of the best signs of a heart that is fashioned to the image of Christ, (who denied himself, and became all in all to us) to have a publick mind, to have self-love killed, to think I have nothing to purpose as I should have, except I can make use of it to the good of others: therefore let us be willing to do good in this kind. And as I said, let us make use of comfort from others: think that they are reserved to the times, and place where thou livest, that thou mightest make use of them. Therefore those that need comfort should not flatter themselves in their grief, but humbly depend upon the meanes that God hath ordained. And let every man think, what if God have hid my comfort in another man? what if he have given him the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season unto me? Let no man think to master his trouble and grief by himself; we are members of the body, and the good that God will convey to us, must be from, and by others. Therefore it is a mutual duty, those that have comfort ought to comfort others; and those that do need comfort, ought to repiare to others, it is the ordinance of God. As Job saith, for one of a thousand to shew a man his righteousnesse. Though a man be never so wise, yet sometimes he knowes not his owne comfort, he knowes not that portion of comfort that belongs to him till some others discover it to him. Physitians will have others to heale Simile. themselves, to judge of their diseases; and certainly one reason why persons that are excellent (in themselves) have passed their daies in darknesse, it hath been this, that they think to overmaster their heavinesse and distraction of spirit with their own reason &c. which will not be. God, what he will do, he will do by his own meanes, and ordinance. Let us therefore learn hence, to see the goodnesse of God, that besides Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance. the Ministery that he hath ordeyned and the salvation that he keeps for us, and the promises that he hath given us, and the Angels that attend us &c. he doth even ordain others, that are men, and have bodies with our selves, other fellow-Christians to be instruments to convey comfort, he trains them up that they may be able to comfort, and do good to us: and he hides the good he intends to us, in them, and conveyes it to us by them: it is a speciall goodnesse of God, that every thing should tend to our good. Thus all things are for us, the sufferings of others tend to increase our comfort, and the comfort of others is for our comfort. There is such a sweet prudence in directing us to heaven that God makes every thing help; not onely our own troubles that we suffer our selves, but he doth sweetly turn the troubles of others, and the comforts of others to our good. It ministreth an argument of praising and blessing of God: and that we should answer him in the like, that as he hath devised all the waies that may Ground of praising God. be of comforting us, of turning all to our good, that, that we suffer our selves, and that, that others suffer; so we should study by all means and waies to set forth his glory, and no way to grieve the spirit of so gracious a God, that thus every way intends our comfort.