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TREATISE 
 
 ON 
 
 SPIRITUAL COMFORT ; 
 
 By JOHN COLQUHOUN, D.D. 
 
 MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL, LEITH. 
 
 THE THIRD EDITION IMPROVED. 
 
 " Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye 
 comfortably to Jerusalem." — Isa. xl. 1, 2. 
 
 '• Although thou sayest thou shalt not see him, yet judgment is 
 before him ; therefore trust thou in him." — Job xxxv. 14. 
 
 " My heart trusted in him and I am helped : therefore my heart 
 greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise hiva."»Psal. xxviii. 7. 
 
 EDINBURGH : 
 
 PUBLISHED BY THOMSONS, BROTHERS, 
 No 2, PRINCE'S STREET. 
 
 1822. 
 
OLIVER 4B0YD PRINTERS. 
 
ADVEETISEMENT. 
 
 It has often occurred to the Author, that, 
 as spiritual consolation in this valley of 
 tears, is highly necessary to support and en- 
 courage the hearts of exercised Christians, 
 and so, to make them advance with alacri- 
 ty, in the love and practice of true holiness, 
 as well as to enable them to perform every 
 particular duty, with increasing cheerful- 
 ness and resolution ; so they need to be in- 
 structed often, in the unspeakable impor- 
 tance of such comfort, and in the means of 
 attaining an increase of it. 
 
 Under the forcible impression of these 
 sentiments, and from a desire to contribute 
 his feeble endeavours, to promote the con- 
 solation and edification of believers, the 
 Author engaged in the following work. It 
 has been his aim, at the same time, that he 
 has endeavoured to avoid a plan which may 
 be defective in its parts, or irregular in 
 their distribution, to render his subject easy 
 and intelligible : and so to adapt the work 
 
VI 
 
 to the capacities, even of the weakest and 
 most illiterate Christians. He does not 
 presume to have fully attained these ob- 
 jects. How far he has succeeded, and 
 wherein he has failed in the attempt, it does 
 not become him to say. The judicious and 
 candid reader will determine. 
 
 If any thing contained in the following 
 pages, shall, by the blessing of Him who is 
 the Consolation of Israel, be rendered use- 
 ful but to one disconsolate believer, the la- 
 bour of the Author will be amply com- 
 pensated. 
 
 Leith, 
 February 18, 1813, 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Introduction, — „, » 1 
 
 Chap. I. Of spiritual comfort in general, ~ 4 
 
 Reflections, - — — ~— — — 41 
 
 Chap. II. Of the great importance and usefulness 
 
 of spiritual comfort, to the saints, 48 
 
 Reflections, ~~ 71 
 
 Chap. III. Of the way in which believers lose their 
 
 spiritual comfort,— ™_™ 77 
 
 Reflections, — — — — ™ —~ 117 
 
 Chap. IV. Of the grievous consequences of a belie- 
 ver's having lost his spiritual consola- 
 tion, , 122 
 
 Reflections, ~™ — _ ~~~ — 157 
 
 Chap. V. Of the nature and signs of melancholy,-] 64 
 Sect. 1. Of the signs of melancholy, especially in 
 
 a true Christian, ~ .— ~~— _165 
 
 Sect. 2. Directions to Christians, who are afflict- 
 ed with melancholy, .—181 
 
 Sect. 3. Advices to the relations and friends of 
 such Christians, as are afflicted with 
 
 melancholy, — ~ ™ .194 
 
 Reflections, ~ .——203 
 
 Chap. VI. Of the designs of God, in permitting 
 some of his children to lose their spi- 
 ritual comfort, , ^ ™ ™209 
 
 Reflections, 240 
 
vi CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Chap. VII. Of the means which disconsolate believ- 
 ers should employ, in order to recover 
 
 their comfort, — ~~~~~, — ~~~~~~~24-4 
 
 Reflections, and objections answered,~~295 
 Chap. VIII. Of the means which believers ought to 
 employ, in order to attain increasing 
 
 comfort, * »- -~ * . — 3 1 6 
 
 Reflections, ~~ ~ — 367 
 
 Chap. IX. Of directions to believers, for attaining 
 
 establishment in spiritual consolation,373 
 Reflections, ~„~„~,.„,~ *«^~.~~~~~ 406 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The persons for whose use, this Treatise is more 
 immediately intended, are they, who have by the 
 Holy Spirit been convinced of the guilt, malignity, 
 and demerit, of the sin which dwelleth in them, 
 as well as of the iniquities that are committed by 
 them ; who have also been convinced of the utter 
 insufficiency of their own righteousness, for their 
 justification in the sight of God, and who have 
 been enabled to embrace Jesus Christ, as their 
 righteousness and strength. All of this description 
 are earnestly desirous of advancing in holiness; 
 but many of them, seem to be far from being duly 
 sensible of the high importance of spiritual consola- 
 tion, to the love and practice of holiness. They 
 are soon apprehensive of danger, if they feel iniqui- 
 ties prevailing against them ; but they yield, with- 
 out alarm, to that dejection of spirit, which is of- 
 ten occasioned, either by inward conflicts or out- 
 ward trials ; not considering, that disquietude of 
 soul paves the way for despondency, and despond- 
 ency for utter despair: all which are, in a high 
 degree, injurious to the spiritual welfare of the 
 soul. Trouble of mind, especially when it pro- 
 ceeds the length of despondency, strengthens the 
 unbelief and enmity of the heart against God ; and 
 so disqualifies the Christian for performing accept- 
 ably, the duties incumbent upon him. Although 
 
2 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 God doth not suffer any of his children, ever to fall 
 into the horrible gulf of absolute despair, yet some 
 of them have brought themselves to the very brink 
 of it ; so as greatly to dishonour their holy profes- 
 sion, to injure their own souls, and to hurt the 
 souls of many around them, who are always too 
 ready to impute their dejection of spirit, to the holy 
 religion which they profess. Thus, they often dis- 
 courage the hearts of some, who are seeking Jesus ; 
 and strengthen the prejudices of others, who are 
 enemies to him. 
 
 The sovereign antidote to that sinful and griev- 
 ous distemper of mind, is the spiritual and holy 
 consolation, which is offered and promised in the 
 gospel. Much of the sacred Volume was written 
 for this end, that the saints might be comforted, 
 and that they, " through patience and comfort of 
 the Scriptures, might have hopeV God, in the 
 exceeding riches of his grace, has given in his 
 word, and confirmed by his oath, many great and 
 precious promises ; in order that all " who have 
 fled for refuge, to lay hold upon the hope set be- 
 fore them," might not only have consolation, but 
 strong consolation. He hath spoken in his holi- 
 ness, on purpose that they might rejoice b ; that 
 they might be so " filled with all joy and peace in 
 believing c ," as to serve him with gladness d ; and 
 thereby, to recommend faith and holiness to all 
 around them. 
 
 Such pleasure, doth the Lord Jesus take in the 
 
 a Rom. xv. 4. b Psal. lx. 6. c Rom. xv. 13. 
 
 d Psal. c. 2. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 3 
 
 prosperity of his servants, and so deeply is he con- 
 cerned for their happiness, even in this valley of 
 tears, that he hath commanded them, " to comfort 
 one another %" " to comfort themselves together f ," 
 and especially, " to comfort the feeble-minded g ." 
 And, doubtless, if private Christians are bound to 
 comfort one another, much more is it the duty of 
 ministers of the gospel, to imitate the apostles of 
 Christ, in being helpers of their joy h . According- 
 ly, this solemn charge is given, and is again, and a 
 third time, repeated to those ; " Comfort ye, com- 
 fort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye com- 
 fortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her 
 warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is par- 
 doned 1 ." 
 
 That I therefore may, in obedience to that high 
 command, be instrumental in administering comfort 
 to such afflicted and discouraged believers, as may 
 be disposed to read this Treatise ; I shall, in de- 
 pendence on the Spirit of truth, endeavour, 
 
 First, to discourse of spiritual comfort in general. 
 
 Secondly, I shall consider the great importance 
 and usefulness of it to believers. 
 
 In the third place, I shall shew the way in which, 
 many of them lose the comfort which they formerly 
 attained. 
 
 Fourthly, I shall point out some of the sad con- 
 sequences of their having forfeited their usual com- 
 I fort. 
 
 e 1 Thess. iy. 18. f 1 Thess. v. 11. ■ 1 Thess. v. 14. 
 h 2 Cor. i. 24. l Isa. xl. 1, 2. 
 
4 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 In the Fifth place, I shall briefly consider the 
 nature and the signs of melancholy. 
 
 Next, I shall unfold some of the designs of God, 
 in permitting any of his saints to lose their wonted 
 consolation. 
 
 Afterwards, I shall shew how disconsolate Chris- 
 tians may recover their former comfort. 
 
 Next, I shall point out the means which they 
 ought to employ, in order to attain increasing com- 
 fort. And, 
 
 In the Last place, I shall give some directions, 
 by observing which, exercised believers may become 
 established in spiritual consolation. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 OF SPIRITUAL COMFORT IN GENERAL. 
 
 Comfort, in its general acceptation, is that refresh- 
 ing pleasure, or enlivening satisfaction of spirit, by 
 which a man is upheld and strengthened against all 
 evils, whether felt or feared : or, it is that inward 
 solace, which supports and invigorates the heart 
 under trouble of every kind. There are three sorts 
 of comfort ; natural, sinful, and spiritual.— 'Natural 
 comfort is the refreshment of our natural spirits, by 
 the good creatures of God, the gifts of his bounty. 
 When God " giveth us rain from heaven, and 
 fruitful seasons, he thereby filleth our hearts with 
 food and gladness k ." There is comfort in every 
 creature of God. When we are hungry, food com- 
 
 v 
 
 k Actsxiv. 17. 
 
IN GENERAL. 5 
 
 torts us ; when thirsty, drink refreshes us ; when 
 cold, clothes warm us ; and when in affliction, or 
 in want of advice, friends encourage us. But, be- 
 sides these common and necessary gifts of Provi- 
 dence, every sense hath something peculiar to it- 
 self, which affords it comfort. The eyes have beau- 
 tiful colours, to give them pleasure : the ears, be- 
 sides ordinary, have melodious sounds, to delight 
 them: the taste has not only the suitableness of 
 common food, but the sweetness of honey, to please 
 it; and the smell, besides common odours, has 
 fragrant flowers to regale it. — Siiiful, or unholy 
 comfort, is the pleasure which sinners take in 
 gratifying their lusts, or the delight which they 
 have in abusing the gifts of Divine bounty. Some- 
 times, the true Christian is ready to wonder how 
 wicked men can, at any time, feel themselves com- 
 fortable : but he has no cause to wonder ; for their 
 very commission of sin, is a momentary comfort to 
 their depraved nature. " It is as sport to a fool to 
 do mischief 1 ." " The scorners delight in their 
 scorning m ." « Their soul delighteth in their abo- 
 minations n ." To commit iniquity is agreeable to 
 their sinful nature, and therefore is a comfort to it. 
 Indeed, were it not for the frequent opportunities 
 which they have, of gratifying some lust, either of 
 the flesh or of the mind, life would be an insupport- 
 able burden to them. " Evil men, 11 saith Solomon, 
 * c sleep not, except they have done mischief: and 
 their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some 
 
 Prov. x. 23. m Prov. i. 22. n Isa. lxvi. 3. 
 
6 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 to fall °." Ah ! How inexpressibly dreadful is the 
 condition of that man, to whose heart it is a plea- 
 sure, — a conifort, to sin against a holy, and a gra- 
 cious God ! Sinful comfort also, is the pleasure that 
 self-righteous persons take, in relying, either on 
 their own righteousness wholly, or partly on the 
 righteousness of Christ, and partly on their own, 
 for their justification and title to eternal life ; and 
 the delight which hypocrites feel, in reflecting on 
 their counterfeit graces and attainments. — Spiritual 
 or holy comfort, is that inward solace or satisfac- 
 tion, which supports, strengthens, and exhilarates 
 holy souls ; and which they have in and from the 
 Lord Jesus, their Covenant-head, by the exercise 
 of faith, hope, love, and the other graces of the 
 Holy Spirit p : or it is that spiritual delight, that 
 holy joy, which cheers and invigorates the hearts 
 of believers, under all their inward and outward 
 troubles. It is this only that deserves the name of 
 pure, solid, and durable consolation. If it is a 
 comfort to the wicked man, amidst all his afflic- 
 tions, to gratify his carnal and ungodly lusts ; it 
 cannot, surely, but be a real and even a great con- 
 solation to a holy man, under all the trials of life, 
 to exercise his spiritual graces, and to perform his 
 holy duties. 
 
 The word Comfort is, in Scripture, used in a 
 tzvqfold sense. It is sometimes employed to express 
 that which gives consolation ; but more frequently, 
 to signify the consolation itself, which is received 
 from it, or enjoyed by means of it. 1st, It is em- 
 
 Prov. iv. 16. p Rom. v. 1 — 5. 
 
IN GENERAL. 7 
 
 ployed in Scripture, to express that which gives, 
 or is a mean of giving, consolation to the soul of an 
 afflicted believer; whether it be a person q or a 
 thing, in which, by the blessing of Christ, comfort 
 is hidden, and by which it is afforded r ; or, a word 
 or reason, suggesting to the mind of the Christian, 
 matter of consolation 8 . Each of these is styled 
 Comfort, because it is a mean or instrument of dis- 
 pensing consolation to the saints. 2d, The term is, 
 by the Spirit of inspiration, more frequently em- 
 ployed to express the consolation itself', which be- 
 lievers receive, whether by means of persons, or of 
 things, or of reasons ; and which they feel or enjoy 
 in their souls. It is in this last sense, chiefly, that 
 I propose, in this Treatise, to discourse of spiritual 
 comfort. 
 
 In order to illustrate the general nature of this in- 
 estimable blessing, I shall present it, to the view of 
 the devout reader, under the following particulars : 
 
 1. Spiritual comfort usually supposes trouble of 
 some kind, either felt or feared ; or the prospect of 
 some difficult duty, to the performance of which the 
 believer needs to be encouraged. It is under af- 
 fliction, or uneasiness, that the heart of the Chris- 
 tian needs to be comforted. The Lord Jesus ac- 
 cordingly saith, " Blessed are they that mourn ; 
 for they shall be comforted V He made the first 
 promise of the Holy Spirit, as a Comforter, to his 
 disciples, when, in the prospect of his departure from 
 them, sorrow had filled their heart u . " God," says 
 
 « Col. iv. 1 1. r Psal. cxix. 76. s Psal. cxix. 50. 2 Cor. i. 4, 
 1 Matth. v. 4. u John xvi. 6, 7- 
 
8 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 the apostle Paul, " comforteth us in all our tribu- 
 lation, that we may be able to comfort them who 
 are in any trouble w :" and he styles him, " The 
 God, who comforteth them that are cast down *J" 
 The soul, that it may be qualified for spiritual con- 
 solation, must be quickened and humbled. It \» 
 " the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the con- 
 trite ones," that the high and lofty One will revive 
 with holy comfort y . Indeed, the oil of spiritual joy 
 is such, that no vessel but a contrite heart, can hold 
 it. The design of imparting Divine consolation, is 
 to cheer and invigorate the drooping spirit. The 
 office of the Comforter is, to relieve the disconsolate- 
 soul z r It is impossible for them who have never 
 felt the uneasiness of a wounded conscience, to va- 
 lue, or to desire, the joy of God's salvation. — The 
 soul, that it may need, and be prepared for, time 
 consolation, must not only be quickened and hum- 
 bled, but be under some affliction, either felt or ap- 
 prehended. Comfort, according to an apostolical di- 
 rection, is to be administered to " the feeble-mind- 
 ed a ; to such as are ready to stagger under the 
 cross, and to be overset by the temptations of Sa- 
 tan and the world, or discouraged because of the 
 corruptions of their own hearts. It is trouble, 
 that renders spiritual consolation necessary, as well 
 as desirable. If the believer were not feeble, and 
 incapable of being supported by a created arm, the 
 office of a Divine Comforter would be unnecessary. 
 If he had not a painful, as well as a spiritual,. 
 
 w 2 Cor. i. 4. s 2 Cor. vii. 6. > Isa. lvii. 15. 
 
 ' Lam i. 16. a 1 Thess. v. 14-. 
 
IN GENERAL. 9 
 
 sense of his want of heavenly consolations, earthly 
 comforts would be more acceptable to him than 
 they : and if his heart were not prepared for them, 
 by being humbled, as well as afflicted, they would 
 no more refresh it, than a shower of rain would re- 
 fresh a rock. Accordingly, Christ seldom commu- 
 nicates sensible comfort to the saints, but when 
 they are either in inward or outward trouble. It 
 is by their being troubled, that they become dis- 
 consolate, and so become fit for being consoled : 
 and it is their sharpest afflictions, that often serve 
 to prepare them for the sweetest consolations. He, 
 therefore, brings them usually into the wilderness, 
 before he speaks comfortably to them b . It may 
 be proper here to remark that, as Divine comfort is 
 the opposite of trouble c , so it must be more power- 
 ful and effectual, than either outward or inward 
 trouble; for there is no prevailing, but by that 
 which is the stronger : it must be more forcible to 
 raise up the dejected soul, than the grievance is, to 
 cast it down ; otherwise it cannot at the time, be 
 comfort to it. 
 
 2. There are three degrees of spiritual comfort : 
 the lowest degree is peace of conscience ; the next 
 is joy ; and the highest is triumph. 
 
 Peace of conscience is that inward serenity, or 
 
 b Hos. ii. 14. 
 
 c Luther says, that f All things come from Christ to 
 his church, in contraries : he is righteousness, but it is 
 in sin felt : he is life, but it is in death : he is consola- 
 tion, but it is in calamity.' Augustine likewise observes, 
 that ' the Christian's life runs on between these two ; our 
 crosses and God's comforts.' 
 
 A 2 
 
10 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 tranquillity of mind, which arises from the faith 
 and sense of being justified in the sight of God, or 
 of being in a state of union with Christ, and of 
 conformity to him. " Being justified by faith," 
 says the apostle Paul, " we have peace with God, 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ d .'" The peace, 
 with which the God of hope filleth the hearts of 
 the saints, is peace in believing' . It arises also 
 from the sense, or consciousness of peace with God. 
 When the blood of Christ is, by faith, applied to 
 the conscience, the conscience is purged by it from 
 dead works f ; and the heart also is, at the same 
 time, sprinkled by it from an evil conscience g . The 
 subject of spiritual peace, is a conscience that is 
 purged. Purity and peace are connected together 
 in the conscience ; and they are both necessary to 
 render it a good conscience h . When the conscience 
 is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, it is thereby 
 set free from the dread of revenging wrath. The 
 mind is not as formerly, disturbed with alarming 
 fears of God's indignation, nor disquieted by his 
 judgments \ This is accompanied usually, with a 
 cordial acquiescence in the will of the Lord, found- 
 ed on a persuasion of his wisdom and sovereignty, 
 of his holiness and goodness : and so far as a man 
 attains this holy acquiescence in the Divine will, he 
 is secure from disappointment ; and free from un- 
 easiness. Now, this peaceful serenity of soul, is the 
 first degree of spiritual comfort. When the Lord 
 Jesus would comfort his disconsolate disciples, he 
 
 d Rom. v. 1. e Rom. xv. 13. f Heb. ix. 14. 
 
 G Heb. x. 22. b 1 Tim. i. 5. * Prov. i. 33. 
 
IN GENERAL. 11 
 
 said, " These things I have spoken to you, that in 
 me ye might have peace V 
 
 Joy is a higher degree of holy consolation. Spi- 
 ritual joy is that gladness of heart, which flows from 
 the lively exercise of faith, feasting upon Christ in 
 the offers and promises of the gospel. The apostle 
 Paul prayed thus for the believers at Rome ; " Now 
 the God of hope, fill you with all joy and peace in 
 believing \ :" and the apostle Peter said to the 
 Christians of the dispersion, " Believing, ye re- 
 joice m ." It is a holy delight, in living upon Christ, 
 and in walking in him ; and it is effected by the 
 Holy Spirit shedding abroad in the heart, like a 
 fragrant perfume, the love of God. When he gra- 
 ciously condescends to administer that reviving cor- 
 dial, it elevates and enlarges the fainting soul. 
 Arising, as it does, from the begun enjoyment, 
 and from the hope of the full and endless enjoy- 
 ment of God in Christ, it strengthens, and so com- 
 forts the drooping heart. " The joy of the Lord," 
 saith Nehemiah, " is your strength V Peace is 
 negative ; joy is positive comfort : the former is as 
 the calming of the storm ; the latter, as the break- 
 ing out of the sun : that is a mitigation of trouble ; 
 this, a sense of positive enjoyment. When a con- 
 demned criminal knows that he is pardoned, he has 
 peace ; but when he is besides advanced to prefer- 
 ment, he has joy. 
 
 Triumph is the highest degree of consolation. 
 The saints triumph, when they so greatly rejoice, 
 
 k John. xvi. S3. l Rom. xv. 13. 
 
 m 1 Pet i. 8. n Neh. viii. 10. 
 
12 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 as almost to shout for joy, on account of the victory 
 given them over their spiritual enemies. They 
 triumph, when, more than conquerors through him 
 who loved them, they exult or rejoice, in their 
 almighty Redeemer, with rapturous delight. This 
 was often the attainment of the holy apostle Paul, 
 and of his fellow-labourers in the gospel. " Thanks 
 be unto God," says he, " which always causeth 
 us to triumph in Christ V A lofty description of 
 this their triumph, he gives in Rom. viii. 31 — 39. 
 How high did heavenly consolation rise, in the 
 soul of that holy apostle, when he was writing that 
 sublime passage ! In like manner does the believer 
 triumph, when, in his pursuit of more communion 
 with Christ, and conformity to him, he is enabled 
 to vanquish great opposition. In some happy mo- 
 ments of his life, his joy, like a river swelled by im- 
 petuous rains, bursteth all its banks, and carrieth 
 all the joys and all the sorrows of this world before 
 it. It is then, especially, that it may be styled, 
 " Joy unspeakable and full of glory p ." It is glo- 
 rious in itself, and is attended with glorying in the 
 Lord Jesus. When the heart of the Christian is 
 elevated to this degree of consolation, he glories in 
 the Lord. All that is in this world is brought un- 
 der him : the greatest calamities cannot daunt him. 
 He sets Christ, and God in Christ, against all ene- 
 mies and all evils, whether external or internal. 
 This triumphant glorying in the Lord, is like that 
 of the holy Psalmist, who said, " My soul shall 
 make her boast in the Lord C It is remarkable, 
 
 • 2 Cor. ii. 14. p 1 Pet. i. 8. q Psal. xxxiv. 2. 
 
IN GENERAL. 13 
 
 that these three degrees of spiritual comfort are, 
 by our Apostle, mentioned in a single passage r : 
 " We have," says he," "peace with God, through 
 our Lord Jesus Christ ; — we rejoice in hope ; — and 
 not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." 
 
 3, Spiritual consolation is, according to the cove- 
 nant of grace, given to believers, by God the Fa- 
 ther, by Christ the second Adam, and by the Holy 
 Spirit. God the Father giveth it, by sovereign 
 and judiciary authority ; Christ the mediator, by 
 gracious dispensation ; and the Holy Spirit, by ef- 
 fectual operation. God the Father ordaineth it for 
 his children s ; Christ the last Adam, administers 
 it ; and the blessed Spirit, as the Spirit of Christ, 
 applieth it to them. 
 
 Spiritual consolation is given them by God the 
 Father. None but Jehovah himself, can pour con- 
 solation into a troubled soul. All true comfort is, 
 originally and fundamentally in Him. He it is, 
 -whom the apostle Paul styles, " The God of all 
 comfort) who comforteth the saints in all their tri- 
 bulation t ;" and, " The Father, who hath loved 
 them, and hath given them everlasting consola- 
 tion u . He also calls him, " The God of consola- 
 tion w ," and " The Comforter of those that are 
 cast down x ." The Lord compareth himself to a 
 father pitying his children y , and to a mother com- 
 forting, with tenderest concern, her afflicted infant z . 
 He chargeth his servants, " to strengthen the weak 
 hands, to confirm the feeble knees, and to say to 
 
 r Rom. v. 1—3. ■ Isa. xxvi. 12. l 2 Cor. i. 3, 4. 
 u 2 Thess. ii. 16. w Rom. xv. 5. x 2 Cor. vii, 6* 
 ? Psal. ciii. 13. z Isa. lxvi. 13. 
 
14 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear 
 not ; behold your God will come with vengeance, 
 even God with a recompense, he will come and 
 save you a ." v He suffered his only and beloved Son 
 to be, in all points, tempted like as his people are, 
 that he might sympathise with, and comfort them, 
 under all their temptations. ^ 
 
 Comfort is administered to them by Jesus Christ, 
 their Covenant-head. The Lord Jesus is the 
 Trustee, the store-house, of all spiritual comfort, 
 to the saints: from Him, as the hope set before 
 them, they may daily derive strong consolation. 
 Hence he is styled, " The Consolation of Israel V 
 He is the matter of his people's consolation ; the 
 Prince of peace, the true Noah, " who comforteth 
 them, concerning the work and toil of their hands." 
 It is a part of his high office, to which he was 
 anointed by the blessed Spirit, " to comfort them 
 who mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for 
 ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of 
 praise, for the spirit of heaviness ." There i§ 
 therefore f* consolation in Christ d ;" and the con- 
 solation of the saints aboundeth by Christ e : they 
 have it, in him and through him, with him and by 
 him. His person, righteousness, fulness, and love, 
 are the source and substance of abundant consola- 
 tion to them., against trouble of every kind. He it 
 is, who giveth peace to his people : and " when He 
 giveth quietness, who then can make trouble f ?" 
 Nothing can comfort the heart without Christ. He 
 
 a Isa. xxxv. S, 4. b Luke ii. 25. c Isa. lxi. 2, 3. 
 d Phil. ii. 1. e 2 Cor. i. 5. f Job. xxxiv. 29- 
 
IN GENERAL. 15 
 
 removes from the soul, all that is dismal, and be- 
 stows upon it, all that is comfortable. He it is, 
 who maketh even the darkness of trouble itself, to 
 be light before them who trust in him. He is the 
 Sun of righteousness, whose light, and warmth, 
 and healing, cheer their souls. When he vouch- 
 safes his reviving presence to them, he leaves a de- 
 lightful perfume of comfort behind him. Indeed, 
 a man can never know what true pleasure is, till he 
 know Christ. The compassionate Redeemer, there- 
 fore, saith to all who are weary, toiling in a fruit- 
 less pursuit of happiness, and also to all who are 
 heavy laden, oppressed with the servitude of sin, 
 or bowed down under a load of misery, " Come 
 unto me, and I will give you rest g ." > ' 
 
 Comfort is applied to the saints by the Holy Spi- 
 rit. He is therefore styled, " The Comforter h, \ 
 Being the inestimable gift of the Father, through 
 the mediation of the Son, he is " another Com- 
 forter \ n The adorable Spirit dischargeth this his 
 office, by testifying of Christ, or by taking of the 
 things of Christ, and shewing them to believers ; 
 by opening and applying the promises of the ever- 
 lasting covenant to them, and by enabling them to 
 believe these, with application to themselves ; by 
 shedding abroad the love of the Father and of the 
 Son, in their hearts ; by witnessing to them their 
 adoption, and their being heirs of God, and joint- 
 heirs with Christ ; by abiding in them, as the seal, 
 the earnest, and the pledge, of their eternal inhe- 
 ritance ; and by dwelling in them, as the Spirit of 
 
 g Matth. xi. 28. b Joha xv. 26. ■ John. xiv* lo\ 
 
16 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 grace and of supplications. The Holy Spirit, like 
 Noah's dove, flieth with the olive-leaf of peace, to 
 assure believers, that " the winter is past, and that 
 the rain is over and gone." He not only bringeth 
 words of comfort to their remembrance, but opens 
 their hearts to receive them. Comforts may be so 
 applied as to be brought close to the heart ; but, 
 if the heart do not open for them, no consolation is 
 experienced. The Spirit, therefore, not only open- 
 eth and applieth the promises to the heart ; but, 
 openeth the heart for the comfort of the promises ; 
 and then pours consolation into it. He comforts 
 the saints also, by enabling them to trust that, in 
 the Lord Jesus, they have righteousness, and 
 strength, forgiveness of sins, and a title to eternal 
 life ; as well as, by renewing them after the image 
 of the Son of God, and so, uniting their hearts- to 
 the holy will of God. The original word, in the 
 New Testament, which we have translated, a Com- 
 forter k , signifies likewise, an Advocate. One spe- 
 cial way, in which, the Holy Spirit comforts be- 
 lievers, is the exercise of his advocacy or interces- 
 sion in them \ The more they are enabled to pray 
 in faith, the more do they walk in the fear of the 
 Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost m . 
 
 4. The spiritual consolation, which is given to 
 believers, is a 'part of eternal life, " Believing ye 
 rejoice"" " He that belie veth on the Son, hath 
 everlasting life ." One part of the fruit of the 
 Spirit, when he imparteth spiritual life to the soul, 
 
 k John xiv. 16. ' Rom. viii. 26. m Acts ix. 31. 
 n 1 Pet. i. 8. ° John iii. 36. 
 
IN GENERAL. 17 
 
 is joy p . But spiritual life in the soul is eternal 
 life begun. When God who cannot lie, promised, 
 before the world began, eternal life to the second 
 Adam for his spiritual seed ; he promised to him, 
 that, upon condition of his bearing their griefs, 
 and carrying their sorrows, they should become 
 heirs of everlasting joy, and heirs of himself as 
 their exceeding joy. As the saving knowledge 
 of Christ, in this world, is the earnest, and begin- 
 ning of the beatific vision of God and the Lamb, 
 in the heavenly world, and as conformity to Christ 
 in holiness here, is the beginning of perfect con- 
 formity to him there ; so the consolation, which 
 the saints, on some occasions, feel, in this valley of 
 tears, is the first fruits or beginning of that fulness 
 of joy, which will constitute a part of their bless- 
 edness, in that holy place on high. The joy of the 
 Holy Ghost, which enters into them here, is the 
 same in kind as the joy of their Lord, into which 
 they will enter hereafter. It is therefore by one 
 apostle, styled " Everlasting consolation V and 
 by another, " Joy unspeakable and full of glory r ." 
 It is joy that is full of glory, or glorious joy ; the 
 very dawning of the day of glory. Holy consola- 
 tion, is glory begun in the soul ; a bud, which 
 will open in heaven, and spread into ineffable and 
 endless glory ; a dawn, which will shine more and 
 more, until the glorious Sun of righteousness, 
 brighten it into perfect and eternal day. All the 
 joy of the saints below, is but as a spark, a feeble 
 spark, compared to that blaze of rapture, which 
 
 p Gal. v. 22. q 3 Thess. ii. l6\ r 1 Pet. i. 8, 
 
18 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 will burn intensely in their spirits above. It is 
 but a slight foretaste, a small drop, of that im- 
 mense ocean of unmingled joy, which they are to 
 inherit in the mansions of glory. Although they 
 are not far from the heavenly Canaan ; yet their 
 hearts are often ready to faint, under their suffer- 
 ings from without, and their conflicts with corrup- 
 tion from within : but a taste of the grapes of 
 Eshcol, the first fruits of heaven, revives their 
 spirit, rouses their zeal, and quickens their desire 
 of that endless rest, which there remaineth for them. 
 Consolation keeps the holy soul upon the wing, 
 and increases her strength. It is the very life of 
 the soul. When Naomi would express the com- 
 fort that Boaz should afford to Ruth, she said to 
 her, " He shall be unto thee a restorer of thy 
 life s ." If the contentment and delight of the heart 
 be taken away, it dieth. The souls of the wicked, 
 have an existence in hell ; yet, because it is an ex- 
 istence without comfort, their state is never said in 
 Scripture, to be a state of life, but on the contrary, 
 a state of death. Accordingly, the restoring of com- 
 fort to mourners, is called, a reviving of them*. 
 
 5. The grounds and sources of holy consolation, 
 are especially the following : God in Christ, with all 
 his glorious perfections, as a God of love, grace, 
 and mercy, and as the God and portion of the 
 saints u ; Christ, in his glorious Person w , righteous- 
 ness x , fulness, offices, and relations, or Christ living 
 
 8 Ruth iv. 15. * Isa. lvii. 15. u Psal. xliii. 4. 
 w Phil. hi. 3. x Isa. lxi. 10. and xxxii. 17. 
 
IN GENERAL. 19 
 
 in them y , and living for them z ; the Holy Spirit, 
 as inhabiting, quickening, sanctifying, and sealing 
 them, and as the earnest of their eternal inherit- 
 ance a ; the covenant of grace, as well ordered in all 
 things and sure, according to which, Jehovah, Fa- 
 ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, is their God, and they 
 are his people, his peculiar people b ; the infinite 
 atonement , the continual intercession d , the supreme 
 dominion, the inviolable faithfulness, and the graci- 
 ous presence, of the Lord Jesus, who is given for a 
 covenant of the people ; and the ordinances, doc- 
 trines, promises, and offers, of his gospel 6 , with the 
 peremptory commandment, given to sinners in com- 
 mon, to believe on him f : these are the leading, and 
 the immediate grounds, upon which, the saints do 
 by faith, build their comfort ; and they are, at the 
 same time, the sources, from which, by the exercise 
 of faith, they derive their consolation. Besides these, 
 their faith and sense of the pardon of their sins, of 
 the acceptance of their persons as righteous, of their 
 adoption, of their sanctification, and of the witness- 
 ing of the blessed Spirit, are matter of consolation 
 to them ; and so is the lively exercise of all the 
 graces of the Holy Spirit, especially of faith, hope, 
 and love. The comfort of justification, because it 
 is founded upon a righteousness which is perfect, and 
 always the same, is more stable and permanent, 
 than that of sanctification. The great things, which 
 believers have in possession, and the greater, which 
 
 y Gal. ii. 20. z Rev. i. 18. a 2 Cor. i. 22. 
 
 b Jer. xxxi. 33. c Rom. v. 11. d Rom. viii. 34. 
 e Isa. xii. 3. with lxvi. 11. f Psal. xix. 8. 1 John iii. 23. 
 
20 SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 
 
 they have in hope, are the sustenance of their con- 
 solation g . The suitableness of those inestimable 
 blessings to their hearts 11 , together with their sense of 
 personal interest in them, affords them unspeakable 
 joy 1 . As to their experiences and evidences of 
 grace, these are, strictly speaking, not grounds, 
 upon which they build their comfort ) ; but they are 
 proofs, of their saving interest in those grounds of 
 consolation, above mentioned, as well as, encourage- 
 ments to build their comfort upon them ; and so, 
 they are matter of consolation to their souls h The 
 most comfortable of the saints, are they who, trust- 
 ing at all times in the second Adam, as given for a 
 covenant to them, can think of all dispensations, of 
 all conditions, and of all duties, with comfort m . 
 They who have the love of Christ displayed in the 
 covenant of grace, most constantly in their view, and 
 most frequently warm on their heart ; are of all be- 
 lievers, the most free from perplexing doubts and 
 fears. 
 
 6. It is both the duty and the privilege of true 
 believers, to attain spiritual consolation. It is their 
 duty, for it is required of them in the law ; and their 
 privilege, for it is promised to them in the gospel. 
 
 It is the duty of all the saints to be of good com- 
 fort. Their God, the God of consolation, would 
 not have them to be, at any time, disconsolate or 
 gloomy : and therefore he expressly forbiddeth 
 them, to fear, to be discouraged, to let their heart 
 
 ■ Heb. vi. 18. h 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. * Luke i. 47. 
 k Gal. vi. 14. ' 2 Cor. i. 12. Prov. xiii. 12. 
 m Isa. xxvi. 3. 
 
IN GENERAL. 21 
 
 be troubled, and to yield to oppressive grief. He 
 saith to them, " Fear ye not, neither be afraid":" 
 " Fear thou not, for I am with thee : be not dis- 
 mayed, for I am thy God ° :" " Fear not, for I 
 have redeemed thee p ." And saith the Lord Jesus, 
 " Fear not them which kill the body q :" " Let not 
 your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid r :" 
 " Fear not ; I am the first and the last s :" " Fear 
 none of those things which thou shalt suffer \" The 
 apostle Paul forbids the believers in Thessalonica, 
 to sorrow for deceased saints, as others who have 
 no hope u . The Lord authorizeth no sorrow, but 
 godly sorrow ; which is consistent with holy joy, 
 and tends to the increase of it. He forbiddeth his 
 people, all oppressive grief, all desponding fear, and 
 all perplexing trouble of mind, as hindrances to the 
 exercise of love, and to the practice of holiness. He 
 is displeased, when they suffer themselves to be un- 
 comfortable in hu service w , when they sit in sack- 
 cloth in his gate. He commands them, on the con- 
 trary, to rejoice before him. He hath made it their 
 indispensable duty, to cast all their care upon him* ; 
 " to eat their bread with joy, and to drink their 
 wine with a cheerful heart ;" to have their garments 
 always white, and to let their head lack no oint- 
 ment y ." He delighteth to see them joyful, and to 
 hear them singing in his righteous ways : and there- 
 fore his high command is, " Rejoice in the Lord, 
 O ye righteous ; for praise is comely for the up- 
 
 n Isa. xliv. 8. ° Isa. xli. 10. p Isa. xliii. 1. 
 
 q Matth. x. 28. r John xiv. 27. a Rev. i. 17- 
 
 1 Rev. ii. 10. u 1 Thess. iv. 13. w Mai. ii. 13. 
 
 5 1 Pet. v. 7- y Eccles. ix. 7, 8. 
 
22 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 right z :" " Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, ye 
 righteous ; and shout for joy, all ye that are up- 
 right in heart a :V " Delight thyself also in the 
 Lord b :" " Let all those that put their trust in 
 thee, rejoice : let them ever shout for joy, because 
 thou defendest them : let them also that love thy 
 name, be joyful in thee c :" " Rejoice and be exceed- 
 ing glad ; for great is your reward in heaven d :" 
 " Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord e :" 
 " Rejoice evermore f :" " Rejoice in the Lord al- 
 ways ; and again, I say, Rejoice g :" as if the apos- 
 tle had said, c I, in the most earnest and urgent 
 manner, charge you to rejoice, not at some times 
 only> but at all times; not only when upon the 
 mount with God, but when in the valley ; not mere- 
 ly when the Lord shineth upon you, but when he 
 hides his face/ Although no affliction is so hard 
 to bear, as the distress of soul, which the believer 
 sometimes, when he is without comfort, endures ; 
 yet, that is but little, very little indeed, in compa- 
 rison of the sin of his disobeying God's authoritative 
 command, by refusing to be comforted. It is re- 
 markable that, though Asaph had once and again, 
 offered reasons of comfort to his troubled mind, as 
 appears from his soufs refusing to be comforted ; 
 yet, he still persisted in refusing consolation, until 
 he could say, " This is my infirmity? my sin, the 
 distemper of unbelief in my heart; and then, he 
 ceased to refuse it any longer \ 
 
 * Psal. xxxiii. 1. a Psal. xxxii. 11. b Psal. xxxvii. 4. 
 e Psal. v. 11. d Matth. v. 12. e Phil. iii. 1. 
 
 f 1 Thess. v. 16. « Phil. iv. 4. h Psal. lxxvii. 2—12. 
 
