(2.) Men faint and sink under their trials and afflictions ; which the apostle farther reproves, verse 12. The first despise the assist- ance of the Holy Ghost through pride of heart ; the latter refuse it through dejectedness of spirit, and sink under the weight of their troubles. And who, almost, is there that offends not on one of these hands? Had we not learned to count light of the chastisements of the Lord, and to take little notice of his dealings with us, we should find the season of our afflictions to comprise no small portion of our pilgrimage.
NoWj^there is no due management of our souls under any afflic- tion, so that God may have the glory of it, and ourselves any spiritual benefit or improvement thereby, but by the consolations of the Holy Ghost. I All that our Saviour promiseth his disciples, when he tells them of the great trials and tribulations they were to undergo, is, " I will send you the Spirit, the Comforter; he shall give you peace in me, when in the world you shall have trouble. He shall guide and direct, and keep you in all your trials." And so, the apostle tells us, it came to pass, 2 Cor. i. 4-6; yea, and this, under the greatest afflictions, will carry the soul to the highest joy, peace, rest, and con- tentment. So the same apostle, Kom. v. 3, " We glory in tribula- tions." It is a great expression. He had said before, " We rejoice in hope of the glory of God," verse 2, Yea, but Avhat if manifold afflictions and tribulations befall us? " Why, even in them also we glory," saith he ; " we glory in our tribidations." But whence is it that our spirits are so borne up to a due management of afflictions, as to glory in them in the Lord? He tells us, verse 5, it is from the " shedding abroad of the love of God in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." And thence are believers said to " receive the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost," 1 Thess. i. 6; and to "take joyfully the spoiling of their goods." This is that I aim at : — there is no management nor improvement of any affliction, but merely and solely by the consolations of the Holy Ghost. Is it, then, of any esteem or value unto you that you lose not all your trials, tempta- tions, and afflictions ? — learn to value that whereb}^ alone they are rendered useful.
2, Sin is the second burden of our lives, and much the greatest.
OF COMMUNION WITH THE HOLT GHOST. 261
Unto this is this consolation peculiarly suited. So Heb. vi. 17, 18, an allusion is taken from the manslayer under the law, who, having killed a man unawares, and brought the guilt of his blood upon him- self, fled with speed for his deliverance to the city of refuge. Our great and only refuge from the guilt of sin is the Lord Jesus Christ; in our flying to him, doth the Spirit administer consolation to us. A sense of sin fills the heart with troubles and disquietness ; it is the Holy Ghost which gives us peace in Christ ; — that gives an appre- hension of wrath ; the Holy Ghost sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts ; — from thence doth Satan and the law accuse us, as ob- jects of God's hatred ; the Spirit bears witness with our spirits that we are the children of God. There is not any one engine or instrument that sin useth or sets up against our peace, but one effect or other of the Holy Ghost towards us is suited and fitted to the casting of it down.
3. In the whole course of our ohedience are his consolations neces- sary also, that we may go through with it cheerfully, willingly, pa- tiently to the end. This will afterward be more fully discovered, as to particulars, when I come to give directions for our communion with this blessed Comforter. In a word, in all the concernments of this life, and in our whole expectation of another, we stand in need of the consolations of the Holy Ghost.
Without them, we shall either despise afflictions or faint under them, and God be neglected as to his intendments in them.
Without them, sin will either harden us to a contempt of it, or cast us down to a neglect of the remedies graciously provided against it.
Without them, duties will either puff us up with pride, or leave us without that sweetness which is in new obedience.
Without them, prosperity will make us carnal, sensual, and to take up our contentment in these things, and utterly weaken us for the trials of adversity.
Without them, the comforts of our relations will separate us from God, and the loss of them make our hearts as Nabal's.
Without them, the calamity of the church will overwhelm us, and the prosperity of the church will not concern us.
Without them, we shall have luisdom for no work, peace in no condition, strength for no duty, success in no trial, joy in no state, — - no comfort in life, no light in death.
Now, our afflictions, our sins, and our obedience, with the attend- ancies of them respectively, are the great concernments of our lives. What we are in reference unto God is comprised in them, and the due management of them, with their contraries, which come under the same rule ; through all these doth there run a line of consolation from the Holy Ghost, that gives us a joyful issue throughout. How