As the heathen man complained of those comforts he had, I know not how it is, but the physic I have to cure the grievance of my mind, it yields to the malice of the disease, the disease is above the cure. So it is true of all philosophical comforts, that are fetched out of the shop of nature, the physic yields to the disease ; the malady or disease exceeds the remedy, therefore there is no comfort. Comfort is, when the inward support is greater and stronger than the grievance is, whatsoever it be.
Now such comfort must only be fetched out of the word. The Scrip-
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VEE. 24. 509
ture is a common treasury of all good and comfortable doctrines ; but especially as it is dispensed in the ministry, as it is divided by the ministers of God ; thereafter as they see the necessity of God'o people, and the exigents* they are brought to, accordingly they should draw comfort out of this common treasury. Thereuj)on that that Christ saith of himself, ' Thou hast given me the tongue of the learned, to speak a word in season to the weary soul,' Isa. 1. 4, it is true of all the true ministers of Christ, that have that spiritual anointing, that have the same Spirit that Clirist had. ' God hath anointed them, that they might speak a word in season ' to poor distressed souls. God hath given them the tongue of the learned, for this very end and purpose. God hath given them a healing tongue for a wounded soul. Indeed, they carry physic in their tongues ; and the very leaves, the very words, have a medicinal force.
"When those that are true ministers speak a word in season to a vrounded, distressed soul, the Spirit goes with the word, and it hath won- di'ous efficacy for the comfort and raising up of the soul. Experience shews this.
Now to give a few instances how it is done, how the ministers do it, how they are ' helpers of our joy.'
1. They do it first of all, hj acquaintmfi people ivith the ill estate they are in; for all sound comfort comes from the knowledge of our grief, and freedom from it. They acquaint people with their estate by natm'e, that they are in the state of damnation, that they are under the ' curse' of God, under the 'wrath of God,' that they are in a 'spiritual bondage;' they labour that they, together with the spirit of bondage, may make people to see their state of bondage. For they must plough before they sow, and the law must go before the gospel. The law shews the wound, but the gospel heals the wound. Now they must know the wound ; the commanding part, all the threatening part of the word. They must know what they are, before they can know their comfort. Therefore John Baptist he came before Christ, he made way for the sweet doctrine of Christ that came with bless- ing in his mouth, ' Blessed are the poor in Spirit ; ' ' Blessed are Ihey that hunger and thirst ;' ' Blessed are those that sufi'er persecution,' &c., Mat. v. 3, 0, 10. Even as to Elias there was a strong wind came before the still voice, 1 I\jngs xix. 12, so there must be somewhat to rend, and to open the heart, before this oil of comfort can be poured in. Now that is the first thing, the ministers help people to comfort, by helping them to understand them- Belves, what they are in the state of nature. They labour to search the wound fu'st, to cure the soul as much as they can of all guile of spirit, that the soul may not be guileful to misunderstand itself.
2. And when they have done this, then they breed joy, by propounding, and shewing the remedy ichich is in Jesus Christ ; then they open the riches of God's love in Christ, then open the sweet ' box of ointment' in Christ, the}' shew to man his righteousness. As you have an excellent place in Job, chap, xxxiii. 14, seq., of the whole force of the ministry ; it is followed at large what the minister doth to bring a man to joj'. He begins, verse 14, ' God speaks once and twice, but man perceives it not ; in visions and dreams by night, when deep sleep falls upon them ; then he opens the ears of man, and seals instruction,' &c. ' He chastiseth him with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain ; so that his life abhors bread.' He speaks of a man, that is brought down by the sight of sin. ' His flesh is consumed away, it cannot be seen, his bones stick out,' &c.
* That is, 'exigencies,' Cf. footnote, vol. I. p. 412. — G.
510 COMMENTARY ON
A strange description of a man in a disconsolate estate. His ' soul draws near to the grave, and his life to the destroyers.' What of all this? what is the way to bring him out of this ? ' If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one of a thousand, one that hath the tongue of the Icarnt'd, to shew a man his rightei)usness, then God is gracious to him, and delivers him from going to the pit. I have found a ransom," &c. The mossougor, ' one of a thousand,' the man of God, that hath ' the tongue of the learned,' he hath showed him where his ransem is to be had, he hath shewed him his righteousness.