IN GENERAL. 23 
 
 It is also the privilege of the saints to have spi- 
 ritual comfort. They have the beginnings of eter- 
 nal life, and so have joy, as a part of it. It is their 
 inestimable privilege, to have peace with God, to 
 rejoice in hope of the glory of God, and to glory 
 even in tribulation 1 . They have joy, with which a 
 stranger doth not intermeddle k . To them, " wis- 
 dom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her 
 paths are peace V " My mouth," says the holy 
 Psalmist, " shall praise thee with joyful lips m ." 
 " My lips shall greatly rejoice, when I sing unto 
 thee ; and my soul which thou hast redeemed n ." 
 The apostle Paul, speaks of his having been filled 
 with comfort ; of his having been exceeding joyful 
 in all his tribulation ° ; and of his having been sor- 
 rowful, yet always rejoicing p . " Blessed be the 
 God of all comfort," says he, " who comforteth us 
 in all our tribulation V He doth not say, Who 
 hath comforted, or, Who will, or, Who can com- 
 fort us, if it please him ; but,— Who comforteth, 
 Who always comforteth us. Neither doth he say, 
 Who comforteth us in some, or in many tribula- 
 tions ; but, " Who comforteth us in all our tribu- 
 lation, 1 ' of whatever kind or degree. Indeed, the 
 Lord always comforteth his people, in a greater or 
 less measure. He giveth them songs even in the 
 night r . 
 
 7. Believers have always the seed, or principle of 
 spiritual comfort, in them ; but not always, the sense 
 
 1 Rom. v. 1 — 3. k Prov. xiv. 10. ' Prov. iii. 17- 
 m Psal. lxiii. 5. n Psal. lxxi. 23. ° 2 Cor. vii. 4. 
 p 2Cor. vi. 10. q 2 Cor. i. 3, 4. r Job. xxxv. 10. 
 
24 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 or feeling of consolation. As they have, at all 
 times, ground of consolation, and must have it, so 
 long as the everlasting covenant continues to be es- 
 tablished with Christ, and with them in him s ; so, 
 they have always the seed and root of it, in their 
 hearts. " Light is sown for the righteous, and 
 gladness, for the upright in heart*. 11 Gladness is 
 sown for the upright in heart ; and though, like 
 seed sown in winter, which lies long under the clod, 
 it seems to be lost ; yet, it is preserved, and it will 
 in due season spring up to view, and yield a plenti- 
 ful increase. Though the seed of consolation ap- 
 pointed for the saints, may lie covered for a time, 
 yet it is not destroyed. Believers have at all times, 
 the seed or principle, and also the habit of spiritual 
 joy, in their hearts. Even in their deepest dejec- 
 tion, they have a seed of comfort that will spring 
 up. The fruit of the Spirit in them, is joy and 
 peace ; and the Spirit as a Comforter abideth with 
 them for ever u . But although they always have 
 the principle, yet they have not, at all times, the 
 sensible enjoyment, of comfort. They do not con- 
 tinually, exercise the grace of joy ; and therefore, 
 they do not always see or feel in themselves, the 
 principle and habit of that grace. It is, when they 
 are exercising any grace of the Spirit, that they 
 commonly perceive it. Their sensible enjoyment 
 of consolation in this life, is often interrupted, by 
 the remaining corruptions of their nature, by the 
 fiery darts of the wicked one, and by the hidings of 
 
 s Isa. liv. 8—10. Ezck. xxxvii. 26. l Psal. xcvii. 11. 
 "John xiv. 16. 
 
 7 
 
IN GENERAL. 25 
 
 God's countenance from them. In interrupting 
 their sensible comfort, they themselves have a sin- 
 ful hand w ; Satan and his instruments, have a ma- 
 licious hand x ; and the Lord, in order to manifest 
 his sovereignty, to chasten them for their sins, to 
 try and exercise their graces, to excite their more 
 earnest prayers, and to teach them to improve for 
 the future the sense of his favour, hath a holy 
 hand y. Hence, though the believer is, sometimes, 
 lively, and in his exercise of faith and love, feels at 
 his heart, a glow of heavenly joy ; yet, at other 
 times, he is languid, cold, and in a great degree 
 disconsolate. Like Hagar at the well, his eyes are 
 so held, that he cannot perceive as formerly, his 
 grounds of comfort ; and then, his day of gladness, 
 is turned into a night of heaviness z . 
 
 8. Thepeculiar seasons^ in which, actual and sen- 
 sible comfort is commonly afforded to believers, are 
 the following : 
 
 The time of some special manifestation of redeem- 
 ing love to the soul, after a dark night of deser- 
 tion a ; the season of God's appearing remarkably 
 for his church b ; when some heavy trial is approach- 
 ing, in order to fortify their minds to endure it c ; 
 in, and especially after, a time of deep affliction d ; 
 the time of tribulation, for the cause of Christ and his 
 gospel e ; often, about the time of their first conver- 
 sion f ; the season in which, the ordinances of the 
 
 w Jer. ii. 17, 19- Isa. lxiii. 10. x 1 Pet. v. 8. 
 
 y Psal. xxx. 7- % Lam. v. 15. a Psal. xxx. 5, 
 
 b Exod. xv. 1. c Acts xxvii. 24. Isa. liv. 7, 8. 
 d Isa. xliii. 2. Psal. xciv. 19. and cxii. 4. 
 * Acts xvi, 25. 2 Cor. i. 4, 5. f Luke xv. 22—24, 
 
26 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 gospel, are administered to them, with uncommon 
 liveliness g; frequently, at the season of much hu- 
 miliation, sorrow h , and melting of heart for sin ■ ; 
 the time in which, they are more than ordinarily 
 engaged in the exercise of grace, and practice of 
 duty, and especially, when they are conflicting 
 much, with the corruptions of their heart k ; after 
 sharp conflicts with sin or temptation, from which, 
 they have come off victorious l ; the season in 
 which, the Lord is calling them to some extraordi- 
 nary service, for which, they need special encour- 
 agement m; the time in which, they see and find 
 least comfort in creatures, or in which, they are 
 destitute of creature-comforts, and are enabled more 
 than usually to despise them, in comparison of 
 Christ and God in him ; the season in which, the 
 Lord confers upon them, some remarkable and un- 
 expected favour 11 ; and the time in which, they em- 
 ploy themselves in fixed and deep meditation on the 
 adorable Redeemer, and his glorious grace °. These 
 are, for the most part, the ordinary seasons of sen- 
 sible comfort, to the saints. But, as the Lord is in- 
 finitely sovereign, wise, and gracious, in dispensing 
 
 s Isa lvi. 7. 
 
 h A good man who, lying- upon a bed of sickness, was 
 once asked, Which were the most comfortable days, that 
 ever he enjoyed ? cried out, in his artless manner, ' O 
 give me my mourning days ; give me my mourning days 
 again ; for they Mere the joyfullest days, that ever I had.' 
 — Brooks' Cabinet, p. 242. 
 
 1 Dan. ix. 21—23. Jer. xxxi. 18—20. 
 
 k 2 Cor. xii. 7—9- l Rev. ii. 17. 
 
 m Gen. xiii. 15, 16. and xlvi. 3, 4. 
 
 n 1 Sam. ii. 1 — 10. Luke i, 46, 47- ° Psal. civ. 34, 
 
IN GENERAL. 27 
 
 his blessings to them ; there are also some extraor- 
 dinary seasons of rejoicing ; some ineffable glances 
 of light, upon their souls, which penetrate, trans- 
 form, and fill them with rapturous and inexpressible 
 
 9. The comfort which the Lord bestoweth, is, in 
 every instance, the most suitable to the present ne- 
 cessity of the believer. " As thy days,*' 1 saith Moses, 
 " so shall thy strength be p." The Christian's com- 
 forts are wisely and wonderfully adapted to the na- 
 ture, degree, and continuance, of his grievances. 
 When he has the most discouragement without, he 
 has usually the most consolation within : when the 
 Lord Jesus giveth him least of creature-comfort, he 
 commonly affords him most of himself, as the Con- 
 solation of Israel. He seldom allows him, much of 
 the fatness of the earth, and of refreshment from 
 above, at once ; but when he shutteth before him, 
 all doors of help from this world, he openeth to him 
 the doors of heaven. It was only, when the Mar- 
 tyr Stephen saw nothing but death for him in this 
 world, that he saw " the heavens opened, and the 
 Son of man, standing on the right hand of God $.?? 
 When the Lord bringeth his people into outward 
 straits, he commonly favours them with inward en- 
 largements : when he putteth a cup of affliction into 
 their hands, he usually giveth them a cup of con- 
 solation. " Will he plead against me, saith Job, 
 with his great power ? No ; but he would put 
 strength in me r ." The Lord Jesus said to Paul, 
 when he was afflicted by a thorn in the flesh, " My 
 
 p Deut. xxxiii. 25. i Acts vii. 56. r Job xxiii. 6. 
 
 6 
 
m SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 strength is made perfect in weakness s ." The time, 
 in which, believers are most sensible of their utter 
 inability, to resist and overcome their corruptions, 
 or temptations, and are most engaged in relying on 
 their great Redeemer, for strength ; is the season, 
 in which, by supporting and strengthening them, 
 He usually affords them, the most illustrious dis- 
 plays of the perfection of his strength. In propor- 
 tion as their weakness appears to them, will his 
 strength appear perfect, in comforting or strength- 
 ening their souls, under that weakness. Accord- 
 ingly, the Apostle in another place saith, " As the 
 sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consola- 
 tion also aboundeth by Christ K" The comfort af- 
 forded to the saints, is admirably fitted and propor- 
 tioned, to their sufferings in conformity to Christ, 
 and especially, to their sufferings for him. If the 
 one aboundeth, so does the other, and that, in the 
 most suitable and exact proportion. If gall be 
 dropped into their cup, a suitable proportion of 
 sweetness, will also be infused ; so that, their afflic- 
 tion will be in measure u . If they be under vari- 
 ous troubles, and trust in Christ, he hath various 
 comforts for them : if they labour under powerful 
 evils, he hath strong consolations ; if, under new 
 afflictions, he hath new comforts ; if, under small 
 grievances, he hath small degrees of support to be- 
 stow; if, under great perplexities, he hath great 
 measures of consolation to impart ; if, in deep dis- 
 tresses, he hath deep comforts, comforts that will 
 sink to the very centre of the soul ; and if, under 
 
 8 2 Cor. xii. 9. l 2 Cor. i. 5. u Isa. xxvii. 8. 
 
IN GENERAL. 29 
 
 continued trials, whether external or internal, he 
 hath continued, yea, everlasting consolations, to give 
 them. He " will not suffer them to be tempted, 
 above that they are able ; but will with the temp- 
 tation, also make a way to escape, that they may 
 be able to bear it w ." He will either bring down 
 the trial to their strength, or bring up their strength 
 to the trial. If, accordingly, their holy consolation 
 be at any time small ; it is because they are then 
 not exposed, as at other times, either to outward 
 temptations, or to inward conflicts. So long as be- 
 lievers are liable to yield to the prevalence of unbe- 
 lief, pride, indolence, an inordinate attachment to 
 earthly things, and a legal temper ; the Lord is 
 pleased to bestow or suspend, to restore or increase, 
 spiritual consolation, at such seasons, and in such 
 degrees, as he sees most suitable, to prevent or con- 
 trol those evils, and to promote the increase of ho- 
 liness in their souls *. Seeing true comfort is an 
 inward strengthening of the soul, against trouble 
 felt or feared, it must, as was hinted above, be 
 stronger than the trouble, else the act of comforting 
 will not follow. If the comfort be not above the 
 uneasiness, it is no longer comfort. No comforts, 
 therefore, but such as are Divine, can refresh the 
 holy soul under trouble ; because, in ail other com- 
 forts, the disease is above the remedy. Believers 
 should never be discouraged, in the prospect even 
 of the highest degree of affliction ; for the spiritual 
 comfort, will be so adapted to the trouble, as to rise 
 
 w 1 Cor. x. 13. s Ezek. xxxiv. 16. 
 
30 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 above, and prevail over it y. It is therefore better 
 for them, to have the consolation, than to be ex- 
 empted from the trouble, and to want the consola- 
 tion. This is one special advantage of an afflicted 
 condition, to the saints, that the Lord Jesus pities 
 them most, and comforts them most, in that condi- 
 tion. It is commonly, when Satan, or the world, 
 or the flesh, is most bitter to them, that he and his 
 grace are most sweet. Indeed, his sharpest dispen- 
 sations would often be his sweetest, if they but knew 
 better, how to improve them. 
 
 10. The spiritual comfort of the saints, is accord- 
 ing to their faith. " According to your faith," 
 said the Lord Jesus, " be it unto you B . w 
 
 It is according to the strength of their faith. If 
 a man's faith be weak, his consolation is weak and 
 unstable. In some happy moment, he may, in- 
 deed, feel a sudden transport of joy ; but still, he 
 has very little solid or lasting consolation. Doubts, 
 fears, and perplexities, will often prevail against 
 the peace of his mind. " Why are ye fearful, O 
 ye of little faith a f" That which usually stands be- 
 tween a Christian, and the joy of God's salvation, 
 is his being unwilling to come anew, as a sinner, 
 to Christ. So long as this is the case, any small 
 degree of consolation that he may have, will rise 
 and fall, according to his frames or feelings. But, 
 if his faith be strong, though he may not have 
 rapturous joy, yet his consolation will usually be 
 strong i> ; if stable, his peace of conscience will also 
 
 y Psal. xeiv. 19. z Matth. ix. 29- a Matth. vin\26\ 
 *Heb. vi. 18. 
 
IN GENERAL. 31 
 
 be stable. " He shall not be afraid of evil tid- 
 ings : his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. His 
 heart is established, he shall not be afraid ^ 
 Faith is not only a spiritual grace, but is the spirit 
 of every other grace, and especially of joy. Spir- 
 itual joy is " the joy of faith d ;*" for it proceeds 
 from faith, as its principle. It is the office of 
 faith, to take, and to hand, comfort to the soul ; 
 to bring peace into the conscience, and joy into the 
 heart. If direct and firm reliance on the Saviour 
 increases, slavish fear subsides, and settled comfort 
 ensues. Sense looketh upon the face, the external 
 conduct of Jesus Christ ; but faith, especially strong 
 faith, looketh upon his heart, as discovering itself 
 in the sure, the unchangeable promise ; and seeth 
 inward affections of love and mercy, even under 
 outward expressions of displeasure. Faith, when 
 it is strong, can look through a thick cloud of de- 
 sertion, and discern the affection of a Father, under 
 the appearance of an enemy e . 
 
 It is also according to the exercise of their faith, 
 that believers are comforted. If the Christian sel- 
 dom exercises faith, his consolation is proportion- 
 ably small : if he exercises it frequently, and ra- 
 ther because it is his duty, than merely because he 
 is impelled to it by a painful sense of need, his 
 holy consolation is, in proportion, great. The more 
 frequently, and simply, he acteth faith on Christ 
 the Consolation of Israel, as the object thereof, and 
 on the good tidings of great joy to all people, as the 
 
 c Psal. cxii. 7, 8. d Phil. i. 25. 
 e Isa, viii. 17- Job xiii. 15. 
 
32 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 ground of it ; the more, will he have the comfort 
 of being conscious, that he has the grace of faith. 
 Besides, the more cordially and frequently he exer- 
 cises faith, the more of spiritual pleasure, will he 
 enjoy : for, to trust cordially that, Jesus loveth and 
 saveth me, and that, he will save me with an ever- 
 lasting salvation, is in itself, a delightful, a cheer- 
 ing persuasion. Moreover, faith is the instrument, 
 by which, the believer received consolation at first, 
 and by which, he continues to receive it still. It is, 
 by trusting daily in the Lord Jesus, for all his salva- 
 tion, of which, holy consolation is a part ; that the 
 Christian derives daily, renewed supplies of spiri- 
 tual consolation, from his fulness. The more fre- 
 quent, and simple, and lively, his actings of confi- 
 dence in his gracious Redeemer, are ; the more of 
 spiritual comfort, will he in every time of need re- 
 ceive. To feel comfortable, when he is conscious 
 that, he has clear evidences of his vital union with 
 Christ, is a duty ; but, to take his comfort fresh from 
 the fountain, by the direct application and particular 
 trust of faith, is still a greater duty ; a duty, by 
 which he glorifies his faithful Redeemer more, and 
 receives an increase of pure and solid consolation. 
 Hence, are these cheering passages of Scripture : 
 " I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the good- 
 ness of the Lord, in the land of the living V " I 
 have trusted in tby mercy, my heart shall rejoice in 
 thy salvation &." «' Let not your heart be troubled : 
 ye believe in God, believe also in me h ." " Now the 
 
 f Psal. xxvii. 13. e Psal. xiii. 5. h John xiv. 1. 
 
IN GENERAL. 33 
 
 God of hope, fill you with all/oy and peace in believ- 
 ing*.* We who have believed do enter into rest*? 
 Although the sight of his evidences of grace, is in- 
 deed pleasant to a holy man ; yet the sight of Christ, 
 in the offer and promise, should be much more de- 
 lightful to him. Unbelief and a legal spirit, will 
 dispose a man always to look for something in him- 
 self, as his ground of comfort ; but a holy faith, 
 will have to do with none but Christ. Nothing is 
 such a delight to the Lord Jesus ; because nothing 
 honours him so much, as direct and unsuspecting 
 confidence in him, for salvation. Whereas, look- 
 ing to him, or looking upon him, through one's own 
 graces and frames, reflects much dishonour upon 
 him. The man, who so looks upon Tiim, is like 
 one who sees the sun reflected by water ; which ap- 
 pears to move or waver, as much as the surface of 
 the water does. 
 
 11. The properties of spiritual consolation, by 
 which, it is distinguished from the joy of the hy- 
 pocrite, are these :— 
 
 True comfort cometh by the word of God, and that 
 rightly understood l ; but delusive joy comes, either 
 by impressions without the word, or by a misunder- 
 standing of the word. True consolation is real and 
 solid. The sadness of the believer is, as it were, 
 but as seeming sadness ; whereas his joy is real. 
 " As sorrowful," saith Paul, " yet always rejoicings" 
 The hypocrite, on the contrary, is only in appear- 
 ance joyful; whilst he is in reality gloomy and 
 
 1 Rom. xv. 13. k Heb. iv. 3. 1 1 John i. 4. 
 m 2 Cor. vi, 10. 
 
 b£ 
 
34 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 sorrowful ». Spiritual comfort goes to the heart, 
 and inspires it with holy delight : it is solid, and 
 dwells more in the heart, than in the countenance. 
 But delusive joy floats on the surface, makes a loud 
 noise, and is, therefore, compared to " the crackling 
 of thorns under a pot °.' B True comfort, with re- 
 gard to its object, is a rejoicing more in the amia- 
 bleness and excellence of Christ, manifested, than in 
 the manifestation of them p ; but counterfeit joy, is 
 a rejoicing more in the manifestation itself, than in 
 the excellence of the Divine object, manifested. 
 The true Christian, rejoices most in the holy, and 
 amiable nature of the things of Christ : the forma- 
 list, delights most in his own pretended interest in 
 those things. That which delights him, is not so 
 much the beauty of the Lord, as the beauty of his 
 own experience. The delight, which the believer 
 taketh in the Lord, and in his word, is his chief'de- 
 light, his exceeding joy q . The dearest delights of 
 nature, are, in his estimation, infinitely below 
 Christ, and God in Him. The presence and en- 
 joyment of Christ will, in his esteem, supply the 
 want of all other comforts. But, the chief delight 
 of the hypocrite, is not in the Lord, but in some 
 other object. True consolation usually accompa- 
 nies, or follows, godly sorrow for sin*; but the 
 joy of the empty formalist, springs up quickly, and 
 without contrition of heart ». If the hypocrite but 
 offer to mourn for sin, it will effectually hinder his 
 
 n Prov. xiv. 1 3. ° Eccles. vii. 6. P Phil. iii. 3. 
 * Psal. xliii. 4. and \v. 6, 7- and xix. 10. 
 r Matth. v. 4. Isa. lvii. 15. John xvi. 20. 
 s Matth. xiii. 20. with Jer. iv. 3. 
 
IN GENERAL. 35 
 
 rejoicing in God. The godly sorrow of the be- 
 liever, will be matter of joy to him : he rejoices 
 more, when his heart is melting for sin, than he 
 would do, though he had all the carnal delights in 
 the world. On the contrary, the delusive joy of 
 the formalist, will, either in time or in eternity, 
 be matter of sorrow to him 1 . True comfort is 
 hidden from unregenerate men u . It is as far out 
 of the reach of worldly men, to discern the spirit- 
 ual joy of a saint, as it is out of their power, to 
 prevent, or to remove it. The consolation of the 
 sincere Christian, is unspeakable w ; and no wonder ; 
 for the matter, and the importance of it, are incom- 
 prehensible ; but the greatest joy of the hypo- 
 crite and the worldling, can easily be told, it can 
 without difficulty, be expressed to the utmost of 
 its value. True consolation, is glorified or glorious 
 joy s : it has the highest and most glorious object ; 
 and it is the beginning as well as the earnest, of 
 glory in the soul : counterfeit joy, on the contrary, 
 is base and inglorious. The consolation of the 
 believer is holy : it hath a holy, a sanctifying in- 
 fluence upon his soul y. It disposes him to prac- 
 tise willingly and cheerfully, universal holiness. 
 It strengthens, encourages, and enlivens his heart, 
 in holy obedience z. It invigorates him for it : it 
 excites him to it. But the joy of the hypocrite is 
 unholy : it leaves his heart, as carnal, and his life, 
 as unholy as ever; nay, it strengthens his lusts, 
 
 * Prov. xiv. IS. 
 
 u Prov. xiv. 10. 
 
 w 1 Pet. 
 
 s 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 
 y 2 Cor. iii. 18. 
 
 Phil. iii. 3. 
 
 2 Neb. viii. 10. 
 
 a Luke xi. 21. 
 
 
36 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 and encourages him in sloth, and in the practice of 
 some secret iniquity ». True comfort humbles the 
 sincere Christian, and lays him in the dust at the 
 footstool of a God of infinite holiness, and sove- 
 reign grace b ; but counterfeit joy, puffs up the 
 empty formalist, with pride and self-conceit c . 
 Pure consolation, is accompanied with a constant 
 fear of displeasing the Lord d ; but delusive joy, is 
 connected with no fear, except that of suffering 
 from him. Spiritual comfort cannot be maintain- 
 ed, without a holy tenderness of conscience, and a 
 constant struggle against all manner of sin e ; but 
 carnal and hypocritical joy is preserved, without 
 either the one or the other. True consolation ren- 
 ders every sin more and more hateful f ; but coun- 
 terfeit joy, leaves the hypocrite under the reigning 
 love of all iniquity, and especially, of some dar- 
 ling sin. Holy comfort, disposes the believer to 
 the frequent exercise of impartial self-examina- 
 tion* -, but delusive joy, inclines and encourages 
 the hypocrite to neglect that exercise h . In a word, 
 True consolation is permanent \ It is by the Holy 
 Spirit so fixed in the heart, that it can never be 
 wholly removed ; and it is so strong, that it swal- 
 lows up almost, all matter of unwarrantable fear 
 and grief. Indeed, when the believer hath lost 
 all sight of his personal interest in the Saviour, he 
 cannot, as formerly, exercise his joy in God, and 
 cannot, in such a case, but lose the sense of that 
 
 b Job xlii. 5, 6. 1 Cor. xv. 10. c Isa. lviii. 2, 3. 
 
 d Gen. xxxix. 9. Matth. xxviii. 8. e 1 John iii. 3. 
 f Rom. vii. 22, 24. Psal. cxix. 128. e Psal. xxvi. 1— 3. 
 h John iii. 20, 21. f John xvi. 22. 
 
IN GENERAL. 37 
 
 joy, even while the principle and habit of it still re- 
 main. But, though the hypocrite's persuasion of 
 his pretended interest in the Divine favour, conti- 
 nues ; yet his joy ceases : his sense of that interest, 
 becomes insipid to him k . 
 
 12. In proportion to the degree of holy consola- 
 tion that is afforded the believer, his duty is his de- 
 light Being renewed in the spirit of his mind, the 
 more clearly and spiritually, he discerns the loveli- 
 ness of God in Christ, and the more cordially and 
 firmly, he believes his love to him ; the more doth 
 he love God 1 , and the more he loveth God, the 
 more he delighteth in Him. In proportion also, 
 as he spiritually discerns the infinite amiableness 
 of the holiness, and the other perfections of God, 
 and believes with application his redeeming love ; 
 he, in the same proportion, approves Him, and the 
 manifestations of his glory in the face of Jesus 
 Christ : but the more he approves, or is pleased 
 with God, as gloriously manifested in Christ, the 
 more delight does he take in him. Add to this, 
 that the more he is enabled to trust cordially, that 
 God in Christ loveth him, and that He is not 
 his enemy, but his Friend and his Father ; the 
 more of spiritual comfort, he will have ; and the 
 more of that holy consolation he has, which is a 
 rejoicing in the Lord, the more will he delight in 
 him, as his own God and Father. Now, in pro- 
 portion as the believer is enabled to love, to be 
 pleased with, and to rejoice in God, through the 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; he is at the same time, enab- 
 
 k Job xx. 5. il. John iv. 19- 
 
38 SPIRITUAL COMFORT 
 
 led to delight in the infinite holiness of God, as his 
 God in Christ, and in all the illustrious displays 
 of it, which, especially in redemption, are afford- 
 ed him m . And because the moral law, in the 
 hand of the glorious Mediator, is a fair transcript 
 of God's holiness, and a declaration of his will, the 
 believer delighteth also in that law, after the in- 
 ward man n . He loveth it, because it is holy and 
 just ° ; and he consents unto it, that it is good p. 
 In the same degree, then, in which a holy man is 
 delighted or comforted, by a spiritual discovery of 
 the transcendent loveliness of Jehovah, and by a 
 firm belief of his infinite love to him ; does he de- 
 light in his holy commandments : but, the more he 
 delights in the commandments of the Lord, the 
 more pleasure doth he take, in spiritual and uni- 
 versal obedience to them q. His heart is united to 
 the will, and to the glory, of his redeeming God : 
 and, the more he is refreshed by the holy consola- 
 tions of the gospel, or enabled to rejoice in Christ 
 Jesus and his great salvation ; so much the more 
 doth he delight in evangelical obedience to his will, 
 and in holy activity for his glory. The more his 
 heart is comforted, the more will it be a comfort 
 to him, to mortify sin, and to practise holiness ; 
 the more uniformly, will he rejoice in all opportu- 
 nities of doing good, and the more ardently, will he 
 seize them r . Beholding the transcendent beauty 
 of the Lord, and trusting that, in Christ, this God 
 
 m Psal. cxxxviii. 5. n Rom. vii. 22. ° Psal. xix. 7 — 10, 
 and cxix. 97. p Rom. vii. 16. * Psal. xix. 11. 
 
 r Prov. iii. 17. 
 
IN GENERAL. 39 
 
 is his God, and that, he loveth him with an ever- 
 lasting love; the believer delights, to think and 
 speak of Him, to adore and serve him, and in 
 all things, to resign himself to his blessed will. 
 Anointed with the oil of gladness, and refreshed 
 with the sweetness of redeeming mercy, he de- 
 lights, in imitation of his great Redeemer, to do 
 the will of God, and accounts no pleasure under 
 the sun, equal to that of doing good. Could he be 
 more holy, and spiritually-minded, it would please 
 him better, than though he possessed all the riches, 
 honours, and pleasures of this world. The more 
 his holy soul is invigorated with spiritual consola- 
 tion, the more active and cheerful he is, in all his 
 duties; for in proportion as he delights in them, 
 they are easy to him s. Indeed, holy living usual- 
 ly begins with comfort, and is maintained by it. 
 The method of grace, as revealed by the gospel, 
 is, to comfort our hearts, and thereby, to establish 
 us in every good word and work K 
 
 13. Finally, The Lord usually dispenseth con- 
 solation and affliction alternately, to his people; in 
 order that, they may neither be too much depress- 
 ed, nor too much elated. The apostle Paul informs 
 us that, " lest he should be exalted above measure, 
 through the abundance of the revelations," which 
 had, in an extraordinary manner, been afforded 
 him, w there was given to him, a thorn in the flesh, 
 a messenger of Satan to buffet him u ." In order 
 that he might not, through the vanity and deceit- 
 
 s Psal. xxv. 13. Matth. xi. SO. * 2 Thess. ii. 17. 
 u 2 Cor. xii. 7. 
 
40 SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 
 
 fulness of his heart, be elated with an unbecoming 
 conceit of himself, as if he were better than other 
 apostles, because of the abundance of the revela- 
 tions, with which he had been favoured ; the Lord 
 employed means the most effectual, to keep him 
 humble. He permitted Satan and his instruments, 
 to afflict him, either in his soul or body, or per- 
 haps in both, and that, in a manner very abasing 
 and grievous to him. But, that the holy Apostle 
 might not be too much cast down, by this painful 
 affliction, the Redeemer, in answer to his prayer, 
 comforted him with this gracious promise ; ** My 
 grace is sufficient for thee w ." We read also that, 
 the Lord shewed David, at one time, great and 
 sore troubles, but enabled him to trust, that he 
 would, at another, quicken him, and comfort him 
 on every side x . A Prophet, personating the an- 
 cient church in her captivity, says, " Thou hast 
 lifted me up and cast me down y." The believer, 
 then, while he is in this world, has cloudy and 
 clear days, tempestuous and calm seasons. He is 
 at one time, in the valley of tears, and at another, 
 on the mountain of joy. His gifts, his prosperity, 
 and in consequence of these, his danger of carnal 
 security, are sometimes so great, that the Lord, in 
 order to prevent his being intoxicated, seeth it ne- 
 cessary to mingle water with his wine. He sees, 
 it may be, that when the outward path of the 
 Christian is smooth, he is not, in such a case, fit to 
 be trusted with inward consolation, except in a 
 small measure. He, therefore, in his infinite wis- 
 
 w Ver. 9. x Psal. lxxi. 20, 21. * Psal. cii. 10. 
 
REFLECTIONS, 41 
 
 dom and love, varies his dispensations to the belie- 
 ver* By a wise interchange of adversity and pros- 
 perity, he sets trouble and comfort, for the most 
 part, the one, over against the other z ; that the one 
 may be a foil to the other ; that the Christian may 
 find a short, an easy, and a safe passage between 
 them ; that in adversity, " he may weep, as though 
 he wept not," and in prosperity, "rejoice, as though 
 he rejoiced notV Indeed, so long as sin remain- 
 eth in the believer, he must, in order to grow in 
 grace, have distress and comfort, either alternately, 
 or both together ; to the end that, when he is sor- 
 rowful, he may not be cast down too low, and that, 
 when he is rejoicing, he may not be lifted up too 
 high. 
 
 Are Christ and God in Christ, together with his 
 grace, mercy, and truth, as hath been said above, 
 the primary grounds of a saint's comfort and hope? 
 I hence infer that, his manifold infirmities and de- 
 ficiencies, in his exercise of grace and performance 
 of duty, should at no time discourage him. Be- 
 liever, thy remaining darkness, deadness, carnal- 
 ity, weakness, and indisposition of spirit for holy 
 exercises, should indeed occasion in thy soul, much 
 godly sorrow and self-loathing ; but, they should 
 never discourage thee in thy holy endeavours, nor 
 cause thee to despond. They should not make 
 thee distrust thy faithful Redeemer, or doubt of 
 any promised blessing ; because thy title to grace 
 and glory, is not founded on thy own performances, 
 
 2 Eccles. vii. 14. a 1 Cor. vii. 30. 
 
42 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 but on the consummate righteousness of the Lord 
 Jesus ; and thy exercise of hope, should be suitable 
 to the grounds of thy hope. Be not disquieted, 
 then, though thou feelest the corruption of thy na- 
 ture, strong and active ; while thou findest, at the 
 same time, thy renewed nature, striving in opposi- 
 tion to it, and mourning under a painful sense of it. 
 Unbelieving discouragement, arising from a sense 
 either of sins or of wants, of desertions or of temp- 
 tations, will weaken thy hands, and indispose thy 
 heart for spiritual obedience *\ It was when Peter 
 began to fear, that he began to sink in the water. 
 
 Doth the Lord Jesus, usually afford inward and 
 sensible comfort to his children, about the time of 
 their first conversion ? They may see in this, an 
 illustrious display of his manifold wisdom, as well 
 as of his redeeming love to them. One thing that 
 he designs by this, is, that they may perceive as 
 early as possible, the inexpressible advantages, 
 that they have gained by the gracious change, 
 which his Holy Spirit hath produced in them ; and 
 thereby be encouraged, as well as inclined, so to 
 run the race that is set before them, as to attain 
 the prize of inexpressible and endless joy, in his 
 immediate presence. For, having marrow and fat- 
 ness in their Father's house, instead of husks in 
 a far country; spiritual and substantial delights, 
 instead of pleasures that are carnal and empty ; 
 they cannot, even at the beginning of their Chris- 
 tian course, but acknowledge themselves already 
 unspeakable gainers. 
 
 b 1 Sam. xii. 20. Heb. xii. 12, 13. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 43 
 
 Is spiritual joy required of believers, in the law, 
 andpromised to them, in the gospel ; and is the Lord 
 displeased, when they appear uncomfortable in his 
 service ? Let them hence learn that it is their duty, 
 at all times, and in all conditions, to be of good 
 comfort ; and that it is their sin, to neglect this 
 part of their duty, at any time, or on any account. 
 Consider, believer, that thou art commanded to " be 
 of good courage," yea, to " rejoice in the Lorda£- 
 ways c ." Rely then, upon the promise of the gos- 
 pel, in order to obey this precept of the law. Trust 
 firmly, that Jesus the Consolation of Israel, will 
 according to his promise, comfort thee in every 
 time of need ; and, in the faith of the promise, as 
 well as in obedience to the precept, endeavour fre- 
 quently to rejoice in Him, and in God as thy God 
 through him. Exercise daily, in dependance on 
 the promise, the grace of holy joy ; not so much, 
 because it will afford pleasure to thyself, as, be- 
 cause it is a duty, which thou art commanded by 
 thy God and Redeemer, always to perform. If 
 thou allow thyself to neglect, for a season, any duty, 
 and especially this one, thou must not be surpris- 
 ed, if thou soon lose thy present comfort. 
 
 Is spiritual consolation or joy, a part of life, of 
 eternal life ? Hence, I may justly infer that, it is a 
 slandering of true religion, to say or insinuate, 
 that it deprives persons of the comfort of life. No- 
 thing can be more false. None in the world, hath 
 such good reason to rejoice, as the true Chris- 
 tian. If a holy man appear at any time to be sad, 
 
 c Phil, h. 4. 
 
44 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 it is not because he is religious, but because he 
 is not more religious. The more holiness, he at- 
 tains, the more pure consolation, does he enjoy. 
 It is true, he will take no more pleasure in sin ; 
 but, instead of that, he will have peace with God, 
 and the joy of his salvation. It is far from being 
 Christ's design, to deprive him of pleasure ; but 
 only, to determine and enable him so to consult his 
 own happiness, in subservience to the glory of God, 
 as to exchange sinful and mean, for spiritual and 
 noble pleasures d . He accordingly experiences such 
 delight, in the ways of holiness, as he never enjoyed, 
 nor could enjoy, in the ways of sin. " A stranger 
 doth not intermeddle with his joy e ." The believer 
 knows by experience, that there is more joy, even 
 in penitential mourning for sin, than in all the mirth 
 of the most prosperous sinner. He findeth such a 
 secret sweetness in his godly sorrow, that instead of 
 desiring, he rather fears, the removal of that sorrow. 
 Is the comfort, with which the saints are favour- 
 ed, spiritual and holy comfort? Let no man then 
 conclude, that he is a true Christian, merely because 
 he has felt on some occasions, natural and sensible 
 consolation. Natural, outward, and sensible conso- 
 lation is one thing ; spiritual, inward, and holy 
 comfort is another, and a very different thing. The 
 former, is natural, and is common both to saints 
 and sinners ; the latter, is spiritual, and is peculiar 
 only to the saints : that, is outward and sensitive, 
 proceeding, under common providential influence, 
 from a man's natural constitution of body ; this, is 
 
 d Prov.. iii. 17- e Prov. xiv. 10. 
 
REFLECTIONS. - 45 
 
 inward and holy, and is effected by the Holy Spirit 
 the Comforter, dwelling in the soul. Spiritual con- 
 solation is sometimes sensible, as well as that which 
 is natural; or rather, the former might (as it some- 
 times is) be styled, sensible consolation, and the lat- 
 ter, sensitive delight. Spiritual comfort delights 
 chiefly the rational and inward faculties of the soul ; 
 natural comfort, pleases only the outward and sen- 
 sitive faculties of it, namely, the imagination, the 
 natural spirits, and even the external senses. The 
 former, is wrought in the heart, by the Holy Spi- 
 rit, according to the word, spiritually understood 
 and believed ; the latter, is often produced by the 
 external manner of the reader or preacher of the 
 word ; such as, his elocution, tone, and action. 
 Persons of a soft natural constitution of body, have 
 this sensitive delight, oftener, and in greater mea- 
 sure, than they of a contrary temperament. When 
 the one, is enjoyed by the saints, they commonly 
 can assign some reason for it ; when the other, is 
 felt by persons of any description, they usually can 
 give no reason for the delightful sensation ; but 
 only that, something they know not what, has made 
 a pleasing impression upon them. Spiritual com- 
 fort, is the opposite of trouble of mind on spiritual 
 accounts ; natural comfort, is the opposite of melan- 
 choly, which is a bodily disease : the former, as I 
 already observed, is the special work of the Holy 
 Spirit, in the hearts of sincere believers ; the latter, 
 proceeds from natural and external causes ; and it 
 is often raised by Satan, in order to confirm sinners 
 in their delusion and hypocrisy. The hypocrites in 
 
46 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 Zion, mentioned by Isaiah f , " took delight in ap- 
 proaching to God ; and the hearers compared by 
 our Lord to the stony ground, " immediately re- 
 ceived the word with gladness g." Thus it appears, 
 that thousands of men and women, whose unholy 
 lives, demonstrate them to be utter strangers to 
 spiritual and holy consolation, have, nevertheless, 
 on some occasions, much natural and sensible de- 
 light. Let no man therefore conclude, that he is a 
 true Christian, merely because he has felt much 
 sensible, and even transporting joy ; for his joy may 
 be nothing but a natural sensation. 
 
 Once more : Is holy consolation peculiar to holy 
 persons ? Then it doth not belong to unholy men. 
 The same spiritual comfort that the saints have re- 
 ceived, is, in the gospel, offered freely to thee who 
 livest in the love and practice of some known sin ; 
 and the authentic offer affords thee a warrant to re- 
 ceive it ; but no warrant, to receive it separate from 
 Christ, or otherwise than by receiving him, with 
 his righteousness and salvation. It, indeed, affords 
 thee a right to trust in the Lord Jesus, for all his 
 salvation, and for holy consolation as a part of it ; 
 but, no right to trust that he will give thee com- 
 fort, apart from salvation ; no warrant to trust that 
 he will afford thee spiritual consolation, in the love 
 and practice of any iniquity. Thou canst " not re- 
 joice for joy, as other people ; ,? for thou hast no per- 
 sonal interest in Jesus, the Consolation of Israel. 
 Alas ! there is not, and there never was, the small- 
 est drop of spiritual consolation, in thy heart. 
 
 f Isa. lviii. 2. e Mark iv. 16. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 47 
 
 Thou hast comfort from the creature, but none 
 from the Redeemer : thou canst not have it from 
 him, for thou delightest in sinning against him= 
 The Lord saith to thee, and to all the other ser- 
 vants of sin, " Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye 
 shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, 
 but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall re- 
 joice, but ye shall be ashamed : behold, my servants 
 shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sor- 
 row of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit 11 ." 
 Thou now lovest vanity, and rejoicest in iniquity ; 
 but the day is coming, when, if sovereign grace do 
 not prevent it, " thy laughter shall be turned to 
 mourning, and thy joy, to heaviness." Ah ! how 
 depraved is thy heart, when it can take pleasure in 
 sin ; but, no pleasure in Christ, or in holiness ! 
 what a reproach is it to thy understanding and will, 
 to love darkness rather than light, to choose death 
 rather than life ! How deep is the corruption of 
 thy nature, when thou canst love sin, which is alto- 
 gether hateful, infinitely hateful ; and hate Christ 
 and holiness, which are altogether lovely ! when 
 thou canst take delight in the worst of things, but 
 none in the best ! what ignorance and enmity against 
 God, hast thou hitherto shewn, by standing aloof 
 from holiness, lest it should deprive thee of thy 
 delight in sin ! Thou now sayest, of the holy exer- 
 cises of private and public worship, in which, the 
 saints enjoy delightful communion with their God 
 and Saviour, u Behold what a weariness is it V 
 But take heed, lest thou provoke the holy Majesty 
 
 h Isa. lxv. 13, 14. 
 
