88 COJiaiENTARY ON
sharp brunt, but some experienced man. Whatsoever wisdom is in man,: it is but a drop in regard of that infinite wisdom that is in God. He pro- portions our strength before we sufler, and in suflfering he doth increase it ; and after suffering, then comfort comes following amain. Indeed, especially after a little while waiting, for God's time is the best time.
Reason 4. And we shall have most experience of the presence of Christ and Im Huhj Spirit at such times. The nearer to the spring of comfort, the more comfort. But in the deepest and sharpest afflictions, we are near to God. Therefore the more comfort.
How is this proved ? The more we are stripped of outward comforts, the more near we are to God, who is styled the ' God that comforteth the abject,' Job xxix. 25 ; and the nearer to God, the nearer to comfort it- self. For all comfort springs from him ; and when outward means fail that should convey comfort to us, then he conveys it immediately by him- self. I confess he is present at all times ; but when the comfort is con- veyed by the creature, by man, it is not so sweet as when God joins with the soul immediately, as in great crosses he doth. Such occasion, and such extremity may be, that none can comfort a man but God, by his Spirit. When Christ comes to the soul immediately, what abundance of comfort is there then ! As a king that doth not send a messenger, but comes immediately in his own person to visit one in misery, what a grace is it ! So what a grace is it to a soul afflicted and deserted, to have Christ immediately present ! As the martyrs found, when no other creature could comfort them, there was a fire within above all the outward fire and tor- ment, which abated and allayed the torments that were without. The divinest comforts are kept for the harshest and the worst times. We shall have the presence of Christ in the absence of all other creatures, and he will minister comfort. They may keep outward comforts from us, they can never keep the God of comfort from us ; and so long as a Christian soul and God can close together, it cannot want comfort.
Bcason 5. Another reason why comforts increase, because ive pray most then. When w^e pray most, we are most happy. But in our greatest sufferings we pray most, and most ardently. Therefore then we feel most comfort. When God and a Christian soul can talk together, and have communion, though he cannot speak to God with his tongue, yet he can sigh and groan to God. He can pour forth his spirit to God, and as long as we can pray we can never be miserable ; as long as the heart can ease itself into the bosom of God, there will alway be a return of a sweet answer. Of all the exercises of religion, that exercise that hath most immediate com- munion with God is prayer. Then we speak familiarly to God in his own language and words, and call upon him by his own promises. We allege those to him, and this cannot be, we cannot speak, and confer, and con- verse with the God of comfort without a great deal, without a world, of com- fort. Great crosses drive us to this, and therefore then we have great comfort.
Use 1. What use may we make of this ? First, for ourselves, we should'^ 7iotfear nor faint, neither faint in troubles nor fear troubles. Faint not in them. We shall have comfort proportionable ; and let us not fear troubles before they come, or any measure of them. Proportionable to the measure of our afflictions shall be our comfort. Let us not fear anything we shall suffer in this world in a good cause ; for as we suffer so we shall receive from God. We fear our own good. For it is better to have the comfort we shall have in suffering anything for a good cause, than to be exempted * Mis rinted ' would.' — G.
2 CORIXTUIANS CII.'LP. I, VEK. 5. 89
from the suffering and to want the comfort. There is no proportion. The choice is much better, to have comfort with grievance than to want the comfort together with the grievance. St Paul would not have chosen im- munity from suffering, ho would not have been exempted from the cross to have wanted his comfort.
For the disproportion is wide and gi-eat. The comforts are inward and sweet, the crosses, for the most part, are outward. What are all the crosses and sufferings in this world ? Set aside an afflicted conscience, it is but brushing of the garment, as it were ; some outward thing in the outward man, but the comforts are inward and deep.
But what if there be inward grievances too ? Then we have deeper com- forts than they. The cross is never so deep but the comfort is deeper. ' Oh the depth of the wisdom and love of God ! ' Rom. xi. 23. There is the part and dimension of God's love, the depth of it ! There is a depth in crosses. ' Out of the deep have I cried to thee,' Ps. cxxx. 1. But there is a deeper depth of comfort, there is a hand under to fetch us up at the lowest. ' Thy right hand is upon me, and thy left hand is under me,' Song of Sol. ii. 6, saith the church to God. There is comfort lower and deeper than the grievance, though it be inward, spiritual grievance. Nay, of all grievances (I know what I speak a little of mine own experience, and it is true in the experience of all ministers and Christians, that) there is none that have more help than they that are exercised with spiritual temptations of conscience. They are forced to search for deep comforts. Shallow comforts will not serve their turn ! And when they have them, they keep them, and make much of them. They have more retired and deep thoughts of Christ, and of comforts than other people, v/ho as they are strangers to their crosses, so they are strangers to their comfort. There is no degree of proportion between the crosses and the comforts. The crosses are momen- tar5% the comforts are gi'owing. The crosses make us not a whit the worse, and the comforts make us better. Fear nothing therefore ; but go on in the ways of religion, and never be discouraged to suffer in a good cause for fear of men, to think. Oh this will come, and that will come. No, no ; if the sufferings grow, the comforts shall grow with it, be of good comfort.