5. This makes all particular providences of God to yourselves sweet, when they are dipped in love, for ' all things shall w^ork together for good to you,' Rom. viii. 28. Though a single dispensation^ may seem to go cross to your desires and hopes, yet there is no curse in it ; as a crooked stick in a faggot makes the whole more compacted : Cant. iv. 16, ' Awake, 0 north wind, and come, thou south.' Mark, north and south wind, two contrary blasts from different corners ; however it be, it doeth good to the chuVch. Whencesoever the blast comes, be it a gentle breath that comes this way, or a cold nipping wind that comes another way, it makes the spices to flow out. Oh ! how sweet are mercies, when they are wrapped up in the bowels of Christ, and sent to us as a token from heaven, and we can see love in all our enjoy- ments ! If God gives you deliverance, you may say, as Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 17, ' Thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption.' You are loved into mercy. Whatsoever you enjoy, it is not as a creature, but as an heir. What a comfort then will a chris- tian take in a morsel of bread, when he can see God's special love m it, more than w^orldly men can take in their greatest possessions !^ Look, as a mean remembrance from a friend is better than a royal gift from
328 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI. 18.
an enemy, so this makes thy meat and bread sweet, when sent from thy Father in heaven, when thou hast it as an heir of promise.
6. This will make afflictions sweet ; their very property is altered ; they are not now vindictive dispensations, but such as belong to the covenant of grace, and so they will not do us harm : ' In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me,' Ps. cxix. 75. When you can make this reflec- tion, The Lord seeth I want this, else I should not be exercised with such providences. At least there is a supply of inward comfort, and then a heavy burden is nothing to a sound back. If God strikes, sin is pardoned, and the sting of affliction is taken away.
7. It will sweeten death itself ; thou knowest whither thou art going. Death is a sad stroke to wicked men, which sends the body to the grave, and the soul to hell ; it must needs be a king of terrors to them. But death to those that have this strong consolation is as Haman was to Mordecai ; from a mischief, it is made a means to do us honour. Christ hath delivered us both from the hurt and fear of death: Heb. ii. 14, 15, ' That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil ; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.' So that we may entertain it with delight, as Jacob looked upon the chariots that were sent for him with rejoicing. This is a messenger to carry me to Christ; and who would refuse to be happy ? Phil. i. 23, ' I desire to depart, and to be with Christ.' They know death is but a loosing from the body, that they may be joined to Christ, and they had rather lose a thousand bodies than fellowship with Christ ; their souls are sent away in peace to the place of bliss.
8. This makes the day of judgment sweet. Look, as the betrothed virgin longs for the day of espousals and when the bridegroom will come, or as a woman longs for the return of her husband that is gone a long voyage, so the soul that is betrothed to Christ longs for the re- turn of the bridegroom, that he may carry it into his Father's house.
9. It will make the thoughts of heaven sweet. When a christian walks abroad, and points up to heaven, he may say. There is the place of my bliss and everlasting abode. One would think this were enough to ravish the heart of any man, and make him do anything, even run to the ends of the earth, to gain this strong consolation.
But we are backward and slow ; therefore here is the great question, What shall we do to get and keep this great comfort ?
I shall give you a few directions. Many rest in notions ; when they see the way, they are discouraged, and go no farther. But will you engage, before the Lord, to observe these things, if you find them ac- cording to scripture ?
Fivfit then, how to get these strong consolations.
1. Lay a good foundation by meditating upon the mercy and truth of God in the gospel. Our first comfort arise th from meditation, or the serious act of faith on the mercy and truth of God ; as settled assurance ariseth from a sight of evidence. God usually gives us at first conversion a taste of his goodness and sweetness, which differeth from assurance : 1 Peter ii. 2, 3, ' As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby : if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.' Usually at first, when the soul is taken up