48 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 of heaven, to cast thee into that place of eternal 
 torment, where thou wilt have sufficient cause to be 
 weary. O sinner, the Lord Jesus, who is infinitely 
 excellent and amiable, immensely full of grace and 
 consolation, now offereth himself, and all that he is 
 and hath, to thee as an undone sinner of mankind ; 
 and with inexpressible tenderness, he inviteth thee 
 to accept him, and to trust and delight in him. He 
 saith to sinners in common, who read and hear his 
 blessed gospel, " Come ye, buy and eat ; yea come, 
 buy wine and milk, without money, and without 
 price. Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that 
 which is good, and let your soul delight itself in 
 fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me ; 
 hear and your soul shall live : and I will make an 
 everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mer- 
 cies of David i." It will be impossible for thee, to 
 experience true consolation, until thou comply with 
 this gracious, this cheering invitation. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 OF THE GREAT IMPORTANCE AND USEFULNESS 
 OF SPIRITUAL COMFORT, TO THE SAINTS. 
 
 The high importance and utility of spiritual con- 
 solation, in qualifying believers for the lively exer- 
 cise of their graces, -and the spiritual performance 
 of their duties, will appear, if the following particu- 
 lars be considered : 
 
 1. It is of such unspeakable consequence to them, 
 that the eternal Father hath, in the greatness of his 
 
 1 Isa. lv. 1, 2 ; 3. 
 
 7 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 49 
 
 love, sent his only begotten Son into the world, with 
 a commission to purchase it for them. The Fa- 
 ther, according to his eternal covenant with the Son 
 as last Adam, sent him, in order that he might bear 
 their griefs and carry their sorrows ; and so might, 
 at the infinite expense of his unparalleled anguish, 
 agony, and death, purchase for them, the comfort 
 which they, in the first Adam, had forfeited. He 
 sent his only, his dear Son, to endure the pains of 
 eternal death for them, that they might enjoy, in 
 union with him, the comfort of eternal life ; that 
 they might enter into Zion, with songs of triumph 
 in their lips, and with everlasting joy on their heads. 
 The Lord Jesus himself hath declared, that the 
 comforting of mourners in Zion, was a principal 
 object of his mission into the world. " The Spirit 
 of the Lord God," saith he, " is upon me, because 
 the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings 
 unto the meek : He hath sent me to bind up the 
 broken hearted ; — to comfort all that mourn ; to 
 give unto them that mourn in Zion, beauty for 
 ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment 
 of praise for the spirit of heaviness K™ The Father 
 hath also exalted him, in the human nature, to 
 universal dominion ; on purpose that, he might dis- 
 pense the comfort of salvation, to all who should 
 believe in him. Accordingly, when he was about 
 to leave the world, the legacy which he left to his 
 disciples, was comfort K He promised that, their 
 sorrow should be turned into joy ; and that, in him, 
 they should have peace, when, in the world, they 
 
 k Isa. Ixi. 1—3. ! John xiv. 27. 
 
50 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 should have tribulation m. So great is the import- 
 ance of Divine consolation to the saints, and to the 
 glory of God in their salvation ; that the Father 
 and the Son, send the Holy Spirit, to apply it to 
 their souls. The Spirit, accordingly, testifieth of 
 Christ n ; witnesseth their adoption into the family 
 of God ; and seals them to the day of redemption. 
 In performing these offices, he invigorates and 
 cheers their hearts. Nay, so important, so excel- 
 lent, is spiritual comfort, in the estimation of God, 
 that God the Father, assumeth this title, " The 
 God of consolation o," " The God of all comfort p :" 
 God the Son, is styled, f* The Consolation of Is- 
 rael i ;" and God the adorable Spirit, is distinguish- 
 ed by this cheering title, " The Comforter *.V In 
 few words, so high is the value, which the Lord 
 setteth upon holy comfort, that he gives this solemn 
 charge to the ministers of his word : Strengthen ye 
 the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say 
 to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear 
 not *." Do men set such a high value upon earthly 
 comforts, as to pursue, with unwearied diligence, 
 the enjoyment of them ? With what incomparably 
 higher esteem, should believers regard heavenly 
 consolations, in which, the infinite excellence of 
 redeeming grace, is displayed with transcendent 
 lustre t T 
 
 2. Spiritual consolation is of such high import- 
 ance, as to form an essential part of that eternal 
 
 m John xvi. 20, 33. n John xv. 26. ° Rom. xv. 5. 
 p 2 Cor. i. 3. q Luke ii. 25. r John xvi. 7- 
 
 ■ Isa. xxxv. 3, 4. t Job xv. 11. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 51 
 
 life, which God who cannot lie, promised before the 
 world began. That it is a part of eternal life, was 
 evinced above. Comfort or joy, is so essential a 
 part of life eternal in heaven, that heaven itself is, 
 in scripture, styled Joy «. To enter into heaven, 
 is, to enter into joy, the joy of the Lord Jesus. If 
 then, fulness of joy is a necessary part of eternal 
 life, as consummated in heaven ; doubtless joy, 
 though in an inferior degree, is a part of the same 
 eternal life, as begun upon earth. Now, doth spi- 
 ritual consolation form a part, even of life eternal ? 
 Is it necessary to holiness and happiness, not only 
 as a means to the end, but, by a nobler kind of ne- 
 cessity, as a part of the end itself? How unspeak- 
 ably important, then, how divinely excellent, must 
 it be ! It is supernatural, spiritual, and Divine ; 
 and, therefore, is of a nature inconceivably more 
 pure, sublime, and ennobling, than any natural de- 
 light, any earthly joy. Instead of corrupting and 
 debasing the soul, as carnal joys frequently do, it 
 beautifies and dignifies it. So highly important in 
 our view, is even earthly comfort or joy, that, as 
 Chrysostom says, e We do all in order that we may 
 joy." But creature-comforts, even though enjoyed 
 in the utmost variety, and in the highest degree, 
 are, in comparison of Divine consolation, and that, 
 in the lowest degree, but as the glimmering taper, 
 before the meridian sun. Holy consolation is a 
 commodity of heaven, that distant country, not to 
 be imported, but by faith and prayer. It makes a 
 man inexpressibly more happy, than any earthly 
 
 u Matth. xxv. 21, 
 
52- THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 comforts can do. One smile of the Redeemer, one 
 glance of heaven, as the sure portion of the holy 
 soul, yields more content and comfort, than all the 
 delights of this world. What are any, what are all 
 earthly joys, compared with the joy of him, who 
 rejoiceth in the Lord ! Indeed, as Luther says, to 
 comfort the heart is more than to create a world. 
 How inexpressibly powerful and grateful, is hea- 
 venly consolation, to the distressed soul ! When 
 David had been under great trouble, when a flood 
 of bitter waters, had overflowed his soul; the 
 Lord let fall a drop or two of heavenly comfort, 
 and all was turned unto sweetness w . O the incon- 
 ceivable excellence, the unparalleled sweetness, of 
 Divine consolation ! 
 
 3. The high importance of spiritual comfort, will 
 also appear, if we consider that, it is the pure de- 
 light which saints have, In common with holy angels. 
 The pleasures of sense, are such as believers have, 
 in common with irrational creatures ; the pleasures 
 merely of reason, are such as they attain equally 
 with other men ; but the delights of communion 
 with God, are such as they enjoy in common with 
 the angels of light. They are not, indeed, the 
 same in degree, as the joys of angels, but they are 
 the same in kind. They are the pleasures of a 
 soul, and not of bodily sense ; the delights of a 
 holy soul, and not of a carnal mind. The plea- 
 sures of true religion, do immediately affect the 
 soul, that part of a holy man, by which he is allied 
 to the world of spirits ; and therefore they are to 
 
 w Psal xciv. 1.9. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 53 
 
 be regarded, as the only sublime, the only true, 
 pleasures of a man. When holy souls are comfort- 
 ed, they are entertained as with angels' food. Their 
 consolation is not only spiritual, and therefore suit- 
 able to a holy and immortal spirit ; but, it is sub- 
 stantial and satisfying, heavenly and glorious x . 
 Their joy is, in its own nature, unspeakably glori- 
 ous, and is accompanied with glorying in the cross 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is truly honourable, 
 and is the earnest of glory, in their souls. When 
 sinners have " come to Jesus the Mediator of the 
 new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling ;" 
 they so " come to an innumerable company of an- 
 gels," as, in some measure, to participate with them, 
 in that sublime, that celestial delight, which they 
 always enjoy, in the presence of God and the 
 Lamb. They then, begin to imitate the holy and 
 blessed angels, in delighting in objects of the great- 
 est worth, and especially, in the will and the glory 
 of God in Christ. 
 
 4. Spiritual consolation is of such consequence to 
 believers, and to the glory of God in their salva- 
 tion, that every part of sacred Scripture, contri- 
 butes to promote it, and is intended to do so. 
 " Whatsoever things were written aforetime," says 
 the apostle Paul, " were written for our learning, 
 that we, through patience and comfort of the scrip- 
 tures, might have hope y :" as if he had said, 
 i Whatever things were, by the inspiration of the 
 Holy Spirit, written in the Old Testament, were 
 left on record, not only for the instruction of our 
 
 x 1 Pet. i 8. y Rom. xv. 4. 
 
54 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 ancestors, but for ours likewise ; in order that we, 
 by means of them, might be excited and encouraged 
 to exercise patience, under all our afflictions, and 
 might be partakers of the joy of faith, and comfort 
 of the Holy Spirit, so as to attain the sure hope of 
 grace to bear them, and of glory to crown them.' 
 All the types and prophecies, histories and exam- 
 ples, laws and doctrines, recorded in the Scrip- 
 tures, were designed to increase the consolation of 
 believers, under their various troubles. According- 
 ly, they all in the hand of the adorable Spirit, 
 serve, either directly or indirectly, to advance their 
 comfort. For this end, were the Old and New 
 Testaments written, that they might, like breasts of 
 consolation, be sucked by the children of God*. 
 The blessed word is, in all its parts, a magazine of 
 comfort to the saints. Even those parts of it, which 
 seem least adapted to afford them comfort, do, not- 
 withstanding, promote their consolation and their 
 delight. The strictest of its commands, prescribe 
 to them delightful work a . The severest of its 
 threatenings, deter them from wandering out of 
 such ways, as are ways of pleasantness and paths of 
 peace. The law as a covenant, is subservient to 
 the gospel, and both serve, to bring the believing 
 soul to holy comfort b . One commendation of the 
 statutes of God, is, that " they rejoice the heart c ." 
 The holy word of God is, in all its parts, inexpres- 
 sibly sweet to the exercised Christian : it is M the 
 joy and rejoicing of his heart C The most delici- 
 
 * Isa. lxvi. 11. a Psal. cxix. 140. Rom. vii. 12. 
 
 * 1 Cor. xiv. S. c Psal. xix. 8. d Jer. xv. 16. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 55 
 
 ous honey, is not so grateful to the palate, as the 
 holy Scriptures are, to the spiritual taste e . How 
 unspeakably important and useful, then, must spi- 
 ritual consolation be ; when it is the great design of 
 every part of sacred Scripture, to advance it in the 
 souls of believers ! 
 
 5. So important is this comfort, that all the dis- 
 pensations of Divine grace and providence, are con- 
 tinually concurring, to increase it in the saints. 
 " We know," says an apostle, " that all things 
 work together for good, to them who love God, to 
 them who are called according to his purpose f ." 
 By the " good" which is here mentioned, is meant, 
 the spiritual and eternal happiness, or welfare of the 
 saints. But the spiritual and eternal happiness of 
 the saints, consists in spiritual joy, as well as, in 
 spiritual knowledge and true holiness. All things, 
 then, all dispensations and occurrences of provi- 
 dence, however diversified, however afflictive ; do, 
 even now, under the special influence of the over- 
 ruling wisdom and grace of God, co-operate, in all 
 their diversified connexions and consequences, one 
 with another, to promote the spiritual joy, the holy 
 consolation, of them who sincerely love him. All 
 hands, in heaven, and earth, and hell, are presently 
 and continually at work ; in order to increase, ei- 
 ther directly or indirectly, the comfort of them who 
 delight in the Lord : and, if all things, do continu- 
 ally work together^/or their consolation, nothing re- 
 mains, to work against it g. How important, then, 
 
 e Psal. xix. 10. f Rom. viii. 28. 
 s The Jews tell us (Sanhedrim Fol. 108. 2'.) that, one 
 Nahum a Jew, was usually called Gamzu ; because, of 
 
56 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 how useful to subserve the purposes of the Divine 
 glory in their salvation, must the consolation of 
 believers be, when all things in the universe, are 
 continually employed in advancing it ! when all 
 persons, all dispensations, all events, are incessant- 
 ly concurring to promote it ! Prosperity and ad- 
 versity, whether in things internal or external, work 
 together, and under gracious and providential in- 
 fluence, form a curious checker- work, which after- 
 wards will, in the light of glory, be contemplated 
 with unceasing admiration. If the Lord brings 
 his people to his holy mountain, it is that he may 
 make them joyful in his house of prayer h : if he 
 brings them into the wilderness, it is with a view 
 to speak comfortably to them i : if their sufferings, 
 at any time, abound, it is in order that, their conso- 
 lation may also abound k . The sufferings of others, 
 are conducive to the increase of their consolation ; 
 and the comforts of others, are also for their conso- 
 lation and salvation 1 . The Lord, by afflictions, 
 empties, humbles, and melts them, that they may 
 be vessels, fitted to receive a larger measure of 
 o-race and comfort m . Their loss of other comforts, 
 commonly issues in their being favoured with more 
 
 every event that happened to him, he used to say, 
 ("Qlb 1 ? "tt D3 Gam zu letobah, ' This also is for good :' 
 and thev give instances of several afflictions, that befel 
 him, which, after he had often used those words, proved, 
 in the issue, to his advantage. How much more reason, 
 has the true Christian, to say of every thing, however af- 
 flictive, which befals him, ' This also is for my good V 
 What honour, would it reflect on his great Redeemer ; 
 and what consolation, would it afford to his own soul ! 
 
 h Isa. lvi. 7. j Hos. ii. 14 k 2 Cor. i. 5. 
 
 1 2 Cor. i. 6'. m Psal. cxix. 71. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 57 
 
 of spiritual comfort ; and therefore it is profitable 
 for them. The Lord Jesus woundeth, in order to 
 heal them ; he casteth down, when he designs to 
 raise them up ; and he brings death, as it were, up- 
 on their feelings, wishes, and prospects, when he is 
 about to grant them, the desire of their souls. 
 When he had told his disciples, that he was soon 
 to depart from them, and so to remove from them 
 the greatest earthly comfort that ever they enjoy- 
 ed, which was his bodily presence ; sorrow filled 
 their hearts : but he assured them, that this loss 
 would be expedient, or, as the original word also 
 signifies, profitable for them ; inasmuch, as it would 
 make way for a still greater mercy, the coming of 
 the Cornforter, to abide with them for ever n . Be- 
 lievers then may assure themselves, that the all- 
 compassionate Saviour will, at no time, and on no 
 account, take away any of their comforts from them, 
 but with a view to give them better comforts. He 
 will usually be sweetest to them, when their lot, in 
 the world, is bitterest ; for the sharper their trials 
 are, the more will they serve, to prepare them for 
 his sweetest consolations. If even thick clouds in- 
 tercept, for a season, the cheering light of his coun- 
 tenance from them ; those very clouds, will occa- 
 sion this light to break forth again upon them, 
 with the brighter splendour. Whether their trou- 
 bles be external, or internal, they, in the hand of 
 the Holy Spirit, serve to shew them, how much 
 they need to trust constantly and solely in the 
 Lord Jesus, for sanctifying and supporting grace ; 
 
 n John xvi. 6, 7» 
 c2 
 
58 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 and the more they trust in Him, the more comfort, 
 as well as holiness, do they receive from his fulness. 
 6. Spiritual comfort, is of much consequence to 
 believers ; for it serves, in a very high degree, to 
 heighten, and sweeten, all their temporal comforts. 
 It renders every outward blessing, a real, a sub- 
 stantial comfort to them. Spiritual consolation, is 
 that, which makes them capable of relishing, and 
 enjoying, their external comforts . Were a man 
 to possess every thing under the sun, that is de- 
 lightful and splendid ; every thing, that could please 
 his eye, or gratify his taste ; if he did not enjoy the 
 favour of God with it, he should still be poor and 
 wretched. To think that, the almighty Jehovah 
 is an infinite enemy to him ; that, his temporal 
 comforts may be followed by endless torments ; 
 and that, by all that he eateth and drinketh, he 
 may be but fattening for the day of slaughter ; 
 this will be as wormwood and gall, mingled with 
 all his delights. What can it avail him, though 
 all the world smile upon him, if he be under the 
 infinite, the tremendous, frowns of almighty God? 
 They cannot, for a moment, screen him from the 
 impending storm, nor secure him from the consum- 
 ing fire. Trouble of conscience, renders every 
 comfort of life, insipid and unpleasing ; while, on 
 the contrary, peace of conscience, makes even the 
 meanest morsel sweet p. It infuses an additional 
 sweetness into every other comfort. When a man 
 is enabled cordially to trust that, the Lord Jesus 
 loveth and saveth him, and that, he will perfect 
 
 ° Ecclcs. ix. 7- p Prov. xv. 15, 1 6. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 59 
 
 that which concerneth him ; his joy and peace in 
 believing, cannot fail, to impart a heavenly sweet- 
 ness to all his earthly joys. By trusting in the 
 blessed Redeemer, he tastes that he is good to him ; 
 and so he enjoys Him, in all his inferior enjoyments. 
 He, who places all his confidence, and all his de- 
 light, in the Lord, will have a double relish for 
 every earthly comfort ; because he will see the 
 hand of his gracious Redeemer, providing and be- 
 stowing it. He will possess Christ in every thing, 
 while he has it ; and every thing in Christ, after 
 it is taken from him <i. As it is the absence of his 
 blessed Redeemer, that imbitters all his temporal 
 blessings, to the believer ; so it is his presence, 
 cheering his heart, that improves and sweetens them 
 all. Thus we see, that spiritual consolation is of 
 high importance ; because, while it is in itself, the 
 greatest of all comforts, it is that which serves to 
 heighten all other delights. 
 
 7. This comfort is of unspeakable importance to 
 the saints, for it not only heightens all their other 
 comforts, but it alleviates all their calamities. It 
 makes their heaviest afflictions light r . When the 
 spirit of the believer, is without comfort, the small- 
 est trial becomes a burden ; but when his heart is 
 glad, the greatest, appears light and easy s. The 
 weight of an affliction is to be estimated, rather 
 by the impression which it makes upon the spirit, 
 than by any thing in its outward appearance. The 
 smallest will be so heavy, as to overwhelm a holy 
 
 ^ 2 Cor. vi. 10. * 2 Cor. it. 17. 
 
 s Acts xvi. 25. Rom. v. 2, 3. 
 
60 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 man, if he be left to struggle with it, in his own 
 strength, and without the presence of Christ to 
 comfort him ; but, if Christ is graciously pleased 
 to pour consolation into his soul, it will be so ex- 
 hilarated and strengthened, as to induce him to 
 count even the greatest, light, and the longest, but 
 for a moment. A sweet and lively impression of 
 the love of Christ, in redeeming him, accompanied 
 with a true sense of the sin and misery, from which 
 he is redeemed, will render him not only submis- 
 sive, but even joyful in his affliction. And whilst 
 he is rejoicing in hope, though the flesh may still 
 have its uneasy feelings, the spirit shall triumph 
 over them : though a sense of pain may not be 
 taken away, it shall be overcome, by the faith and 
 sense of redeeming love. Paul and Silas, in the 
 prison at Philippi, felt more pleasure than pain, 
 more joy than sorrow. It was the sweetness of 
 Divine consolation, that caused one of the martyrs, 
 when the flame first reached his ear, to say, 'What 
 a small pain is this, compared with the glory to 
 come V What is a drop of vinegar, when put into 
 an ocean of wine ! It was this that, as another of 
 them said, made their prisons, their delectable orch- 
 ards. Favoured with heavenly consolation, many 
 of the saints in ancient times, did not only take pa- 
 tiently, but joyfully the spoiling of their goods l . 
 When the Lord Jesus, speaketh peace to the holy 
 soul, he so refreshes and consoles it, that no afflic- 
 tions, however painful, have any real bitterness in 
 them. One drop of that consolation, which He 
 
 * Heb. x. 34. 
 
9 
 
 SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 61 
 
 dispenseth from heaven, shall suffice, to sweeten a 
 whole sea of external trouble, and to fill the be- 
 lieving soul with inexpressible joy u . He hath gra- 
 ciously promised to be, in a special manner, pre- 
 sent with his people in their afflictions ; and to ad- 
 minister such comfort to their souls, as will greatly 
 alleviate them. " When thou passest through the 
 waters,"" saith He, " I will be with thee ; and 
 through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : 
 when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not 
 be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon 
 thee v . v < And again, u In me ye shall have peace 
 while, in the world, ye shall have tribulation 
 When he comforts them with a lively sense of his 
 love to them, it turns their wormwood into sweet- 
 ness, their sorrow into joy. So comforted, they 
 can rejoice, and even glory, in tribulation y . This 
 is a plain evidence of the high importance, and ex- 
 cellence, of spiritual consolation, that it overcomes 
 the pains of sense, takes out their sting, and takes 
 off their terror. Holy comfort makes believers to 
 delight so in all the will of God, as to take plea- 
 sure even in the hardest things, considered as his 
 doing 2 . How sveet, then, must that be, which 
 can sweeten even the wormwood and the gall ! Of 
 what consequence must that be, which can make 
 the heaviest burden light ! The delights of sense 
 forsake us, when we are in trouble, and have the 
 greatest need of them a ; but it is then, that the 
 comforts of the Spirit, have the sweetest relish, 
 
 tt Psal. xciv. 19. w Isa. xliii. 2. x John xvi. 33. 
 
 y Rom. v. 3. * 2 Cor. xii. 10. a Job xxxiii. 19, 20. 
 
62 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 and the strongest influence b . They are like the 
 tree, " cast into the waters of Marah, which made 
 them sweet c.' 1 How much then are they to be 
 pitied, who are drinking deep of the bitter waters 
 of affliction, and have nothing of Divine consola- 
 tion to sweeten them ! 
 
 8. It is spiritual consolation only, which can ef- 
 fectually remove that greatest of all afflictions, 
 trouble of spirit. The delights of sense, to one 
 who is deeply wounded and dejected in spirit, are 
 "like the singing of songs to a heavy heart d :" 
 they, instead of yielding the smallest relief, become 
 quite insipid, and even nauseous : for, notwith- 
 standing the possession of them, and that, even in 
 the highest degree, " a wounded spirit, who can 
 bear ?" But spiritual consolation, especially when 
 it is strong, not only alleviates, but effectually 
 removes, that most intolerable of all afflictions. 
 When, after a dark night of desertion, the Lord 
 graciously returneth to the disconsolate believer, 
 and lifteth up the light of his countenance upon 
 him ; He thereby puts gladness in his heart, far 
 surpassing that of worldly men, when their corn 
 and their wine increase e . By so doing, he putteth 
 off the sackcloth of the exercised Christian, and 
 girdeth him with gladness f . No sooner doth 
 Christ comfort them who mourn in Zion, than " he 
 giveth unto them, beauty for ashes, the oil of joy 
 for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit 
 of heaviness &." If they " have gone forth and 
 
 b Psal. cxix. 50. c Exod. xv. 25. d Prov. xxv. 20. 
 e Psal. iv. 6, 7. f Psal. xxx. 11. e Isa. Ixi. 2, S. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 63 
 
 wept, bearing precious seed fu yet no sooner doth 
 He impart consolation to them, than " they come 
 again with rejoicing, bringing their sheaves with 
 them h ." " In his favour is life : weeping may en- 
 dure for a night, but joy, or shouting, cometh in 
 the morning SP How valuable, then, how unspeak- 
 ably important, must Divine consolation be, to 
 exercised Christians; when they consider that, it 
 is the only, the sovereign cure, for dejection and 
 anguish of spirit ! 
 
 9. The great importance of spiritual comfort, 
 also appears in this, that it serves to overbalance 
 every thing in true religion, which seems difficult 
 and unpleasing. Not regarding here, either the 
 misrepresentations of some men, or the misappre- 
 hensions of others, concerning the way of holiness ; 
 I shall only advert to the chief difficulties and 
 grievances, which the Scripture itself represents, 
 as occurring in that way. The Lord Jesus, that 
 faithful and true witness, informs us, that the way 
 to heaven, " is a narrow way k ;" or, as the words 
 might be rendered, a strait, or a distressful way ; 
 a way in which, the saints have to pass through 
 much tribulation, into the kingdom of God l . Be- 
 side the multitude of imaginary difficulties, which 
 appears to the slothful man, when he says, " There 
 is a lion in the way, a lion is in the streets m ;" 
 there are some reed difficulties, in the way to the 
 heavenly felicity. Believers, as well as other men, 
 are commanded to exercise repentance daily, and 
 
 h Psal. exxvi. 6. { Psal. xxx. 5. k Matth. vii. 14. 
 1 Acts xiv. 22. m Prov. xxvi. 13. 
 
64 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 so to weep, and mourn, and loathe themselves, for 
 their iniquities ; to crucify the flesh, and so to mor- 
 tify the members of the body of sin in them, which 
 is as painful, as the cutting off of a right hand, or 
 the plucking out of a right eye; to deny themselves, 
 to renounce the world as a portion, and so to aban- 
 don for ever, all the pleasures of sin ; to take up 
 their cross, and to lay their account with manifold 
 afflictions ; and, at the same time, to fight the 
 good fight of faith, to wrestle against the princi- 
 palities and powers of darkness, to endure hard- 
 ness, to run with patience the race that is set be- 
 fore them, and to be fervent in spirit, serving the 
 Lord. Now, though these, and others which 
 might be mentioned, are in themselves real diffi- 
 culties, which seem very unpleasant, and from 
 which, even eminent believers are often ready to 
 shrink ; yet holy comfort is more, much more, 
 than sufficient to overbalance them. It serves, in 
 the hand of the blessed Spirit, to render wisdom's 
 ways, notwithstanding all the difficulties and grie- 
 vances which occur in them, " ways of pleasant- 
 ness, and paths of peace,'" to the saints. Nay, so 
 sweet, and so powerful, is spiritual consolation ; 
 that, in proportion to the degree in which it is be- 
 stowed, it makes even those painful exercises them- 
 selves, pleasant, those difficult duties, easy n . It 
 renders it very pleasant to the Christian, to be 
 without the pleasures of sin. It adds much more, 
 to the pleasantness of a holy life, than it is possi- 
 ble for any sufferings or grievances in this world, 
 
 n Matth. xi. SO. 
 
SPIRITUAL COiMFORT. 65 
 
 ever to take from it. The sufferings are but hu- 
 man ; the comfort is Divine. Believers know by 
 experience, that, in proportion as they trust in 
 Christ, the times of their greatest affliction, are 
 usually the seasons of their strongest consolation ° : 
 and, therefore, even the most dejected and sorrow- 
 ful of them, would not, for a thousand worlds ? 
 change conditions, or pleasures, with the most pros- 
 perous of those who are the servants of sin, 
 
 10. Holy consolation removes, in proportion to 
 the degree of it, the terror of death and judgment 
 Spiritual consolation is that which, in the hand of 
 the blessed Spirit, takes off the terrors and allevi- 
 ates the pains of death. Though death is the friend 
 of grace, it is still the enemy of nature. A dislike 
 and fear of death, therefore, do nowise prove that 
 one is not a true believer. We are not in general 
 fond of handling a serpent, even though we know 3 
 that its sting is plucked out. But when the faith 
 of a Christian is strong, and his hope of salvation 
 lively ; the joy of his faith, and the rejoicing of his 
 hope, take away in his view, the frightful appear- 
 ance of death, and bestow upon it, an amiable, an 
 inviting aspect. Living comforts, in his dying mo- 
 ments, make him even " desire, to depart and to be 
 with Christ,' 1 the blessed fountain of everlasting 
 consolation p. It is the joyful hope of a blessed re- 
 surrection, that makes the saints think without fear, 
 of resigning their bodies to the gloomy grave. It 
 is the cheering prospect of « an house not made 
 with hands," that makes them willing without dis- 
 
 ° 2 Cor. i. 5. . p Phil. i. 23. 
 
66 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 may, to leave their earthly tabernacle. When the 
 Lord Jesus would comfort his disciples, in the pros- 
 pect of his departure from them, he said, " I go to 
 prepare a place for you : and if I go and prepare a 
 place for you, I will come again, and receive you 
 to myself; that where I am, there ye may be al- 
 so q." If death were to come alone, to the saints, 
 its ghastly countenance could not but be terrible to 
 them ; but when they believe, and rejoice in the 
 assurance, that their living Redeemer will, accord- 
 ing to his faithful promise, come along with it, to 
 sweeten it to them, and to conduct them safely, 
 through the dark valley of the shadow of it *, to the 
 heavenly mountain of their Father's house ; the 
 prospect is no longer dreadful, but delightful. How 
 consoling are these words of the great Redeemer ! 
 He doth not say, that comfort merely will come, in 
 that time of need ; but, that He himself, the glori- 
 ous fountain of consolation, will then come, and re- 
 ceive them to himself. It is the comfort of such a 
 promise, when believed with application, that re- 
 lieves them against the dread of endless torment, 
 and so, raises them above the slavish fear of dying. 
 When the apostle Paul says, that Jesus died, he 
 speaking, at the same time of believers, says, that 
 they only sleep, and sleep in Him s . One reason 
 why he varies the term, is this: Jesus endured 
 death in all its terrors ; in order that, it might be- 
 come a quiet and sweet sleep, to them who believe 
 in him. " It is Christ that died *i" The sufferings 
 
 i John xiv. 2, 3. r Psal. xxiii. 4. 
 
 8 1 Thess. iv. 14. * Rom. viii. 34. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 67 
 
 of death, was bitter to Christ, that the sleep of 
 death, might be sweet to them. When they, then, 
 are enabled to rejoice in the well-grounded hope, 
 that death to them, will only be a dissolution, a de- 
 parture, a falling asleep in the arms of their dear 
 Redeemer ; the dread of it is thereby removed. 
 People in general, are not afraid to lie down in bed 
 to sleep. Ah! how contemptible is that pleasure* 
 which is damped at the view of death, and chased 
 away at the prospect of judgment ! But how im- 
 portant, how excellent, that joy, which, instead of 
 being itself abated, lessens, and even removes, the 
 terror of that last enemy ! 
 
 11. The high importance and excellence of it, 
 will further appear, if it be compared with the de- 
 lights of sense. Earthly and sensual joy is easily 
 told, and utterly void of glory ; but the joy which 
 is in believing, is " unspeakable, and full of glory u . w 
 The greatest of worldly joys, are mean and empty, 
 and their highest amount may easily be expressed. 
 Much more, indeed, is frequently thought and said 
 of their value, than it deserves. They are never, 
 from experience, found equal to the notion, which 
 worldly men have of them, nor to the expectation, 
 which they form from them. But spiritual joy, is 
 far above the highest conceptions, that either men 
 or angels can form of it, and the loftiest descrip- 
 tions, that they can give of it. Earthly joys too, 
 are empty and inglorious : even the most plausible 
 of them, can never fill or satisfy the soul : they are 
 far below the excellence, as well as the high capa- 
 
 » 1 Pet. i. 8, 
 
68 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 city, of the immortal soul. But the joy of faith, 
 the comfort of communion with Christ, as it is sub- 
 stantial and satisfying, so it is excellent and honour- 
 able : it is that, of which none needs to be ashamed, 
 and is heavenly glory itself, begun in the soul. 
 Spiritual joy, is pure and sublime ; sensual and sin- 
 ful pleasure, is sordid and mean : the one, is enno- 
 bling to the soul ; the other is debasing : the former, 
 is elevating and enlarging ; the latter, is degrading 
 and enslaving; that is satisfying; this is surfeit- 
 ing : the one, increases and improves with the 
 using; the other, fades with use, and leaves, to 
 them who place their happiness in it, a piercing 
 sting behind it : the former, is pleasing to the 
 Lord ; the latter, is offensive to him : that, will is- 
 sue in perfect and everlasting joy ; this, will end in 
 direful and eternal anguish. As it was those of the 
 Israelites in the desert, who could not form a right 
 estimate of the milk and honey of Canaan, that 
 doted upon the onions and garlick of Egypt ; so it 
 is the carnal mind, which knows not and loves not 
 spiritual delights, that relishes and prefers before 
 them, the sordid pleasures of sense. In proportion 
 as a man has experience of the sweetness of spiritual 
 pleasures, those that are sensual and ensnaring, be- 
 come insipid to him : they have now no sweetness, 
 in comparison of the sweetness which excelleth. In- 
 deed it is impossible to express, how low, how con- 
 temptible, the joys of sense, and especially of sin, 
 appear, to them who are rejoicing in Christ Jesus. 
 12. Finally, The inexpressible importance of spi- 
 ritual comfort, appears chiefly in this, that it pro- 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 69 
 
 moteth, in an eminent degree, universal holiness of 
 heart and life. 
 
 It revives and invigorates the graces of 'the Chris- 
 tian. It excites and encourages a holy man, to 
 trust cordially and constantly in Christ, for sancti- 
 fication ; to love Him, and God in him, with ardent 
 affection ; and so to love his manifested glory, as 
 to perform every duty, in faith, from love, and for 
 the glory of his holy name. He cannot love God 
 supremely, nor delight in doing his will ; unless he 
 himself be delighted and cheered, by trusting that 
 God loveth him w . No arguments will persuade a 
 man, to commit his way to the Lord, or to cast his 
 care upon him ; if he do not believe, that the Lord 
 careth for him. It is a sense of redeeming love, 
 warm on the heart, that captivates the soul, conci- 
 liates the will, and engages the affections x . A com- 
 fortable persuasion of the love of Jesus to the soul, 
 will be operative in it, as a torch in a sheaf: it will 
 gradually destroy its remaining enmity against him. 
 It will enlarge the heart with ardent love to him, 
 and elevate the affections above the world. The 
 soul, in order to be kept from lusting after earthly 
 and carnal pleasures, must, by an appropriating 
 faith, take pleasure in the Saviour, and in his love, 
 Holy comfort imbitters sin to a man, and disposes 
 him, with deep abhorrence of it, to strive against it, 
 It tends greatly 'to melt, and to humble the heart 
 for sin y. The firmer a holy man's comfort is, the 
 softer his heart is. The more " his heart is fixed, 
 trusting in the Lord, so as not to be afraid of evil 
 
 w 1 John iv. 19. x 2 Cor. v. 14, 15. >' 1 Cor. xv. 9, 10, 
 
70 THE IMPORTANCE OF 
 
 tidings ;" the more disposed he is, to fear the evil 
 of sinning against him z . 
 
 Spiritual comfort also, inclines and encourages 
 the saints, ardently to follow after universal holiness 
 of life, and constantly to long for the perfection of 
 it. " The Spirit of the Lord God," saith Messiah, 
 u is upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me, — 
 to comfort all that mourn ; to appoint unto them 
 that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for 
 ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of 
 praise for the spirit of heaviness ; that they might 
 be called Trees of righteousness ', The planting of 
 the Lord, that he might be glorified a." It disposes 
 believers, to frequency and impartiality in self-ex- 
 amination b ; and excites them, to diligent endea- 
 vours after increasing communion with God, in 
 every duty c . It is employed by the Holy Spirit, 
 to render them active, resolute, and cheerful, in 
 the spiritual performance of all their various du- 
 ties d . Godly sorrow, indeed, disposes them to be 
 serious ; but it is holy joy, that renders them ac- 
 tive : it is u the oil of gladness,' 1 that makes the 
 wheels of their voluntary obedience, move forward 
 with ease and speed. Some measure of holy com- 
 fort, is necessary to the practice of evangelical ho- 
 liness. Summer, in the natural world, is^ necessary 
 as well as winter. The very nature of the duties 
 and exercises of the true Christian, is such, that 
 they require comfort of heart, for the acceptable 
 performance of them. A holy life commonly be- 
 
 z Acts ix. 31. a Isa. Ixi. 1— 3. b Psal. xxvi. 1—3. 
 c Psal. lxiii. 1—8. d Psal. cxix. 32, 166. 
 
 6 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 71 
 
 gins with comfort, and is maintained by it e . The 
 way to be kept from carelessness and formality, in 
 spiritual exercises, is, so to trust in Christ for sal- 
 vation, as to cease to despond ; for the soul grows 
 careless by desponding. The sorrow of the world, 
 and the fear of hell, enervate and benumb all the 
 faculties of the soul. A man can ^perform no spi- 
 ritual obedience, without some degree of spiritual 
 joy, as well as of true love. The former, is as much 
 the fruit of the Spirit, as the latter f . The Chris- 
 tian cannot be encouraged to pray to God ; except 
 he be consoled with the hope, that God, for Christ's 
 sake, will graciously hear and answer his prayer s. 
 He cannot cordially praise God ; unless he be en- 
 abled to trust, that God will glorify the perfections 
 of his nature, and magnify the promises of his co- 
 venant, in his eternal salvation. It is in proportion 
 as his heart is comforted, that he will be truly thank- 
 ful to the Lord, for the smallest favour. It is holy 
 consolation, that makes every act of grace, every 
 instance of duty, every part of spiritual service, how 
 secret soever it be, pleasant to a good man. In a 
 word, it is this, that so exhilarates, and so con- 
 strains him, as to make all his affection run out to 
 the Lord Jesus, and all his strength run out^/or 
 him. 
 
 So much, for the importance and usefulness of 
 spiritual comfort, to every believer. 
 
 From what has been here advanced, we may in- 
 
 e Psal. xxvi. 3. 2 Thess. ii. 17- f Gal. v. 22. 
 
 s Psal. lxxxvi. 7« 
 
n REFLECTIONS. 
 
 fer, That no comforts are so excellent, so sweet, and 
 so desirable, as spiritual comforts. While these 
 form a part of eternal life, and promote, in an emi- 
 nent degree, the love and practice of holiness ; they 
 are the same in kind, as the delights of holy angels, 
 and of ransomed spirits in the holy place on high. 
 They are the pleasures of a holy soul, and they 
 heighten the relish of every outward comfort. The 
 light of God's gracious countenance, shining upon 
 the soul, is better than life, and all its most valued 
 enjoyments. If an Israelite was to be cut off from 
 his people, who had in his house, a perfume like 
 that of the Tabernacle h ; surely, the Lord will not 
 hold him guiltless, who persuades himself, that any 
 other perfume can be so fragrant, so delightful, as 
 that of the house of God ; that any other joy can 
 be so excellent, so ennobling, so cheering, as the 
 joy of God's salvation. 
 
