Therefore go to the word of God, any portion, the Psalms or any special part of the Scripture ; and that, by the Spirit of God, will be a means to raise the soul. The Spirit in the word, joining with the Spirit in us, will make a sweet close together, and comfort us in all tribulation.
[11.] And have recourse daily to common principJes. All the principles of religion serve for comfort, especially the articles of the creed. ' I believe in God the Father Almighty.' What a spring of comfort is in that ! What can befall from a father, but it shall turn to good, and by a Father Almighty ? Though he be never so strongly opposed, yet he will turn it to good. He is a ' Father Almighty.' And the articles of Christ, every article hath ground of daily comfort, of his abasement. In Christ, I see myself. He is my surety, ' the second Adam.' I see my sins crucified with him. This is the way to reap comfort when the conscience is disquieted. When I look upon my sins, not in my own conscience, but take it out there, and see it in Christ dying, and crucified, in the articles of abasement to see our sin, and misery, all in Christ. f For he stood there as surety, as a public per- son for all. What a comfort is this ! When I see how Christ was abased, I see my own comfort, for he was my surety. If my sins being laid on him, who was my surety, could not condemn him, or keep him in the grave, but overcame sin that was laid to his charge, surelyj I shall overcome my corruptions. Nothing that I have shall overcome me, because it could not overcome Christ my surety. His victory is mine.
And so, if the soul be in any desolation and discomfort, all the articles of his ' glorification and exaltation.' His rising again acquits the soul. Therefore my sins are satisfied for, because my surety is out of prison. And his ascending into heaven shews my triumph. He led captivity cap- tive. And the enemies that are left are for the trial of my faith, and not to conquer me. For Christ hath ' led captivity captive,' Ps. Ixviii. 18, and is ascended into heaven. He led all in triumph, and sits at the right hand of God, to rule his church to the end of the world. He sits for me to overcome my enemies, as St Paul saith excellently, Rom. viii. 33, ' Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's people ? It is Christ that died, or rather, that is risen again, who sits at the right hand of God.'
And if we be troubled for the loss of a particular friend, there is com- fort in that article of the ' communion of saints.' There are those that have more grace, and that is for me. If my own prayers be weak, ' I beUeve the communion of saints,' and have the benefit of their prayers. Every one that saith ' Our Father' brings me in, if I be in the covenant of grace, and of the communion of saints. If I have weaknesses in myself, ' I believe in the Holy Ghost,' the comforter of God's elect, and my comforter. If I
* Misprinted ' mean'. — G. t Articles I. and IV., and infra IX. — G.
X That is, ' assuredly.' — G.
2 COEINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 4. 66
fear death, ' I believe the resun-cction of the body.' If I fear the day of judgment, * I believe that Christ shall bo my judge.' He shall como to judge the quick and the dead. In all the miseries of this life, considering that they are but short, ' I believe the life everlasting,' So that indeed if we would dig to om-selves springs of comfort, let us goto the articles of our faith, and see how there are streams of comfort from every one answerable to all our particular exigencies and necessities whatsoever.
And to close up this point, remember, whatsoever means we use, what prerogative soever we think of, whatsoever we do, remember we go to the God of comfort, and desire him to bless his word in the ministry, and desire him to work in the communion of saints, with his Spirit to warm our hearts. Alway remember to carry him along in all, that we may have comfort from ' the God of comfort, who comforteth in all tribulations.'
Next words are,
' That we may able to comfoH them which are in any troiihle.' These words shew the end why God doth comfort us in all tribulation. One main end is, that ive should he comforted in ourselves. That is the first. And then, that we, being comforted ourselves, from that ability should be able to derive* comfort to others. ' We are comforted in all ti'ibulations, that we should be able to comfort them that are in any tribulation.^
It is not St Paul's case only, and gi-eat men in religion, ministers and the like. It is not their lot and portion alone to be persecuted and troubled, but
Obs. We are all in this life subject to disquiets and discomfoiis.
Every one, ' whosoever will live godly in Christ Jesus, must suffer per- secution,' 2 Tim. iii. 12. Therefore the apostle saith not only ourt tribula- tion ; but that ' we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble.' Trouble is the portion of all God's children one with another. I do but touch that by the way. But that which I shall more stand upon, it is the end, one main end why God comforteth, especially ministers : it is, that they should be able to comfort others with the comforts that God hath comforted them withal. ' That we may be able,' &c. Now you must conceive that this ability, it is not ability alone without will and practice, as if he meant, God hath given me comfort that I might be able to comfort others if I will. That is not God's end only, that we may be able, but that we may exercise our ability, that it may be ability in exercise ; as God doth not give a rich man riches to that end that he may be able to relieve others if he will. No ! But if thou be a child of God, he gives thee abihty and will too, he gives an inward strength. So the meaning here is, not that we may be able to comfort others if we will, but that we may be both able and willing to comfort others.