There was some good in their trouble ; something natm-ally, and some- thing spiritually good. There was ground of natural trouble at the departure of such a friend, at the hearing of such persecutions. For we are flesh, not steel ; and in that sense, Chiist was troubled himself, to shew the truth of his manhood. Nay, trouble is the seasoning of all heavenly comforts, so as there were no comforts, if there were no trouble ; and there- fore this natural trouble was not disallowed by Christ. There was likewise something spiritually good, in this trouble. They loved their Master, who they saw was going away, and they knew it was a shameful thing for them to forsake him. There was love in them towards him all this while. Christ could discern gold in ore, some good in a great deal of iU ; and therefore loved them again, and manifested it by comforting them, ' Let not your hearts be troubled.' They were right in this principle, that all cornfort depends on the presence of Christ. And so the main ground of the sorrow was good. For as all heavenly light, and heat, and influence comes from the sun (it being aU gathered into that body) ; so all heavenly comfoi'ts are gathered into Christ, and therefore must come to us from Christ's presence, bodily or spiritually. Their error was in tying all comfort to a bodily, a
8-iO FIRST SERMON.
corporal presence ; as if it were necessaiy for the sun to come down and abide upon the earth, to bestow its heat and influence. A:id therefore he tells them, that though he was to go awaj, yet he would send another com- forter, the Holy Ghost.
And then they were overcome by an opinion that it would go worse with them when Christ was gone. Therefore Christ teUeth them that it should bo better for them ; and indeed it was better. Christ did not take away his blessed presence for their disadvantage, but for their good. God never takes anything fi'om his children, but ho maketh it up in a better kind. If Christ takes away his bodily presence, he leavcth his spii'itual presence, and more abundantly.
So that, though they were led with sensible things, and what they saw not they could hardly beheve, yet Chi-ist looks to what is good in them, and accepts it. He saw what was naught in them, with a purpose to purge it ; what was naturally weak in them, to strengthen it ; and therefore he counsels them, ' Let not yom* hearts be troubled.'
The thing that I will fii'st observe out of the words is, that the best Christians are subject to be troubled, to be pensive, and dejected more than should be.
Indeed oui* Saviom- Christ himself was troubled, but his trouble was Hke the shaking of clear water in a crystal glass. Thei*e was no mud in the bottom. But om- trouble is of another kind, and apt to be inordinate.
We may cany this truth thi'ough the whole Scriptm-e, and shew how Hannah was in bitterness of spirit, which exceeded so, that Eli, a good man, mistakes her, supposing that she was overcome with drink, 1 Sam. i. 13.
Hezekiah, a good king, was in such bitterness that, Hke a crane or swal- low, he did chatter, Isa. xxxviii. 14. And David complained that his spirit was overwhelmed within him, Ps. Ixxvii. 3 ; and Jonah ciies out that he was * in the belly of hell,' Jonah ii. 2.
And God will have it so, pai-tly for conformity to our Head, and partly that we may be known to ourselves ; that we may discern where our weakness Heth, and so be better instructed to seek to him in whom our strength Heth.
He suffers us, likewise, to be troubled for the preventing of spiritual sins, pride and security, and the like.
And partly in regard of others, that we may be pitiful. Christ was man for this end, that he might be a merciful High Priest ; and we have much more need to know and feel the infiimities that are in ourselves, that we may be merciful to others ; that we may not be harsh and censorious upon the troubles of others ; from want of which consideration proceeded EH's rashness in passing that censm'e upon Hannah.
But how shall we know that our hearts ai'e more troubled than they should be ? For I lay this for a ground : That u-e may sin in being over much troubled at things for ivhich it is a sin not to be troubled. If they had not been at all affected with the absence of Christ, it had been a sin, and no less than stupidity ; yet it was their sin to be over much troubled. In a word, therefore, for answer, a trouble is sinful when it hinders us in duty or from duty; when it hinders us in duties to God or to others; or from duty, that is, when the soul is distm-bed by it, and, like an instrument out of tune, made fit for nothing, or Hke a limb out of joint, that moves not only uncomelily, but painfully, and becomes unfit for action. When we find this in our trouble, we may know it is not as it should be.