 Is spiritual joy, of such high importance to the 
 holiness and happiness of the saints, in this world, 
 where it is far from being perfect ? How highly 
 then will it contribute to their felicity, in the heavenly 
 world, where it shall, through all eternity, be full 
 and overflowing ! O how transcendently great, 
 how inexpressibly glorious, will the holiness and 
 blessedness of the redeemed, in the immediate pre- 
 sence of God and of the Lamb, be ; where they 
 shall attain " fulness of joy,'"* and perhaps, an eter- 
 nal increase of rapturous delight ! If spiritual con- 
 solation, even when it is small, impels believers to 
 unwearied efforts, in holy worship and spiritual 
 
 h Exod. xxx. 38. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 73 
 
 obedience ; we need not wonder, that the four liv- 
 ing creatures, round about the throne, are repre- 
 sented, in the visions of John, as not resting day 
 and night, as never ceasing to thank and praise the 
 Lord ; " saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God al- 
 mighty, who was, and is, and is to come 1 ." If 
 even a small measure of pure consolation, is of such 
 advantage to a holy man, now, as to encourage his 
 heart, to invigorate his grace, to excite his holy ac- 
 tivity, and to heighten all his outward comforts ; 
 of what unspeakable gain to him, hereafter, shall 
 the fulness of joy, the perfection of endless delight 
 be! 
 
 Is holy consolation of such inestimable value to 
 the spiritual seed of Christ, that He, in the immen- 
 sity of his love, came down from the realms of 
 light, to purchase it for them ? Believers may learn 
 from this, what infinite obligations they are under, 
 to their incarnate Redeemer. Christian, thy dear 
 Saviour hath, at the infinite expense of his own 
 unparalleled obedience, anguish, and death, pur- 
 chased and secured everlasting consolation for thee. 
 He was troubled in spirit, that thou mightst be 
 comforted : He was encompassed with the sorrows 
 of eternal death, that thou mightst enter into the 
 joys of everlasting life : He was arrayed in the spirit 
 of heaviness, that thou mightst be clothed with 
 " the garment of praise :" He, who was, from eter- 
 nity, the delight of his Father, " rejoicing always 
 before Him," endured for thee, the hiding of his 
 countenance, and the sense of his infinite wrath, 
 
 1 Rev. iv. 8. 
 
 D 
 
74 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 that thou mightst, to eternity, joy in God through 
 him. Hath he not done and suffered enough, to 
 shew thee, that he is willing to enrich thee with 
 consolation, that he careth for thy comfort, and that 
 he giveth thee sufficient cause to be always of good 
 comfort ? Were it not, that there is something in 
 thy heart, which requires the discipline of his co- 
 venant ; he taketh such pleasure in comforting thee, 
 that thou couldst, at no time, be disconsolate. 
 Thou art therefore infinitely bound, to love Him 
 ardently and supremely, to glory in his cross, and 
 to delight in doing his will. 
 
 From what has been said, we may also learn 
 that, In proportion as a man makes Christ and 
 holiness his choice, he will find them to be his de- 
 light. The more communion with Jesus Christ, 
 and the more conformity to Him, he desires and 
 attains; the more delight in him, and in God 
 through him, shall he experience. The more his 
 heart is set upon growing in holiness, and the more 
 willingly and resolutely, he performs all his duties, 
 for the glory of his God and Redeemer ; the more 
 shall he know by experience, that the comforts of 
 religion overbalance the difficulties of it. In pro- 
 portion as he takes pleasure in spiritual exercises, 
 and holy performances, and that from love to 
 Christ, and for the glory of God ; the most labori- 
 ous exercises of religion shall become pleasant to 
 him, and the most difficult duties, easy. Holy con- 
 solation, in the hand of the blessed Spirit, makes 
 every thing in holiness, a pleasure to him ; and the 
 closer he walketh with God, the God of all comfort, 
 the stronger and sweeter is his consolation. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 75 
 
 If spiritual comfort is of such importance and 
 utility to believers, as hath been shewn ; surely, 
 it is the duty of every believer, to use diligently, 
 the appointed means of attaining a gradual in- 
 crease of it. The apostle Paul exhorted the be- 
 lievers in Corinth, to " be of good comfort k f that 
 is, to be so diligent in receiving, by the frequent 
 exercise of faith, the comfort offered and promised 
 to them in the gospel, as to attain more and more 
 of the joy of faith, and of a good conscience. 
 Nothing will carry a Christian through the inward 
 and outward difficulties of religion, but the inward 
 supports and delights of it. Every believer, there- 
 fore, should constantly endeavour to attain, as early 
 as possible, much of the comfort of the Holy Spirit ; 
 that he may, the more easily and cheerfully, sur- 
 mount every difficulty, and be the more resolute in 
 the practice of universal holiness. The hypocrite 
 will not " always call upon God," because he will 
 not " delight himself in the Almighty l . v ' Were 
 he to delight himself in the Almighty, especially as 
 a God infinitely holy ; he would no longer be a hy- 
 pocrite, and would always call upon Him. If the 
 true believer would, at all times, persevere in spiri- 
 tual, and cheerful obedience to the commandments 
 of Christ ; he must, in the strength of promised 
 grace, labour to attain more and more of the com- 
 fort of communion with Him in his righteousness 
 and fulness : for, the more his heart is comforted, 
 the more "he is established in every good word 
 and work «*." He hath always need of spiritual com- 
 
 k 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 1 Job xxvii. 10. m 2 Thess. ii. 17. 
 
76 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 fort, in this valley of tears, to strengthen him for 
 his spiritual conflicts, and holy performances ; and 
 therefore, under an abiding sense of his need of it, 
 he should daily employ the means of receiving fresh 
 supplies. 
 
 Once more : Is holy consolation, of such conse- 
 quence to the saints ? Hence it is evident, that 
 their loss of it, must be a very great and grievous 
 loss to them. The loss, indeed, of lively and plea- 
 sant feelings, though a grievous, yet is not usually 
 a very great loss to the exercised Christian ; but 
 the loss of that ordinary comfort or tranquillity of 
 mind which he has hitherto enjoyed, is both a very 
 great, and a very grievous loss to him. He may, for 
 a season, be without sensible and lively impressions, 
 and yet not be deserted of God, in respect of ha- 
 bitual comfort, or serenity of mind. For, as it is 
 not a cloud intervening, nor even a partial eclipse 
 of the sun, but the absence of the sun, that occa- 
 sions night ; so, it is not the want of a lively im- 
 pression, or a pleasant frame, but the loss of that 
 peaceful tranquillity of spirit, which the believer 
 was wont to enjoy, that causeth darkness to cover 
 his soul. The loss of this, is an unspeakably great 
 and grievous loss to him. If Christ the Sun of 
 righteousness, is graciously pleased to shine upon 
 him, all is well ; but, if He hideth his countenance, 
 the smiles of the whole creation can afford him no 
 solid comfort. Believer, take heed that thou do 
 not provoke the Lord, to withhold influences of 
 holy comfort from thy soul. Do not, by carnal se- 
 curity, or self-confidence, or earthly mindedness, 
 or any other iniquity, provoke Him to turn the 
 
REFLECTIONS. 77 
 
 reviving smiles of his countenance, which thou now 
 enjoyest, into killing frowns. Thy soul is no more 
 self-sufficient, than self-existent If the Lord cease 
 to refresh it with his cheering smiles, it cannot but 
 languish and faint. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 OF THE WAY IN WHICH, BELIEVERS LOSE THEIR 
 SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 
 
 Although a holy man cannot, so much as for a 
 moment, lose that principle of comfort or joy, which 
 the Holy Spirit, in regeneration, hath implanted in 
 his heart, nor yet that entire habit of joy, which 
 He hath, in sanctification, implanted there ; yet he 
 sometimes loses the sense or feeling of it : he is at 
 times deprived of sensible comfort, or of the joy of 
 God's salvation. By his losing of spiritual conso- 
 lation, I do not mean, his falling merely for an 
 hour or a day, from a pleasant, into an unpleasant 
 frame of spirit ; (for his frames are almost perpe- 
 tually changing;) but, his being more or less de- 
 prived of the sense of God's peculiar favour to him, 
 or of the sensible possession of spiritual comfort, 
 and that for a considerable time. When the God 
 of all comfort continueth, for a season, to withhold 
 the cheering light of his gracioul countenance from 
 his soul ; it cannot but be disquieted and disconso- 
 late n . 
 
 n Psal. xxx. 7. 
 
78 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 Though the Lord, on purpose to display his wis- 
 dom and sovereignty, to try the graces of believers, 
 to mortify their pride, and to teach them the ne- 
 cessity of adventuring, as sinners, to trust simply 
 in Christ, for all the grace of the promisp, with- 
 holds for a time, sensible comfort from them ; yet, 
 for the most part, he doth it in order to chasten 
 them, for their sins against him as their God and 
 Father °. At the same time, it is not for every sin 
 of infirmity, that he suspends consoling influences 
 from their souls ; otherwise, as they can never so 
 much as think a thought, without polluting it by 
 some degree of sin, he would, at all times, be af- 
 flicting them with want of comfort ; but, it is for 
 some peculiarly aggravated transgressions, or, for 
 relapsing often into the same sin. It is their ini- 
 quities and backslidings, that procure trouble of 
 mind for them p . Such are God's love to them, 
 and care of them, and such is his abhorrence of 
 their sin ; that he cannot but make even his dear 
 children themselves feel, that he is displeased with 
 them, when they backslide from him 9. His faith- 
 fulness also to his word, in which he threatens trou- 
 ble as a fatherly chastisement, and even promises it 
 as a blessing in disguise, to them, moves him to do 
 so r . And though the sins of some particular be- 
 lievers, as in the case of Job, may not in every in- 
 stance, be the procuring cause of their loss of com- 
 fort ; yet they are at least the occasion of it s . 
 
 All that, in this Chapter, I further propose to 
 
 ° Isa. lix. 2. p Jer. ii. 19. 
 
 <i Heb. xii. 6. Amos iii. 2. 
 
 r Psal. cxix. 75. s Jer. xxxi. 18. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 79 
 
 do, is, to point out some of the leading sins and 
 ways of sinning, by which, believers provoke their 
 heavenly Father to suspend for a time, that degree 
 of spiritual consolation from them, which they have 
 formerly enjoyed. 
 
 1. In the first place, They provoke him to do 
 this, by allowing themselves to continue, in a cul- 
 pable degree, ignorant of his covenant of grace, and 
 of their warrant to come, as sinners, and to trust in 
 the Lord Jesus, for their own particular salvation. 
 These are objects in which, the comfort of true be- 
 lievers, is at all times, intimately concerned ; the 
 spiritual and distinct knowledge of which, is ne- 
 cessary to qualify them, for deriving continual sup- 
 plies of grace and consolation, from the fulness of 
 Christ l . 
 
 If believers then suffer themselves, surrounded 
 as they are, by the clear light of the blessed gospel, 
 to retain ignorance, or to cherish mistakes, respect- 
 ing the covenant of Jehovah's peace u , and the in- 
 finite fulness and freeness of his grace treasured up 
 in Christ, the glorious Trustee of that covenant; 
 they do thereby undervalue the only doctrine, on 
 which all true comfort depends, and so, provoke 
 their heavenly Father, to suspend the consolations 
 of his holy covenant, from their souls. The gos- 
 pel is an exhibition of God's covenant of grace, 
 to lost sinners of mankind; and therefore it is 
 " good tidings of great joy to all people w ." To 
 be willingly ignorant, then, of that gracious con- 
 
 1 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. John xvii. 3. and vi. 40. Rom. xv. 13. 
 u Isa. liv. 10. w Luke ii. 10. 
 
80 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 tract, is the same as to being willingly ignorant of 
 the glorious gospel ; and to retain mistaken notions 
 of the former, is the same as to err concerning the 
 latter. When true Christians satisfy themselves with 
 superficial and indistinct views of the covenant of 
 grace, or with knowing little more, than the first 
 principles of the doctrine of that august contract ; 
 they so far despise the doctrine of redeeming grace, 
 the joyful tidings of a free salvation, and so lose 
 the joy of that salvation. 
 
 Moreover, in the administration of that ever- 
 lasting covenant, Christ, with his righteousness 
 and fulness, is freely and fully offered to sinners 
 of mankind in common ; and sinners, as such, are 
 graciously invited, yea, and are peremptorily com- 
 manded, to believe on his name x . The authentic 
 offer, call, and command, founded upon the in- 
 finite intrinsic value of the righteousness of Christ, 
 and addressed to every sinner who hears the gos- 
 pel; afford to every one, a full warrant to trust 
 in Christ, for all the salvation promised in the co- 
 venant. If Christians then allow themselves to 
 remain, in a great measure, ignorant of their war- 
 rant, as sinners in themselves, to place direct con- 
 fidence in Christ for all their salvation, or if they 
 cherish mistakes concerning it ; they provoke the 
 Lord, who is jealous for the honour of his cove- 
 nant, and of his word of grace, to withhold from 
 them, that peace and joy, which are in believ- 
 ing ; and, at the same time, they indirectly invite 
 Satan, to tempt them to conclude, that they have 
 
 * John vi. 32. Rev. xxii. 17. 1 John iii. 23. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 81 
 
 no warrant whatever, to trust that Christ will save 
 them. Were believers to attain a more spiritual, 
 and clear, understanding of the eternal covenant, 
 and of the authentic offer of it, than they com- 
 monly do ; they would see that they have, in the 
 word of grace without them, a full and unchange- 
 able warrant, to trust at all times in the Lord 
 Jesus, for their own particular salvation ; and so, 
 they would live a more holy and comfortable life, 
 than they commonly doy. They would in that 
 case clearly see, that it is warrantable for them, 
 and therefore lawful and reasonable, to trust, even 
 with full assurance of faith, in their faithful Re- 
 deemer. Ah ! how sinful, how displeasing to the 
 God of all comfort, is it, to treat with neglect his 
 holy covenant, and the warrant, which he gracious- 
 ly affords sinners of mankind as such, to take hold 
 of it ! and how effectually will it mar the comfort 
 of one^ own soul ! 
 
 2. They provoke the Lord to suspend influences 
 of consolation from them, by their yielding often 
 to disbelief' and distrust of Jesu s Christ. An Apos- 
 tle says, " We which have believed do enter into 
 rests." " Thou wilt keep him," saith the pro- 
 phet Isaiah, " in perfect peace, whose mind is 
 
 y " Itwas asaying of an eminent Minister, on his death- 
 bed, that he had much peace and quietness of mind, 
 ( not so much from a greater measure of grace, than 
 other Christians had, or from any immediate witnessing 
 of the Spirit ; but, because he had a more clear under- 
 standing of the covenant of grace, than many others, 
 having studied it, and preached it, so many years as he 
 had done/ Brooks' Cabinet, p. 113. 
 
 z Heb. iv. 3. 
 
 d2 
 
82 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee »." 
 And again, u If ye will not believe, surely ye shall 
 not be established V If a Christian frequently 
 neglect the exercise of trusting in Christ, for fresh 
 supplies of grace and comfort ; if, instead of trust- 
 ing with all his heart, and at all times, in his in- 
 finitely faithful Redeemer, for the grace which is 
 in Him, and is brought near in the promise, he 
 often trusts to the grace that is in himself; his 
 heart, by so doing, departeth from the Lord Je- 
 sus c, the only Fountain of consolation ; and he 
 places that confidence in his own renewed nature, 
 which he is commanded to place in his Divine Re- 
 deemer. By so doing, he idolizes the new crea- 
 ture : he trusteth in his own heart : he leans to his 
 own understanding : he makes a saviour of his own 
 created grace. Thus he provoketh his heavenly 
 Father, who is a jealous God, to hide his face from 
 him, and to eclipse his evidences of grace from his 
 view. It is now necessary, that the Lord, who 
 " will ever be mindful of his covenant,' 1 should per- 
 form to him, in a higher degree than formerly, 
 this promise ; " From all your idols, will I cleanse 
 you d ." Accordingly God, in order to chasten him 
 for his idolatry, and to teach, him the necessity of 
 living continually by faith, withholds consolation 
 from his soul, and ceases to shine upon his evi- 
 dences of grace. The consequence is, that the be- 
 liever now, not only discerns no grace in his heart, 
 to trust to, but begins to doubt if ever he had any. 
 
 a Isa. xxvi. 3. b Isa. vii. 9. c Jer. xvii. 5. 
 
 d Ezek. xxxvi. c 25. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 83 
 
 He formerly looked for comfort to the principle of 
 grace, which he discerned in himself, rather than 
 to the fulness of grace, which is in Christ ; contrary 
 to this high command, " Thou therefore, my son, 
 be strong in the grace which is in Jesus Christ e ." 
 But now, that he can see and feel nothing in his 
 heart, but deep and strong corruption, nothing but 
 a body of sin and death, he becomes at once, dis- 
 couraged and disconsolate. Christian, thou never 
 hast greater need, to trust simply and firmly in thy 
 Divine Saviour, than when thy graces are most 
 lively, and most discernible ; for then, self-confi- 
 dence is most ready, so to prevail against thee, as 
 to provoke a jealous God, to withhold spiritual 
 comfort from thy soul. If thou desirest to retain 
 holy consolation, repose the unsuspecting confidence 
 of thy heart, solely and constantly in thy faithful 
 Redeemer. Apply and trust and plead His pro- 
 mises. If thou distrust Him ; if thou yield to sus- 
 picious and hard thoughts of him, thou transgress- 
 est against him without a cause. The Lord Jesus 
 hath never dealt so, in his ways of grace and pro- 
 vidence, with any soul, as to give it cause to be 
 suspicious of him. Ah ! what dishonour, dost thou 
 reflect upon the glorious Immanuel, by refusing to 
 trust solely in him ! Be not grieved, that thou hast 
 nothing to trust to, for thy salvation, beside Christ 
 and the promise ; but rather rejoice, that thou 
 needest nothing besides f. Pray often and earnest- 
 ly, that the Holy Spirit may convince thee more 
 
 e 2 Tim. ii. 1. f PsaL Ixii. 2, 5, 6* 
 
64 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 deeply, of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and espe- 
 cially, of that greatest of all sins, — unbelief e. 
 
 3. They lose their spiritual comfort, by making 
 their graces, or duties, or lively frames, their war- 
 rant or ground of right, to trust in Jesus Christ 
 for salvation. These, indeed, are great encourage- 
 ments, to continue trusting in the Saviour ; but, 
 they form no part of a man's warrant, to renew his 
 actings of trust in him. They are fruits and evi- 
 dences of saving faith ; but are no part of the 
 ground of it. To make them the ground, or even 
 apart of the ground, of our right to confide in Je- 
 sus for salvation, would be as preposterous as it 
 would be, when transplanting a young tree, to set 
 the top-branches of it in the ground, instead of the 
 roots. The faith of a believer, must be grounded 
 on faithfulness in the word, and not on feelings in 
 the heart. If the Christian, then, instead of mak- 
 ing the authentic offer, call, and commandment to 
 believe, all addressed in the gospel, to him as a sin- 
 ner of mankind, his warrant, to renew his exercise 
 of trusting in Christ for all his salvation, thinketh 
 so highly of his experiences or evidences, as to make 
 them his ground of right to do so, he is guilty of 
 presumption. He sets aside the warrant which the 
 Holy Spirit in the word affords him, and presumes 
 to trust in Christ, upon the ground of that in him- 
 self, which is indeed the fruit, but not the root, the 
 evidence, but not the ground, of faith. Thus, in- 
 stead of a true, he places an unwarrantable, confi- 
 
 « John xvi. 8, 9. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 85 
 
 dence in his Redeemer ; and hereby, he discovers 
 the pride and self-righteous propensity, that re- 
 main in him h . Sensible that, his holy qualities 
 and performances, can give him no right to salva- 
 tion itself; his legal spirit prompts him to conclude, 
 that they will afford him at least a right to the Sa- 
 viour, a right to exercise particular trust in him for 
 salvation. Hence, when he discerns his evidences 
 of personal interest in Christ, he can freely trust 
 him ; but when these are eclipsed and cannot be 
 seen, he counts it unwarrantable and presumptuous, 
 to confide in him. Now, seeing it is pride or a le- 
 gal spirit, that disposes the Christian to think, that 
 his graces and evidences can give him a right, to 
 apply and confide in Christ ; and seeing the im- 
 mutable design of God is, to exalt the Saviour, and 
 to humble the sinner ; he withholds the comfort- 
 able sense of his favour, from the believer 1 : he 
 ceases to shine upon his graces and evidences. He 
 not only leaveth him, it may be, to fall repeatedly 
 into some known sin ; but he permitteth Satan, and 
 the man's own proud and unbelieving heart, to per- 
 suade him, that he hath now no right at all, to trust, 
 that the holy Jesus will save such a sinner as he is. 
 Thus he has procured for himself, the loss of his 
 comfort. But even this loss, how great and griev- 
 ous soever it may be, is almost less than nothing, in 
 comparison of the infinite dishonour, which he hath 
 reflected upon the Lord Jesus ; by presuming to 
 substitute his own graces and attainments, in the 
 room of the authoritative offers and calls of the 
 
 h 1 Cor. iv. 7- ' Psal. cxxxviii. 6. 
 
86 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 gospel, as his warrant to trust in him ; and, by not 
 venturing to rely upon him for grace, except he see 
 grace already in himself, to give him a right to 
 place confidence in him. Believer, if thou wouldst 
 retain spiritual consolation, take heed that, thou 
 never build thy faith upon the reports of sense ; 
 build it only, upon the sure, the unchangeable, re- 
 cord of God who cannot lie. Do not substitute 
 sense, in the place of his true and holy word. 
 Build thy faith and thy comfort upon Christ in the 
 word, and not upon thy experiences. Do not live 
 upon Christ as felt in the heart, but upon Christ as 
 offered in the gospel. 
 
 4. They procure for themselves, the loss of spi- 
 ritual comfort, by discontent and impatience, aris- 
 ing from the inordinate love of some earthly com- 
 fort. When a good man, instead of placing all his 
 happiness, and all his hope, in Christ and in God, 
 as his God and portion ; places much of them, in 
 some external comfort, so as to be disposed often to 
 say, J What would become of me, or, How uncom- 
 fortable should I be, were it not for this comfort V 
 he thereby provokes the Lord, who is always more 
 ready to profit, than to please, his children, to tear 
 the idol from his embrace k . If he begins to 
 " make gold his hope, and to say to the fine gold, 
 Thou art my confidence ' ;" or, if u he trusteth in 
 man, and maketh flesh his arm, so that his heart 
 departeth from the Lord ; he shall," under the 
 chastening of his heavenly Father, be, for a season, 
 " like the heath in the desert, and shall not see- 
 
 k Exek. xxxvi. 2% l Job xxxi. 24. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 87 
 when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched 
 places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not in- 
 habited m ." " The broken reed on which he lean- 
 eth," will not only fail him, u but will go into his 
 hand and pierce it." His comforts will be dimi- 
 nished : his hopes will be disappointed : his schemes 
 will one after another be frustrated. His idol, 
 whatever it be, will either be torn from him, or be 
 turned into a source of daily vexation to him. The 
 Lord will break his cisterns, and send a worm to 
 his gourds. " For the iniquity of his covetousness" 
 saith Jehovah, " was I wroth and smote him; I 
 hid me and was wroth, and he went on frowardly 
 in the way of his heart V 1 The inordinate and 
 immoderate love of any temporal benefit, doth, up- 
 on the loss of that benefit, commonly produce dis- 
 content, impatience, and fretfulness, which have a 
 natural tendency to wear down the spirit. Were 
 the Christian to bear his loss of outward comforts, 
 in the exercise of faith, and of resignation to the 
 holy will of God, he should still continue to expe- 
 rience inward consolation. But when he presumes 
 to fret and murmur, as if the Lord had wronged 
 him, or had been unkind to him ; saying, « Alas ! 
 My afflictions are very uncommon, are peculiarly 
 severe ;' he thereby procures for himself, in addi- 
 tion to his outward losses, the loss of inward conso- 
 lation. Such a behaviour as this, forms a combina- 
 tion of various sins, all of which, are inconceivably 
 heinous, and exceeding sinful. Discontent, inclines 
 a man to be impatient under afflictions ; discontent 
 
 m Jer. xvii. 5, 6. n Isa. Ivii. 17- 
 
88 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 and impatience set his mind as on the rack, and 
 torment it with distracting cares how to be deliver- 
 ed, or how to have his loss retrieved : the secret 
 root of these, is an inordinate love of the body, and 
 of worldly enjoyments ° : this again, arises from a 
 want of due resignation to the holy will of God, 
 and of satisfaction with Him alone, as an all-suffi- 
 cient portion for the whole man p ; and it is usually 
 attended with much disbelief and distrust of his 
 promise. The Lord, in his gracious promise, saith 
 to every believer, " There shall no evil befall 
 thee i :" * No f says the fretful Christian, « this 
 which has befallen to me, is evil ; otherwise I 
 should not have been disquieted by it. 1 But should 
 it not, on the contrary, even delight the Christian 
 to find that, the Lord is drawing off provision from 
 his worldly lusts ? Knowing that he must shortly 
 die, ah ! why is he so fond of temporal and transi- 
 tory enjoyments ? Why so anxious to acquire them, 
 so eager to embrace them ; so disquieted by the 
 loss of them ? 
 
 Believer, thy Covenant-God is all-sufficient for 
 thee ; and He alloweth thee to call him thine. 
 Why then, dost thou go a begging to creatures 
 for supply ? Consider that, it is a much greater fe- 
 licity, to desire nothing earthly but what thou hast, 
 than to have all that thou desirest. Do not any 
 more provoke the Lord, by obstinate or sullen grief 
 for any outward loss, " lest a worse thing come up- 
 on thee. 1 '' Then only, art thou in a right frame, 
 when God in Christ is enough for thee. Know 
 
 ° James iv. 4. p Psal. cxlii. 5. * Psal. xci, 10. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 89 
 
 that, it is in the absence or contempt of earthly 
 comforts, that the Holy Spirit is most a Comforter. 
 Remember that, God is never to be blamed, for de- 
 priving thee of things, which would carry away thy 
 heart from himself, as thy sure and all-sufficient 
 portion. Let not thy life, even for a moment, be 
 bound up in any worldly enjoyment. O " take 
 heed and beware of covetousness r :" — it is idolatry ; 
 and " their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten 
 after another god s ." 
 
 5. They lose their spiritual comfort, by entertain- 
 ing vain thoughts. By vain thoughts, I mean, 
 empty, frivolous, foolish, unprofitable, groundless, 
 proud, ostentatious, deceitful, impure, and revenge- 
 ful thoughts ; as also wandering thoughts in prayer, 
 and in other religious exercises K These thoughts 
 and such as these, are vain : they are contrary to 
 the holy law of God, and they exalt themselves 
 against it. "I hate vain thoughts," says the holy 
 Psalmist," but thy law do I love u ." Now when 
 a believer, instead of hating and repelling vain 
 thoughts, suffers them to lodge within him w ; when 
 he entertains them, and allows them to continue 
 unresisted in his heart, he thereby provokes the 
 displeasure of his heavenly Father. ' The mind of 
 
 r e There are two words in the Greek Testament, which 
 are rendered covetousness in our version. The one liter- 
 ally signifies, The love of money ; the other, A desire of 
 more. The senses are indeed coincident: for no man 
 would desire more of that which he does not love; and 
 as he that loveth silver, cannot be satisfied with the silver 
 that he already possesses, he will of course desire more/ 
 Newton's Works, vol. vi. p. 4-73. 
 
 s Psal. xvi. 4. * Epli. vi. 18. James \\ l6. 
 
 u Psal. cxix. 113. w Jer. iv. 14. 
 
90 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 the Christian should always be well furnished with 
 proper subjects of thought, and should habitually 
 exercise itself upon them. Thus, under the influ- 
 ences of the Holy Spirit, it will be secured against 
 the frequent incursion of a multitude of vain 
 thoughts ; which otherwise will consume much of 
 his precious time, defile his conscience, and expose 
 him sooner or later, to a multitude of perplexing, 
 solicitous, and sorrowful thoughts x . Nothing but 
 the frequent exercise of true faith and repentance, 
 will commonly prevent, in such cases, his sin, from 
 being inscribed in legible characters on his chastise- 
 ment. His vain thoughts, if entertained, will 
 procure for him, perplexing and uncomfortable 
 thoughts. David experienced much perplexity of 
 conscience, in consequence of his vain thoughts, 
 and prayed earnestly, that the Lord would " cleanse 
 him from secret faults V The Christian, if he 
 would retain his holy comfort, must " keep his 
 heart with all diligence z ;" he must watch his 
 thoughts, strictly, and constantly, as well as his 
 words and actions : it will be necessary, that he 
 walk circumspectly in secret, as well as in public. 
 If he suffer himself to indulge empty and proud 
 thoughts, he will grieve the Holy Spirit of God a , 
 and provoke him to withhold influences of conso- 
 lation from his soul. Believer, if thou wouldst 
 keep up the comfort of communion with a holy 
 God, trust in the Lord Jesus, at all times, for sanc- 
 tifying grace, to enable thee daily, to mortify the 
 
 x Psal. xciv. 19. V Psal. xix. 12. * Prov. iv. 23, 
 a Eph. iv. 30. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 91 
 
 members of the body of sin in thy heart. Suffer 
 not thy thoughts to wander in prayer, or in any 
 other act of devotion. When thou art about to 
 pray, consider on the one hand, the greatness and 
 variety of thy wants ; and, on the other, the om- 
 niscience and holiness of Jehovah, to whom thou 
 art to send up thy supplications; who hath said 
 that, he " will be sanctified in them that come nigh 
 him. 11 Guard, especially in secret prayer, against 
 coldness and indifference. If vain thoughts, in- 
 truding in acts of Divine worship, be not enter- 
 tained, but on the contrary, be hated, resisted, and 
 lamented by thee ; they will seldom be permitted 
 to rob thee of thy spiritual comfort. But, if thou 
 love them, or yield to them, or suffer them quietly 
 to lodge within thee ; they will soon occasion such 
 a mist of darkness in thy soul, that thou shalt not 
 be able to discern the graces which dwell there. 
 
 6. Believers procure for themselves, the loss of 
 spiritual comfort, by mistaking blasphemous and 
 other evil thoughts injected by Satan, for sins of 
 their own. Satan, sometimes, in a way of furious 
 assault, throws in suddenly and swiftly, upon the 
 souls of many of the saints, temptations to blas- 
 phemous, atheistical, impure, revengeful, and des- 
 pairing thoughts. Such horrible injections are, by 
 the apostle Paul, termed " the fiery darts of the 
 wicked one b ;" because, like the sharp and en- 
 venomed darts of a cruel enemy, flying swiftly and 
 invisibly, they penetrate the soul before it is aware, 
 and hurry it on, to hard and blasphemous thoughts 
 
 b Eph. vi. 16. 
 
92 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 of God and of the Saviour. These violent and 
 sudden temptations, like impoisoned darts, pierce, 
 and inflame the holy soul, with anguish and hor- 
 ror : and they not only fill it with the greatest un- 
 easiness ; but, if they for a moment be yielded to, 
 they produce the most unbecoming suspicions of the 
 grace, and the word of God. c . Blasphemous and 
 atheistical thoughts do, indeed, arise often from the 
 depravity, that remains in believers themselves ; for 
 our Lord saith, " Out of the heart proceed evil 
 thoughts, — blasphemies d ." When exercised Chris- 
 tians do not resist, but on the contrary, yield to, 
 blasphemous and other evil thoughts ; they ought, 
 in that case, to consider them as arising out of their 
 own hearts, and to charge themselves with them, as 
 sins of their own. But, if such thoughts strike 
 their minds, violently and suddenly e ; if their being 
 assaulted with them, vexes and grieves them f ; and 
 if their souls tremble at them, and, with deep ab- 
 horrence, resist them « ; they ought, then, not to 
 charge them upon themselves, as their sins, but 
 upon Satan, as his. Now, it is because believers 
 do not, as they ought, distinguish between those 
 blasphemous and evil thoughts, which are injected 
 by the devil, and those, which proceed from their 
 own hearts ; that they are often so imposed on by 
 Satan, as to mistake the former, for sins of their 
 own, and so to be deprived of the consolation, 
 which in the gospel is allowed them. There is a 
 great difference, indeed, between a man's being 
 
 c Psal. lxxvii. 7, 8, 9. d Matth. xv. 19. 
 
 e Matth. xvi. 22, 23. f Psal. lxxiii. 21, 22. 
 
 g Psal. lxxiii. 15. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 93 
 
 tempted to blaspheme, or to doubt the truth of the 
 Divine testimony, and his being actually guilty of 
 blasphemy, or of doubting the truth of Scripture. 
 It is only, by his complying with temptation, that 
 he becomes guilty. Believer, thou hast much rea- 
 son to be thankful, if thou hast not been left, to 
 take pleasure in those suggestions, or to frame ar- 
 guments in support of them. Satan may be per- 
 mitted to overpower, for a moment, the apparent 
 exercise of every grace in thee, by a torrent of 
 blasphemous imaginations ; but, " resist him, and 
 he will flee from thee K n " Take the shield of 
 faith."*' Trust that the Lord Jesus, thy Saviour 
 and thy shield i, will graciously enable thee, " to 
 quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one ;"" and 
 according to thy faith, it will be unto thee. All 
 Satan's attempts to hurry thee into sin, shall be as 
 effectually disarmed of their force, by that shield, 
 as fire is, of its strength, by being quenched. To 
 distrust thy almighty Redeemer, or to doubt that 
 thou art not a true believer, beeause thou art thus 
 harassed by Satan ; is a much greater sin than all 
 his suggestions put together, however numerous 
 they may be. 
 
 7. Believers diminish their comfort much, by not 
 watching habitually against corruption within, and 
 temptation from without. 
 
 A good man loses much of his holy comfort, by 
 not observing cautiously and constantly, the motions 
 of sin in his heart. When he doth not accustom 
 himself, strictly to watch these, in order to detect, 
 
 h James iv. 7. * Psal. xxyiii. 7- 
 
94 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 resist, and mortify them k , as early as they begin 
 to appear ; they will speedily acquire such force, 
 as will urge him on violently and irresistibly, to 
 thoughts, words, and acts of sin. If he would re- 
 tain comfortable fellowship with an infinitely holy 
 God, he must watch diligently, the first motions 
 and sallies of depravity in his heart ; in order that, 
 by the lively exercise of the contrary graces, he 
 may resist them without delay : for if he do not, 
 in such a case, instantly try to exercise his graces, 
 and especially his faith ; Satan, who is always en- 
 vious and watchful, will seize that opportunity, to 
 exercise his corruptions ; and if, by being negligent 
 to watch and resist the first motions of corruption 
 in his heart, he suffer them often to obtain such 
 force, as to gain the consent of his will to actual 
 transgression ; he can have none to blame but him- 
 self, for the loss of his holy consolation \ 
 
 Seeing the remaining depravity of the heart, is 
 not only itself, a source of temptation to actual 
 sinm, but is the inlet for all temptations from 
 Satan and the world » ; the believer, if he would 
 retain spiritual consolation, must likewise be ever 
 upon his guard, against temptations from without. 
 If he cease, for a short while, to watch against those 
 temptations of Satan, which that deceitful adver- 
 sary manages in a way of subtilty and stratagem, 
 he will soon be so in snared by one or more of 
 them, as to fall into sin. Alas ! Spiritual wicked- 
 nesses in high places, which are every moment, 
 watching for opportunities to insnare his soul, are 
 
 k Rom. viii. 13. ■ Jer. ii. 19- m James i. 14. 
 
 n Jer. xvii. 9- 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMPORT. 95 
 
 so many, and so powerful, and so subtile ; that it 
 is in vain for the exercised Christian, to hope that 
 he shall be able to retain his comfort, if he cease 
 but for a moment to watch ». Though he cannot 
 shut Satan wholly out of his imagination, he should 
 however be very cautious, that he do not, even in 
 the smallest measure, provide fuel for his flame. 
 He should, for this purpose, often pray in faith, 
 that the Lord would so set a watch upon his eyes 
 and his ears, as to enable him, constantly to reject 
 and repel every appearance of temptation to sin. 
 And if he would not be tempted by the men of the 
 world, who are also the inveterate enemies of his 
 comfort, he must always keep himself at a due 
 distance from them. Christian, the snares of Sa- 
 tan and of his emissaries, are continually set 
 for thee. u Be sober therefore and vigilant P:" 
 « Watch thou in all things i ;" and " watch unto 
 prayer and supplication in the Spirit, with all per- 
 severance r ." If thou wouldst retain thy comfort, 
 shake off carnal security, and take good heed, lest 
 thy spiritual enemies surprise and overcome thee. 
 Be continually solicitous to espy temptations, while 
 they are yet at a distance, in order to prevent them 
 from surprising thee ; and that thou mayest be 
 enabled to do so, " Be strong in the Lord, and in 
 the power of his might s ." Trust that the Lord 
 Jesus will, and pray that he may, " strengthen 
 thee with all might, according to his glorious power, 
 by his Spirit in the inner man V 
 
 ° Eph. vl. 12. PI Pet. v. 8. i 2 Tim. iv. 5. 
 
 r Eph. vi. 18. s Eph. vi. 10. 
 
 tCol. i. 11. Eph. iii. 16. 
 
96 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 8. Believers likewise forfeit their spiritual com- 
 fort, by presuming, without necessity, to omit re- 
 peatedly some known duty. When the Lord de- 
 clareth, in the lxxxixth Psalm, That he will visit 
 the transgression of the spiritual seed of Messiah, 
 with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes ; the 
 phrases, by which, he expresseth the sins or modes 
 of sinning, which would procure for them, his pa- 
 ternal chastisements, are four : and it is remarkable, 
 that he employs three of them, to express the 
 omission of duties, and but one, to express the di- 
 rect commission of sins. — " If his children forsake 
 my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they 
 break, or, profane my statutes, and keep not my 
 commandments ; then will I visit their transgres- 
 sion with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes %T 
 Though sins of commission do, indeed, expose be- 
 lievers to fatherly chastisements ; yet, I believe it 
 will be found, that sins of omission do it much 
 more frequently ; because they are oftener guilty 
 of these, and they yield to them, with less struggle 
 and remorse, than they do, to sins of commission. 
 The spiritual declension of a Christian, especially 
 at its beginning, discovers itself, for the most part, 
 more by the customary omission of some duties, 
 than by the positive commission of crimes w . For, 
 although the omission of a present duty, is in- 
 deed a sin ; yet, it doth not usually appear to a 
 declining Christian, at first view, to be so horrible, 
 as the direct commission of a known transgression. 
 And therefore nothing commonly, but some violent 
 
 u Psal. Lxxxix. 30—32. w Isa. xliii. 22—24. 
 
THEIB SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 9? 
 
 and strong temptation can, at first, impel him to 
 the downright perpetration of a crime ; whereas, a 
 very small temptation wiil often suffice, to move 
 him to the neglect of an ordinance, or the omission 
 of a duty. If he should happen to be, at any time, 
 fatigued more than usually ; or, to be under a very 
 slight bodily distemper ; or, to have less time, or 
 less accommodation, than usual ; or, to be disturb- 
 ed, and ruffled in his temper ; or, to be receiving 
 or paying visits, &c. — any one of these, will pro- 
 bably suffice, as a temptation, to prevail with him 
 to shift off, at such a time, secret prayer, or family- 
 worship, or even public worship, or some other 
 present duty ; or at least, to perform them in a cold 
 and superficial manner. And having once begun 
 to admit such frivolous excuses, he may, perhaps, 
 be permitted for a season, to offer to his conscience, 
 almost any sort of occurrence, as an excuse for 
 omitting the stated performance of one or other of 
 these duties. On such occasions, he commonly ne- 
 glects likewise the exercise of his graces, especially, 
 of his faith and repentance ; and, it may be, takes 
 occasion, either from his sins or from his duties, to 
 do so. Or, perhaps, he suffers himself to neglect 
 for a season, some relative duty *, or at least, to 
 perform it not " heartily, as unto the Lord y." 
 Now, inasmuch as every omission of known duty, 
 is a sin against God z ; the Christian, by allowing 
 himself for a season, often to neglect some known 
 duty, or not to perform it cheerfully a ? grieves the 
 Holyf Spirit of God, and provokes Him to suspend 
 
 x Eph. vi. 2, 3. 1 Tim. v. 8 y Col. iii. 23. 
 
 z James iv. 17. a Mai. i. 13, 14. 
 
