A Christian, whatsoever the comfort be, if it be outward, he knows that the God of comfort sends it, and that is the reason he is so thankful for all outward comforts. If they be the necessaries for this life, in meat he tastes the comfort of God, in drink he tastes the comfort of God, in the ornaments of this life he tastes the comfort of God. It is God that heats him with fire, it is God that clothes him with garments, it is God that feeds him with meat, it is God that refresheth his senses in these comforts.
Therefore the heathen, out of their ignorance, they made every thing a god that was comfortable, out of which they received comfort. They made a god of the fire, and of the water. These are but instruments of the God of comfort, but the heathen made gods of them. A Christian doth not so, but he sees God in them, and drivesf these streams from the fountain. God is seen to be the God of comfort in them all.
Again, considering that God is ' the God of all comfort,' this should teach us as thankfulness to God, so prayer in the want of any comfort, that he would both give the thing, and the comfort of the thing. We may have the thing and the wrath of God with it. But thou that art the God of comfort, vouchsafe the outward comforts to us, and vouchsafe comfort with them. Thou that art the God of every thing, and of the comfort of the thing, vouchsafe both.
Again, if God be the God of all comfort whatsoever, then here is a ground of divers other truths ; as, for instance, that if we look for any com- fort from the things, or from reasons and discom-se, or from God, we should go to God in the use of the thing, before the use, after the use, at all times. Before the use, that God would suggest, either by reading, or hearing, &c., * Qu. ' heads.'— G. t Qu- 'derives?' = traces.— G.
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reasons of comfort. In the use, that he would settle and seal comfort to our souls. Lord, I hear many sweet things. I read many comfortable things. These would afl'ect a stone almost ; yet unless thou set them on my soul, they will never comfort me. Thou art the God of comfort. The materials are from thee. But except with revelation and discovery thou join application, all will not comfort, unless with revelation and application thoii open my soul to join with these comforts.
3. In the third place, There imiftt be a discovcnj and application, and an opening of the soul to them. As there be divers flowers that open and shut with the sun, so the soul, by the Spirit of God, it opens to comforts. Though comforts be put close to the soul, if that do not open to them, there is no comfort given ; for all is in the application. There is a double application, of the thing to the soul, and of the soul to the thing. God must do all.
Quest. What is the reason that manj^ hear sermons, and read sweet dis- courses, and yet when they come to suifer crosses and aflSictions they are to see?*
Ans. They go to the stream, they cut the conduits from the spring, they ■go not to the well head, they see not the derivation of comfort. It is neces- sary for the deriving of comfort to the soul, to take the scales from the eye of the soul. They see not the necessity of a divine presence to apply it, and to lay it close to the soul, and to open the soul, to join the soul to those comforts. ' God is the God of all comfort.' If anything will stir up devo- tion much to pray to God, undoubtedly this will be effectual, that whatso- ever the comfort be, whether it be outward things or reasons and discourses whatsoever, we may go to God that he would give it.
Well, this being so, if God be the ' God of all comfort,' the well of com- fort, the Father of comfort, and hath remedies for every malady, then you see here whither to go. You see a Christian in all estates hath ground of comfort, for he is in covenant with the God of comfort.
Quest. You will say to me. What is the reason that Christians are no more comfortable, having the ' God of comfort ' for their God ?
Ans. I answer: 1. It is partly /?'o??i ignorance. We have remainders of ignorance, that we know not our own comfort. Satan doth veil the eye of the soul in the time of trouble, that we cannot see that there is a well of comfort. Poor Hagar, when she was almost undone for thirst, yet she had a fountain of water near hand ; but she saw it not, she was so overtaken with grief. Gen. xxi. 15, seq. Ignorance and, 2, passion hinder the sight of comfort. When we give way so much to the present malady, as if there were no God of comfort in heaven, as if there were no Scripture that hath breasts of comfort, that is as full as a breast that is willing to discharge itself of comfort. As if there were no matter of comfort, they feed upon grief, and delight to flatter theirselves in grief, as Kachel, ' that mourned, and would not be comforted,' Mat. ii. 18. So out of a kind of ignorance, aBd passion, and wilfulness they will not be comforted.