4. The promises of scripture. To instance in all would be endless. There are three great promises which comfort us in all our afflictions — the promises of pardon of sins, and eternal life, and the general pro- mises about our temporal estate.
[1.] The promises of pardon of sin. We can have no true cure for our sorrow till we be exempted from the fear of the wrath of God. Do that once, and the heart of sorrow and misery is broken. Others may steal a little peace when conscience is laid asleep, but not solid comfort till sin be pardoned : Isa. xl. 1, 2,' Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saitli your God ; speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned ;' Mat. ix. 2, ' Son, be of good cheer ; tliy sins be forgiven thee ;' Eom. v. 1, ' Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.'
[2.] The promises of eternal life. Nothing will afford us so mucli content as one scripture promise of eternal life would do to a faithful soul. Heaven in the promise seen by faith is enough to revive the most doleful and afflicted creature: Mat. v. 12, 'Eejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven.' Nothing can be grievous to him that knoweth a world to come, and hath the assurance of the eternal God that shortly he shall enjoy the happiness of it : Rom. V. 2, ' We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' This comforts
VeR. 50.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 35
against troubles, sicknesses, wants. Everlasting ease, everlasting joy, surely will counterbalance all that we can endure and suffer for or from God. There all our fears and sorrows shall be at an end, and all tears shall be wiped from our eyes.
[3.] The general promises concerning our temporal estate. There are many particular promises concerning the supply of all our neces- sities, removing of our grievances and burdens, or else that God will allay our troubles and enable us to bear them, mix with them the taste of his goodness and fatherly love. But I shall only speak of those general promises, that we may be confident that he will never utterly fail his people : Heb. xiii. 5, ' He hath said, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee;' that he will not give us over to insupportable diffi- culties : 1 Cor. X. 13, ' There hath no temptation taken you but what is common to man ; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above what you are able ; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it.' He will dis- pose of all things for the best to them that love him, Kom. viii. 28. These things are absolutely undertaken, and these things should satisfy us.
Thirdly, From the manner wherein this comfort is received. They are applied by the Spirit, who is a comforter, and received by faith.
1. Applied by the Spirit, which is dispensed in a concomitancy with this word : Kom. xv. 13, 'Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.' The Holy Ghost is purposely given to be our comforter. If we are fit to receive it, he will not be wanting to give solid.joy and delight to the penitent and believing soul.
2. It is received by faith. The word of God cannot deceive us. Faith is contented with a promise, though it hath not possession ; for, Heb. xi. 1, ' Faith is the^substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen.' Sickness with a promise, poverty with a promise, captivity with a promise, is better than health, riches, liberty without one ; yea, death with a promise is better than life. What you possess without a promise you may lose when most secure : Luke xii. 19, 20, ' I will say to my soul. Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years ; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him. Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee ; then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided?' But in the eye of faith, that which WT hope for is more than that which we possess ; for we have God's word ; it is set before us.
Use 1. For information.
1. How likely it is that the children of God will be exercised with afflictions, because God in his word hath laid in so many comforts before- hand ; a full third of the scriptures would be lost, and be as bladders given to a man that stands on dry land, and never meaneth to go into deep waters : ' Man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward,' Job v. 7. ]\Iany think they come into the world not to bear crosses, but to spend their days in pleasure ; but alas ! how soon do they find them- selves mistaken, and confuted by experience ! If life be anything lengthened out, it is vexed with the remembrance of what is past, or trouble of what is present, or fear of what is to come. The first part