98 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 consolation from his soul. When he thus presumes 
 to make the Spirit sad, he must not expect, that 
 the Spirit will continue, as formerly, to make him 
 glad. The moment, his heart withdraws and hangs 
 off from any present duty, as if it were an unplea- 
 sant or irksome task, it does in the same propor- 
 tion, withdraw from the Lord ; and so, it loses the 
 comfort of serving Him, as well as of communion 
 with him b . To resolve to omit a present duty, is 
 even more sinful, than actually to omit it, without 
 intending so to do c . Ah ! how heinous a sin is it, 
 to be disposed, and without necessity, to be resolv- 
 ed, either to omit or to curtail, a single religious or 
 moral duty ! It shews how little regard, a man has, 
 to the glorious Majesty of heaven, when he can 
 put Him off, with slight and curtailed service d . 
 Such behaviour as this, will soon, very soon, raise 
 such a thick and dark cloud, as will intercept the 
 cheering beams of the Sun of righteousness, from 
 the soul. Alas! the omission, or slight performance 
 of many duties, is far from being considered and 
 lamented, by true Christians, as it ought to be. 
 
 I have already said that, a believer loses his 
 comfort, by omitting repeatedly, and without neces- 
 sity, some known duty : I must now go further, 
 and add that, If he live for a long time, in the 
 omission of some duty, which he doth not yet know 
 to be a duty ; but, which he might have known to 
 have been required of him, if he had diligently 
 availed himself of his opportunities to know it ; — 
 this instance of neglect may lie concealed, as a 
 
 b John xiv. 21. c Rev. ii. 4. d Mai. i. 6—8. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 99 
 
 gnawing worm, at the root of his comfort His 
 neglecting the study of the moral law, in its spirit- 
 uality and great extent, as his rule of duty e, so as 
 to continue ignorant of his duty, in any one point ; 
 is, when opportunity is graciously afforded him, for 
 attaining this knowledge, a greater sin, than it ever 
 will be possible for him, or even for the highest 
 angel, to comprehend. It is not enough, in order 
 to retain spiritual comfort, that a holy man study 
 well the promises of the gospel : he must likewise 
 study diligently the precepts of the law, in order 
 to obey them f . 
 
 9. Believers procure for themselves the loss of 
 comfort, by sitting down contented with their spiri- 
 tual attainments. When a good man so far forgets 
 himself, as to rest satisfied for a time, with his pre- 
 sent degree of knowlege, or faith, or holiness, and 
 to become remiss in his efforts to attain more and 
 more of these ; when he begins and continues, to be 
 so well pleased with his degree of knowledge, as to 
 read and hear the gospel, with less relish and less 
 diligence, than formerly ; to be so delighted with his 
 measure of faith and experience, as neither to com- 
 plain so much of his unbelief, nor to be so diligent and 
 frequent in his actings of faith, as in times past ; 
 and, to be so fond of his attainments in holiness, as 
 to be less diligent than formerly, in pressing to- 
 ward perfection ; he may assure himself, that he 
 shall thereby lose the comfort of communion with 
 
 e The clearest and fullest exposition of the ten com- 
 mandments, that I have yet seen, is that of Boston, in 
 his Sermons on the Shorter Catechism. 
 
 f Psal. cxix. 92, 165. 
 
100 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 a holy and a jealous God. If he accustom himself 
 for a season, not onlv, so to rest in his. religious at- 
 tainments, as to he less eager in pursuing after 
 higher degress of holiness ; but, to rest on them, 
 or place his confidence in them ; he adopts hereby, 
 the surest method of losing at once, the sight and 
 the comfort of them g . In proportion as he trusts 
 in his own knowledge, or faith, or holiness, or plea- 
 sant frames, in the prospect of any duty, which he 
 may be about to perform, instead of trusting only 
 in Christ ; or, in proportion as he looks to them 
 for comfort, instead of looking solely to Him ; he 
 prefers them before him. He idolizes them : he 
 makes a saviour and a comforter of them, instead of 
 Jesus Christ ; or at least, he suffers them to share 
 with Him, in that honour. He relies on grace 
 received, and so trusteth in his own heart. This 
 is one sure way, in which, he provokes the Lord 
 to hide his gracious countenance from him, and to 
 cover his evidences with a cloud in his anger h . 
 Spiritual comforts, if they be rested on, shall, as 
 effectually as earthly ones, keep a man from com- 
 fortable communion with Christ. When the Lord 
 Jesus vouchsafes to him, the comfort of spiritual 
 attainments, it is not that he may live upon it ; 
 but, that he may be incited and encouraged by it, 
 to persevere in holy faith and evangelical obedi- 
 ence. But if he, on the contrary, allow himself to 
 be elated with his attainments or comforts, and, 
 like Hezekiah, invite others to see his treasures ; 
 then, it will be time for the Lord, to send the 
 
 s Ezek. xxxvi. 25. Psal. xxx. 6, 1. h Luke ix. 33, 34. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 101 
 
 messengers of his anger, to carry away from his 
 view these idols, which steal away his heart from 
 Him. When his heart is swelling with self-impor- 
 tance, and self-confidence, all that is then poured 
 on it, runs over into the gulf of self-conceit, and 
 self-sufficiency. If he rely upon his own wisdom 
 and strength, in the prospect, especially of difficult 
 duties ; he must not think it strange, if he should 
 soon become discouraged and disconsolate. When 
 he presumes to rest on the acting of his faith, rather 
 than upon the glorious Object of it, and to draw 
 consolation from that, rather than from this ; he 
 so far prefers the act before the Object, and becomes 
 guilty of idolatry l . But, when he at length begins, 
 in his practical judgment, habitually to prefer re- 
 ceiving all his strength and comfort directly from 
 Christ, to having them in and of himself, even if he 
 might ; his consolation by Christ, will continue, 
 and even abound k . 
 
 10. Christians deprive themselves of holy con- 
 solation, by their indolence, in the exercise of graces, 
 and performance of duties. We read in the Song 
 of Solomon \ that the Church lost the comfort of 
 a gracious visit from Christ, by her sluggishness ; 
 which disposed her to neglect entertaining Him so 
 kindly, as she ought, and as the kindness of his 
 manifestation of himself, required. When any of 
 the saints have, by " joy and peace in believing," 
 and by " rejoicing in hope," found that, " in 
 keeping his commandments, there is great reward f 
 and yet, afterwards become slothful in the service 
 
 1 Psal. xvi. 4. k 2 Cor. i. 5. 1 Pet. i. 8. 
 1 Song- v. 2—6. 
 
102 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 of Christ, counting his yoke uneasy and his burden 
 heavy ; " shall he not visit for these things ? v They 
 need not wonder that they lose their sense of his 
 favour, when they are conscious that they often 
 pray for his grace, as if they prayed not ; when, 
 by their criminal indifference, and the coldness of 
 their petitions, they shew that they do not care 
 much, whether these be granted or not. Were 
 they duly concerned for the welfare of their souls, 
 they would frequently refresh them, by exercising 
 holy meditation and faith ; as they do their bodies, 
 by receiving food, thrice or oftener in the day. Di- 
 ligence in holy exercises and moral duties, is not 
 only a debt to the Lord, but a privilege to believers 
 themselves : and therefore by being slothful, they 
 discover at once injustice and unkindness ; a con- 
 tempt of the glorious Majesty of heaven, and a ne- 
 glect of his redeeming mercy. When the Saviour 
 draweth near, and they regard it not ; when He 
 knocketh, and they open not ; it is indeed high time 
 that, by withholding the comfort of his gracious visits, 
 from them, he should chastise their negligence, and 
 rouse them to diligence m . It is equitable, as well 
 as reasonable, that the consequence of spiritual 
 sloth should be, a loss of sensible consolation. 
 x\ccordingly, in the administration of the covenant 
 of grace, an intimate connexion is established, be- 
 tween diligence in holy duties, and the fruition of 
 spiritual comforts. The indolent Christian cannot 
 retain tranquillity of mind". What heavenly con- 
 solation must he lose, for instance, by his criminal 
 
 m Prov. x. 4. Heb. xi. 6. n Heb. vi. 11. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 103 
 
 inattention to the precious promises of God, and 
 even to the daily dispensations of his holy provi- 
 dence, to him ! If his love, which was once an as- 
 scending flame, become a feeble spark ; if his peni- 
 tential sorrow, which once, like Jordan, overflowed 
 all its banks, become " like a brook in summer ;"' 
 if his zeal, which formerly did eat him up, be 
 devoured by leanness or declension ; if he who, 
 in times past, could not " give sleep to his eyes 
 nor slumber to his eyelids," till Jesus gave rest to 
 his soul, can lie down securely, with contracted 
 guilt in his conscience ; and if he, who formerly 
 was diligent in spiritual exercise and holy obedi- 
 ence, become remiss and regardless ; he thereby 
 makes a wide breach, for the entrance of spiritual 
 trouble °. It is indeed mercifully, as well as wise- 
 ly, appointed, that when he becomes indolent, his 
 comfort should decline ; in order that he may per- 
 ceive in time, that he is in a languishing condi- 
 tion, and may without delay, entreat the Lord 
 Jesus to restore his soul. Besides, if the Lord 
 did not, on such occasions, withdraw himself, the 
 Christian would not prize his gracious presence 
 highly, nor think it so comfortable, as it is. Be- 
 liever, " be not then slothful in business ; but be 
 fervent in spirit, serving the Lord p." See that, 
 by grace received daily from the fulness of Christ, 
 thy soul be vigorous and active in his holy service 9. 
 Be always diligent, in attempting the exercise of 
 grace, in using the means of grace, and in doing 
 
 ° Prov. xix. 15. Hos. v. 15. p Rom. xii. 11, 
 
 9 Eccles. ix. 10. 
 
104 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 every good work, in the strength of promised grace. 
 If persons linger on a journey, they are sometimes 
 benighted ; if thou become slothful, in exercising 
 thy graces, or in performing thy duties ; wonder 
 not, if thou begin to walk in darkness. Be con- 
 tinually on thy guard, then, against every appear- 
 ance- of inward declension, and especially, against 
 slothfulness in the exercise of direct confidence in 
 Christ, and of secret prayer. 
 
 1 1. Believers suffer a diminution of their spiritual 
 comfort, by having and entertaining, a low estima- 
 tion of the counsels and cornforts of the Holy Spirit 
 of Christ. When they allow themselves, for a sea- 
 son, to entertain a light esteem of the counsels, or 
 ordinances, or promises, or influences, or comforts, 
 of the blessed Spirit ; when they receive these, but 
 not gratefully, or keep them, but not diligently ; 
 they thereby dishonour and grieve the Holy Spirit 
 himself, who is the glorious Author of them. An 
 earthly Sovereign would account himself dishon- 
 oured, if his proclamations, or pardons, or favours, 
 should not be entertained with high regard, especi- 
 al iy bv those, who are not only the subjects of his 
 dominion, but the objects of his favour. In like 
 manner, if they, who are the subjects of the Spirit's 
 gracious influences, and the objects of his peculiar 
 favour, do not account his word their treasure, his 
 promises their joy, his Sabbaths their delight, and 
 his consolations, their felicity ; they so far treat 
 Himself with indignity : and the more exalted and 
 glorious, the adorable Spirit is, the more sinful, the 
 indignity is, which is thereby offered him. Be- 
 sides, if, in their practical judgment, they prefer 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 105 
 
 mean and even sinful objects, before the great 
 things of the Spirit ; such as, the wisdom and the 
 maxims of the world, before His counsels; the 
 comforts and the pleasures of the world, before 
 His consolations; the riches and the honours of 
 the world, before the honour of holy conformity to 
 Him, and of intimate communion with him ; they 
 do thereby, offer an infinite affront to his glorious 
 Majesty. For, what greater dishonour can they 
 reflect upon the holy and blessed Spirit, than prac- 
 tically, to shew greater regard to a creature, to a 
 vain creature, yea, to an enemy, than to Him ! 
 Ah ! when a Christian's desire to the food of his 
 soul, is almost gone ; when he appears, as if he had 
 been surfeited with the gospel ; when Divine or- 
 dinances, instead of being highly esteemed, are 
 basely slighted by him ; and when his heart is 
 more set upon his farm or merchandise, than upon 
 seasons of communion with God in Christ ; he 
 must not be surprised, if he should, for a season, 
 be taught the worth of these inestimable blessings, 
 by the want of them. Or when, by poring con- 
 stantly upon the sins of his heart, and of his life, 
 and by setting the demerit of these, as it were, in 
 battle-array, against the merit of the great Re- 
 deemer's consummate righteousness, he makes lit- 
 tle account of the offers and promises of the bless- 
 ed gospel ; he must blame none but himself, for 
 his loss of comfort. O Christian, consider well 
 these words of the apostle Paul: — " To be spirit- 
 ually minded is life and peace r ." Endeavour to at- 
 
 r Rom. viii. 6. 
 e 2 
 
106 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 tain without delay, a more spiritual and clear dis- 
 cernment of the things of the Spirit. Pray fre- 
 quently and fervently, for more acquaintance with 
 them, and for more complacency in them. Learn 
 to form such a low estimate of the creature, as to 
 expect nothing from it ; and such a high esteem of 
 the Lord Jesus, as to expect all from Him : so 
 shalt thou be exempted from those frequent, and 
 galling disappointments, which cannot but render 
 the life of a believer uncomfortable s . Wert thou 
 to love thy redeeming God, so much, as habitually 
 to come before Him in his ordinances, with delight 
 in him, and to go away, with desire to him ; thou 
 should st always retain the comfort of communion 
 with him*. 
 
 12. True Christians deprive themselves of com- 
 fort, by presuming to pray for things which are not 
 suitable to their condition, and which, it would not 
 be consistent with the scheme of their salvation, to 
 grant them at present, nor indeed at any time. 
 When they venture repeatedly to ask in prayer, 
 something which the Lord seeth to be improper 
 for them, and not necessary to subserve the wise 
 purposes of his glory, in their sanctification ; 
 " They ask, and receive not, because they ask 
 amiss u ." If, for instance, they pray that, as much 
 grace might be given them at once, as would be 
 sufficient for them all their life-time w ; if they per- 
 emptorily ask sensible manifestations, great enlarge- 
 ments, and high ecstasies of joy ; if they pray for 
 any comfort whatever, without resolving to use dili- 
 
 s Psal. cxlvi. 5. * Psal. xxxvii. 4. and Ixxi. 21. 
 
 u James iv. 3. w John iv. 15. 
 
 5 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 107 
 
 gently, all the other appointed means of attaining 
 it ; if they entreat the removal of any affliction, be- 
 fore they have been rightly exercised under it x ; 
 and, if they pray absolutely for a certain measure^ 
 of the good things of this life ; — the Lord will not, 
 and indeed cannot, in mercy to them, grant such 
 petitions. The consequence often is, that after 
 having, it may be, waited long for answers without 
 receiving any, they become discouraged and dis- 
 consolate. Moreover, when they venture in prayer, 
 to prescribe to the Lord, a way and a time of ap- 
 pearing for their help ; and when the Lord, as he 
 will surely do, refuseth to come for their salvation, 
 in that particular way, and at that very time y ; 
 they take occasion from that refusal, to yield to dis- 
 quietude and discouragement ; or, when they ven- 
 ture to propose the Lord's particular way of treat- 
 ing some other believers, as the way in which, they 
 desire that he would deal with them; and find 
 that, they are not gratified likewise in this ; they, 
 sometimes, begin to yield to discouraging and des- 
 ponding thoughts. Thus, they presume to limit 
 the holy One of Israel, who hath resolved to act as 
 an infinite Sovereign, in his manner of bringing all 
 his saints to glory. Believers, if they would retain 
 spiritual consolation, would do well to consider, 
 that it is only such petitions, as are for things un- 
 necessary, and even hurtful to them, that the Lord 
 refuseth to grant; that he never denieth any of 
 them, without a sufficient reason, and that he some- 
 times condescends to shew them the reason z ; that 
 
 x 2 Cor. xii. 8. y 2 Kings v. 11. z 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9- 
 
108 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 he never refuseth, but when they ask what is not 
 good, or rather, what is not best for them, at the 
 time referred to; and, that although they do not 
 receive what they come for, yet he allows them, that 
 which is sufficient to bear their charges in coming 
 and going, and invites them to come again. They 
 ought also to consider, that those are not the holi- 
 est, nor the greatest of believers, whose sense is the 
 most indulged. Believing Mary, is forbidden to 
 touch Jesus ; and disbelieving Thomas, is com- 
 manded to thrust his hand into his side. Christian, 
 if thou wouldst, from time to time, be comforted 
 with answers of peace to thy prayers, offer up to 
 the Lord no unwarrantable desires ; no desires, but 
 for things which are agreeable to his revealed will ; 
 and no desires, but in the name of Christ, and by 
 the help of the Spirit. Ask nothing, on purpose 
 to consume it upon thy pleasures a . Regulate al- 
 ways thy petitions, by the promises of the everlast- 
 ing covenant ; which comprise all that is good for 
 thee, in time and through eternity, and infinitely 
 more than thou art able to ask or think b . 
 
 13. They procure for themselves, the loss of spi- 
 ritual comfort, by yielding for a season, to such 
 temptations, as urge them to attempt things in reli- 
 gion, that are impracticable- When Satan per- 
 ceives that he cannot persuade the Christian, espe- 
 cially the young and unexperienced Christian, to 
 live in the neglect of any known duty ; he, some- 
 times, presses him vehemently, to a rash and quick 
 performance of some difficult duty. He suggests 
 
 R James iv. 3. b Eph. iii. 20. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 109 
 to him, that the Lord is a hard Master j that he 
 delighteth in requiring difficult duties, duties too, 
 which must be performed speedily, and that, on the 
 pain of incurring his infinite displeasure ; that, like 
 a tyrannical ruler, who makes laws in order to en- 
 snare his subjects, he commands duties which are 
 oppressive, and doth it with unrelenting rigour ; 
 and that, he requires them to be done with the ut- 
 most degree of exactness, or else he will not accept 
 them. Now, so far as a good man yields to this 
 horrible temptation, he presumes to imagine, that 
 the commandments of God are grievous, that the 
 yoke of Christ is hard. Apprehending the Lord 
 Jesus to be a rigorous Master, he, under the pre- 
 valence of slavish fear e , performs even the easiest 
 of his duties, without courage, without affection, 
 and even with aversion. His comfort accordingly 
 is destroyed, his heart is dejected, his hands are 
 weakened. 
 
 Moreover, Satan sometimes urges him, to attempt 
 the doing of several things at once, which he well 
 knows is impossible. And the moment he yields 
 to this temptation, his heart begins to be so divided, 
 his thoughts to be so perplexed, and his attention 
 to be so distracted, between a multiplicity of objects 
 which crowd into his view, that he becomes inca- 
 pable of performing any duty well. Endeavouring 
 to grasp too much, he lets all slip. Whatever he 
 tries to perform, he does it superficially and unsea- 
 sonably. When he is called to perform one duty, 
 he is, perhaps, addressing himself to another ; and, 
 
 e 1 John iv. 13. 
 
110 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 like Martha, he is i( careful and troubled about 
 many things d ." The great rule of every duty is 
 this ; — " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it 
 with thy might e ;" that is, c Let thy heart be 
 wholly intent upon, and occupied with that one 
 duty, while thou art performing it.' Indeed, it 
 cannot otherwise be performed, either acceptably or 
 comfortably. 
 
 The tempter also will, sometimes, instigate those 
 of the saints, who are called to perform a greater 
 variety of duties than others are, to continue longer 
 than is requisite, in doing some one duty ; in order 
 to put it out of their power, rightly to discharge 
 some other, equally incumbent on them. He will 
 press them, for instance, either to employ so much 
 time in the worship of the family, and especially, in 
 that of the closet, as to have no opportunity for 
 some other duty equally necessary ; or to spend so 
 much time, in some duty respecting their secular 
 affairs, as to have almost no opportunity for those 
 holy and necessary exercises. In proportion as a 
 good man yields for a time, to this temptation ; it 
 is easy to see that, he thereby deprives himself of 
 that comfort of communion with a holy God, which 
 is enjoyed only, in a conscientious and seasonable 
 discharge of every known duty. Now, in order to 
 prevent his falling into this destructive snare, he 
 ought daily to trust, as well as to pray, that the 
 Lord Jesus, who is given " for a leader to the 
 people f ," would according to his promise s, guide 
 him continually to that which, in preference to 
 
 d Luke x. 41. e Eccles. ix. 10. 
 
 f Isa. lv. 4. g Isa. lviii. 1 1 . 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. Ill 
 
 every other, is his present duty. And when he 
 discerns his present duty, he should resolutely, and 
 in the faith of the promise, despatch that, and then 
 proceed, in the same manner, to his next duty. 
 Let him diligently perform every act of obedience, 
 in its proper season ; and, that he may have oppor- 
 tunity for every one, let him so redeem his time, 
 as to spend no time in idleness, or in doing any 
 thing but that which his conscience pronounces to 
 be his present duty \ 
 
 14. Believers forfeit the continuance of their spi- 
 ritual comfort, by the commission of gross, and 
 atrocious transgressions ; of such sins as are con- 
 trary, not only to the light of Revelation, but even 
 to the light of nature. By doing so, they rebel 
 against, and " vex the Holy Spirit, so that he is 
 turned," as it were, "to be their enemy, and to 
 fight against them »." By such iniquities, they at 
 the same time, wound and waste their own con- 
 sciences. When a holy man presumes to resemble 
 the men of this world so much, as to commit but 
 one of the sins mentioned in 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10, or 
 any other heinous iniquity ; he thereby pierces the 
 Lord Jesus, grieves the Holy Spirit, inflicts a deep 
 wound in his own conscience, and so procures for 
 himself, the loss of holy consolation. We see 5 in 
 some of the penitential Psalms of David, that his 
 adultery and murder, not only deprived him of 
 sensible comfort ; but exposed him, and that for a 
 long season, to Divine desertion, in respect even of 
 quickening and purifying influences. We know 
 
 h Eph. v. 15, 16. » Isa. Ixiii. 10. 
 
112 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 also, that Peter's denial of his blessed Lord render- 
 ed him, for a time, very disconsolate. If a good 
 man, then, instigated either by corruption within, 
 or by temptation from without, suffer himself not 
 only to contemplate with desire, but actually to fall 
 into, any of those enormities which, by one Apostle, 
 are termed, " The works of the flesh V' an d by an - 
 other, " The pollutions of the world 1 ;" he exposes 
 himself, in an uncommon degree, to the dreadful 
 frowns of his heavenly Father : for such enormities, 
 as they are directly opposite even to the light of 
 nature, so they are most contrary to the influences 
 of grace. The sin of a believer in falling into any 
 one of them, is deeply aggravated from all his ma- 
 nifold privileges, and more especially from this ; 
 that he usually has more strength afforded him, 
 against gross enormities, than even against sins 
 which are more spiritual, and less obvious to his 
 view. The means of being kept from falling into 
 gross iniquities, which the Christian ought diligent- 
 ly to use, are such as these : trust in Christ, at all 
 times, for continual supplies of sanctifying grace ; 
 prayer without ceasing, and without fainting ; 
 watchfulness unto prayer, and against his spiritual 
 enemies, with all perseverance ; and keeping a con- 
 stant guard, more especially, against pride of heart, 
 confidence in grace received, and the evil that is in 
 the world. 
 
 15. Christians likewise destroy the peace and 
 comfort of their minds, by open sins of any kind, 
 which offend others around them, and cause many 
 
 k Gal. v. 19—21. 1 2 Pet. ii. 20. 
 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. I IB 
 
 of them to stumble. When any of the saints com- 
 mit such sins as are exposed to the view of others, 
 and thereby grieve, or offend, or stumble them ; 
 the Lord is greatly dishonoured and displeased, and 
 his Holy Spirit is so grieved, as to suspend for a 
 time, his cheering influences from their souls. He, 
 in this way, frequently imbitters those sins to his 
 people, by which they have offended others, and 
 have given them occasion to reproach his blessed 
 religion, and to blaspheme his holy name. After 
 David had sinned openly, in the matter of Uriah, 
 Nathan said to him, " Because by this deed, thou 
 hast given great occasion to the enemies of the 
 Lord, to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto 
 thee, shall surely die m,r ' The Lord charged it, as 
 a deeply aggravated sin, upon his ancient people, 
 that, by the unholy and offensive behaviour of many 
 of them, they occasioned " his holy name to be 
 profaned among the heathen V If blasphemy is 
 justly allowed to be a most atrocious crime ; doubt- 
 less, it must be a heinous iniquity, especially in 
 any of the children of God, to give occasion to it. 
 When they at any time fall openly into dishonesty, 
 or pride, or passion, or revenge, or unbecoming 
 discourse, and especially into covetousness ; the 
 enemies of the gospel, never fail to take special no- 
 tice of it, and to take occasion from it, to become 
 the more confirmed, in their inveterate prejudices 
 against faith and holiness. These sins therefore 
 do, as much as more enormous evils that are com- 
 mitted in secret, procure for believers the loss of 
 
 m 2 Sam. xii. 14. n Ezek. xxxvl 20, 23. Rom. ii. 24, 
 
114 HOW BELIEVERS LOSE 
 
 spiritual comfort. " For the iniquity of his co- 
 vetousness," saith Jehovah, " was I wroth, and 
 smote him: I hid me, and was wroth ." When, 
 after spiritual enlargement, and communion with 
 God in holy exercises, Christians become negli- 
 gent in glorifying him by good works before men ; 
 when, as soon as they have come down from the 
 mount, they, like Moses, break the tables of the 
 holy law; such ungrateful and inconsistent beha- 
 viour as this, often provokes their heavenly Father 
 to chasten them, by the infliction of inward, as well 
 as of outward trouble. By presuming to sin open- 
 ly, they not only offend and grieve the Holy Spi- 
 rit, but trouble and discourage other saints around 
 them ; and therefore it is proper, that they them- 
 selves should feel spiritual trouble, and should 
 know by their own bitter experience, " That it is 
 an evil thing and bitter, that they have forsaken 
 the Lord their God p." 
 
 16. Lastly, Believers procure for themselves the 
 loss of holy comfort, by relapsing often into the 
 same sin. What sin soever it be, and how strong 
 soever the temptation to it be ; the repeated, and 
 especially, the frequent commission of it, will pro- 
 voke the Holy Spirit, to withhold his consoling 
 influences from the backsliding Christian. This 
 will more especially be the case, if, under the pre- 
 valence of corruption, and the power of temptation, 
 he suffer himself to resemble so much the secure 
 hypocrite, as to take the smallest encouragement 
 from the riches of redeeming grace in Christ, to 
 
 Isa. lvii. 17- p Jer. ii. 19. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 115 
 
 repeat the same offence. By his daring to do so, 
 he " maketh Christ the minister of sin q :" he 
 practically represents the holy Jesus and his great 
 salvation, as leaving him still under the dominion 
 of sin, yea, as affording him encouragement to 
 practise iniquity. Besides, by relapsing often into 
 the same transgression, the Christian practically 
 declares, that he still loves, and has pleasure in 
 that sin. Now, by loving that which is inexpres- 
 sibly hateful, and which the Lord hateth with in- 
 finite abhorrence ; and by counting that pleasant 
 to his taste, which is of all things the most bitter, 
 and which tendered to the Saviour's lips, the vine- 
 gar and gall ; the believer renders it indispensably 
 necessary, that the sweet and holy consolations of 
 the Spirit, be suspended from him ; in order that, 
 he may be made to see, that his iniquity is most 
 hateful, and to experience, that it is most bitter. 
 
 Moreover, the repetition of a transgression 
 lieightens the crime. As, in figures, the addition 
 of one figure, makes the number ten times greater ; 
 so the Christian's repetition of the same sin, of a 
 sin which he has often confessed, lamented, and 
 resolved against; renders it heinous in a tenfold 
 degree, and calls aloud for paternal chastisement. 
 In such a case, he must be taught, not only by 
 the anguish of the Redeemer's soul, in the garden 
 and on the cross, but by the trouble of his own 
 spirit, that sin is of all evils the greatest ; and that 
 his having fallen again and again, into the same 
 offence, after he had received the forgiveness of 
 
 ? Gal. ii. 1?. 
 
116 HOW BELIEVEliS LOSE 
 
 sins, renders his sin exceeding sinful r . And if, 
 after he has, for his disobedience, been chastened 
 with outward affliction, he, nevertheless, turns 
 again to the same offence ; this will, if infinite 
 mercy prevent it not, inevitably expose him to in- 
 ward distress, which is inexpressibly more dread- 
 ful and intolerable. Ah ! when a man, who hath 
 believed through grace, presumes to cast a pro- 
 pitious eye upon some easily besetting sin, and 
 secretly to say, " Is it not a little one ? and my 
 soul shall live ;" he is not aware, how effectually, 
 he thereby robs his soul of holy comfort. If, after 
 having often complained to the Lord, of his unbe- 
 lief, pride, self-confidence, deadness, frowardness, 
 censoriousness, and other evils ; he still is ready, 
 on almost every occasion, to gratify, if not to ex- 
 cuse and vindicate them ; does he not hereby re- 
 semble the hypocrite ? and is it not proper, that he 
 should for a season, be deprived of the comfort of 
 seeing, that he is a sincere believer ; and also, that 
 he should be left under the prevalence of perplex- 
 ing fears, that he has hitherto been, and at present 
 is, but a hypocrite ? I do not say, that a man's re- 
 lapsing for a time, again and again into the same 
 transgression, proves him to be a hypocrite ; for 
 God hath nowhere promised such a degree of 
 strength, to his people, during their state of imper- 
 fection, as will set them beyond the possibility of 
 relapsing for a season, into the same offence 8 : but 
 I affirm, that a true Christian's doing so, makes him 
 appear very like a hypocrite, obscures his evidences 
 
 r Ezra ix. 13, 14. Mai. ii. 13. 8 Prov. xxiv. 16. 
 
THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 117 
 
 of sincerity, renders his condition inexpressibly 
 dreadful, and exposes him to a very severe chastise- 
 ment. Believer, if this be thy present condition, 
 O apply, and without delay plead, this gracious 
 promise, " I will heal their backsliding, I will love 
 them freely * ;" and, in the faith of it, watch and 
 strive with holy resolution, especially against " the 
 sin which doth so easily beset thee." Know, that 
 thy redeeming God hath made an unalterable, an 
 eternal separation, between the love of sin, and the 
 joy of salvation. O endeavour diligently, to be- 
 come eminent, especially in that grace, which is 
 more immediately the opposite of thy constitutional 
 sin. Wouldst thou wish to keep down doubts and 
 fears, and to keep up faith and comfort ? Shun, O 
 shun every occasion, and every appearance, espe- 
 cially of that sin u . Be persuaded that, the plea- 
 sure of overcoming, even the most easily besetting 
 sin, is inconceivably greater, than the pleasure of 
 committing it. 
 
 FftOM the foregoing particulars, the disconsolate 
 believer may plainly see, that he has none to blame 
 but himself, for his loss of holy consolation. When 
 he is bewailing his want of peaceful tranquillity, or 
 of holy joy, he must complain of none but himself. 
 It is he himself that takes, and even forces away, 
 his own comfort : for, by his aggravated sins, he 
 hath rendered it necessary, that the Lord should 
 hide his face from him. Indeed, he never sins 
 against God, without sinning, at the same time^ 
 
 t Hos. xiv. 4. ' u 1 Thess. v. 22, 
 
118 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 against his own soul. We read in the Scriptures, 
 That we must forgive our enemies, but never in 
 express terms, That we must forgive — our friends. 
 The iniquities of GocTs own people, are the most 
 provoking to him : and though he hath forgiven 
 them all, as to the guilt of eternal wrath ; yet, as 
 in the case of Moses, he may refuse to forgive some 
 of them, in respect of the guilt of paternal anger. 
 The iniquity of others, " is marked before him ;" 
 but " the sin of Judah, is written with a pen of 
 iron, and with the point of a diamond w. w The 
 friends of Christ, then, must be ever on their guard 
 against sin, especially against wilful sin. Sinning 
 wifully, will assuredly weaken their hands, and 
 bring trouble into their consciences. 
 
 Does a good man forfeit his holy comfort, by 
 making his graces, or performances, or lively frames, 
 his ground of right to trust in Jesus for salvation ? 
 He should hence learn the need that he has, to be 
 daily exercising himself in mortifying the legal 
 spirit, which remains in him. It is this, that 
 prompts him to make his graces and duties, his 
 warrant to renew his actings of trust in the Saviour ; 
 and thereby, to forfeit the comfort of his soul. 
 Next to unbelief itself, his legal temper, is, perhaps, 
 the worst enemy of his pure consolation. It is a 
 secret and subtle foe, that seems to intend him a 
 kindness; whilst it is always putting him, upon 
 seeking for some good qualifications in himself, on 
 the ground of which, he may trust that God loveth 
 him, and that Christ saveth him. Let him, there- 
 
 w Jer. xvii. 1. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 119 
 
 fore, if he would retain spiritual comfort, be dili- 
 gent in mortifying his self-righteous spirit ; and 
 know that, the way to conquer and destroy it, is, 
 by faith, to bring daily into his conscience a better 
 hope, from a better righteousness than that of the 
 law. All the spiritual distress of the exercised 
 Christian, may be traced to a legal spirit in him. 
 He seldom wants comfort, but by looking less or 
 more to his own righteousness, instead of looking 
 off, to the consummate righteousness of Jesus 
 Christ x. Believer, it is not sufficient, in order 
 to maintain spiritual comfort, that thou dost not 
 rely on thy graces and performances, for a title to 
 
 x The Author of an excellent Sermon, in pointing- 
 out some of the injuries which believers sustain, by the 
 prevalence of the legal temper, expresses himself thus: 
 — ' It spoils them of their comfort, and brings a damp of 
 sorrow and dejection, over their spirits. None have such 
 ground of comfort as believers ; and did they know how 
 to improve their privilege : did they live daily in the 
 faith of the gospel, and in the comforts of their new state, 
 they would be the most cheerful persons in the world : 
 but the prevalence of this temper, like a moth, secretly 
 worms out the very life of their comfort, and throws 
 them into the depths of despondency. What comfort 
 can they have, in the duties of religion, when they seek 
 it from themselves, and from their duties ? What com- 
 fort can they have, either in duty, or out of duty, in the 
 absence of their God ?' 
 
 f It robs them of their peace. As all true and solid 
 peace is built upon justification by the blood of Christ, 
 so, it can only be maintained by the daily exercise of 
 faith in this comfortable doctrine. " Being justified by 
 faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus 
 Christ." Rom. v. 1, But so far as the legal temper pre- 
 vails, their peace is set upon another foundation ; is built 
 upon their enlargements in duty, their frames, and at- 
 tainments in religion ; and therefore must be unstable as 
 water.' The Evangelical Preacher, vol. iii. p. 199« 
 
120 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 eternal life. Thou must not presume to rely on 
 them, for even so much as a right to trust in Christ : 
 thou must not make them, the smallest part of thy 
 warrant, to renew thy exercise of confidence in him. 
 Again : Do believers lose their holy consolation, 
 by living upon their comfort, rather than upon the 
 holy Comforter himself, and by loving the former, 
 as much as, or more than, the latter ? They may 
 hence perceive that, it is sinful and very displeas- 
 ing to the Lord, to rely upon the comfort already 
 given them, or to love consolation in the streams, 
 more than, or even as much as, comfort in the foun- 
 tain. He taketh away sensible comfort from them, 
 because they have loved it inordinately, or loved it 
 too much ; and because he would teach them effec- 
 tually, the necessity of loving the adorable Com- 
 forter himself, more than all the sweet consolation, 
 which they have received from him. They must 
 not expect, that " the God of all comfort, 1 ' will 
 suffer them to let their love run waste upon their 
 pleasant feelings. He will elevate it all to himself. 
 Because he loveth them, he will so chasten them, 
 as to teach them to love himself supremely, and to 
 live upon himself, in the absence of sensible delights. 
 He will teach them to love him, more for that 
 boundless ocean which is in himself, than for the 
 few drops which he hath shed upon them ; more 
 for his own infinite benignity, than for the grace 
 or comfort, which he hath communicated to them. 
 He will thereby, at the same time, shew them, how 
 weak their love of him is, when they love him 
 chiefly for the comfort which they have received 
 from him ; and how weak their faith is, when they 
 
REFLECTIONS. 121 
 
 live upon the streams, rather than upon the over- 
 flowing fountain of consolation. 
 
 Further: Do believers, by their aggravated offen- 
 ces, provoke the Lord at any time, so to hide his 
 face from them, as to leave them in the dark, re- 
 specting the truth of grace in their hearts ? It fol- 
 lows that, though grace is always in the heart of a 
 holy man, yet he is not always able to discern it 
 there. His heart is always the seat of the princi- 
 ples and habits of grace ; and yet, he doth not con- 
 tinually enjoy the comfort of perceiving them. 
 The figures of a sun-dial, continue to be plainly 
 marked upon it ; and yet we cannot see by it, what 
 hour of the day it is, unless_the sun shine upon it. 
 It is only, when graces are in exercise^ and when 
 the glorious Sun of righteousness shineth upon them, 
 that they can be seen. Let not, then, any of the 
 saints conclude, that they never had, and that they 
 now have not, a well-grounded assurance of their 
 being in a state^ of grace ; because doubts of the 
 truth of grace in them, do sometimes arise in their 
 minds. Their assurance of personal interest in 
 Christ, is well-grounded and true, though it is far 
 from being perfect. Their graces themselves are 
 imperfect, and therefore that assurance of sense, 
 which arises from the perception of them, must be 
 imperfect likewise. Such believers, as resolve never 
 to rejoice, till they attain perfect assurance, must 
 resolve never to rejoice, while they are in this world. 
 They should consider that, there are many degrees 
 of real certainty, below a perfect degree of it ; and 
 that, they injure themselves much, when they call 
 
122 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 their state of grace into question, as often as they 
 do not perceive clearly their habits of grace. 
 
 Once more : Is it only by sinning against the 
 high and holy One, that believers lose the comfort 
 of communion with him ? They may hence disco- 
 ver, what reason they have to abhor 9 and with holy 
 detestation, to turn from all manner of sin. Their 
 iniquity has not only pierced the incarnate Re- 
 deemer, and grieved the Holy Spirit ; but it pierces 
 themselves through with many sorrows. It is the 
 worst enemy of their souls. It incessantly strives 
 to rob them of their purest and sweetest joys. 
 Let them therefore without ceasing, strive against 
 the motions, and mortify the members, of the body 
 of sin that dwelleth in them. If they allow, even 
 for a moment, sin to dwell at ease in them ; it will 
 assuredly deprive them of their holy tranquillity. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 OF THE GRIEVOUS CONSEQUENCES, OF THE CHRIS- 
 TIAN'S HAVING^ LOST HIS SPIRITUAL CONSOLA. 
 TION. 
 
