And this he doth, as you may perceive by the unfolding of the words, either by some outward thing apphed to the outward want or cross, or by some inward reasons, that are opposite to the inward malady, or by an inward presence. His comforts are appliable to the tribulation, and to the strength, and length, and variety of it. We may know it by his course in this life. What misery are we subject to in this life ! but we have comfort fit for it ? So good is God.
We may reason thus very well. If so be that in our pilgrimage here, in this hfe of ours, which is but the gallery, as it were, to heaven ; if in this short life, which is but a way or passage, we have, both day and night, so many comforts : in the very night, if we look up to heaven, we see what glorious things there are towards the earth here, on this side the heaven, the stars of the light,* &c. And if so be upon the earth there be such comforts, especially in the spring and summer time, if the very earth, the basest dregs of the world, yield such comfort and delights to all the senses, then a man may reason very strongly, what comforts shall we have at home ? If God by the creatures thus comforts us in our outward wants, what are the inward comforts of his Spirit here to his children ? and what ai-e the last comforts of all, the comforts reserved at home, when God ' shall be all in aU?' ICor. XV. 28.
Now there are some drops of comfort conveyed in smells, some in gar- * Qu. ' the liirht of the stars ? '—Ed.
54 COMMENTARY ON
ments, some in friends, some in diet ; here a drop, and there a drop. But when we shall have immediate comnnuiion there with the God of comfort himself, what comforts shall wo have there ? God comforts us here, by providing for us, and giving us things that are comfortable.
Or by giving reasons and grounds of comfort, which are stronger than the reasons and grounds of discomfort, reasons from the privileges and prerogative of Christians, &c. The Scripture is full of them.
But likewise, which is the best of all, and most intended, the inward inspring of comfort, with the reasons and grounds, ho inwardly conveys comforts to the soul, and strcngtheneth and supports the soul. And he doth this not only by the application of the reasons, and the things that we understand, to the soul, but by opening the soul to embrace them. For sometime the soul may be in such a case as it may reject comfort, that ' the consolation of the Almighty,' Job xv. 11, may seem light to it. Sometime there may be such a disposition of soul, that the chiefest com- forts in Scripture yield it no comfort. They are not embraced. The sou' is shut to them. God provides reasons and grounds of comfort, and like- wise he applies these comforts by his Spirit to the soul, and he inwardly warms and opens the soul to embrace comfort. He opens the understand- ing to understand, and the will and affections to embrace, or else there will be no comfort.
Many are like Eachel. Her children were gone, and it is said of her, ' She would not be comforted,' Mat. ii. 18. God is the ' God of comfort.' As he gives the matter and ground of comfort, and reasons out of his holy word above all discomforts ; so by his Spirit he frames and fits the heart to entertain these, to take the benefit of them.
' He comforts us in all tribulation.' To comfort is to support the soul against the grievance past, or felt, or feared.
There may be some remainders of grief for what is past. Grief present presseth most, and grief feared. Now God comforteth, whatsoever the grievance is, by supporting the soul against it, as I said before.
We are in tribulation in this life, and yet in all tribulations God doth comfort us. To add to that I said before of this point, let us therefore go to God in all the means of comfort, because he is the God of it, and he must comfort us.
Therefore, when we send for divines, or read holy books, for we must use all means, we must not set God against his means, but join them to- gether : to add that caution by the way.
We may not, therefore, necessitate the God of comfort, that because he comforts us, therefore we will neglect reading and prayer, and conference with them that God hath exercised in the school of Christ, who should speak comfort to the weary soul by their ofiice.
No, no ! God mid his means vuist be joined together. We must trust God, but not tempt him. To set God against his means is to tempt him ; that because he is the God of comfort, therefore we will use no means, no physician for the body or for the soul. This is absurd. He is the God of comfort in the means. He comforts us ' in all tribulation,' by means, if they be to be had.