4. It informs us that christians put a disparagement upon their comforts when they are dejected with every fear and trouble. This is much beneath God's oath, the merit of Christ, and the joy of the Holy Ghost, and all the provision the three persons have made. As for instance —
[1.] When your comforts are so weak that you faint in every afflic- tion ; Prov. xxiv. 10, ' If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small/ Thou hast small comfort if it will not bear thee out in out- ward trouble. God and Christ and the Spirit, they are as it were trying their skill (I would speak it with reverence) to raise up a confidence in believers that shall be affliction-proof; now if you are presently gone when put to trial, you disparage this strong consolation, and frustrate all the provision tliey make for you. Many a heathen would do better upon moral principles, and behave themselves with a greater generosity and bravery of spirit. You know that question, Job XV,. 11, 'Are the consolations of God small with thee?' The meaning is, is all the provision of comfort and grace and joy in the Spirit too slender to bear you up in this affliction ? What do you expect, christians ? Would you have better provision than God hath made ? Dost thou expect greater promises, surer mercies, and a more able Christ to bear up thy heart ? Are not all the consolations of God able to raise you up ? Thus when you are overcome in every trial.
[2.] When you are full of doubts, bondage, and servile fears, ,you disparage God's consolation. As for instance, when you cannot think of the judgment without horror : Acts xxiv. 25, 'As he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled ; ' or of death without bondage: Heb. ii. 15, ' Through fear of death they were all their lifetime subject to bondage.' Christians, now and then we should be making experiments, and trying the strength of our comforts, and say thus, Can I venture ray everlasting estate upon this confidence? Would I be thus found if Christ were coming to judg- ment ? 1 John iv. 17, ' Herein is love made perfect, that we may have
SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI, 18. 325
boldness in the day of judgment.' Take it for God's apprehensions of his love to us, or our apprehensions of our love to God ; we should still he providing for that day, and citing ourselves before Christ's tribunal, that we might see of what strength our consolation is.
SERMON IV.
We might have a strong consolation^ <&c. — Heb. vi. 18.
Use 2. To press you to look after this strong consolation. Oh ! be not contented until you have the fruit of God's oath, that you may be able to live up to the provision and preparation he hath made for your comfort in the covenant. It is a condescension that God will give us his oath, and this is the fruit of it, that we might have strong consolation, to see our names in God's book, and our heaven in Christ's possession.
I shall press you with arguments both of duty and profit.
First, For arguments of duty.
1. It is for God's honour that his people should walk comfortably. Two things there are which God glories most in — the holiness and the comfort of his people : in their holiness, as he is a God of grace ; in their comfort, as he is a God of consolation. It is said in scripture, ' There is none holy as the Lord.' God would have the world know that there is none can sanctify but he alone. Moral principles may change the life, but he only can change the heart. And then it is said there is none like him in pardon: Micah vii. 18, ' Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity? ' God would have the world know that there is no comfort so strong and sweet as that which he conveyeth. In your lives God will be glorified in holiness ; in your deaths God will be glorified in your comfort : Jer. vi. 16, ' Where is the good way, and walk therein, and you shall find rest for your souls.' Is there any such comfort to be had as my people have, as they have found in the way they have beaten, the beaten path of faith, repentance, and godliness ?
2. As it is for God's glory, so for our profit. We look upon comfort with jealousy, knowing we have deserved none : we are guilty creatures, therefore are loath to entertain it even upon God's terms. Joy is the strength of the soul : Neh. viii. 10, ' The joy of the Lord is your strength,' and that in all duties. Satan knoweth that while the con- science' is kept raw, the soul is unfit for action. A christian never acts so strongly, so regularly, as when he is filled with God's love. Again, there are some special duties which cannot be performed without com- fort, as rejoicing in God : Phil. iv. 4, ' Rejoice in the Lord always ; and again I say, Rejoice. You cannot have comfortable thoughts of God, your meditation of God will not be sweet, until you have appre- hensions of his grace. And you cannot long for the presence of Christ. It is ' the Spirit in the bride, that saith. Come,' Rev. xxii. 17. God will not be sweet, nor the day of judgment looked upon with hope and