O that ever God should comfort such a soul as thine, that hath 8o often gi'ieved him ! That Christ should be a joy to thee, who hast been a sorrow to him ! If you look into Eph. i. 3. you will find the spirit of the apostle there filled with the sense and admiration of this mercy, which breaks forth into this rapturous expression, " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who " hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places (or " things in Christ).*" Some there are that never enjoy an ordinary degree of earthly comforts. Job xxx. B, 4, 5. others enjoy abun- dance of earthly comforts, but no spiritual comforts, Psal. xvii. 14. Some there are for whom God intends everlasting consolations in the world to come ; but they are kept low, as to spiritual com- forts in this world, Psal. Ixxxviii. 15. O, what cause have you to admire the bounty of God to you, for whom there is not only fulness of joys prepared in heaven, but such precious foretastes and earnests of it communicated in the way thither.
-^d\ice 2. Cleave fast to Christ and those sweet and comfortable
duties of religion, wherein you ham founds and tasted the hest com-. forts that ever your souls were acquainted with.
This is one thing God aims at in the communication of these spiritual refreshments, to glue your souls fast by them to the ways of holiness. The Lord knows temptations will befal you, discourage- ments enough you shall be sure to meet with ; but these enjoyments of God, wliich you have met with in prayer and hearing, in medita^- tion, sacraments, ^c. should engage your hearts for ever to the ways of obedience. You never found that sweetness in the ways of sin, which you have found in repentance, and faith. When a temptation comes baited with sinful pleasures, say as the olive tree and the vine, in Jotham's parable, Judg. ix. 9, 10, 11. Shall I leave such soul-refreshing comforts as these, for the insipid pleasures of sin ? God forbid.
Advice 3. Be communicative of the spiritual comforts you enjoy, for the benefit and refreshment of others.
The Lord never intended you should engross the comforts of his Spirit to yourselves, nor eat your pleasant morsels alone. 2 Cor. i. 4. " He comforts us, that we may be able to comfort them that " are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are ^' comforted of God."" It is true, religion lays not all open, nor yet doth it conceal, and hide all. There needs a gi'eat deal of wisdom, humility, and caution, to secure us from pride, and vanity in spirit, whilst we communicate our comforts to others : As ostentation, so also impropriatlan of our comforts, are against scrip- ture-law ; he may be justly suspected that opens all, and so may he too that conceals all. Spiritual comforts are not diminished, but improved by a wise, and humble communication.
Advice 4. Be much in reneiving the acts, and exercises of faith ; be frequent in that work.
Your first faith hath brought in your first comfort ; your renew- ing, and repeating those precious acts of faith, will bring you in greater stores of comfort, than you yet enjoy. We are not to look upon faith as a single, but a continued act, 1 Pet. ii. 4. " To whom " coming as unto a living stone."" Thy soul. Christian, is to be in a continual motion towards Christ ; the more you believe, the more you will rejoice. You see the door through which comfort, comes into your souls. Joy is the daughter of faith, Rom. xv. 13. your present comfort is the first birth of faith ; but there are many comforts more in the womb of faith, which will yet be born to your souls, if unbeUef cause not a miscarriage.
Advice 5. Take heed you be not a grief to Christ, who hath aU ready brought so much comfort to you.
It will be a sad requital, if after he hath given you the joys of heaven to drink, you shall give him that which is as wormwood
and gall ; the Lord write that caution upon thy soul, reader, Eph. iv. 30. •'' And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are ^^ sealed to the day. of redemption.'' The argument of the apostle, in this place, strongly infei:s caution from comfort. Christ hath been all joy, all peace, rest, and comfort to you ; take heed you be not a grief and shame to him. The intermission of thy duties, the faUing and flatting of thy affections in duties, thy rash adventures upon sin, will be a grief to the heart of Christ, who hath filled thy heart with so much comfort ; and if you grieve him, you cannot expect he should comfort you. A little sin may rob you of a great deal of comfort.
Advice 6. Be not staggered or dejected^ if the first comforts Chrisi gives you should qfterwards abate, or be taken away for a time.
This is a very common thing in the experience of most Chris- tians ; you must not think your first comforts are such fixed, settled things, that there is no hazard of losing them ; alas ! nothing is more volatile than the joys of a Christian. You will be apt to lose your first love, Rev. ii. 4. and if you lose your first love, no wonder that you lose your first comforts : Yet if it should so fall out, be not cast down and discouraged ; Christ is not gone, though comfort be gone ; and though comfort be gone, it is not gone for ever ; re- new thy repentance, faith, and obedience, and try if God will not renew thy comfort. There is a former, and there is a latter spring of joy ; God will make thy comforts spring again. Besides, thy justification is stedfast, though thy consolation be not so. There are two things that belong to a Christian, one to his being, viz. union with Christ ; another to his well-being, viz. Comfort from Christ : The latter is uncertain and contingent, the former fixed and stedfast.
Advice 7. Be filled with compassion to others who want those comforts you enjoy, especially such as God hath knit to you in the bonds of natural relations.
Art thou a father, or a mother, to whom God hath given those comforts, and soul-refreshments, that have been opened in this discourse ? And hast thou no compassion for thy poor children, who never yet tasted one drop of these spiritual consolations ; Certainly it will do a man little good to be feasted abroad, whilst his wife and children are starving at home : Say to them, as Paul in another case, " Would to God you were all as I am, except these *' corruptions."" Religion breeds bowels of compassion. O tell them what sweetness there is in the ways of godliness ; counsel, plead, and pray, that those that are yours may also be Christ's.
Advice 8. As ever you expect the continuaiice or enlargement of your comforts, see that you ivalk circumspectly.
It is as much as all your comfort is worth to give way to a httle