 By withholding spiritual consolation from the souls 
 of any of his people, the Lord, in proportion as he 
 doth it, is represented in the Scriptures, as forsak- 
 ing or deserting them. His forsaking of them, in 
 respect of comforting influences, either in a less or 
 greater degree, is the same as, his withdrawing of 
 the sensible influences and tokens of his special fa- 
 vour from their souls ; or, as it is often expressed in 
 
 7 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 123 
 
 the Scripture, his hiding of his face from them. 
 When he so forsaketh them, or so hideth the light 
 of his gracious countenance from them, as to sus- 
 pend, in any measure, his influences of comfort from 
 their souls ; they lose, in the same measure, that 
 consoling sense of his special favour and love to 
 them, which hitherto they usually enjoyed. The 
 meaning of God's hiding of his face from believers, 
 may, in some degree, be understood from the op- 
 posite phrases, of his " causing his face to shine 
 upon them," and, his " lifting up the light of his 
 countenance upon them." These phrases appear 
 to carry in them, an allusion to the shining forth 
 of the ShechhuiJi, in the ancient Tabernacle and 
 Temple; that is, of the glorious lustre, which 
 dwelt in the cloud, as the visible token of Jehovah's 
 favour to the Israelites, and of that gracious pre- 
 sence with them, which he was pleased, on some 
 solemn occasions, peculiarly to manifest. There 
 may also be in them, an allusion to the pleasant ap- 
 pearance of the countenance of a friend, in a supe- 
 rior station of life, when he converses familiarly 
 with an inferior, whom he regards with peculiar 
 favour. Accordingly Job, when mentioning the 
 regard shewn him by his attendants, says, " If I 
 laughed on them, or, jested with them, they be- 
 lieved it not, and the light of my countenance they 
 cast not down * (* as if he had said, 4 They were, 
 on an occasion so agreeable to them, solicitous to 
 do nothing that would so displease me, as to make 
 me frown on them.' And when the Israelitish 
 Church in captivity, prayed to be restored to her 
 
 x Job xxix. 24. 
 
124 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 former freedom, she said, " Cause thy face to 
 shine, and we shall be saved y ;" that is, ' Restore 
 us to our former prosperity, and thereby manifest 
 to us thy mercy and thy favour.'' On the other 
 hand, God is said in Scripture, to hide his face from 
 his children, or, not to cause his countenance to 
 shine upon them ; when, as a mark of his paternal 
 displeasure with their evil conduct, he suspendeth 
 for a season, the wonted influences and tokens of 
 his favour, from their souls. Such forsaking, there- 
 fore, or suspension of spiritual comfort, though 
 sometimes intended as a trial of their graces ; yet, 
 is oftener designed by their heavenly Father, as a 
 grievous chastisement for their sins. 
 
 Now, the consequences of their loss of spiritual 
 consolation, are especially the following : 
 
 1. Trouble and sorrow of spirit, are conse- 
 quences of it. " Thou didst hide thy face," saith 
 David, " and I was troubled ** And when he 
 was driven from the Sanctuary of Jehovah, in 
 which the visible symbol of his favour was placed, 
 and where the manifestations of his favour were en- 
 joyed ; the soul of that holy man, was cast down 
 and disquieted in him a . Indeed, when a saint hath, 
 especially by his own aggravated folly, lost the 
 sense of his peace with God, he cannot but be 
 troubled ; and when he hath forfeited the sense of 
 his joy in God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, he 
 cannot but be sorrowful. " In the favour of God 
 is life*" When, therefore, a holy man loses his 
 perception of that favour ; " the sorrows of death, 
 
 y Psal. Jxxx. 3. z Psal. xxx. 7. 
 
 » Psal. xlii. 5, 6. b Psal. xxx. 5. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 125 
 
 will more or less compass him, and the pains of 
 hell, will get hold upon him : he shall find trouble 
 and sorrow c ." And the more he is insensibly up- 
 held, by sustaining and quickening influences ; the 
 more troubled and grieved, will he commonly be, 
 for his loss of comforting influences. A prevailing 
 persuasion of the favour of God in Christ, and of 
 acceptance with him, is the ordinary attainment 
 of the saints in this world. " The Lord will speak 
 peace unto his people, and to his saints d ." But 
 when a saint forfeits the light of God's gracious 
 countenance, and of holy comfort ; he ordinarily 
 at such a time, loses all sight of his evidences of 
 grace : and when he cannot discern in himself, the 
 smallest evidence of grace, or of his being an object 
 of Divine favour, he cannot fail to be deeply de- 
 jected, and troubled in spirit. The sensible de- 
 parture of a good and gracious God, from the holy 
 soul, is, like the departure of the soul from the 
 body, — painful and dreadful. In other losses, some- 
 thing still remains that is comfortable : when a be- 
 liever loses his earthly friends, he hath still a hea- 
 venly Friend and Father, who is unchanging in his 
 good-will to him, and to whom, he may always look 
 for comfort : but, when this gracious, this match- 
 less Friend himself, is apprehended to be lost, how 
 perplexing, how grievous, how overwhelming is the 
 loss ! The heaviest of other losses is light, is tole- 
 rable, in comparison of this e . No wonder if, in 
 such a condition, the Christian take up Jeremiah's 
 mournful complaint, " When I would comfort my- 
 
 c Psal. cxvi. 3. d Psal. lxxxv. 8. e Prcr. xviii. 14. 
 
126 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 self against sorrow, my heart is faint in me f ." To 
 lose the perception of the Saviour's love to him, is 
 exceedingly distressing to a holy man. As all the 
 candles in the world, cannot make it day, when the 
 sun is set ; so all the comforts in the universe can- 
 not cheer the heart of such a man, in the absence 
 of the Sun of righteousness. A holy soul, is like 
 the flower that opens and shuts with the sun : if 
 the Saviour shine upon it, it opens; but, if He 
 withdraw the cheering light of his countenance, it 
 closes itself and droops. It is, however, a comfort 
 not to be forgotten, that when the Lord Jesus leaves 
 a believing soul, he forsakes it not wholly ; but al- 
 ways leaves something behind him in it, which 
 makes it long for his return. Were he to desert it 
 wholly, it would cease to long for him. 
 
 2. Piercing convictions, and frightful viezvs, of 
 their innumerable sins, in their heinousness and de- 
 merit, usually accompany this trouble of mind. In 
 the darkness of night, fire is more easily seen at a 
 distance, than in the light of day. When a holy 
 man has lost the light of comfort, and is walking 
 in darkness, he has usually a more clear and dis- 
 quieting sight of his great transgressions, than when 
 he is walking in the light of consolation. The sin 
 of his nature, and the transgressions of his life, are, 
 in their deep malignity, and dreadful demerit, then 
 set in order before his eyes. The painful recollec- 
 tion of them, with their manifold aggravations, is 
 revived in his mind ; and they appear more horrible 
 in his view, than ever they did before. They are 
 
 f Jer. viii. 18. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 127 
 
 brought afresh to his painful remembrance, as if 
 they had been committed but yesterday. Being 
 set in array before him, each of them gives to his 
 disconsolate spirit, anew, and a deep wound; which 
 increases the smart of his former wounds, and 
 makes them bleed afresh. They present themselves 
 to his troubled mind, with all their aggravations ; 
 as having been committed against God and Christ, 
 against redeeming love and grace, against the law 
 and the gospel, against mercies and judgments, 
 against the warnings of conscience and the motions 
 of the Holy Spirit, and against the patience and 
 forbearance of that gracious God, who hath so loved 
 him, as to give his only begotten Son, to die for 
 him. Holy Job, when in such a condition, said^ 
 " Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest 
 me to possess the iniquities of my youth s. w And 
 David, " My sin is ever before me. Against thee, 
 thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy 
 sight h ." " Mine iniquities have taken hold upon 
 me, so that I am not able to look up : they are 
 more than the hairs of mine head ; therefore my 
 heart faileth me ». w Thus the backsliding believer, 
 is sent back again to mount Sinai, where he finds 
 the devouring flames of the fiery law, flashing in 
 his face. His convictions now are deeper, and his 
 seorchings hotter, than perhaps they ever were be- 
 fore. The Lord permitteth the tremendous curse 
 of the violated law, to re-enter his conscience ; and 
 thereby He shews him, the awful demerit of his in- 
 numerable offences k . Perceiving that, he hath 
 
 S Job. xiii. 26. h Psal. li. 3, 4. 
 
 1 Psal. zl 12. fe Rom. v. 20. 
 
128 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 sinned in the midst of evangelical light, of frequent 
 checks of conscience, of manifold mercies, enjoy- 
 ments, enlargements, and experiences ; he begins, 
 it may be, to dread, that he may have committed 
 even the unpardonable sin. A sense of the horrible 
 malignity, and dreadful demerit of his transgres- 
 sions, strikes a deep impression on his soul, and 
 makes his heart to tremble. His conscience up- 
 braids him with his criminal folly, and his base in- 
 gratitude, in sinning against his gracious God and 
 Saviour. Hence, cutting reflections, self-condemn- 
 ing and galling thoughts, often disquiet his mind K 
 He can now think almost of nothing, but the awful 
 majesty, sovereignty, holiness, justice, and ven- 
 geance of the Lord. " He remembers God and is 
 troubled m ." His spirit is troubled, yea, over- 
 whelmed, when he reflects that he hath provoked 
 the just, the omnipotent,, the great and terrible 
 God, to appear as an enemy against him. Or, if 
 he think at all of the mercy of God, he will be dis- 
 posed to argue thus: ' Surely, if my transgressions 
 had not been peculiarly heinous, or, if I had so 
 much as a single spark of grace in me ; an infinitely 
 merciful God would not have thus forsaken me. 1 
 Ah ! sin, committed against the high and holy Ma- 
 jesty of heaven, is a strange, a horrible thing ! If 
 the Lord should, at once, discover fully to the ex- 
 ercised Christian, all the hideousness of this infernal 
 monster, the discovery would be utterly intolerable 
 to him. 
 
 3. A distressing apprehension, that some over- 
 
 1 Psal. lxxiii. 21, 22. m Psal. Ixxvii. 3, 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 129 
 
 whelming judgment will suddenly be inflicted upon 
 them, because of their great offences, is often a con- 
 sequence of their loss of spiritual comfort. Heman 
 apprehended that such judgments were to come 
 upon him, as would cut him off n . The disconso- 
 late Christian, under a deep sense of accumulated 
 guilt, is frequently struck with fear, that an of- 
 fended God will inflict upon him, some sudden and 
 terrible punishment. A filial and holy fear of Di- 
 vine judgments, arising from the consideration of 
 the great evil of sin, and of Jehovah's infinite right- 
 eousness, and abhorrence of iniquity, as well as of his 
 tremendous wrath revealed against it ; is, indeed, 
 lawful, and should at all times be exercised by the 
 saints. " O Lord, I have heard thy speech, " says 
 Habakkuk, " and was afraid °." And David, 
 " Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like 
 dross : therefore I love thy testimonies. My flesh 
 trembleth for fear of thee ; and I am afraid of thy 
 judgments p." But, when a holy man has deprived 
 himself of comfort, he commonly yields to a slavish 
 and excessive, dread of the judgments of God. 
 When he hears, that a thousand have fallen at his 
 right hand, and ten thousand at his left, he trembles 
 like a leaf of the forest. In such a condition, he is 
 disposed to indulge a disquieting, distracting, and 
 tormenting fear; a fear, which unsettles his mind, 
 suspends his exercise of faith, disturbs his peace,, 
 destroys his hope, and instigates him to impatience, 
 and to the use of unlawful means, in order to es- 
 cape the danger that threatens him. A fear of 
 
 n Psal. lxxxviii. 5. ° Hab. iii. 2. 
 
 p Psal. cxix. 119, 120, 
 
 v 2 
 
130 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 this kind is very sinful, as well as unbecoming, in 
 a true Christian : it alienates his heart from the 
 Lord, and disqualifies him for the spiritual per- 
 formance of his duty. Since he is walking in dark- 
 ness, a thousand imaginary fears, disquiet and per- 
 plex his soul. He is now readier than formerly, 
 to be imposed upon by imaginary dangers, and to 
 be " in great fear, where no fear is q ." Although 
 the Lord hath promised to him, that M no real evil 
 shall befall him r ;" that no affliction shall ever 
 come upon him, but what will issue from the great- 
 est love, and terminate in the greatest good, to 
 him ; yet he can almost think of nothing, but of 
 imminent danger on every side : and his groundless 
 and gloomy fears of it, render him inexpressibly 
 uneasy. Such fears, are so many galling fetters to 
 his imprisoned soul ; and when he would at any 
 time, try to shake them off, his quick sense of total 
 inability, discourages him. From this, they take 
 occasion to become still more oppressive to him. 
 Hence is that mournful expression of Job ; " If I 
 say, I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my 
 heaviness, and comfort myself ; I am afraid of all 
 my sorrows, I know that thou wilt not hold me in- 
 nocent s ."" 
 
 4. Great uncertainty of mind, about their 'present 
 and their future state, is usually a consequence of 
 the suspension of spiritual consolation from their 
 souls. Now that the Christian is walking in dark- 
 ness, he cannot as formerly, see, either his war- 
 rant to trust as a sinner, in Christ, for salvation 
 
 i Psal. liii. 5. r Psal. xci. 10. s Job ix. 27, 28. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 131 
 
 to himself in particular ; or, any good evidence of 
 his having ever yet trusted in him. Having lost 
 the light of God's gracious countenance, and of 
 holy comfort, he has consequently, and in the same 
 proportion, lost sight of his vital union with the 
 Saviour, and of his personal interest in His righte- 
 ousness and salvation. Hence great and sad doubts, 
 what will become of him for the future, frequently 
 disquiet his mind. " He who walketh in this 
 darkness, knoweth not whither he goetht." Un- 
 belief prevaileth so much against him, that he often 
 questions, whether Jesus Christ can, or will, save 
 such a great sinner as he is, and whether God will 
 have mercy upon him, or not. He is in perplex- 
 ing and painful uncertainty, what the great and 
 terrible God may be about to do with him, when 
 he is to depart hence ; and he often suspects the 
 worst ; yea, his doubts may be suffered to prevail 
 so much, as to make him conclude that, the Lord 
 will be favourable to him no more. Thus Asaph, 
 in a similar case, expresseth himself ; " Will the 
 Lord cast off for ever ? and will he be favourable 
 no more ? is his mercy clean gone for ever ? doth 
 his promise fail for evermore ? hath God forgotten 
 to be gracious ? hath he in anger shut up his ten- 
 der mercies u ?" And the Israelitish Church, in her 
 captivity, saith, " My strength and my hope are 
 perished from the Lord w ." When the holy soul 
 is in darkness, it will often argue thus : 6 The 
 Lord hath departeth from me, and, it may be, he 
 will never return to me. Oh ! what will become 
 
 1 John. xii. $5. u Psal. lxxvii. 7, 8, 9- w Lam. iii. 18. 
 
132 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 of me, if I am never to enjoy communion with Him 
 any more ! What if I shall have my portion, 
 through all eternity, with hypocrites and unbeliev- 
 ers, in the place of torment ! I have now, no cheer- 
 ing light, no enlivening hope, and, perhaps, I am 
 soon to be cast into outer darkness." The Chris- 
 tian, in this perplexing condition, hath, indeed, some 
 lucid intervals, now and then ; but, as one express- 
 es it, They are like the small breathings, and re- 
 freshments, of a person who is newly taken off the 
 Rack, and is about to be carried to the Rack again. 
 If it is accounted a bitter ingredient in the cup of 
 outward affliction, to be kept in suspense concern- 
 ing any object, which is deemed necessary and im- 
 portant to our temporal welfare; how distressing 
 must it be to the spirit of a holy man, to be held 
 in suspense between hope and fear, respecting ob- 
 jects, which are absolutely requisite, and infinitely 
 important, to his eternal felicity ! As a natural man 
 cannot be at ease, without natural accommodations, 
 or the possession of such things, as are adapted to 
 the comfort of natural life ; so, a spiritual man 
 cannot he quieted, without the enjoyment of spi- 
 ritual blessings. The possession of ten thousand 
 worlds, could not afford him the smallest ease. 
 Nothing, but the faith of redeeming love to him, 
 the view of his personal interest in the Redeemer, 
 and the hope of his eternal enjoyment of God, can 
 put his soul to rest. Were he but to know that he 
 is to be glorified together with Christ, and in due 
 time to enter into His joy ; he should soon come 
 forth to the light of consolation. 
 
 5. Another consequence of their having provok- 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 133 
 
 ed their heavenly Father, to withhold comfort from 
 them, is, their uttering of heartless and useless 
 complaints. " Even to-day," saith Job, " is my 
 complaint bitter: my stroke is heavier than my 
 groaning V And Asaph^ " I complained, and my 
 spirit was overwhelmed 7 ." Some believers, after 
 they have lost their wonted consolation, are not 
 at first, deeply sensible of the greatness of their 
 loss; and therefore, though they mention with sor- 
 row their want of former comfort, yet their sor- 
 row is far from being very deep. Their hearts 
 are indeed, affected by their loss; but they are not 
 so deeply afflicted by it, as bitterly to bewail the 
 sins which have procured it. They fill the ears 
 of some of their Christian friends, with lamentable 
 accounts of their doleful condition ; but at the same 
 time, they utter almost nothing but complaints of 
 that which they themselves are suffering. They 
 do not humble themselves deeply, before the of- 
 fended Majesty of heaven ; nor do they, by faith, 
 prayer, and holy circumspection, strive to recover 
 that which they have lost. They are, like Issachar, 
 couching down under their burdens ; or, they 
 may be compared to a diseased man, who frequent 
 ly bemoans himself, but does not seek to free him- 
 self from his distemper. Sometimes, they are very 
 peevish, and obstinate; and they seem to take a 
 pleasure, in complaining of the trouble which they 
 endure. But, they are not aware that, by indulg- 
 ing a temper of this kind, they render it necessary, 
 that their wound should yet be deeper, and that they 
 
 x Job xxiii. 2. f Psal. lxxvii. 3. 
 
 2 
 
134 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 should yet have more reason to complain, before 
 comfort be restored to them. David when he was 
 under a sense of guilt, and of paternal displeasure ; 
 doubtless, felt his loss of holy comfort ; but yet, 
 he did not strive, ingenuously to confess and bewail 
 his iniquities, and fervently to supplicate for spi- 
 ritual consolation; until, " day and night, the 
 hand of God was so heavy upon him, that his 
 moisture was turned into the drought of summer z ." 
 They think too, that they can never complain 
 enough ; that their condition is inexpressibly mise- 
 rable ; as that of Job when he exclaimed, " Oh, 
 that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my 
 calamity laid in the balances together ! For now 
 it would be heavier than the sand of the sea : there- 
 fore my words are swallowed up a." But such 
 thoughts and expressions as these, are very unbe- 
 coming in the true believer ; who has, in every 
 condition, a compassionate Saviour to trust in, a 
 consummate righteousness to rely on, and promises 
 of grace and glory to apply and plead. The ex- 
 ercise of faith is certainly intermitted, when he can 
 allow himself, to utter such clamours. He un- 
 doubtedly, at that time, forgets the infinite free- 
 ness, suitableness, fulness, and sufficiency, of the 
 grace which is in Christ Jesus. Besides, he thereby 
 shews plainly, that his grief and fear are, after all, 
 far from being great. When sorrow and fear are 
 shallow or superficial, they are usually clamorous ; 
 but when they are great and deep, they are com- 
 monly silent : they are so great, that they cannot 
 
 Psal. xxxii. S, 4. a Job. vi. 2, 3. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 135 
 
 be expressed b ; and, therefore, like the waters of a 
 large and deep river, they move silently. So long 
 as the dejected Christian is able to complain, me- 
 thinks, instead of complaining to others around 
 him, only of an absent God and Saviour c ; he 
 should complain of himself rather, and should com- 
 plain of himself chiefly to the Lord, who only can 
 relieve him. 
 
 6. A deep and painful sense of God's paternal 
 anger, is also a consequence, and a concomitant 
 thereof. Though believers are, in their justifica- 
 tion, so entirely delivered from condemnation to 
 vindictive and eternal wrath, as to be no longer 
 exposed to wrath of that kind d ; yet, by sinning 
 (which after their justification they do) against the 
 Lord, not as their avenging Judge, but as their 
 gracious God and Father, they incur the guilt of 
 fatherly anger. By the fatherly anger of God, is 
 meant, his holy and righteous displeasure with his 
 disobedient children, which is manifested by his 
 infliction of chastisement upon them. In this man- 
 ner, the Lord was angry with Moses e , and with 
 his ancient Church, the members of which, expos- 
 tulate with him thus : " O God, why hast thou 
 cast us off for ever ? why doth thine anger smoke 
 againt the sheep of thy pasture f ?" When the Lord 
 is so displeased with any of his children, as to with- 
 draw from them, the sense of his special favour, 
 he commonly, at the same time, impresseth on 
 their souls in place of it, a sense of his paternal 
 anger. Instead of cheering them, with that de- 
 
 b Psal. Ixxvii. 4. e Lam. iii. 39. d Isa. liv. 9- 
 e Deut. i. 37. f Psal. lxxiv. 1. 
 
136 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 lightful sense of his redeeming love to them, which 
 they formerly enjoyed ; he fixeth deep in their 
 souls, a painful feeling of his being angry with 
 them. " For the iniquity of his covetousness," 
 saith Jehovah, " was I wroth, and smote him : I 
 hid me, and was wroth g." When the Lord is 
 wroth with any of his people for their iniquities 
 he will not only hide his face from them, or de- 
 prive them of the cheering sense of his favour ; but 
 he will smite them likewise : and this he will do, 
 not only by some external stroke of his rod, on 
 their bodies or estates ; but, sometimes, by an in- 
 ternal and deep impression of his anger, on their 
 souls. And if depriving them of the cheering sense 
 of God's favour, is connected with the feeling of his 
 hot displeasure, an inexpressibly bitter and griev- 
 ous conflict in their souls, must ensue. Therefore 
 hath the Lord said, " I will not contend for ever, 
 neither will I be always wroth : for the spirit 
 should fail before me, and the souls which I have 
 made h ." When God is wroth with his children, 
 he makes them feel his displeasure ; either, by 
 frowning so upon them, that they shall for a season, 
 discern almost nothing in his countenance, but a 
 continued, and a dreadful frown ; or, by " cover- 
 ing them with a cloud in his anger * ;" or, by seem- 
 ing " to be angry even with their prayer k ," to shut 
 it out l , and to " cover himself with a cloud, that 
 it cannot pass through m ;" or, by leaving their 
 souls to languish, under the prevalence of unbelief, 
 
 e Isa. Ivii. 17. h Isa. lvii. 16. * Lam. ii. 1. 
 
 * Psal. lxxx. 4. ' Lam. iii. 8. m Lam. iii. 44. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 137 
 
 discouragement, and dread ; or, by laying sore and 
 long affliction, upon their bodies, and rendering all 
 the means, which they employ for the removal of 
 it, unavailing; or, in a word, by threatening to 
 destroy at once, all their external comforts. In- 
 deed, when the Lord impresseth on their spirits, a 
 deep and fixed sense of his anger, no creature can 
 afford to them the smallest consolation. In vain, 
 will they seek for ease to their oppressed souls, in 
 business, or amusements, or gay company. Friends 
 may, indeed, mourn with them ; but, as one ex- 
 presses it, s they cannot wipe away their tears. 1 — 
 Nor can they, then, find relief, even in the ordi- 
 nances of God. Every threatening of his holy law, 
 appears as an arrow aimed at their heart. Every 
 promise of his blessed gospel, however full of con- 
 solation to others, seems empty to them. Every 
 offer of a Saviour, and of his great salvation, how- 
 ever unlimited, appears to be directed to other sin- 
 ners, and not to them. The Lord himself seem- 
 eth to them, as if he were taking no notice of their 
 distress, yea, as if he were an enemy to their souls. 
 We -are not to wonder then, if, in such a case, they 
 fool overwhelming trouble and anguish of spirit n . 
 
 Indeed, it is because the Lord still loveth them, 
 and resolveth to save them ; that, when he sees 
 them running on to sin and misery, his paternal 
 anger thus overtakes them, in order to stop, and 
 bring them back again, to the comfort of holy con- 
 formity to the image of his Son Jesus Christ. 
 
 7. A most distressing sense even of the vindictive 
 
 n Job. xix. 6, 8. Psal. xxxviii. 2, 8.. 
 
138 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 wrath of God, is, sometimes, a consequence of their 
 loss of comfort. True believers indeed, can never 
 be cast into hell ; but the Lord may, as it were, 
 cast hell into them. Some of them, accordingly, 
 when God hath hid his face from them, have been 
 permitted, rashly and falsely to conclude that, be- 
 cause they cannot see him now, they never saw 
 him ; that, because they cannot perceive their evi- 
 dences of grace now, they never had true grace ; 
 that, as they never had true grace formerly, they 
 have no saving grace now ; and that, the anger of 
 God which they now feel, is not his fatherly dis- 
 pleasure, but his vindictive wrath o. Thus they 
 unjustly, as well as rashly, conclude that what they 
 now feel, is an impression of revenging wrath. It 
 is of this wrath, that Heman seems to complain, 
 when he saith, " Thy wrath lieth hard upon me : 
 Thy fierce wrath goeth over me p." In like manner, 
 one of the prophets saith, " I have eaten ashes 
 like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping ; 
 because of thine indignation, and thy wrath a." 
 The sense of vindictive wrath, is much more dole- 
 ful, and intolerable, than even that of paternal an- 
 ger : and therefore the Psalmist prays that, if he 
 must be chastened, that greatest of all chastise- 
 ments, may not be inflicted upon him : " O Lord, 
 rebuke me not in thy wrath ; neither chasten me 
 in thy hot displeasure r ." He prayeth not merely, 
 that the Lord may not punish him in vindictive 
 wrath ; but, that he may not so chasten him, as to 
 
 Psal. lxxxviii. 14. p Psal. lxxxviii. 7, 16. 
 
 * Psal. cii. 9, 10. r Psal. xxxviii. 1. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 139 
 
 lay him under an overwhelming impression of that 
 intolerable wrath. 
 
 When the soul of a holy man is, for a season, 
 under that direful impression, he can see nothing, 
 feel nothing, but consuming wrath. Conscious as 
 he is, that he deserveth the fierceness of eternal 
 wrath, he is filled with dreadful apprehensions, that 
 the hand which presseth him sore, is the hand, not 
 of a merciful Father, but of an avenging Judge ; 
 casting him down, as a condemned criminal, into 
 a deep and horrible dungeon. Heman, under a 
 sense of that wrath, complains to the Lord thus ; 
 " Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, 
 in the deeps s." When a saint is under terrible 
 impressions of Jehovah's infinite wrath, he cannot 
 but be under great horror of conscience, and in 
 perplexing depths of mental trouble. The sense 
 which he hath of avenging wrath, occasions a con- 
 flict in his spirit, inexpressibly agonizing and ter- 
 rible. When his troubled conscience is inflamed, 
 by a sense of the fiery indignation of God almighty, 
 the more he thinks of Him as his infinite enemy, 
 the more he is dismayed t « every thought of him, 
 brings doleful tidings, and pours oil upon the 
 raging flame. Trouble of conscience for sin, is 
 indeed very disquieting ; but, a sense of the vin- 
 dictive wrath of God, kindled in the conscience, is 
 still more dreadful. No words can express the 
 direful anguish, which the disconsolate soul then 
 feels u . The Christian cannot at that time, think 
 so much as one quieting, one cheering thought. 
 
 s Psal. lxxxviii. 6. * Psal. Ixxvii. 3. u Psal. cxvi. 3, 
 
140 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 What he first thinks of, is tormenting to his 
 wounded spirit : he changes that thought for an- 
 other, and that is still more tormenting. He finds 
 himself entangled, as in the midst of a thicket of 
 thorns ; so that, which way soever he turns him- 
 self, he is pierced and grieved afresh. This dismal 
 thought often arises in his troubled mind ; That if 
 death were, in his present condition, to surprise and 
 cut him off, he should sink for ever and ever, under 
 the intolerable wrath of the infinite Jehovah. The 
 most exquisite torment of body is almost nothing, 
 in comparison of the anguish of his spirit, at such 
 times w . Oh ! how inconceivable is the anguish, 
 the agony, especially of a holy soul, when it is 
 conflicting with the tremendous wrath of the eter- 
 nal God ! The bodily torture even of crucifixion, 
 could not extort from the holy Jesus, the smallest 
 sigh or complaint ; but the sense of his Father's 
 wrath in his soul, wrung from him that doleful 
 outcry, " My God, my God, why hast thou for- 
 saken me x ?" 
 
 8. Another consequence of their having deprived 
 themselves of spiritual comfort, is overwhelming ter- 
 ror. Terror is an excessive fear and trembling of 
 heart >'. The troubled soul begins to dread, that 
 its present feeling of vindictive wrath, is but the 
 beginning of what it shall have to feel, through an 
 endless eternity. " The terrors of God," saith 
 Job, " do set themselves in array against me z :"* 
 " Destruction from God was a terror to me a ." 
 
 w Prov. xviii. 1 4. x Matth. xxvii. 46. v Gen. xv. 12. 
 Acts ix. 6. z Job vi. 4. Mobxxxi.23. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 141 
 And Heman, " While I suffer thy terrors. I am 
 distracted. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me, thy 
 terrors have cut me offV' The Lord permitteth 
 some of his children, when they are under the hid- 
 ings of his face, not only, to draw from that awful 
 dispensation, false conclusions, with regard to their 
 past and present state ; but, to form rash and de- 
 spondent conclusions, concerning their future con- 
 dition. They then conclude that, it will never be 
 better with them, as to their outward afflictions. 
 Hezekiah, in a similar case, said, " I shall not see 
 the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living : 
 I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of 
 the world e ." They likewise conclude that, it will 
 never be better with them in this world, with re- 
 spect to their inward troubles. u I shall go softly 
 all my years,"" said Hezekiah, " in the bitterness of 
 my soul d /' Nay, under the prevalence of unbelief, 
 and of despondency, they peremptorily conclude 
 that, the Lord whom they have greatly displeased, 
 will cast them off, and punish them with everlast- 
 ing destruction in the world to come. They do 
 not merely question, as Asaph did, if the Lord 
 will be favourable to them any more ; but they 
 rashly and positively conclude, that he never will. 
 They say, as the house of Israel did, " Our bones 
 are dried, and our hope is lost ; we are cut off for 
 our parts e :" and as the Israelitish Church did, 
 " My strength and my hope are perished from the 
 Lord f ." This they do, not during a short fit of 
 despondency, or in their haste, as David ; but, for 
 
 b Psal. lxxxviii. 15, 16. e Isa. xxxviii. 11. 
 
 d Isa. xxxviii. 15. e Ezek. xxxvii. 11. f Lam. ill. 18. 
 
142 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 a long time. " When neither sun nor stars" of 
 consolation, " in many days, appear, all hope that 
 they shall be saved, seemeth to be taken away." 
 Those awful passages of Scripture, in which " the 
 wrath of God is revealed from heaven, against all 
 ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold 
 the truth in unrighteousness," do continually pre- 
 sent themselves to their view : and by a strange 
 kind of belief, they apprehend that even every part 
 of the word, as well as every dispensation of the 
 providence, of God, is the sword of an enemy ; 
 that promises, as well as threatenings ; that mer- 
 cies, as well as judgments, are against them ; and 
 that by all, the Lord, as with a flaming sword 
 turning every way, doth hinder their access to the 
 tree of life. Terrors, like fire, assimilate every 
 thing to their own nature ; and so they render de- 
 jected souls unable, to put a just, or a favourable 
 construction upon any of the words, or dispensa- 
 tions of the Lord. 
 
 The terrors of God may indeed be felt, but they 
 cannot be expressed. They are inconceivably 
 dreadful and overwhelming. They are u the ar- 
 rows of the Almighty, within a man, the poison 
 whereof, drinketh up his spirit g :" wounding him 
 in the most vital and tender part, they cause his 
 spirit within him to pine away, and almost to die. 
 6 I shall doubtless perish,' saith the affrighted soul. 
 ' I am undone, for ever undone ; I am already, as 
 it were, in the place of torment, under inexpressi- 
 ble anguish, insupportable terror. The great and 
 
 e Job vi. 4. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION 143 
 
 terrible God hath cast me off; and I see nothing 
 before me, but horrible darkness, blackness of 
 darkness for ever. The shadows of the evening, 
 are stretched out over me ; and what will become 
 of me, if it shall prove an endless night ! Oh ! what 
 will my eternal state be, should death surprise me 
 in my present condition! If I cannot now bear 
 even a slight impression of the anger of God ; how 
 shall I be able to endure the full weight, the eter- 
 nal fierceness, of his avenging wrath ! If I am so 
 troubled, so terrified, so amazed, now ; what shall 
 I do, when my tremendous doom shall be pronounc- 
 ed, and the endless execution of it begun V Oh ! 
 what overwhelming horror, what direful agony, 
 must an awakened and disconsolate soul feel, in the 
 dreadful prospect of suffering the vengeance of eter- 
 nal fire ! Oh ! eternity, eternity, how, in the night 
 of terror, doth the prospect of eternity, amaze and 
 even absorb the spirit ! 
 
 9. Satan's being permitted to add to the trouble 
 and terror of believers, is usually a consequence of 
 their having forfeited their spiritual comfort. In 
 that condition, they are commonly " in heaviness 
 through manifold temptations h ." When the Lord 
 is chastening any of his children, for being more 
 ready to believe the lies of Satan, than the truths 
 of His holy word ; he often permitteth that crafty 
 and cruel enemy to hold them down, and to terrify 
 them. And so far as he is permitted, his constant 
 work is, to render them as uncomfortable in their 
 way to heaven as possible. Thus he treated Job. 
 
 h 1 Pet. i. 6. 
 
144 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 The spiritual trouble, and the dismal terror of that 
 holy man, were, for the most part, from the imme- 
 diate hand of Satan. When this enemy of souls 
 perceives, that believers constantly resist his temp- 
 tations to presumption, he assaults them with furi- 
 ous, and horrible temptations to despair. And 
 when he observes any of them under a sense of Di- 
 vine anger, and a dread of eternal wrath, he com- 
 monly selects this as the fittest opportunity, to en- 
 force those temptations. He then, especially, la- 
 bours to persuade them that, when God is afflicting 
 them with such great severity, it is a sure evidence 
 that, he is not their God, but their adversary, and 
 that, they are not his people, but his enemies. He 
 misrepresents both God and themselves to them, 
 and so insults them in their misery. When that 
 cowardly enemy perceives, that their spirit is al- 
 ready broken down, he makes his most furious as- 
 saults on them ; for he knows that when they are 
 once cast down, he can the more easily trample on, 
 and afflict them. No sooner doth the Lord depart, 
 than Satan comes : he comes to triumph over their 
 anguish, and to say, ' Where now is your God ? 
 Remember that, your iniquities have been peculi- 
 arly great and aggravated, and that, ye have there- 
 by provoked the Lord finally to abandon you : ye 
 do already feel his fiery indignation, and you have 
 reason, good reason, to dread that you shall endure 
 it for ever. 1 He takes occasion from their anguish 
 of spirit, to represent the Lord to them as a cruel 
 tyrant, as one who hath resolved to destroy them. 
 And when they already fear, and even feel, that 
 God hath departed from them, what can they say 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 145 
 in answer to him ? Perceiving their distress, and 
 knowing their weakness, he, with amazing dexteri- 
 ty, and unwearied importunity, urges against them, 
 even passages of Scripture, and dispensations of 
 providence, in order to enforce his infernal sugges- 
 tions. When he sees that their faith is very weak, 
 and that their sense of Divine displeasure is very 
 deep ; he then shoots his fiery darts, which pene- 
 trate and inflame their souls, with additional an- 
 guish and horror i . It is a pleasant sight to that 
 wicked one, to behold God afflicting his children ; 
 and to see, were it but one of them, wounded with 
 griefs, broken with terrors, made " a brother to 
 dragons, and a companion to owls V He, there- 
 fore, after they have been long disquieted and en- 
 feebled by desponding fears, assaults them furious- 
 ly; in order that, when they are already pressed 
 down, he may throw upon them additional weight 
 It is his usual method, so to impress terror on 
 their minds, that it frequently comes upon them 
 by sudden fits. These fits or paroxysms common- 
 ly return, whenever the troubled soul would pro- 
 mise itself some degree of ease. Accordingly, the 
 usual time of refreshing the body with food and 
 sleep, are for ordinary, the seasons which Satan 
 watches, for his renewed assaults h He commonly 
 injects, at such times, blasphemous and atheistical 
 thoughts, which fill them with horror ; and when 
 he has thereby prepared their hearts, he seizes the 
 opportunity to persuade them, that such a heart, 
 must be wholly destitute of regenerating grace. 
 
 1 Eph. vi. 16. k Job xxx. 29. 
 
 1 Job iii. 24. and vii. 13, 14. 
 
146 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 And when he perceives that any of them is afflict- 
 ed with melancholy, he considers that, as a distem- 
 per which affords him advantages, peculiarly suited 
 to his design : the imagination is then disordered, 
 and so is fitter than at any other time, to receive 
 impressions from him. It also affords him much 
 advantage, if they have lately fallen into some great 
 and grievous sins ; especially, as one observes m , 
 into sins against the third, or sixth, or seventh com- 
 mandment. Arguing from such crimes, he labours 
 to persuade them, that they are reprobated, and 
 doomed to eternal destruction. When he per- 
 ceives, that they have been guilty of some atrocious 
 iniquity, he will suggest, that it is even the unpar- 
 donable sin. He argues likewise from their pertur- 
 bation of spirit, that their heart is so hardened by 
 the deceitfulness of sin, as to be utterly incapable 
 of exercising repentance unto life. The more he 
 distracts and amazes their minds with terrors, the 
 more unable they are, to detect the fallacy of his 
 arguments, and the more disposed they are, to ad- 
 mit the force of them. Excessive fear, removes 
 their souls to such a distance from true comfort, 
 that they will not be persuaded to trust in the Lord 
 Jesus, either for his salvation, or for the joy of that 
 salvation. Under such perplexing fears, they seem 
 disposed so far to take part with Satan, as, with 
 much eagerness, and wonderful subtilty, to plead 
 against themselves. Believer, when thy transgres- 
 sions are, at any time, so exceedingly aggravated 
 in thy view, as to exceed, either the mercy of God, 
 
 m Mr William Perkins. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 147 
 
 or the blood of his Son, or the power of his Spirit, 
 or the grace of his covenant ; thou may est be sure 
 that, it is one of the lies of the devil. Oh ! be 
 henceforth so wise for thyself, as no longer to ex- 
 pect truth from a liar, or sound argument from a 
 deceiver, or true comfort from an enemy. 
 
 10. To be discountenanced or coldly treated by 
 Christian Jriends, is often a consequence of a be- 
 liever's having forfeited his spiritual comfort. When 
 the Lord is angry with his rebellious child, and is 
 chastening him ; he not only giveth Satan leave to 
 trouble him, but permitteth some of the saints who 
 are acquainted with him, to discountenance him, 
 and by their cold treatment of him, to add to his 
 grief. When the Father of a family resolves, the 
 more effectually, to correct his obstinate child, he 
 will say to the rest of his household, ' Do not be 
 familiar with him ; shew him no countenance ; put 
 him to shame."' In like manner, when the Lord is 
 smiting, especially with spiritual trouble, his diso- 
 bedient child, he, as it were, saith to others of his 
 children, < Have for a season no familiarity with 
 him : treat him with coldness and neglect ; in or- 
 der that he may be ashamed, and humbled for his 
 iniquity.' Job, under his grievous affliction, com- 
 plained thus, " He hath put my brethren far from 
 me, and mine acquaintance are utterly estranged 
 from me, &c n ." And likewise Heman, " Thou 
 hast put away mine acquaintance far from me ; 
 thou hast made me an abomination unto them. 
 Lover and friend, hast thou put far from me, and 
 
 n Job xix. 13?*-ig. 
 
148 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 mine acquaintance into darkness °." When the fa- 
 vour of God to the soul is clouded, the comfort of 
 Christian society is also obscured. When He 
 frowns on one, his children commonly appear to 
 frown likewise ; and when he makes himself strange 
 to one, so for the most part do they. If a holy 
 man, then, under trouble of spirit, begins to be 
 treated with disregard, and even with contempt, by 
 some of his Christian brethren, he ought not to be 
 surprised; neither should he take occasion to be 
 angry, or to quarrel with them ; but he should look 
 above them, and take the afflictive dispensation, 
 only out of the hand of the Lord, as a necessary 
 part of the chastisement intended for him. He 
 ought to say with respect to them, as David said 
 concerning Shimei, " The Lord hath bidden them;" 
 or, as Heman did, " Thou hast put way mine ac- 
 quaintance far from me." 
 
