2 CORINTHIANS CnAP. I, VER. 4. 73
grace, we can tell them no comfort, except they will devise a new Scripture, n new Bible. If they do so, they may have comfort. But this word of God, God herein speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin, and will do so. We should labour therefore to discern some evidence that they are in the state of grace.
And ofttimes those are indeed most entitled to comfort that think it fur- thest from them. Therefore wo should acquaint them with the conditions of the covenant of grace, that God looks to truth. Therefore if we discern any true, broken, humble spirit, a hungering and a thirsting after righteous- ness, and a desire of comfort, ' Blessed are those that hunger and thirst,' Mat. V. 6 ; it belongs to them, we may comfort them. If we see spiritual poverty, that they see their wants, and would be supplied, ' Blessed are the poor in spirit,' Mat. v. 3 ; ' Be of good comfort,' Christ calls such. Mat. x. 49. If they see and feel the burden of their sins, we may comfort them. Christ calls them, ' Come unto me, ye that are weary and heavy laden,' Mat. xi. 28. If we discern spiritual and heavenly desires to grow in grace and overcome their corruptions, if we discover and discern this in their practice and obedience, ' God will fulfil the desires of them that fear him,* Ps. cxlv. 19. And he accepts the will for the deed.
There is a desire of happiness in nature that comforts not a man. It is no sign of grace to desire to be free from hell and to be in heaven. It is a natural desire. Every creature wishes well to heaven. But if there be a desire of the means that tend to heaven, a desire of grace, these are evi- dences of grace. These are the pulses thai we may find grace by ; when they see their infirmities, and groan under them, and would be better, and complain that they are not better, and are out of love with their own hearts. There is a combat in their hearts, they are not friends with themselves. When we see this inward conflict, and a desire to better, and to get vic- tories against their corruptions, though there be many corruptions and weaknesses, a man may safely say, they are in a state of grace, they are on the mending hand. For ' Christ v/ill not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax,' Mat. xii. 20. ' And where he hath begun a good work, he will perfect it to the day of the Lord,' Philip, i. 6. He will cherish these weak beginnings, therefore we may comfort them on good gi'ound.
(3.) Then, besides that, in our dealing with them, when we have dis- covered, by some evidence, that they belong to the covenant, that we see, by some love to good things, and to God's image in his children, and by other evidences, then we may comfort them boldly; and then to fetch from our own experience, what a comfort will it be to such ! When we can say, My estate was as yours is ; I found those corruptions that you groan under; I allowed not myself in them as you do not. When a man can say from his own experience, that notwithstanding these I have evident signs of God's Spirit that I am his, then he can comfort others by his own experience.
(4.) And what a comfort is it to rjo to the experiments -^^ of Scripture! It is an excellent way. As now, let a man be deserted of God, David will com- fort him by his experience, Ps. Ixxvii. 2, 8, 10, where he saithhe found God as his eneW ; and as Job saith, * the terrors of God drank up his spirit,* Job vi. 4. Be of good comfort ! David would come and comfort thee if he were alive. If the terror of God be against thee for sin, that thy con- science is awakened, be of good comfort ! Christ, if ho were on earth, * That is, ' experiences ' = examples.— G.
74 COMMENTABY ON
■would shew thee by his own example that he endured that desertion on the cross : * My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me ? ' Mark xv. 34. If thou be molested and vexed with Satan, Job will comfort thee by his example. His book is most of it combating and comfort. And so for all other grievances, go to the Scriptures. Whatsoever is ' written, is written for our learning,' Pray to God, and he will hear thee as he did Ehas.
Ohj. Oh ! but Elias was an excellent man.
Ans. The Scripture prevents* the objection: ' he was a man subject to infirmities,' James v. 17. If God heard him, he will hear thee. Believe in Christ, as Abraham did, ' the father of the faithful,' in the promised Messiah, and he will forgive thee all thy sins.
Obj. Oh ! but he had a strong faith.
Ans. Wliat hath the Scripture to take away this objection ? In Rom. iv. 23, ' This was not written for Abraham only, but for those that believe with the faith of Abraham.'