Ans. It is true ; but all teaching, and all exhortation, and all reproof, tibey tend to comfort : even doctrine itself tends to comfort. For as it is with divers kinds of food, they have both a cherishing virtue in them to strengthen, and a healing virtue to cure. So it is with the word of God,
• That is, ' Syrian.'— Ed. f That is, ' fooh"sh.'— G.
X See this comparison beautifully stated by Adams (Practical Works, vol. III. p. 299).— Ed.
2 CORINTHIANS CHAP. I, VER. 24. 513
the doctrinal part of it hath a comforting force. And, indeed, doctrine is for comfort ; for what is comfort but a strengthening of the afiections, from some sound grounds of doctrine imprinted upon the understanding, whereof it is convinced before ? The understanding is convinced thoroughly, be- fore the soul can be comforted thoroughly. Therefore the Scripture tend- ing to doctrine, that being one end of it, tends likewise to comfort, because that is the issue of doctrine ; for what is comfort, but doctrine applied to a particular comfortable use ?
As in plants and tree, what is the fruit of the tree ? nothing but the juice of the tree applied and digested into fruit ; so, indeed, doctrine is that that runs through the whole life of a Christian, and the strength of doctrine is in comfort. Comfort is nothing but doctrine sweetly digested and applied to the affections. He will never be a good comforter, that doth not first stablish the judgment in some grounds of doctrine, to shew whence the comfort flows. So that howsoever there be many things in Scripture that are doctrinal, yet in the use of them those doctrinal points tend to joy and comfort. As, I said, in meat there is the same thing, something* that both nourisheth and likewise refresheth, as a cordial ; so the word of God both nourisheth the understanding, and is as a cordial to refresh and com- foi't ; and it is a kind of joy to the soul, to have it stablished in sound doc- trine : that is the ground of comfort. So that notwithstanding any thing that can be objected, the end of the word of God, especially in the dispen- sation of it, is to joy and comfort.
Use. Which should teach people to regard the ministry in this respect, that it is a helper of their comfort, that they do not grieve those that help their comfort ; for what is the end of a minister, as a minister, but to make others joy '? that both God in heaven, and the angels, and ministers, and all may rejoice together in the conversion of a Christian. f Now, for people to vex those that, by \irtue of their calling, labour to help forward their joy, is very unkind usage ; yet it was the entertainment that our blessed Lord and Master himself found in the world ; and St Paul himself saith, ' The more I love you, the less I am loved of you,' 2 Cor. xii. 15.
And then it should move people to lay open the case of their souls to then' spiritual physicians upon all good occasions. People do so for the physicians of their bodies ; they do so in doubtful cases for their estates. Is aU so well in our souls that we need no help nor comfort ? no removing of objections that the soul makes, no unloosing of the knots of con- science ? Is all so clear ? Or are men in a kind of numbness, and deadness, and atheism, that they think it is no matter that they put all to a venture, and think all is well ? It were better for the souls of many if they had better acquaintance with their spiritual pastors than they have ; for their calling is to help the joy of the people ; and how can they help it except they lay open their estates to them upon good occasion ? What do they herein but rob themselves of joy ? They are their own enemies.
I pass to the third,
Doct. 3. They are helpers of joy, and hut helpers.
They do but utter and propound matter of joy, grounds of joy from the word of God ; but it is the Spirit of God that doth rejoice the heart, ' The fruit of the lips is peace,' Isa. Ivii. 19. It is true, but it is when the Spirit of God speaks peace to the soul together with the lips, ' God creates the fruit of the lips to be peace,' saith Isaiah. The fruit of the lips is peace,
* Misprinted ' sometime.' — G.
t That is, ' of a sinner converted iiito a Christian.' — G. VOL. III. K k
514 COMMENTARY ON
but God creates it to lie so. So tlio ministers arc comforters, but God Baith, ' I, even I, am thy comforter,' Isa. li. 12. We speak matters of comfort and {^rounds of comfort, hut God seals them to the heart 1)y his Ilolv Spirit. God is the comforter himself, ' He is the Father of comfort, and the God of all consolation,' Kom. xv. 5. And the Spirit is called ' the Comforter,' to shew unto us that however in the ordinances the materials of comfort bo set a-hroach* to God's people, yet notwithstanding that that speaks peace to the heart, and sets on those comforts to the soul and con- science, it is the Spirit of God, God himself. So there is the outward preaching and the spiritual preaching. He hath his chair in heaven that teacheth the heart, as St Austin saith (7777). St Paul speaks, but God opens the heart of Lydia ; he hath the key to open the heart. f