 11. Hard thoughts of God, and jealous thoughts 
 of Christ, do often take occasion to arise from the 
 want of comfort, especially, if believers have re- 
 mained long in that condition. 
 
 Hard thoughts of God, proceed from their dis- 
 consolate hearts ; such as, That he is so greatly in- 
 censed against them, as to be implacable ; that he 
 hath so forsaken them, as never any more to re- 
 turn ; that he hath passed such a sentence of con- 
 demnation upon them, as shall never be reversed ; 
 that he hath covered himself with such a cloud in 
 his anger, as shall henceforth render it impossible 
 for their prayer, to pass through ; that he hath 
 
 Psal. lxxxviii. 8, 18. 
 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 149 
 
 forgotten to be gracious to them ; that his mercy 
 is clean gone for ever, and such like. When de- 
 jection and terror continue long, they obscure the 
 mind, and cause it to form and entertain gloomy, 
 yea, monstrous apprehensions. Hence are these 
 words of Job ; " He performeth the thing that is 
 appointed for me ; and many such things are with 
 him. Therefore am I troubled at his presence : 
 when I consider, I am afraid of him. For God 
 maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth 
 me ; because I was not cut off before the dark- 
 ness p." 
 
 Jealous thoughts of Ch?ist } the glorious head 
 and husband of believing souls, do likewise arise 
 from the disconsolate heart. If souls have hard 
 thoughts of God, they will quickly entertain jeal- 
 ous thoughts of Christ Jesus. And if they but 
 begin to suspect, that Christ doth not love them, or 
 that he is not faithful in performing his promises to 
 them ; they will be afraid to take his word, and 
 afraid to trust him, or to commit themselves and 
 their salvation to him. Christian, be continually 
 on thy guard, against unbelieving and suspicious 
 thoughts of the love of Christ, to thy soul. Trust 
 firmly that he loveth thee, and careth for thee, and 
 that he will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 
 Thy sensible comfort may leave thee; but thy 
 faithful Redeemer, the husband of thy soul, will 
 never totally or finally forsake thee. He may in- 
 deed for a season, " cause grief; but he will have 
 compassion, according to the multitude of his mer- 
 
 p Job xxiii. 14 — 17. 
 
150 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 ciesq." Say not then, when he hideth his face 
 from thee, s He hath utterly forsaken me ;' but 
 rather, in the exercise of unsuspecting confidence 
 in him and in his love to thee, say, " He will turn 
 again, he will have compassion upon me ; he will 
 subdue my iniquities, and will cast all my sins, into 
 the depths of the sea C O guard against jealous 
 thoughts of thy infinitely faithful Redeemer. Do 
 not suspect him without ground. The moment, 
 thou art jealous of his love to thee, thou sinnest 
 against him without a cause. The Lord Jesus at 
 no time, so conducts himself, in his ways of grace 
 and providence toward thee, as to give thee the 
 smallest cause to suspect his faithfulness s . And if 
 thou wouldst never suspect his kindness and faith- 
 fulness to thy soul, till thou had a cause, it is all 
 that he would desire. Remember that, to be jeal- 
 ous of the holy Jesus, is to sin, not only against 
 Him, but against thyself. " Jealousy is the rage 
 of a man * ;" and " it is cruel, or, hard as the 
 grave u ." It will disquiet and torture thy soul ; it 
 will waste thy spirits, and prey upon thee, like the 
 grave. Thou, indeed, hast been unfaithful, very 
 unfaithful to the Lord Jesus ; but this, though a 
 ground of deep humiliation, yet is no ground at all, 
 for suspecting his faithfulness to his own promise, 
 upon which he hath caused thee to hope w . 
 
 1 2. Another consequence of their loss of spirit- 
 ual consolation, is, their being usually so discom- 
 posed and dispirited thereby, as to become at the 
 
 4 Lam. iii. 32. r Mic. vii. 19. 8 Lam. Hi. 23. 
 1 Prov. vi. 34. u Song viii. 6. w Psal. cxix. 49- 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 151 
 
 time, unfit for the spiritual performance of their 
 duty. This will more especially be the case with 
 them, if, as is too common, they, in their discon- 
 solate condition, forbear to trust in the Saviour for 
 present and eternal salvation. Though their obe- 
 dience is not accepted, on account of their faith ; 
 yet, it is spiritually good and acceptable, in propor- 
 tion to the strength, and the frequency, of their 
 actings of faith. If then, they cease for a season, 
 to act faith, they, in the same proportion, cease for 
 that time, to perform spiritual and acceptable obe- 
 dience to the Lord; for " without faith it is impos- 
 sible to please him x ." It is not sufficient, in order 
 to acceptable obedience, that Christians have faith 
 in principle, and even in habit : they must likewise 
 have it in exercise ; and that, even when they walk 
 in darkness, and have no light of sensible comfort y . 
 But if, in the darkness of spiritual trouble, they 
 forbear for a season, to trust in the Lord Jesus, foi 
 complete salvation to themselves in particular ; that 
 trouble will so disquiet and dispirit them, as to dis- 
 qualify them, either for doing or for suffering, ac- 
 cording to the will of God. " I am, 1 ' saith He- 
 man, " as a man that hath no strength *." Nay, it 
 hath made some of them even think that, it is to 
 no purpose for them, to endeavour spiritually to 
 perform any duty. Indeed their souls, when in 
 that doleful condition, are commonly so much oc- 
 cupied with the fear of eternal wrath, that sin as 
 sin, and duty as duty, are but little considered by 
 them. Moreover, that conscience by which, they 
 
 % Heb. xi. 6. T Isa. 1. 10. z Psal. lxxxviii. 4>. 
 
152 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 judge themselves to be still under the guilt of all 
 their sins, is in the Scripture called " an evil con- 
 science a ;" a conscience which, the blood of Christ 
 must purge from dead works, in order to their be- 
 ing capacitated to serve the living God *>. Love, 
 which is the fulfilling of the law, and the end of 
 the commandment, must arise out of a good con- 
 science, as well as out of a pure heart c . That evil 
 or guilty conscience, by which disquieted Chris- 
 tians judge that the Lord is still their enemy, be- 
 cause of their sins ; doth greatly strengthen the re- 
 maining enmity of their hearts, against Him ; and 
 so it indisposes them, for affectionate and filial obe- 
 dience to him. For, in proportion as they decline 
 in their love to him, they are hardly drawn to him 
 in any spiritual service, and easily drawn from him : 
 they come slowly, and depart readily : they ap- 
 proach with reluctance; and while they stand be- 
 fore him, it is with hesitation and dislike. 
 
 Besides, as spiritual joy raises and invigorates 
 the spirit ; so carnal and legal sorrow depresses and 
 enfeebles it. All sorrow, except godly sorrow, lies 
 like lead on the heart, cold and heavy, and presses 
 it still downward. It likewise makes the soul con- 
 tract itself, or shrink from that spiritual intercourse 
 with God in Christ, which it ought, eagerly and 
 incessantly to pursue. Under the pressure of sad- 
 ness, especially when it is accompanied with terror, 
 believers themselves find no heart to pray, and no 
 life in praying. They bow their knees ; they sigh 
 and cry ; but the Lord seemeth not to regard them, 
 
 a Heb. x. 22. b Heb. ix. 14. c 1 Tim. i. 5. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 153 
 nor to return answers of peace to their prayers. 
 Their thoughts are, for the most part, in a conti- 
 nual tumult ; and so, in all their efforts to pray, 
 wandering and perplexing thoughts do sadly pre- 
 vail against them. Their sadness greatly abates 
 their vigour of spirit, and destroys their freedom 
 of speech : It dampeth also their faith, and hope, 
 and love ; and so, it mars their prayers, as well as 
 all their other spiritual exercises. Finding that, 
 they are still as perplexed, and as disconsolate, after 
 prayer, as before it, and fearing, that their prayer 
 is an abomination to the Lord ; they are almost at 
 the point of giving it over. They are troubled, 
 when they do not pray; and when they would pray, 
 they find that they cannot. Sometimes, when the 
 trouble of their mind, becomes great and violent, 
 it suppresses their words, and can itself find no 
 vent. " I am so troubled," says Asaph, " that I 
 cannot speak d ." The waters of their trouble and 
 anguish, do so drown their cries, that they either 
 cannot pray at all, or can find no liberty, no plea- 
 sure, no relief, in their prayers. 
 
 13. Lastly, The joint effect of those consequen- 
 ces above mentioned, frequently is, that the natu- 
 ral spirits begin to be disordered and dejected. 
 Trouble of mind, especially when it is great, or of 
 long continuance, commonly produces this effect. 
 Such is the nature of the union, between the soul 
 and the body, that there is almost never, any vi- 
 gorous exercise of any of the affections or passions 
 of the soul, without some corresponding effect there- 
 
 d Psal. lxxvii. 4. 
 g2 
 
154 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING 
 
 by produced on the motion of the fluids, and espe- 
 cially, of the natural spirits of the body. The mo- 
 tion of the animal spirits, is thereby altered ; 
 whence often arises some bodily sensation, especially 
 about the heart, and other parts essential to life, 
 which are the fountains of those fluids. So much, 
 is the body subjected to the soul, and so much, do 
 the spirits of the body, depend on the affections of 
 the soul ; that the exercise of any one of the affec- 
 tions, has a direct tendency to produce some sen- 
 sible effect on the body : and if the exercise of any 
 one of them, be great or violent, it will produce an 
 effect, proportionably great and violent. Accord- 
 ingly, the holy Psalmist, expressing his vehement 
 desire of communion with God in public ordinances, 
 says, u My soul thirsteth for thee, my Jlesh long- 
 eth for thee e ." And again, " My heart and my 
 jtesh cry out for the living God f ." )1 Now, the affec- 
 tions of grief and fear do, in proportion to the de- 
 gree of their exercise, contract the natural spirits, 
 and render their motions feeble and slow. The 
 consequence is, that the vigour of the body com- 
 monly declines : its motions become sluggish. The 
 lamp cf life burns dimly. The countenance grows 
 dejected ; the complexion waxes pale ; and no live- 
 liness, nor activity, seems to remain. Hence are 
 these complaints in Scripture ; " On my eyelids is 
 the shadow of death s." " I am become like dust 
 and ashes 11 .' 1 " My moisture is turned into the 
 drought of summer K n " There is no soundness 
 
 e Psal. lxiii. 1. f Psal. lxxxiv. 2. s Job xri. 16. 
 h Job xxx. 19- i Psal. xxxii. 4. 
 
SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 155 
 
 in my flesh, because of thine anger V " I am be- 
 come like a bottle in the smoke K n " My soul is 
 full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the 
 grave m ." As the motion of the spirits of the body, 
 is retarded and altered, by the influence of the 
 grief and fear of the soul ; so this alteration, espe- 
 cially if it continue for a considerable time, will at 
 length, produce that disorder which is called me* 
 lanclwly. Though melancholy, which is indeed a 
 distemper of the body, is totally distinct from trou- 
 ble of mind, strictly so called ; yet the former of- 
 ten proceeds from, and is increased by the latter ; 
 and the latter again, is reciprocally augmented, and 
 often prolonged by the former. For, as the soul 
 cannot but feel with the body, in its pain : so the 
 body cannot be exempted from sharing with the 
 soul, in its trouble, f^ 
 
 Having now considered the leading consequences 
 of the loss of spiritual comfort, it will be proper to 
 observe, in order to prevent mistakes, that, in the 
 case of some disconsolate Christians, all these con- 
 sequences concur ; but, in that of others, only some 
 of them take place. It is seldom, except when 
 spiritual distress becomes very deep, and continues 
 long, that they are all felt by one and the same be- 
 liever. Spiritual trouble usually consists either, in 
 the loss of comfort, together with all those conse- 
 quences of it; or, in the want of comfort, with 
 some of them only, and that in a greater or less 
 degree. Accordingly it is either total or partial. 
 
 k Psal. xxxviii. 3. } Psal. cxix. 83. m Psal. lxxxviii. 3. 
 
156 CONSEQUENCES OF LOSING, &c. 
 
 Some believers have been afflicted with total dis- 
 tress of* soul, so that they have, in a certain degree, 
 even despaired of mercy. It possibly may to some, 
 appear harsh, to charge so horrible a sin as despair, 
 upon true believers, even in their deepest perturba- 
 tion of spirit. But, if it seem uncharitable to say, 
 that any of the saints, ever fall into a degree of de- 
 spair ; it will, surely, be more harsh and uncharit- 
 able to affirm, that none who ever do fall into de- 
 spair, are saints. Indeed it cannot be denied, that 
 some of the saints, under the deepest anguish of 
 spirit, have for a time so despaired, as to have been 
 overwhelmed with terror, in the dreadful prospect 
 of eternal wrath. Other believers again, upon their 
 loss of comfort, are afflicted only with partial 
 trouble of mind, and are soon delivered from it, 
 They have, indeed, painful experience of some, or 
 even of the most of those consequences above men- 
 tioned, but not of all. They have, it may be, a 
 painful sense of paternal anger ; but, being enabled 
 still to trust, that the hand which afflicteth their 
 souls, is the hand of a Father, and not of an 
 enemy, they are exempted from an overwhelming 
 sense of avenging wrath : or they may, perhaps, 
 have some feeling even of vindictive wrath ; and 
 yet, be under but a very small degree of despon- 
 dency «. Those of the saints, who have even all 
 those doleful consequences, of their having forfeit- 
 ed their spiritual consolation, may have them in a 
 greater or less degree ; and those who have only 
 some of them, may likewise have these in various 
 degrees. Trouble of mind in some believers, is 
 n Psal. lxxxviii. 1. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 157 
 
 transient and short ; in others, is fixed, of long con- 
 tinuance, and sometimes, attended with very alarm- 
 ing symptoms. But still, however short, and how- 
 ever low in degree, it be ; the very lowest degree 
 of it, is inconceivably more intolerable and dread- 
 ful, than the highest degree of bodily affliction. 
 
 Now from the foregoing detail, the following re- 
 marks are obvious : 
 
 First, Trouble of mind, especially when it is ex- 
 cessive, is not in itself good, but evil. It is sinful 
 in true Christians, to suffer themselves to be dis- 
 quieted by, and to languish under, despondent 
 fears, as if they had not a compassionate Saviour, 
 to trust in. Deep dejection of Spirit, produces 
 much aversion of heart, from the spiritual perform- 
 ance of every duty. It is contrary to the great 
 duty of believing. Faith is a resting ; this trouble 
 is a disquietment, of the heart : faith is the eye of 
 the soul ; such trouble, is the blindness and dark- 
 ness of the soul : faith giveth glory to God ; this 
 reflects dishonour upon him. It is not only a sin, 
 but a most heinous sin, to yield so to dejection of 
 spirit, as to refuse to be comforted. The troubled 
 spirit of the Christian, actually rises against re- 
 deeming grace. It is well for him in such a case, 
 that the covenant of grace, in which he is still in- 
 stated, is well " ordered in all things;" that it stands, 
 like a well-marshalled army on the field, ready to 
 resist his attacks, upon whatever part of it, he may 
 choose to fall. Be deeply convinced, O disquieted 
 believer, that thy refusing to trust in the Saviour 
 and to be comforted, is thy aggravated sin ; and 
 that it is inexpressibly dangerous, as well as sinful. 
 
158 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 to allow despondency and trouble to grow upon 
 thy spirit. 
 
 Next, The most tender compassion from all, and 
 especially from fellow-Christians, is due to them 
 who are under trouble of spirit. Such distress 
 cries aloud for the tenderest sympathy. If it is a 
 great sin, to treat with roughness or severity, fel- 
 low-creatures, who are under exquisite pain of body ; 
 it is a much more heinous iniquity, so to treat fel- 
 low-Christians, who are under anguish of soul °. 
 
 Again, It is the duty of the disconsolate believer, 
 to hope, that he shall in due time, be delivered from 
 his trouble. " It is good that he should both hope, 
 and quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord; 
 for the Lord will not cast oif for ever p." On these 
 words of the Lord Jesus, M The very hairs of your 
 head are all numbered," Austin, puts to a believer, 
 this pertinent question ; ' Thou, who canst not lose 
 a single hair, how comes it to pass, that thou art 
 afraid of losing thy soul P 1 Christian, cheer thy 
 troubled spirit with the hope, that thy compassion- 
 ate Saviour will deliver thee, though thou canst 
 not tell how, nor when q . Let the consideration 
 of his infinite mercy, and of his near relation to 
 thee, encourage thee, in expectation of deliverance, 
 to bear with patience thy grievous trial r . Consi- 
 der what thou hast deserved at the hand of the 
 Lord, and that, impatience will but provoke him, 
 to set yet a keener edge on thy trouble. Thou 
 hast need of patience. " Let patience therefore 
 have her perfect work s ." 
 
 ° Obad. ver. 12. Gal. vi. 2. p Lam. Hi. 26, 31. 
 
 i Psal. xxxiv. 19. r Mic. vii. 9. James v. 11. * James i. 4. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 159 
 
 Moreover, It appears evident, that it is also the 
 duty of the disconsolate Christian, never to give 
 way to carnal reasoning against himself. When 
 his faith is lively, and his evidences are clear ; he 
 can refute carnal reasoning, and say with the apos- 
 tle Paul, " Who shall lay any thing to the charge 
 of God's elect ? It is God that justifieth ; who is 
 he that condemneth ? It is Christ that died, yea, 
 rather, that is risen again, &cV But when his 
 faith is languid, and his evidences are eclipsed ; it 
 is not only useless, but dangerous in the extreme, to 
 yield to carnal reasoning about the state of his soul : 
 for then, he is least qualified to take God's part, 
 against the cavils of Satan, and of an evil heart of 
 unbelief. Were a man, in order to try and con- 
 firm the validity of his title to an estate, to encou- 
 rage a suit to commence against hinself ; he surely 
 would not choose, for that purpose, the time in 
 which, he could not find his evidences of that title. 
 Alas ! the time which a good man chooses, for 
 giving ear to carnal reasoning, is commonly the 
 very time in which, he hath lost his evidences of 
 grace. And it is grievous to see, with what a weak 
 piece of sophistry, the devil will baffle him, at such 
 a time. It is inexpressibly dangerous for a child 
 of light, especially when he is in the dark, to be rea- 
 soning with the prince of darkness : he cannot, in 
 such circumstances, be safe, otherwise than by the 
 resolute exercise of prayer, and of that faith, which 
 is above sight, as well as contrary to sense and car- 
 nal reason. He should not spend a moment, in 
 
 * Rom. viii. 33, 34. 
 
160 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 framing arguments against himself. Satan will be 
 ready enough to suggest them. And in particular, 
 he ought never to conclude that he is a hypocrite, 
 from such things, as are no where in the Scripture, 
 declared to be marks of reigning hypocrisy. Where, 
 O disconsolate Christian, dost thou read, in the 
 Oracles of truth, That the want of legal terrors in 
 conversion ; or, that wandering thoughts, straitness, 
 dulness, and deadness of spirit, in prayer, while 
 thou bewailest them, and strivest against them ; or, 
 that the want of present evidences of sincerity, and 
 of those degrees of peace and joy, to which some 
 have attained ; or, that some iniquity, for a time, 
 prevailing against thee, notwithstanding thy fre- 
 quent efforts to resist it ; — where, I say, dost thou 
 read that any of these, is an evidence of reigning 
 hypocrisy ? Or, where canst thou find, that the 
 presence of hypocrisy in the heart, is the same as 
 the predominance of it ? 
 
 It is no less the duty of the disquieted believer 
 to distinguish well, between the atheistical and blas- 
 phemous thoughts, which are injected by Satan ; 
 and those, which proceed from his own heart. His 
 doing so, will through grace, be a mean of lessen- 
 ing, in no small degree, the anguish of his soul. 
 Atheistical and blasphemous thoughts do sometimes 
 proceed from his own heart : for our blessed Lord 
 saith, " Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts — 
 blasphemies »." And he may charge himself with 
 such thoughts, as having arisen from his own heart ; 
 when, instead of resisting them instantly, and with 
 
 ■ Matth. xv. 19. 
 
 7 
 
REFLECTIONS. 161 
 
 abhorrence, he for a little, yields to them. But if, 
 as is more frequently the case, they come in sud- 
 denly and violently upon his mind ; if his heart 
 trembles at them, and with holy abhorrence, in- 
 stantly opposes them w ; and, if his being assaulted 
 with them, is very grievous to him * ; he ought 
 without hesitation, to charge them upon Satan, and 
 not upon himself. He should, for his comfort, 
 never impute them to himself, as his transgressions 5 
 but to the tempter, as Jm. 
 
 It is likewise his duty to read diligently, and 
 frequently, such passages of Scripture, as are most 
 suited to comfort him. It is not less true than 
 strange, that the believer, under mental trouble, is 
 usually much disposed to read, to remember, and 
 to apply to himself, such passages of Scripture, and 
 of human writings, as are most adapted to increase 
 the trouble and terror of his soul. Such places of 
 Scripture, and of other books, as are arousing and 
 alarming, are indeed very proper for a good man, 
 often to read and remember, when he finds that, 
 carnal security is prevailing against him. But when 
 his soul, is already depressed with terror and dismay, 
 so that, he needs cordials to refresh his drooping spi- 
 rit ; he ought, chiefly and frequently to read, me- 
 ditate, and believe with application to himself, such 
 passages of Scripture, as are most encouraging and 
 consoling to his fainting soul ; especially these re- 
 ferred to at the bottom of this and the next page y. 
 
 w Psal. Ixxiii. 15. x Psal. lxxiii. 21, 22. 
 
 y Psal. xliii. 5. and lxxi. 20—23. Isa. i. IS. and lv. 
 1 — 4. Ezek. xxxiii. 11. Hos. xiv. 4 — 6. Isa. lvii. 
 15—19. and lxvi. 13, and xl. 27 — 31. Isa. xlix. 8— 16. 
 
162 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 Let him resolve firmly, in dependance on promised 
 grace, and in defiance of his disinclination, to read 
 again and again, those and similar passages, to be- 
 lieve them with regard to himself, and to convert 
 them into matter of ejaculatory prayer. 
 
 As the dejected believer, is chastened less than 
 he deserves to be, and as it is of the Lord's mer- 
 cies, that he is not even consumed ; let him readi- 
 ly acknowledge this, and see that he express his 
 grateful sense of it, by glorifying the Lord even in 
 the fires z . Let him endeavour to glorify the Lord, 
 by being constantly upon his guard, against all 
 manner of sin, and especially, against omitting any 
 known duty. He must never take occasion from 
 the uneasiness of his mind, to neglect a single duty, 
 that it is possible for him to perform. It is inex- 
 pressibly dangerous for the Christian to be indo- 
 lent at any time ; but especially, when he is under 
 depression of spirit. 
 
 To conclude : Doth God afflict some even of his 
 own dear saints, with unutterable anguish and 
 terror of soul, when he is only chastening them for 
 iniquity ? What exquisite torment then, what dire- 
 ful anguish, awaits impenitent sinners, in the place 
 of torment, where they must lie, throughout eter- 
 nity, under his vindictive, his infinite, his tremen- 
 dous wrath ! Christ hath given infinite satisfaction 
 to the offended justice of God, for all the iniquities 
 
 and liv. 7 — 14. and Ixi. 1 — 3. Isa. xli. 10 — 14. and 
 xliii. I, 2. Lam.iii. 22—26. Matth. xi. 28,29- Rev. 
 xxii. 17. John iii. 14 — 17- John xiv. 15 — 27- 1 Tim. 
 i. 15. Matth. ix. 13. Psal. cxxxviii. 3 — 8. 
 * Isa. xxiv. 15. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 163 
 
 of his children. They love God supremely : they 
 also love his commandments, and study to keep 
 them. They are the objects of his redeeming, of 
 his immense, of his everlasting love ; and yet, in 
 chastening them for their iniquity, he, sometimes, 
 afflicteth them with dreadful impressions of his dis- 
 pleasure. Now, if a sense only of his fatherly an- 
 ger, is so terrible, and intolerable, to them ; how 
 wilt thou, O impenitent and careless sinner, be able 
 to endure the fierceness of his vindictive wrath, the 
 heat of his fiery indignation, " which shall burn 
 unto the lowest hell ?" If the suffering of that^ on- 
 ly for a short season, for a small moment, is so in- 
 expressibly painful to them ; Oh ! what direful 
 agony, what overwhelming anguish, must thou en- 
 dure, when thou shalt suffer this, not for millions 
 of ages merely, but through all the endless ages of 
 eternity ! Ah ! secure sinner, if thou do not flee 
 speedily from the wrath to come, to the great Re- 
 deemer, offered to thee in the gospel ; " the smoke 
 of thy torment, will ascend upfor ever and ever ; 
 and thou shalt have no rest, day nor night." We 
 are informed by Him who cannot lie, " That the 
 wicked shall be turned into hell a ;" " that they 
 shall go away into everlasting punishment b ; and, 
 " that they shall be cast into a furnace of fire, of 
 everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an- 
 gels V Consider this, thou who livest in sin, and 
 be afraid. Oh ! do not continue any longer, in the 
 love and practice of iniquity. Do not, for the mo- 
 mentary and polluted pleasures of sin, persist in 
 
 a Psal. ix. 17. b Matth. xxv. 46. 
 
 6 Matth. xiii. 42. and xxv. 41. 
 
164 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 exposing thyself to endless wrath. Walk while 
 thou hast the light, lest darkness come upon thee. 
 While thou hast light, believe in the light, that 
 thou mayest be one of the children of light d . 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 OF THE NATURE AND THE SIGNS OF MELAN- 
 CHOLY, WITH DIRECTIONS TO SUCH BE- 
 LIEVERS AS ARE AFFLICTED WITH IT. 
 
 Melancholy, though it so weakens and disor- 
 ders the mind, as to render a person unable, to 
 enjoy the comforts, and to perform the duties of 
 life, is, nevertheless, seated in the body. But the 
 state of body which accompanies this disease, is 
 acknowledged by the best Physicians, to be in ge- 
 neral beyond the reach of their investigation. By 
 this distemper, the mind is so disordered, that, like 
 an inflamed eye, it becomes disqualified for dis- 
 cerning its objects, clearly and justly. The dis- 
 ease is commonly attended with gloomy thoughts, 
 heaviness, sorrow, and fear, without any apparent 
 cause of them. Wicked men are as liable to be 
 afflicted with it, as good men. In the case of 
 some, melancholy, though a bodily distemper, pro- 
 duces dejection of mind ; in that of others, trouble 
 of mind on spiritual accounts, especially if it be 
 great, or of long continuance, produces the disease 
 of melancholy in the body. Melancholy also in- 
 creases trouble of mind; and trouble of mind 
 
 d John xii. 35, 36. 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 165 
 
 again, increases melancholy ; where they both 
 exist together, they mutually increase and confirm 
 each other. How great soever, a believer's grief 
 for sin, and his dread of Divine anger, may be ; 
 he ought not to be called melancholy, so long as 
 these appear to be rational, and his imagination to 
 be sound. But, on the other hand, how small 
 soever, his measure of sadness and of fear, may 
 be ; yet, if his imagination and mind, be so dis- 
 tempered or impaired, that he cannot assign a 
 proper reason for his sadness and fear, nor express 
 them in a rational manner, he is to be counted 
 melancholy. Now, when a good man is at any 
 time, afflicted with this grievous distemper, it will 
 usually discover itself, by more or fewer of the fol- 
 lowing signs. 
 
 Sect. I. Of the signs of melancJwly, especially 
 in a true Christian, 
 
 A holy man, when he is under this mournful 
 disease, commonly gives himself up to excessive 
 grief: he often weeps without knowing why, and 
 thinks that he ought to do so ; and if he but ap- 
 pear to smile at any time, or to talk cheerfully, his 
 heart smites him for it, as if he had done amiss. 
 
 He is usually exceedingly timorous, or full of 
 groundless fears. Almost every thing that he sees, 
 or hears of, serves to increase his dread, especially 
 if fear, as often is the case, has been the primary 
 cause of his melancholy. 
 
 If the distemper be not deep, sadness and fear 
 commonly seize him at intervals. He is seized 
 with fits of them, for a part of a day, or for a whole 
 
166 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 day, or even for several days together ; and after 
 some short abatement of them, they return upon 
 him ; and he feels them again fastening on his spi- 
 rit, without knowing why. 
 
 Through the distemper of his imagination, he is 
 disposed to aggravate his sin, or misery, or danger. 
 Of every common infirmity or fault, he is ready to 
 speak with horror, as if it were an atrocious crime : 
 every ordinary affliction, he considers as utterly 
 destructive ; every small danger, as a great one ; 
 every possible danger, as probable ; and every pro- 
 bable danger, as certain. 
 
 He often thinks that, his day of grace is past 9 
 and that, now it is too late for him, to believe, to 
 repent, or to expect mercy. Were any one to de- 
 clare to him, that redeeming grace is infinitely free, 
 or that the riches of saving mercy in Christ, is al- 
 ways overflowing, or that the offers and calls of the 
 gospel, are directed to him in particular; he would 
 still affirm that, now it is too late, because his day 
 of grace is undoubtedly past. No arguments will 
 convince him, that, to conclude that his day of 
 grace is past, or that God will never shew mercy 
 nor give grace to him, while yet, God is continually 
 beseeching him, to accept his offers of grace, and 
 so to be reconciled to him ; is an unbelieving sus- 
 picion, that the God of truth is not sincere in his 
 offers, and a most sinful attempt to make Him a 
 liar e. The Christian, dejected as he is, ought se- 
 riously to consider, how atrocious, how reproach- 
 ful, how dreadful, the sin of unbelief is. 
 
 e 1 John v. 10. 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 167 
 
 He is perpetually apprehensive that, he is utterly 
 forsaken by God, and is always prone to despair. 
 Like one who is forlorn and desolate, his continual 
 thought is, that he is undone, utterly undone, 
 But he certainly ought to consider, that sinners 
 who are utterly forsaken of God, are habitually 
 willing to continue in their sinful state and frame ; 
 that they are lovers of sin, haters of holiness, and, 
 so far as they have power and opportunity, perse- 
 cutors of all who would reform them, as if they 
 were enemies to them ; — which is far indeed from 
 being his case. 
 
 He frequently takes occasion from the doctrine 
 of predestination <, to despair of Divine mercy ; and 
 so, he abuses that great and fundamental doctrine, 
 Perceiving every object, as through a coloured and 
 distorted medium, he thinks that if the Lord hath 
 not elected him, it will be altogether in vain for 
 him, ever to attempt believing and repenting ; and 
 then, he strongly imagines that he is not elected, 
 and therefore that it cannot be his duty, to hope 
 for the mercy of God. But he would do well to 
 recollect that, all whom God hath predestinated to 
 the end, he hath also predestinated to the means ; 
 that, in choosing sinners to salvation, he hath 
 chosen them to faith and repentance, not only as 
 means, but as necessary parts of salvation ; and 
 that, it is his present duty, upon the warrant of the 
 unlimited oifer of the gospel, to choose Christ for 
 his Saviour, and God in him for his God, and im- 
 mediately to trust in them, for all the parts of sal- 
 vation. This would, in the mean time, be a com- 
 
168 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 fortable evidence to him, that God hath clwsen him*. 
 To trust in the Lord Jesus, for all his salvation, 
 and, in the faith of offered and promised mercy, to 
 repent of all his sins, are the way to know, that he 
 has been elected to faith and repentance, as well as 
 to every other part of salvation. 
 
 He always asserts that he cannot believe, and 
 hence concludes that he cannot be saved. If any 
 Christian friend exhort him, to come as a sinner, to 
 the compassionate Saviour, and to trust in Him, 
 for salvation to himself in particular ; he is ready 
 to reply, c Alas ! You seem to understand nothing 
 of my doleful condition ; otherwise, you would not 
 exhort such a vile and unworthy sinner as I am, to 
 trust that the holy One of God, would ever save 
 him. Indeed, it would be daring presumption in 
 one like me, ever to attempt trusting in Him : I 
 dare not, I will not, I cannot, confide in him, 
 against whom I have so heinously sinned. 1 His 
 distemper, so far as it prevails, will not permit him 
 to exercise faith. — A dreadful chastisement this ; 
 for his having omitted the great duty of trusting at 
 all times, in the only Saviour, when his imagina- 
 tion was sound ! 
 
 He is, at the same time, utterly unable to exer- 
 cise joy, or to take comfort in any thing. He can- 
 not comprehend, or so much as think of, any thing 
 which is suited to comfort him. When he reads 
 or hears, the dreadful threatenings of the violated 
 law, it is always with application of them to himself; 
 
 f 2 Thess. ii. 13. 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 169 
 
 but when he reads or hears, the precious promises 
 of the blessed gospel, he either takes no notice of 
 them, or says, ' They do not belong to me : the 
 greater the mercy of God, and the riches of his 
 grace, are, the more miserable am I, who have no 
 part in them/ He looks upon his wife, children, 
 friends, house, wealth, and all, without the least 
 comfort ; as a man would do, who is going, for his 
 crimes, to suffer the most tormenting death. He 
 is like a man in continual sickness or pain, who can- 
 not take pleasure in any thing around him, because 
 the feeling of his incessant pain prevents him. 
 
 He never reads or hears of any dreadful exam- 
 ple of Divine judgment, but he presently imagines 
 that it will soon be his own case. If he hears of 
 Cain, or of Pharoah, given up to hardness of 
 heart ; or but reads that, some are vessels of wrath, 
 fitted to destruction, or that, they have eyes and 
 see not, ears and hear not, hearts and understand 
 not ; he thinks that this is his very case, or that it 
 is all spoken of him. If he hears of any tremen- 
 dous judgment inflicted on one, he concludes that 
 it will also be executed on him : if he is told that, 
 some person is become distracted, or has died sud- 
 denly, or died in despair ; he presently thinks, that 
 it will be so with himself. The reading of Spira's 
 dreadful condition, has, I believe, increased me- 
 lancholy in many ; the ignorant author having de- 
 scribed a case of the plainest, and the deepest me- 
 lancholy, contracted by means of mental trouble, 
 arising from sin committed against conscience, as 
 if it had been the rational despair of a sound un- 
 derstanding. 
 
170 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 He persuades himself that, none ever was in such 
 a dismal condition, as that in which he is. Al- 
 though he be ever so often told that, many of the 
 saints have been in this very case ; yet he still per- 
 sists in saying, < Never was any one's case like 
 mine. 7 
 
 His conscience is usually quick, in charging 
 him with sin, in presenting to his view, the in- 
 finite punishment which he deserves for his sin, 
 and in urging him on to still greater dejection of 
 mind, as his duty. But he seems dead to all the 
 duties, which directly tend to his consolation ; such 
 as, praising the Lord, thanksgiving for manifold 
 mercies, meditating on the glorious Redeemer, and 
 on the love, the grace, and the promises of God. 
 Press these, and such as these, ever so frequently 
 upon him, and he will make no conscience of them : 
 he will regard them as duties for others, but not 
 for him. 
 
 He is always displeased and discontented with 
 himself; just as a peevish, or froward person is apt 
 to be, with others. Is such a man hard to be 
 pleased ? Is he ready to find fault with every thing, 
 which he sees or hears of; and is he offended with 
 every one, who comes in his way ? Just so, is a 
 melancholy man, with respect to himself: he is al- 
 ways suspicious of himself, always finding fault, 
 always displeased with himself. 
 
 His thoughts, for the most part, are turned in- 
 ward 7/jwn himself'. Like millstones, which grind 
 on themselves, when they have no grain between 
 them, his thoughts are usually employed upon 
 themselves. When he suspects that he has thought 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 171 
 
 irregularly, he thinks again and again, on that 
 which he has already been thinking of. He does 
 not usually meditate much on God, (except on his 
 terrible majesty, justice, and wrath,) nor on Christ, 
 nor heaven, nor the state of the church, nor in- 
 deed, on any thing without himself: his thoughts 
 are all abstracted, and turned inward upon himself, 
 and are such as tend, not to alleviate, but rather to 
 increase, his perturbation. His musing on himself, 
 is chiefly, that he may perceive the working of Sa- 
 tan in himself; that he may find, in the depravity 
 or infirmity of his nature, as much of the hateful 
 image of that wicked one, as he can : but the holv 
 image of God in him, he frowardly overlooks, and 
 will not acknowledge. And so, as noble objects of 
 thought, raise the soul ; as amiable objects, kindle 
 love in it ; as cheering objects, fill it with delight ; 
 and as God in Christ, who possesses every excel- 
 lence, doth elevate, and perfect, and make it hap- 
 py ; so, mean objects of thought, debase it ; loath- 
 some objects, fill it with disgust ; and mournful ob- 
 jects, impress it with sadness. To fix, therefore, 
 his thoughts incessantly upon his depravity and 
 misery, cannot fail to increase the sadness of his 
 spirit. 
 
 He commonly gives himself up to idleness ; either 
 lying in bed, or sitting unprofitably by himself : he 
 is much averse from labour, especially, from the 
 work of his usual calling. 
 
 At the same time, he is daily harassed with Jears 
 of want, poverty and misery, to himself and his 
 family ; and sometimes even of imprisonment, or 
 banishment. He is often afraid that somebody will 
 
172 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 murder him ; and, if he but perceives any one 
 whispering to another, or winking with the eye, he 
 presently suspects, that they are plotting to take 
 away his life. 
 
 He is weary of company, for the most part, and 
 is much addicted to solitude. 
 
 His thoughts are commonly all perplexed, like 
 those of a man who is in a labyrinth, or pathless 
 wilderness, or who has lost his way in the dark. 
 He is continually poring and groping about, and 
 can make out nothing, but is bewildered and en- 
 tangled the more ; and he is full of perplexing 
 fears, out of which he cannot find the way. 
 
 He is for ordinary, endless in his scruples ; a- 
 fraid lest he sin, in every thought, every word, 
 every look ; in all the food that he eats, and in all 
 the clothing that he wears : and if he resolves to 
 amend his ways, he is still scrupulous, with regard 
 to his designed amendments. He dares neither 
 speak, nor be silent ; neither travel, nor stay at 
 home, but scruples every thing ; as if his conscience 
 were wholly enslaved by self-perplexing scruples. 
 
 Hence it comes to pass, that he commonly ad- 
 dicts himself much to superstition. He makes laws 
 for himself, which God never made for him. He 
 ensnares himself, by unnecessary resolutions, vows, 
 and austerities. He places much of his religion in 
 outward self-imposed tasks; such as, to spend so 
 many hours of every day, in this or that act of de- 
 votion ; to wear such and such clothes, and forbear 
 others that are fitter for him ; to forbear all sorts 
 of food that please the taste, and such like. 
 
 He has lost the power of governing his thoughts 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 173 
 
 by reason. If a Christian friend exhort him, ever 
 so earnestly and frequently, to forbear his unpro- 
 fitable, self-perplexing thoughts, and to turn his 
 mind to cheering objects, he is unable to comply. 
 He seems to be under a necessity, of thinking anxi- 
 ous and distracting thoughts : he cannot turn away 
 his mind, from gloomy and frightful ideas. He 
 cannot meditate on redeeming love, grace, or mer- 
 cy. He can no more cease to muse on that, which 
 is already the subject of his thoughts, than a man, 
 afflicted with a violent toothach, can forbear, at the 
 time, to think of his pain. 
 
