Use 3. Seek it in the use of means and ordinances which God hath appointed for the raising of comfort in us, as the word, prayer, and the Lord's Supper. In solemn duties God reneweth the pledges of his love to us, exciteth grace, and by grace comfort. It must needs be so, because then the grounds of comfort are anew laid in the view of conscience ; graces are in their lively exercise, and God is not want- ing to his own institution. Take all these three together, and the reverent use of the Lord's Supper must needs increase our comfort. The ground of comfort is reconciliation with God by Christ, Rom. v. 11, ' We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement' And here we raise up our faith and love : Cant. i. 4, ' The King hath brought me into his chamber. We will be glad and rejoice in thee ; we -will remember thy love more than wine. The upright love thee.' God's ordinances are not empty ; there is some participation ; 1 Cor. x. 16, ' The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?'
Use 4. Consider the ends why God givcth us comfort. It is to fortify us against the enemies of our salvation, so far as they are vex- ing, and troubling, and molesting us in the way to heaven. The Spirit hath two great offices — to be a sanctifier and comforter ; and both serve all the needs of Christians. When we are enticed to sin, he helps us as a sanctifier ; when we are discouraged in God's service, he helps us a comforter. And therefore Christians are to consider their condition, and what their present state rcquireth ; for God dispenseth his grace according to the assaults made upon them by the enemies
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of their salvation. As for instance, our enemies are the devil, the world, and the flesh. These we renounced in baptism ; and in the progress of Christianity, these are those with whom we conflict and must overcome. As for instance, the devil is a tempting devil, who seeketh to draw away the saints from God, and, by the love of the flesh, to weaken our love and obedience to our proper and our right- ful Lord. Now what are we to do in this case ? To beg comfort and peace, that we may not be troubled, though we yield unto his tempta- tions ? Alas ! this were to turn the grace of God into wantonness. No; we are to be ' sober and watchful/ 1 Peter v. 8 — to use all the rules of sobriety and vigilancy, that our worldly comforts may not be a snare to us (sobriety is a holy moderation in the use of all earthly things : vigilancy is a holy diligence and seriousness in the use of means) ; and also add to both the help of the sanctifying Spirit, that we may keep up our love to God, and be faithful in our obedience to him. But the devil is not only a tempting devil, but a vexing and disquiet- ing devil, who ' accuseth us before God day and night,' Eev. xii. 10, raiseth in us many troublesome fears to make our service uncomfort- able, and tire us and clog us. What is our duty then ? To beg the help of the Comforter, not only to show love to God, but that we may have some persuasion of his love to us, and quench his fiery darts, that we may go on cheerfully in our work, because ' the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly,' Rom. xvi. 20. So for the world. The world is a tempting world, drawing our affections from God and heaven to present things ; and when it smileth on us, en- croaches upon our hearts more and more: 2 Tim. iv. 10, ' Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world.' Now what is our business then ? To beg comfort and assurance of God's love ? No ; that would be our bane; there is work for the Sanctifier rather than the Comforter, that the worldly spirit may be subdued in us ; there is need of mortification rather than assurance, that we may be 'crucified to the world,' Gal. vi. 14. But sometimes the world is a persecuting world, and reproacheth and troubleth us with all manner of vexations ; then there is work for the Comforter, to seal up to our souls the love of God, our interest in Christ : John xvi. 33, ' These things have I spoken to you, that in me ye might have peace ; in the world ye shall have tribulation : but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world ;' and to become to our souls the earnest of eternal glory. Comfort is for tribulation ; at other times we are glutted with it, but then it is our great support. When all things fail, we feel the great necessity of the joys of faith. It is good to time well our duties. David saith, Ps. Ivi. 3, ' What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.' So for the flesh ; it enticeth us : James i. 14, ' Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed.' Many times it draweth to actual sin by indulgence to its desires; yea, disposeth us often to apostasy and falseness of heart; for apostasy usually begins at falseness of heart, when the fleshly mind and interest is not thoroughly overcome. Well, when we are conscious to this, what shall we do in such a case ? Certainly the great and proper work is to beg the Spirit, and implore the Spirit as a sanctifier, and to be more obedient to his sanctifying motions. Comfort will come in time.