36 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LYI.
of our life we know not ourselves ; in the middle, we are filled with cares and sorrows ; our last burdened with weakness and age. But now the godly are more appointed to troubles, because God will try their faith, perfect their patience, train them up for a better world. They are now hated by the world : 2 Tim. iii. 12, ' Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution ;' Acts xiv. 22, ' We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of Grod.' He that would not be exempted from the hopes of Christians, he must not look to be exempted from the troubles of Christians.
2. The excellency of the word of God and the religion it estab- lisheth. It containeth. store of sure comforts; and when all other comforts can do us no good, then the word of God affordeth us relief and support. Bare human reason cannot find out such grounds of comfort in all their philosophy ; it doth not penetrate to the inwards of a man. It will tell us it is in vain to trouble ourselves about what we cannot help : Jer. x. 19, ' It is an evil, and I must bear it;' that we are not without fellows, others suffer as much as we do, &c. ; but the word of God giveth us other consolations — the pardon of sin, the joromises of a better life ; that if we lose temporal things we shall have eternal ; that we would not fear the threatenings of men, having the promises of God, &c., nor death, which hath life at the back of it ; these are comforts indeed. When David was even dead in the nest, the word, that was not so clear then in these points as now, revived him. What would he have said if he had known the gospel so fully as we do ? How should we be aftected that live in so much light ?
Use 2. For reproof to those that seek other comforts, —
1. In the vanities of the world. This is too slight a plaster to cure man's sore or heal his wound : the comforts of this world appear and vanish in a moment ; every blast of a temptation scattereth them. It must be the hope and enjoyment of some solid satisfaction that can fortify the heart and breed any solid and lasting comfort, and this the world cannot give unto us ; but in the word we have it. Alas ! what is a dream of honour, or the good- will and word of a mortal man ? Everlasting glory is as much above all these as the treasures of a king- dom before a child's toys. May-games, vain pleasures, are gone before we well feel that we have them.
2. Or in philosophy. That cannot give a true ground of comfort. That was it the wise men of the world aimed at to fortify the soul against troubles ; but as they never understood the true ground of misery, which is sin, so they never understood the true ground or way of comfort, which is Christ. That which man offereth cannot come with such authority and power as that which God offereth. The light of reason cannot have such an efficacy as divine testimony. This is a poor moonlight, that rotteth before it ripeneth anything. In short, they were never acquainted with Christ, who is the foundation of comfort ; nor the promise of heaven, which is the true matter of com- fort ; nor faith, which is the instrument to receive comfort ; so that you leave the fountain of living water for the dead puddle of a filthy ditch, if you think the writings of the heathens will comfort you and revive you, and neglect the word of God that brings rest for the soul.
3. Those are to be reproved that are under a spiritual institution.
VeE. 50.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 37
and profess to keep to it, and do so little honour it, either by their patience or comfort, or hojie under troubles. AVherefore were the great m3-steries of godliness made known to us, and the promises of the world to come, and all the directions concerning the subjection of the soul to God, and those blessed privileges we enjoy by Christ, if they all be not able to satisfy and stay your heart, and compose it to a quiet submi.^sion to God wlien it is his pleasure to take away your comforts from you ? What ! ' Is there no balm in Gilead ? is there no physician there?' Will not all the word of God yield you a cor- dial or a cure ? Oh ! consider what a disparagement you put upon the provision Christ hath made for us, as if the scripture were a weaker thing than the institutions of philosophy, or the vain delights of the world ! But what may be the reasons of such an obstinacy of grief ?
[l.J Sometimes ignorance. They do not study the grounds of com- fort, or do not remember them ; for oblivion is an ignorance for the time : Heb. xii. 5, ' Have ye forgotten the exhortation that speaketh to you as children ? ' They are like Hagar, have a well of comfort nigh, and yet ready to die for thirst. The scripture hath breasts of comfort, so full as a breast ready to discharge itself, and yet they are not comforted.