A man may know the judgment of his state when he answereth not the difference of things. What the difference is between the food of life and ordinary food ; what the difference is between the comforts of the Holy Ghost and other comforts ; between the riches and pelf of the world and the riches of the Spirit ; the graces of God, that will cause a man to live and die with comfort ; the true riches, that make the soul rich to eternity : there is no comparison. Beg of God this spiritual relish to discern ' of things that differ,' Heb. v. 14, that we may recover our appetite. God by his word and Spirit can do it, not only the word written, but the inward spiritual word written in our hearts. Desire God to join his Spirit with his word and sacraments, and that will recover our taste and make us spiritual, that we shall relish him that is both the feast-maker and the feast itself. He is both the meat and the provider of the banquet.
For whence is it that all other things are sweet to us ? deliverance from trouble and sickness ? Because it is a pledge of our spiritual deli- verance in Christ. The deliverance from hell and damnation, what comfort can a man have that knows not his state in grace, in the enjoying of his health, when he shall think he is but as a ' sheep kept for the slaughter ? ' He knows not whether he be in the favour of God or no.
Therefore let us come and renew our faith in the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Christ, of, whom we are made partakers in the sacra- ment. For if we believe our deliverance from hell and damnation by the body of Christ broken and his blood shed, then everything will be sweet. When we know God loves us to hfe everlasting, then everything in the way to life everlasting, even daily bread, will be sweet, because the same love that gives heaven gives daily food, and the same love that redeems us from helljredeems us from sickness. Therefore let us labour to strengthen our faith in the main, that we may be thankful for the less. And as we enter into new covenant with God, so labour to keep it ; in Lev. xxvi. 14, seq., everything avengeth the breaking of God's covenant. When we make covenant to serve him better for the time to come, and yet break it, God is forced to send his messenger. He sends sickness to avenge his covenant. Considering that he hath lately so avenged it, let it make us so much the more circumspect in our carriage. So much for this time and text.
Imprimatur. Thomas Wykes. Jfai/ 11
loas.
WITH A RETURN OF PRAISE. 157
NOTES.
(a) P. 140. — ' In such a year, such conjunctions and such ech'pses,' &c. One of various allusions to astrology, a faith in wliich Sibbes shared with the most illus- trious of liis contemporaries, e.g.. Bacon, Sir Thomas Browne, &c.
(b) P. 141. — ' As Salvian saith well, " Tnou perishest before thou perish." ' Cf. note d. Vol. V. page 34.
(c) P. 143. — 'As one observes, that naturally men run to God in extremity.' Many curious and striking illustrations of this will be found in the old Puritan ' Commentaries' on the Book of Jonah, chap. i. verses 5, 6, and parallel passages. It is an observation common to Cicero, and all writers on ' Natural Religion.'
(d) P. 144. — ' It was the speech of a heathen,' &c. A variation of the proverb, ' Man's extremity is God's opportunity.'
(e) P. 149. — ' " AVith rejoicing and singing," as the word signifies.' Cf. Dr Joseph Addison Alexander in loc, who, with Sibbes, supplies 'joyful' before 'singing.' G.
THE SAINT'S COMFORTS.
THE SAINT'S COMFORTS.
NOTE.
'The Saint's Comforts ' forms a moiety of a small volume (18mo) published in 1638. The general title-page of the volume is given below.* It will be observed that Sibbes's name does not appear thereon, but on the other sermons it does. Pro- bably the name was withheld from the ' Comforts, ' as being from 'Notes ' without Sibbes's sanction. Next to ' The Spiritual Favourite, ' tliis volume is the rarest of his books. I have been able to trace only another copy besides my own, viz., that in the Bodleian. I have to acknowledge the kindness of the Kcv. Henry Creswell of Canterbury in procuring ' The Saint's Comforts ' for me. The other sermons will be found in their place in Vol. VII. G.
» THE
SAINTS COMFORTS. Being the substance of di- verse Sermons Preached on, Psal. 130. the beginning. The Saints Happinesse, on Fsal.
73. 28. The Eich Fearle ; on Math. 13.
45, 46. The Successe of the Gosjjell, on,
Luk. 7. 34, 35. Maries Choyce, on Luk. 10. 38, 39, 40.
By a Ecvercnd Divine now with God.
Printed at London by Tho. Cotes, and are to be sold by Peter Cole, at the signe of the (i\o\Q \Q. Corne-hil nacxQiha Excliaiifje. 1638.
On reverse —
Imprimatur, Tho. Wykes. Octob. 5. 1637.
THE SAINT'S COMFORTS:
AN EXPOSITION UPON PSALM CXXX.
Old of the depths have I cried unto thee, O God. — Ver. 1.