Are the hopes and expectations of heaven and glory comfortable ! Yes sure, nothing is comfortable if this be not, Rom. v. 2. " We " rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Now, Christ brings to the souls of men all the solid grounds and foundations upon which they build their expectations of glory, Col. i. 27. " Which is " Christ, in you, the hope of glory." Name any thing else that is solid matter of comfort to the souls of men, and the grounds thereof will be found in Christ, and in none but Christ ; as might easily be demonstrated by the enumeration of multitudes of particular in- stances, which I cannot now insist upon.
Secondly, Jesus Christ removes from believers whatever is uncom- fortable; therein relieving them against all the matters of their affliction and sorrow. As namely,
First, Is sin a burden and matter of trouble to believers? Christ, and none but Christ, removes that burden, Rom. vii. 24, 25. " O wretched man that I am ! (saith sin-burdened Paul) who will " deliver me from the body of this death ? I thank God through " Jesus Christ our Lord." The satisfaction of his blood, Eph. v. 2. The sanctification of his Spirit, John i. 5, 6. His perfect de- liverance of his people from the very being of sin at last, Eph. v. 26, 27. This relieves at present, and removes at last the matter and ground of all their troubles and sorrows for sin.
Secondly, Do the temptations of Satan burden believers ? O yes, by reason of temptations, they go in trouble and heaviness of spirit. Temptation is an enemy under the walls ; temptation greatly en- dangers, and therefore cannot but greatly afflict the souls of be-
THE METHOD OF GRACE. 247
lievers ; but Christ brings the only matter of relief against tempta- tions. The intercession of Christ is a singular relief at present, Luke xxii. 32. " But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail " not.1"' And the promises of Christ are a full relief for the future ; " The God of peace shall shortly tread Satan under your feet,11 Born. xvi. 20.
Thirdly, Is spiritual desertion, and the hiding of God's face, mat- ter of affliction and casting down to believers ? Yes, yes, it dis- tresses their hearts, nothing can comfort them ; " Thou hidest thy " face, and I was troubled," Psal. xxx. 7. Outward afflictions do but break the shin, this touches the quich ; they like rain fall only upon the tiles, this soaks into the house ; but Christ brings to be- lievers substantial matter of consolation against the troubles of de- sertion : He himself was deserted of God for a time, that they might not be deserted for ever. In him also the relieving promises are made to believers, that notwithstanding God may desert them for a time, yet the union betwixt him and them shall never be dis- solved, Heb. xiii. 4. Jer. xxxii. 40. Though he forsake them for a moment, in respect of evidenced favour, yet he will return again and comfort them, Isa. liv. 7. Though Satan pull hard, yet he will never " be able to pluck them out of his Father's hand," John x. 20. O, what relief is this ! What consolation is Christ to a de- serted believer.
Fourthly, Are outward afflictions matter of dejection and trouble ? Alas, who finds them not to be so ? How do our hearts fail and our spirits sink under the many smarting rods of God upon us ? But our relief and consolation under them all is in Christ Jesus; for the rod that afflicts us is in the hand of Christ that loveth us, Rev. iii. 29- " Whom I love, I rebuke and chasten." His design in affliction is our profit, Heb. xii. 10. That design of his for our good shall certainly be accomplished, Rom. viii. 28. And after that no more afflictions for ever. Rev. xxi. 3, 4. " God shall wipe " away all tears from their eyes." So that upon the whole, two things are most evident.
First, Nothing can comfort the soul without Christ ! he is the soul that animates all comforts ; they would be dead things with- out him. Temporal enjoyments, riches, honours, health, relations yield not a drop of true comfort without Christ. Spiritual enjoy- ments, ministers, ordinances, promises, are fountains sealed and springs shut up ; till Christ open them, a man. may go comfortless in the midst of them all.
Secondly, No troubles, sorrows, or afflictions can deject or sink the soul that Christ comforteth, 2 Cor. vi. 20. <f As sorrowful, " yet always rejoicing." A believer may walk with a heart full o£
248 THE METHOD OF GRACE. SERM. XVJ
comfort amidst all the troubles of this world : Christ makes the darkness and troubles to be light round about his people. So that the conclusion stands firm, and never to be shaken, that Christ, and Christ only, is the consolation of believers; which was the thing to be proved.
In the third place, I am to shew you that believers, and none but believers, can have consolation in Christ ; which will convin- cingly appear from the consideration of those things which we laid down before as the requisites to all true spiritual consolation. For,
First, No unbeliever hath the materials, out of which spiritual comfort is made, which (as I there told you) must be some solid, spiritual, and eternal good, as Christ and the covenant are : what do unregenerate men rejoice in but trifles and mere vanities, in a thing of nought ? Amos vi. 13. See how their mirth is described in Job xxi. 12. " They take their timbrel and harp, and rejoice at " the sound of the organ. " He doth not say, they take the Bible, turn to the promises, and rejoice in Christ and the covenant ; it is not the melody of a good conscience, the joy of the Holy Ghost ; no, no, they have no acquaintance with such music as that ; but the rejoicing of believers is in those things, 2 Cor. i. IS. and this is well built consolation, which reaches the heart.
Secondly, I told you that propriety and interest in Christ and the promises are required to all spiritual consolation : but no unbe- liever hath any title or interest in Christ and the promises, and so they can signify nothing to him in point of comfort. It is not ano- ther man's money, but my own, that must feed, clothe and com- fort me ; nor is it another man's Christ, but my own Christ, that must justify, save, and comfort my soul.
Thirdly , You were told, that evidence of a man's peace and re- conciliation with God, is necessary to his actual consolation, which no unbeliever can possibly have ; he hath neither grace within him to make him a qualified subject of any special promise, nor any witness or seal of the Spirit, to confirm and clear his propriety in Christ ; for he never seals, but where he first sanctifies. So that it is beyond all contradiction, that believers, and none but believers are partakers of the consolations that are in Christ Jesus.
Fourthly and lastly, There is one inquiry remains to be satisfied ; namely, seeing Jesus Christ is consolation to believers, how it comes to pass, that so many believers in the world should walk so dejectedly as they do, without any spiritual consolation ?