Use 2. Again, another use may be, that ive judge aright of those that are disgraced in the world, if their cause he good ; that we should not have dis- tasteful conceits of them, as indeed suffering breeds distaste naturally in men. They love men in a floui'ishing estate, and distaste them suffering ; but that is corruption of men. But God is the nearest to them then, nearer than ever he was, and their comforts increase with their crosses. In the conjunction between the sun and the moon, as by experience we see, in the space between the old and new moon, there is a time of conjunction. We think the moon to be lost in that time, because we see her not ; but the moon is more enlightened then, than ever she was in herself. But here is the reason, the light part of the moon is tm-ned to the sunward, to heavenward, and the dark part is turned toward the eai-th. So a Chris- tian in crosses and abasement seems to be a dark creatm-e, but he is more enlightened then, than ever before? Why? His light part is to Godward, it is not seen of the world. The world sees his crosses, but they do not see his comforts. And as the moon is nearer the sun at that time than at other times ; so the soul hath to deal with God in afflictions. It is nearer to God, and his dark side is toward the world. As the world sees the moon's eclipse, so the world sees our darkness, but not our inward comfort. Therefore we should judge aright of others in this case.
90 COMMENTARY OX
Use 3. Another use shall be of ihanhfnJncss to God, that besides the comforts of heaven (which are not to bo spoken of, and which we shall not know till we come to feel them), besides the great comfort we have to be free from hell, that we have a measure of comfort hei'c in this world, in our pilgrimage, and absence from heaven, such a measure of comfort, as may carry us with comfort along. Wc ought to be thankful to God, not only for redemption and glorification, but that God comforts us in our pilgri- mage, that he mingles crosses with comforts ; nay, that in this world our comforts arc more than our crosses.
Ohj. Some may object. Aye, but my crosses are more than my comforts?
Ans. Ai'e they so ? Dost thou sufibr in a good cause or no ? If thou dost, thy comforts are more than thy crosses, if there be not a fault in thee.
Quest. What shall I do therefore ?
First, Take this direction in suffering, pull ovt the sting of sin, though we suffer in never so good a cause, for in one suffering, God aims at divers things. God in thy suffering aims at thy correction, as well as at the exer- cise of thy gi-ace and at thy comfort. Therefore, let affliction have the correcting and amending part first, and then the comforting part will follow. Though the cause be good, yet God's children ofttimes want com- fort till afterward. Why ? They have not renewed their repentance, and cleansed their souls. They have not pulled out the sting. Wlien they have repented of their personal sins that lie upon them, and gone back to the sins of their youth, and then renewed their covenant with God, and their pur- poses for the time to come, then comes comfort, and not before. Therefore it is no disparagment to a good cause, that sometimes Christians find not present comfort. They have personal sins that hang on them, that are not repented of, which God intends to amend them of, as well as to honour them by suffering in his cause.
Second. Again, if God's children complain, that their sufferings are above their strength, and above measure, and desire God to weigh theii' afflictions, they are so great, as Job saith, — it is the sjwech of sense and not of faith, it is the speech of the fit, and not of the state. There is a fit and a state. It is no matter what they say in their fit, then the flesh and sense speak, and not grace and faith at that time. If they judge by sense, then they judge so, but we know that reason corrects the errors of sense, and faith corrects the errors of reason. But what do they say in their constant state ? Their comforts are answerable to their crosses, either in suffering or afterwards, though not ahvay at the same time. So much for that.
But this will be abused by carnal persons. We speak of abundance of comfort, but it is to those that have interest in it. The book of God speaks no comfort to persons that live in sin, and will do so. We speak comfort to those that are broken-hearted for their sins, that are content to endure the reproach of religion in despite of the world, that will bear the cross of Christ. For the other, as their jollity increaseth in the world, so their crosses and troubles shall increase. As it is said, Eev. xviii. 17, of mysti- cal Babylon, the Church of Rome, that hath flourished in the world a great while, and sat as a queen and blessed herself, ' As she glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her.' So it is true of every wicked man that is in an evil course, and will be, and as the Scripture phrase is, ' blesseth himself in an evil course,' they shall be sure of the curse of God, and not of comfort. For in what proportion they have do- lighted themselves in this world in sin, in that proportion they shall have torment of conscience, if conscience be awaked in this world ; and in that