 Hence he usually becomes incapable, to engage 
 in secret prayer or meditation. When he would 
 try to pray or to meditate, his thoughts are pre- 
 sently thrown all into confusion. He cannot fix or 
 keep them, upon any object without himself; for a 
 distempered, and confused imagination, with a weak 
 reason which cannot govern it, is the very disease 
 with which he is afflicted. Sometimes terror drives 
 him from prayer. He dares not hope, and there- 
 fore dares not pray ; and usually, he has not cour- 
 age to receive the Lord's Supper. If he be at any 
 time, prevailed on to receive it, he is presently filled 
 with dread, fearing that, by partaking unworthily, 
 he has eaten and drunk judgment to himself. 
 
 The consequence is, that he begins to feel an 
 uncommon degeee of averseness from religious ex- 
 ercises. Hence he rashly concludes that, he is a 
 hater of God and of holiness ; imputing the effects 
 of his bodily distemper, to his soul ; while yet he 
 would rather love God, and be holy, than have all 
 
174 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 
 the riches, honours, and pleasures, in the universe. 
 Strictly speaking, it is rather to the renewed per- 
 plexity and terror, which he experiences in those 
 exercises, that he is averse, than to the duties them- 
 selves : for he still desires to have that calmness of 
 spirit, that confidence and delight in the Lord Je- 
 sus, which he would be glad to express by prayer 
 and praise. Here we ought to distinguish between 
 that degree of averseness, which is so predominant, 
 as habitually, and entirely, to overcome holiness in 
 the soul ; and that degree, which indeed strives ve- 
 hemently against it, but does not overcome it. 
 Every holy man has some degree of backwardness 
 to spiritual exercises, remaining in him ; but if this 
 had dominion over him, he would willingly aban- 
 don them ; which he is far from being permitted 
 ever to do. Still however, he may, when he is un- 
 der melancholy, be so deterred from some external 
 duties, as to give them over for a time. Many real 
 believers have, for a season been deterred from re- 
 ceiving the Sacrament of the Supper. Some of 
 them, when under deep melancholy, and strong 
 temptation, have even given up outward prayer, 
 hearing, and reading of the word of God ; and yet, 
 they have not lost their desire of holiness, which is 
 inward prayer, nor their desire to believe, love, and 
 obey the gospel. 
 
 He is commonly occupied much, with eager and 
 conflicting thoughts. He now and then feels, as if 
 something were speaking within him, and as if all 
 his own violent thoughts, were the impulses and 
 pleadings of another. He, therefore, uses frequent- 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 175 
 
 ly to attribute his irregular fancies, either to some 
 extraordinary motions of the Holy Spirit, or even 
 to some uncommon agency of Satan. He often 
 uses such expressions as these : ' It was impressed 
 on my heart, or, It was said to me, that I must do 
 thus and thus; and soon afterwards I was told, 
 that I must not do this or that."' He conceives 
 that, his imagination is something talking within 
 him, and saying to him, all that he is thinking of. 
 
 Hence he becomes intractable and very obstinate 
 in adhering to his own conceits. It is with the ut- 
 most difficulty, that he can be persuaded to relin- 
 quish any one of them, however irrational. He, at 
 the same time, becomes peevish and froward : it is 
 easy to offend him, and difficult to please him. 
 
 It is seldom that the most convincing argument. 
 or that the best advice, though pressed upon him 
 in the most affectionate and attractive manner, does 
 him any good. If a Christian friend tries to per- 
 suade him, that, he has some evidences of a work 
 of grace begun in his soul, and so far succeeds^ as 
 to lessen, in a small degree, the dejection of his 
 mind ; yet, as soon as he again views his heart and 
 life, through the medium of his perturbing hu- 
 mours, every such argument and advice is forgot- 
 ten, and he is as far from serenity of mind, as ever. 
 Any encouraging thought of his state, to which, 
 one can be the means of helping him, seldom con- 
 tinues above a day or two. 
 
 When his melancholy becomes deep, he is al- 
 most constantly troubled with hideous and blasphe- 
 mous temptations, against God, or Christ, or the 
 Scripture, or the immortality of the soul. These 
 
176 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 arise partly from his own fears, which make him 
 think most of that, of which he is most afraid to 
 think. The very uneasiness, occasioned by his fears, 
 attracts and confines his thoughts to that which he 
 dreads. As he who is over desirous of sleeping, 
 and is fearing that he shall not sleep, is likely to 
 continue awake, because his desire and fear keep 
 him waking ; so the fears and anxieties of him who 
 is melancholy, do counteract themselves. But 
 these temptations arise chiefly from Satan, who 
 seizing the opportunity of the Christian's being un- 
 der that disease, vexes him, and tempts him to blas- 
 phemous thoughts. For, as that crafty and mali- 
 cious enemy of the saints, knows that, he can more 
 easily and successfully, tempt a melancholy saint, to 
 unbelieving, despairing, and blasphemous thoughts, 
 than any other saint ; so, when permitted, he will 
 be sure, vehemently to instigate him to such 
 thoughts. Hence a good man, when he is under 
 strong melancholy, often feels, as if something 
 within him, was forcibly urging him to utter some 
 blasphemous, or sinful expression ; and he can have 
 no rest, unless he yield to the temptation : but no 
 sooner does he yield, than he is tempted utterly to 
 despair, because he has committed so heinous a sin : 
 and when Satan has gained this advantage over 
 him, he still, to increase his dejection of spirit, sets 
 it before him. It is wonderful, what extraordinary 
 acuteness, the Christian, under this grievous dis- 
 temper, will discover, in evading the force of the 
 strongest arguments, that can be urged for his com- 
 fort : but I believe that Satan is, on such occa- 
 sions, permitted to suggest his answers to him, and 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 177 
 
 to assist him in setting them in the strongest light 
 possible. 
 
 Upon the tempter's gaining that advantage over 
 him, he further prompts him to conclude, that he 
 has been guilty of the sin against the Holy Spirit, 
 which will never be forgiven him. This increases 
 his despair of mercy. The man who indeed com- 
 mits that horrible sin, must be a professed infidel, 
 and that in opposition to confessed miracles. And 
 yet the melancholy believer despairs, because he 
 dreads that he has committed that sin ; though, 
 perhaps, he neither understands what it is, nor has 
 any reason, but his own groundless fear, or some 
 blasphemous temptation which he abhors, for ima- 
 gining that he has been guilty of it. Alas ! he 
 does not consider that, a temptation is one thing, 
 and a sin, another ; and that, no man has less 
 cause to fear, that he shall be condemned for his 
 transgression, than he who abhorreth sin most, and 
 is least willing to commit it : for no man can be 
 less willing to commit iniquity, than the Christian 
 afflicted with melancholy, is, to be guilty of those 
 blasphemous and hideous thoughts, of which he 
 bitterly complains. 
 
 When a good man, under deep melancholy, has 
 been long harassed with suggestions to blasphemy 
 and despair, he at length begins to dread, that he 
 is possessed by Satan. A man may be said to be 
 possessed by Satan, when that enemy is at any 
 time permitted to exercise, in a certain measure, 
 his power on him ; and that, by a stated and effec- 
 tual operation, either on his soul, or on his body. 
 h 2 
 
178 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 The devil thus possesses the souls of the ungodly g ; 
 but he is never permitted for a single moment, thus 
 to possess those of the saints. But, though he can- 
 not possess the souls of the saints ; yet he may, 
 as in the case of Job, be suffered to possess for a 
 season, the bodies of some of them. He may, per- 
 haps, in the hand of the Lord, be an instrument of 
 inflicting, among other distempers, the disease of 
 melancholy on them ; and he may also, by harass- 
 ing them with horrible and despairing suggestions, 
 be an instrument of increasing that grievous dis- 
 ease. But let it still be remembered by the deject- 
 ed believer, that Satan's exercising for a season, 
 such power on the body, as may be termed a pos- 
 session of it ; is no sign at all, of an unregenerate 
 state, or of his having gained possession again of 
 that soul, from which, he had, in the day of rege- 
 neration, been cast out. Still, however, as this 
 malicious and cruel enemy, often raises a storm of 
 persecution against the Christian, from without ; 
 so, in proportion as the Lord permitteth him, he 
 likewise produces trouble within. It should also 
 be regarded by the disconsolate saint, as matter of 
 unspeakable comfort; that, of all men, none loves 
 the sin under which he sighs, less than he does, 
 for it is the heaviest burden of his soul ; and that, 
 no sin evinceth Satan's possession of a soul, but 
 that which the man loves, more than he hates, and 
 which he would rather keep, than forsake. The 
 melancholy Christian should likewise, for his en- 
 
 s Eph. ii. 2. 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 179 
 
 couragement, recollect that, God will charge his 
 temptations, only upon Satan himself, and nowise 
 upon him, so long as he receives them not, by the 
 consent of his will, but continues to abhor them ; 
 and that, he will no more condemn him, for those 
 evil effects, which, produced by the force of a bodi- 
 ly disease, are unavoidable ; than he will condemn 
 a man, for raving thoughts or words, in a strong 
 fever or delirium h . But, so far as reason in the 
 dejected Christian, yet has power, and his under- 
 standing, the government of his passions ; it is 
 doubtless his own fault, if he do not exert himself 
 in using that power, though the great difficulty of 
 using it, renders his fault the less. 
 
 If his melancholy become very deep, the dejected 
 believer often imagines that he hears voices, and 
 sees lights and apparitions, or that something meets 
 him, and says this or that to him ; when all, is but 
 the error of a diseased imagination and an impaired 
 intellect. 
 
 In consequence of the continued, and harassing 
 perplexity of his mind, under strong melancholy^ 
 the dejected Christian becomes weary even of his 
 life. Some, under deep melancholy, are strongly 
 tempted to make away with themselves ; and they 
 are assaulted with the temptation, so incessantly, 
 and so forcibly, that they can go no where, but 
 they feel, as if somewhat within were instigating 
 them vehemently, and saving, « Do it. 1 For the 
 grievous disease, under which they labour, will 
 permit them to feel nothing, but anguish and de- 
 
 h Psal. ciii. 13, 14. 
 
180 SIGNS OF MELANCHOLY 
 spair, and to say nothing, but that they are forsaken, 
 and miserable, and undone. It not only makes 
 them weary of their lives, even while they are sore 
 afraid to die ; but it affords Satan a special oppor- 
 tunity, of urging them to destroy themselves : so 
 that, if they by themselves, happen to be crossing 
 on a bridge, he urges them to leap into the water ; 
 if they when alone, see a knife, or any other de- 
 structive weapon, he instigates them to kill them- 
 selves with it ; and they usually feel, as if some- 
 thing within them, were importunately urging 
 them, saying, ' Do it, do it instantly.' Hence 
 some of them, begin secretly to contrive how they 
 may accomplish it ; yea, and so far yield to the im- 
 portunity of the tempter, as actually to destroy 
 themselves. This undoubtedly would be self-mur- 
 der, were it not that, the doleful distemper, under 
 which they labour, so impairs their understanding, 
 as to render them at the time, incapable to resist 
 the horrible temptation. 
 
 Although the use of means, for the preservation 
 and recovery of Christians, afflicted with melan- 
 choly, belongs as much to others connected with 
 them, as to themselves ; yet, so far as it is possible 
 for themselves to exercise their reason, they must 
 be warned, 1. To abhor all such temptations, and 
 not for a moment, to give place to them, in their 
 minds ; 2. To avoid carefully all occasions of yield- 
 ing to them ; so as not to go near a river, or any 
 instrument, which, Satan would instigate them to 
 use for that purpose ; 3. And, to make known 
 their case without delay, to some of their Christian 
 friends ; in order that, suitable means may be em- 
 5 
 
IN A TRUE CHRISTIAN. 181 
 
 ployed for their preservation and restoration to 
 health. 
 
 Finally, the dejected Christian, after all, will not 
 believe, that he is under the disease of melancholy ; 
 but will be displeased, if he hear any friend so 
 much as hint it to him ; and will affirm that, it is 
 but the rational sense, of his extreme misery, or, of 
 being utterly forsaken by God, and of lying under 
 his terrible wrath. It is therefore with no small 
 difficulty, that he can be persuaded, to observe the 
 prescriptions and directions of a Physician, or to 
 employ any means whatever, for the cure of his 
 bodily disease ; asserting that his body is in perfect 
 health, and that it is only his soul that is troubled k 
 
 These are, for the most part, the signs of melan- 
 choly, especially when the true Christian is in that 
 dismal case ; — a case, to be pitied, but never to be 
 scorned. Let no man despise, or vilify such ; for 
 men of all descriptions, are liable to that grievous 
 malady ; high and low, learned and unlearned, re- 
 ligious and irreligious, yea, and persons, who have 
 hitherto lived in the greatest jollity and luxury : 
 such have actually fallen under it, as often as it 
 hath pleased the Lord, to make them thus feel 
 some of the dreadful effects of his hot displeasure, 
 for their aggravated transgressions of his holy law. 
 
 Sect. II. Directkms to Christians who are afflicted 
 with melanclwly. 
 
 If the disease has proceeded far, or become 
 strong, directions to those Christians themselves, 
 
 1 For the greater part of these signs of melancholy, I 
 have been indebted to Clifford's Collection. 
 
182 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 are commonly to little purpose ; because their minds 
 are so weakened, that they cannot comply with 
 them. But, because in some, especially, when the 
 distemper has but lately begun to seize them, there 
 is some power of understanding, and of reason, still 
 remaining ; I shall offer them the following direc- 
 tions and advices : 
 
 1. Endeavour to understand well^ the covenant 
 of grace. Study, without delay, to attain just and 
 clear views of the infinite riches, suitableness, and 
 freeness of the grace of that everlasting covenant. 
 The better you understand, and the more you think 
 of, that wonderful contract, in which, complete sal- 
 vation is purchased, promised, and sure to you; 
 the more, under the consoling influences of the 
 Spirit of grace, will your souls be sustained, and 
 your tempers be sweetened. Think as often of the 
 righteousness of Jesus Christ, as of your own sin- 
 fulness ; as often of his fulness of grace, as of your 
 own emptiness of grace ; and as frequently of the 
 boundless love, grace, and mercy, of your Cove- 
 nant-God, as of his majesty, holiness, and justice. 
 The way to diminish, and even to overcome those 
 terrors, which arise from partial, and false appre- 
 hensions of God, is, to attain spiritual, clear, and 
 enlarged views of him, as a God whose glory it is, 
 to be merciful and gracious even to the chief of 
 sinners ; and who will certainly shew mercy to 
 them, who unfeignedly desire to honour him, and 
 to be eternal debtors to his redeeming grace, for all 
 their salvation. Let your thoughts also dwell on 
 these cheering truths ; That the Lord Jesus hath, 
 according to that well-ordered and sure covenant, 
 
UNDER MELANCHOLY. 183 
 
 given such an infinite satisfaction to Divine justice, 
 for your sins, as secures you from eternal death ; 
 that he hath performed such a perfect obedience to 
 the Divine law, as merits for you eternal life ; and, 
 that life eternal is to you, the infinitely free gift of 
 God k . 
 
 2. Be firmly persuaded, that the incarnate Re- 
 deemer, with his righteousness and fulness, is, in the 
 gospel, offered to you as sinners of mankind. Con- 
 stantly believe not only that, He is able and willing 
 to save you ; but that, by his eternal Father and 
 himself, he is freely, wholly, and particularly, offer- 
 ed to you 1 . Believe cordially the record, " that 
 God giveth to you, eternal life, and that this life is 
 in his Son m ." Consider that, it is not your sin but 
 your duty, always to believe that to you in particu- 
 lar, He giveth in offer his Son, with righteousness 
 and life eternal in Him ; and that, it is not your 
 sin but your duty, likewise to believe that the Fa- 
 ther's authentic offer of him to you, affords you a 
 warrant, presently to confide in him for salvation to 
 yourselves, or, to trust that he saveth, and will 
 continue to save you. It would be presumption in 
 any of the fallen angels, to trust in him for their 
 salvation, because he is not offered to them ; but it 
 is not presumption in you, but a duty, to confide 
 in him for all your salvation ; because the offer, the 
 call, and the commandment to believe in him, are 
 directed to you, in common with all other hearers 
 of the gospel ; and these afford you a right, at all 
 times, to place the confidence of your hearts in him 
 
 k Rom. vi. 23. l John vi. 32. Isa. Iv. 1. Rev. xxii. 17. 
 m 1 John v. 11. 
 
184 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 for grace and glory. Believe then that, seeing you 
 have an ample warrant, to trust confidently in the 
 Saviour for the whole of your salvation, it cannot 
 be your sin but your duty, your principal duty to 
 do so. O if ye but saw, in the light of his word 
 and Spirit, and believed, your Divine warrant, to 
 come as you are, to come at all times, and confide 
 in the Lord Jesus for complete salvation ; — how 
 greatly would it alleviate the trouble of your 
 minds n ! 
 
 3. Be persuaded to trust accordingly in Jesus 
 Christ, for all the inestimable blessings and com- 
 forts of a free salvation, to yourselves in particular. 
 Come, as unworthy, as lost sinners in yourselves ; 
 come, not upon the ground of any qualifications in 
 yourselves, but upon the warrant afforded you by 
 the gospel-offer, and intrust your whole salvation 
 to the compassionate Saviour. Rely with unsus- 
 pecting confidence, on the faithful, the dear Re- 
 deemer, for the enjoyment of all that is offered to 
 you, in the glorious gospel. There, all the love of 
 his heart is, in and with himself, offered to you : 
 trust therefore that he loveth you °. His consum- 
 mate righteousness is granted to you : rely upon it, 
 for all your title to eternal life. All his salvation is 
 also presented to you, for your acceptance : trust 
 therefore that his right hand will save you p. Since 
 it is all offered to you, as a free gift of grace ; trust, 
 with the entire approbation and consent of your 
 hearts, that he will save you in a way of boundless 
 grace*. Seeing all the good things of this life, 
 
 n John iv. 10. Psal. xxviii. 7. ° 1 John iv. l6\ 
 
 p Psal. cxxxviii. 7. q Acts xv. 1 1 . 
 
UNDER MELANCHOLY. 185 
 
 which are necessary for you, are likewise offered ; 
 trust that he will give you these also, in the kind, 
 and the measure, that he sees good for you r . All 
 the promises of his eternal covenant, are, in the in- 
 definite offer, left and directed to you : trust there- 
 fore that he will perform them to you, and so, save 
 you with an everlasting salvation. The absolute 
 promises of the Spirit and of faith especially, are, 
 in the offer, given to you : trust that he will give 
 his Spirit to you, and thereby enable you, yet more 
 and more to believe in him. O that ye knew what 
 a comfort it is, that the great Redeemer hath made 
 it your duty, to trust at all times in Him, and in 
 God through him. He commandeth you to trust 
 in him, with all your heart s ; and therefore you 
 may be assured that, he will not deceive your con- 
 fidence, nor disappoint your expectation. Ah ! if 
 a faithful and able friend but suggest, that you may 
 depend on him for relief, in some external difficulty, 
 ye will most readily confide in him, and believe 
 that he will not deceive you ; and yet, you cannot 
 trust a faithful, an almighty Redeemer, though he 
 commandeth you to do it, and promiseth " That he 
 will not turn away from you, to do you good t ." 
 
 4. Love not the good things of this world so, as 
 to place, either your happiness, or your confidence, 
 in them. No objects whatever can continue in your 
 possession, except Christ and God in him. No 
 mercies can either be satisfying, or sure to you, but 
 " the sure mercies of David V Set not, then, 
 such a high value on any of the empty and transit 
 
 r Psal. Ixxxiy. 11. s Prov. iii. 5. 
 
 * Jer. xxxii. 40. u Isa. Iv. 3. 
 
186 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 tory things of this world, as to put it in their power 
 ever to disquiet your souls. Reproaches, injuries, 
 losses, — these are all without you : they cannot 
 come in to your souls to vex them ; unless ye your- 
 selves, open the door to let them enter. The Lord 
 sendeth affliction upon your bodies, and it may be, 
 permitteth men to injure you in your good names, 
 and worldly estates ; but it is yourselves only, who 
 suffer these, or any other outward calamities, to 
 enter and to vex your souls. The things of this 
 world, are still so high in your estimation, and 
 they lie so near to your heart, that you cannot suf- 
 fer the loss of any of them, without vexation of 
 spirit. Ah ! that the world should seem so great, 
 and that God in Christ should appear so small, in 
 your view, as not to satisfy you, except when ye 
 can have the world along with him ! O watch dili- 
 gently, against the inordinate love of earthly things ; 
 for it will dispose you to indulge distracting care, 
 and repining opposition of spirit, to the holy dispo- 
 sals of adorable providence. It is anxious care, 
 and peevish discontent, that are often, at first, the 
 occasions of melancholy. They usually so disturb a 
 man's mind, as to render it defenceless against those 
 temptations, respecting the state of his soul, with 
 which Satan will afterwards assail him. The dis- 
 quietness, which hath been occasioned by outward 
 crosses, is then removed to his conscience, and so 
 inflames it, that he begins to be for a long season, 
 oppressed with many fears about the salvation of 
 his soul. Thus, as if the Lord had not afflicted 
 him enough, he adds to his own affliction. Only 
 consider how heinous a sin it is, so to love the 
 
UNDER MELANCHOLY. 187 
 
 world, as to set up your own wills, in opposition 
 to the holy will, and providence of the Most High. 
 By repining against Him, you secretly accuse him, 
 and by accusing him, ye blaspheme his worthy 
 name. Consider that, the resignation of your wills 
 in every thing, to the will of God, is. a principal 
 branch of holiness ; and that, it is in proportion as 
 ye take complacency in His blessed will, that your 
 hearts are comforted. O be persuaded to trust 
 firmly, that, God in Christ loveth you and bestow- 
 eth Himself upon you, as your everlasting portion ; 
 and that, the Lord Jesus will give you that which 
 is good, and withhold no good thing from you : for 
 that is the way, through the Spirit, to mortify the 
 inordinate love of the world. 
 
 5. Be not solitary, but as little and as seldom as 
 possible. A time for retirement from company is, 
 indeed, to those Christians who are well, a season 
 of the greatest value for meditation, self-examina- 
 tion, and prayer ; but to you, it is a season of great 
 danger. If the devil, with his temptations, as- 
 saulted Christ himself, when he found Him in a 
 wilderness, remote from company ; much more will 
 he assail you, if he find you solitary. It is your 
 duty therefore to be, as often as attention to your 
 other duties will permit, in the company of humble, 
 faithful, and cheerful Christians ; especially, of 
 those whose views of the gospel are clear, whose 
 faith is strong, and who can speak from experience, 
 of deliverance from dejection of spirit. It may also 
 be of advantage to you, if ye confer at a time, even 
 with Christians, whose cases are similar to your 
 
188 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 own ; in order to be satisfied, that your condition 
 is far from being singular. 
 
 6. Recollect frequently that, although it is a sin 
 to yield to a temptation ; yet, it is not a sin to be 
 tempted. Jesus Christ himself, " was in all points 
 tempted like as we are, yet without sinV He 
 was tempted to the most atrocious and horrible 
 sins, yea, even to fall down and worship the devil ; 
 and yet, having with perfect abhorrence resisted 
 every temptation, He still was without sin. You 
 can at no time, be tempted to more horrible ini- 
 quities, than those to which, the holy One of God 
 was tempted. Though you cannot endure tempta- 
 tion without sin, as He could ; yet, as it is not 
 every sinful inclination in the heart of a believer, 
 that is to be considered as a compliance with a 
 temptation, ye should not charge upon yourselves, 
 that which is the sin only of the tempter. 
 
 7. Consider how much it gratifies Satan, to see 
 you indulging gloomy and desponding thoughts. 
 It pleases that gloomy spirit exceedingly, to per- 
 ceive you sullen and melancholy, like himself; to 
 behold you distrusting your Saviour, and suspect- 
 ing your God to be an enemy to you, and that, 
 under the pretence of being deeply humbled and 
 grieved for your sins. That surely cannot be, ei- 
 ther your duty, or your ornament, which gratifies 
 the devil, and serves to promote the interests of 
 his kingdom. That can be no honour to you, which 
 robs your gracious God and Father, of the honour 
 
 w Heb. ir. 15. 
 
UNDER MELANCHOLY. 189 
 
 of his redeeming grace ; and which disposes you to 
 hate him, and to flee from his presence, as if he was 
 your implacable enemy. 
 
 8. Meditate frequently on the promises and grace 
 of the gospel ; but let each of your meditations, be 
 short and easy. A deep and continued meditation, 
 will but harass and perplex your minds, and render 
 you the more unable to perform your other duties. 
 Your imagination and mind are, at present, so 
 weakened, that you cannot employ them in a fix- 
 ed and protracted meditation, without increasing 
 thereby your malady. Do not mistake my mean- 
 ing : I am not directing you to neglect meditation, 
 especially on consoling subjects, but, to forbear 
 deep and long meditation ; because, in your present 
 condition, it will strengthen your painful distemper. 
 A short meditation on some cheering subject, may 
 be a mean of lessening, and even of removing, your 
 dejection ; whereas, a deep and continued medita- 
 tion will distract you, and by increasing your dis- 
 ease, will render you the less able, to perform the 
 other duties incumbent on you. When ye are at 
 any time meditating, do not look down into the 
 gloomy dungeon of your own heart, where, at pre- 
 sent, nothing can be seen but darkness or confu- 
 sion ; but look away from yourselves, to the com- 
 passionate Redeemer, and to God, as a God of in- 
 finite grace in Him. Instead of poring on your 
 own hearts, to discern if love to Christ be there ; 
 you ought rather to be thinking of the infinite love- 
 liness of Christ, and of his love to you. This would 
 be the means, of exciting the exercise of your love 
 to him, and of bringing it forth to your view. A 
 
190 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 sight of your own hearts, will but render you the 
 more melancholy ; whereas, a believing view of the 
 glorious grace of the Redeemer, will comfort you. 
 Frequent thoughts of the Lamb of God, who loved 
 you, and gave himself for you, and of the love and 
 mercy of God in Him, would, through the Holy 
 Spirit, produce sweetness and love in your hearts ; 
 when, on the contrary, fixed thoughts of sin, and 
 of the wrath of God, would beget bitterness and 
 aversion of spirit from him. 
 
 9. Be frequently employed in ejaculatory prayer, 
 and let your stated prayers be shorter than ordi- 
 nary. In your present case, you are not able to 
 continue in these holy exercises, so long as formerly. 
 Since therefore ye cannot do as ye would, ye should 
 do as you can. If sickness or pain of body, ex- 
 cuses a man for being short in devotional duties, 
 because nature is then so debilitated, that it cannot 
 hold out long ; the sickness of the natural spirits, 
 which enfeebles, not only the body, but also the 
 mind, may well excuse him. When ye feel your- 
 selves unable to continue long in prayer, as ye can- 
 not miss to do, struggle not too hard, in opposition 
 to enfeebled nature; for this, by increasing your 
 distemper, will disable you the more for every duty. 
 Study at the same time to retain, as much as pos- 
 sible, your relish for holy exercises ; and to guard 
 against every thing, that would render them trou- 
 blesome, or grievous to you. Let not your pre- 
 sent inability, to continue so long in prayer as for- 
 merly, discourage you ; for this also would increase 
 your malady. Endeavour, when you are praying, 
 to employ as much of the time, in thankful acknow- 
 
UxNDER MELANCHOLY. 191 
 
 ledginent of mercies, as in penitent confession of 
 sins. Were ye to employ, even more of the time, 
 in thanksgiving and praise, than, in confession and 
 complaint ; it might, under the influences of the 
 blessed Comforter, be a mean of lessening, or even 
 of removing, the bitterness of your spirits. 
 
 10. Be not discouraged, though -in your holy 
 exercises you have no lively feelings^ nor elevating 
 conceptions. These, however desirable and useful 
 they are, yet cannot, in your present condition, be 
 reasonably expected. Although they are sometimes 
 enjoyed by many holy persons, yet they are not 
 the essentials of true holiness. Lively feelings, de- 
 pend more on one's natural constitution, than many 
 are willing to allow. Some Christians have natur- 
 ally a quicker sensibility, than others. A very 
 small affair will make some of them, feel deeply. 
 They who live nearest to God, are commonly not 
 those, who have the liveliest feelings and emotions 
 of joy or grief; but those, who are most conform- 
 ed to the holy image of the Son of God, and who, 
 from principles of faith and love, are most devoted 
 to Him, and most inclined, at all times, to do his 
 will. Many believers, especially when dejected in 
 spirit, have bewailed bitterly, their want of deep 
 
 feelings ; who, if their feelings had been but in the 
 smallest degree, deeper or livelier, than they already 
 were, might have been disordered, and even dis- 
 tracted by them. 
 
 11. Be diligent, from principles of faith and love, 
 in doing the work of your lawful calling. Be con- 
 stantly occupied, as far as your bodily strength will 
 permit, in doing seasonably, your proper work ; 
 
192 DIRECTIONS TO CHRISTIANS 
 
 and consider that it is very sinful, as well as dan- 
 gerous, to squander any part of your precious time 
 in idleness. The Lord hath commanded you, to 
 labour six days ; and therefore, you cannot neglect 
 prosecuting your secular business, without omitting 
 your duty, and thereby incurring, in a still higher 
 degree, the displeasure of your heavenly Father. 
 Besides, if ye allow yourselves, but for a short sea- 
 son, to be unemployed, Satan will be sure to find 
 employment for you. By being idle, you invite 
 him both to tempt and to trouble you ; and he 
 will not fail, instantly to seize an opportunity, so 
 very favourable to his design. Then, ye will have 
 leisure to hearken to him, and to revolve in your 
 minds, every one of his infernal suggestions. Your 
 precious time is continually hasting away, and the 
 Lord hath allowed you none to consume in idle- 
 ness. If then, you, notwithstanding, allow your- 
 selves to squander any part of it in sloth ; you 
 may thereby provoke the Lord to permit Satan 
 to harass you in a very uncommon degree. No 
 pretence of employing your time in exercises of 
 devotion, will excuse your idleness; for you are 
 omitting that duty, which the holy law of God re- 
 quires *. Besides, you should consider that, to 
 employ your time as formerly, in the work of your 
 lawful vocation, especially if it be in the open air, 
 will probably be a most effectual mean of curing 
 you of your bodily distemper. 
 
 12. Represent your case to some skilful, cheer- 
 ful, and humble Minister or private Christian, and 
 
 x Prov. xxvii. 23. Rom. xii. 11. 
 
UNDER MELANCHOLY. 193 
 
 follow diligently his directions. Your imagination 
 is so distempered, and your mind is so weakened, 
 that you cannot judge aright, either of your condi- 
 tion, or of your duty. Your diseased imagination 
 will represent every object to your mind, in dark 
 and frightful colours. Relate your case, therefore, 
 to some skilful and faithful counsellor ; especially, 
 to one who himself was once in your afflicted con- 
 dition ; and do not despise his judgment concern- 
 ing, either your dejection, or the means to be used 
 for the removal of it. Be directed by him, with 
 respect to the subjects of your thoughts, the ob- 
 jects of your fears, the scruples of your consciences, 
 and the manner of your devotional exercises. " Be 
 not wise in your own conceits." Do not obstinately 
 adhere to every fancy, that strikes your minds ; 
 but, distrusting your own understandings, follow 
 resolutely the directions of an experienced, and 
 cheerful Christian. This is prescribed by the 
 Spirit of God ; and he will bless his own ordi- 
 nance y . 
 
 13. If you have reason to apprehend, that your 
 malady is increasing, ye ought to consult a skilful 
 Physician ; and, in the hope that you shall in due 
 time recover, to observe carefully his prescriptions. 
 Since the body is afflicted as well as the mind, you 
 should, in order to a removal of your dejection, 
 follow the directions of the Physician, as well as 
 of the Divine. This is one of the duties -required 
 of you, in the sixth commandment of the moral 
 law. Indeed, until the disease of the body be in 
 
 y Job. xxxiii. 23—25. 
 I 
 
194 ADVICES TO THE FRIENDS OF 
 
 some degree removed, it cannot be reasonably ex- 
 pected, that the mind will be relieved. 
 
 14. Finally, Trust that the Lord Jesus, whose 
 infinite compassions fail not, will, as far as it shall 
 be for his glory and your good, command deliver- 
 ance for you. " Though, 71 for a season, " he cause 
 grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the 
 multitude of his mercies V Instead of trusting 
 in the means, which it is still your duty diligently 
 to use, trust in 'your infinitely compassionate Sa- 
 viour ; and, in the exercise of humble confidence in 
 Him, let each of you say, " He will turn again, 
 he will have compassion upon me a : " Thou wilt 
 compass me about with songs of deliverance b ." 
 
 Sect. III. Advices to the relations and friends 
 of such Christians, as are afflicted with melanclwly* 
 
 It will now be proper, to subjoin some advices 
 to those relatives and friends of Christians under 
 melancholy, who are often in their company, and 
 to whom it belongs to take care of them. 
 
 1. I would counsel you to regard them, at all 
 times, with the most tender compassion. Of all the 
 maladies o which, persons in this valley of tears, 
 are liable, melancholy is the most dismal and over- 
 whelming. Other distempers seize the body only ; 
 but this fastens on, both the body and the mind 
 at once. It disquiets a man's mind, disorders his 
 thoughts, and fills his soul with anguish and hor- 
 ror. Look then on such Christian friends, as are 
 
 z Lam. iii. 32. a Mic. vii. 19. b Psal. xxxii. 7- 
 
CHRISTIANS UNDER MELANCHOLY. 195 
 under this dreadful distemper, with the greatest 
 pity and tenderness. Considering that, ye your- 
 selves are also in the body, and are obnoxious to 
 the same overwhelming malady, regard them with 
 the most affectionate and tender sympathy. They 
 are deeply afflicted in body, and sore vexed in 
 spirit. Their minds are troubled. Their spirits 
 are dejected. Their consciences are inflamed, 
 Their sighs are deep. The language of their dole- 
 ful condition, especially to you, is the same as that 
 of Job, to his friends : — " Have pity upon me*, 
 have pity upon me, O ye my friends ; for the hand 
 of God hath touched me V 
 
 2. Pray frequently and fervently to the Lord for 
 them, and request other Christians, to pray for them 
 likewise. In presenting your supplications for them, 
 you have strong arguments to plead. Ye may 
 plead, that the Lord Jesus endured unparalleled 
 anguish of soul, as well as torment of body, for 
 them ; that their trouble is so great and overwhelm- 
 ing, that none but He, can help or deliver them; 
 that the more insupportable, their anguish and 
 terror are, the more illustriously, will his power 
 and mercy be displayed, in delivering them ; that 
 the more dismal and formidable their distress is, 
 the more gloriously v/ill the kindness of his love be 
 manifested, in creating peace to their troubled 
 souls ; and that the less others can do, to relieve 
 them, and the more unworthy of relief they are, 
 the more brightly, will the glory of his redeeming 
 grace shine, in saving them. And though they 
 
 Jobix. 21. 
 
 7 
 
196 ADVICES TO THE FRIENDS OF 
 may, under deep despondency and terror, even 
 forbid you to pray any more for them ; yet persist 
 you still, in sending up your supplications to the 
 Father of mercies, in their behalf, and in request- 
 ing others to do the same : for, if the Lord stir up 
 you and his saints around you, to~continue instant 
 in prayer for them, he will, in due season, " stir 
 up his strength, and come and save them d ." The 
 Lord Jesus saith to his disciples, " If two of you 
 shall agree on earth, as touching any thing that 
 they shall ask, it shall be done for them, of my 
 Father which is in heaven e ." Accordingly, when 
 many of the saints were gathered together, and 
 employed in praying for Peter, who was kept in 
 prison ; the Lord delivered him, at the very time 
 in which, they were presenting their supplications 
 for his deliverance f . 
 
 3. Study frequently to suggest grounds of com- 
 fort to them, by telling them especially, that the 
 Lord can, and that you trust he will, shortly deliver 
 them. Endeavour often to revive their drooping 
 spirits, by reminding them that the Father of 
 mercies can in a moment, command deliverance 
 for them ; and that ye hope, " He will satisfy them 
 early with his mercy, and make them glad, accord- 
 ing to the days wherein he hath afflicted them, and 
 the years wherein they have seen evil g." Remind 
 them frequently that the more bitter, their anguish 
 is, the more sweet, will their deliverance be ; and 
 that the more deep and doleful, their sadness is, 
 
 d Psal. lxxx. 2. e Matth. xviii. ]Q. f Acts xii. 12. 
 g Psal. xc. 14, 15. 
 
CHRISTIANS UNDER MELANCHOLY. 197 
 
 the more delightful, will their joy be. Encourage 
 them likewise, by repeating daily to them, that 
 many others have been in as deep anguish, as they 
 are ; and yet have afterwards, been made to rejoice 
 in the light of God's countenance. By encouraging 
 discourse like this, you may, by the blessing of 
 God, give them some faint hope of deliverance ; 
 which will alleviate their doleful trouble, and con- 
 sole their wounded spirit. 
 
 4. Often remind them, of the infinitely rich and 
 free grace of the Lord Jesus, of his being in the 
 gospel freely and wholly offered to them, and of 
 the ample warrant afforded them by the offer, to 
 trust in him, for all salvation to themselves in par- 
 ticular. Exhort fhem daily, to come as they are, 
 to come as sinners in themselves, and to instrust the 
 whole of their Salvation to Jesus Christ. Put 
 them often in mind, that this is their first, their 
 principal duty ; and, that their neglecting of this 
 is their greatest sin h . Urge them daily, to trust 
 that the Lord Jesus loveth them, with a free, an 
 immense, and an everlasting love; and that he 
 will surely bestow upon them, all the salvation that 
 he offereth to them. Remind them frequently, 
 that God in Christ is infinitely merciful and gra- 
 cious ; that as the heaven is higher than the earth, 
 so his thoughts of mercy and grace, are higher 
 than their thoughts of guilt and unworthiness, of 
 misery and despondency ; and that the very chief 
 of sinners have been, and still may be, pardoned 
 and received unto his favour. The greatest kind- 
 
 h 1 John iii. 23. John iii. 18. 
 
198 ADVICES TO THE FRIENDS OF 
 ness, that you can shew them, next to praying 
 for them, is, to set the consoling truths of the gos- 
 pel often before them : for these, in the hand of 
 the adorable Comforter, are fitter than any thing 
 else, to comfort them. 
 
 5. Do not relate in their hearing, any mouniful 
 or frightful tale : for if they hear a doleful story, 
 their diseased imagination is prepared to fasten 
 upon it, and thereby to increase the sadness of 
 their spirit. The hearing of a melancholy tale, 
 will throw them into a still more violent perturba- 
 tion of mind ; and so, will strengthen their doleful 
 malady. They are commonly very acute, in ex- 
 aggerating every dismal story, and in turning it to 
 their own prejudice; so that, when they read or 
 hear any sad and shocking narrative, they will not 
 fail to say within themselves, < If it is so grievous, 
 so terrible, to be treated with such severity, such 
 barbarity ; how miserable, how dismal, how dread- 
 ful, must our condition be, when we have a sin- 
 avenging God, for our infinite enemy, and have 
 no prospect, but that of being tormented in fire 
 and brimstone, for ever and ever P Their hearts 
 already meditate terror ; and therefore every sad 
 account which they happen to hear, increases their 
 terror. It pours oil into the flame. Study then, 
 as much as possible, never to mention before them, 
 any thing that would add to their mental trouble. 
 
 6. When you converse with them, upon reli- 
 gious subjects, do not press upon their minds and 
 consciences, the law as a covenant of works. The 
 law in its covenant-form, should be set before be- 
 lievers, as well as before others ; but not before such 
 
CHRISTIANS UNDER MELANCHOLY. 199 
 believers, as are afflicted with deep melancholy. 
 To set the fiery law, more and more home to them, 
 when they are already overwhelmed, by a sense of 
 contracted guilt, and by a dread of eternal wrath ; 
 is indeed the way to inflame, but not to heal, the 
 wounds of their consciences. The law as a rule, 
 indeed, ought frequently to be urged upon them ; 
 but not the law as a broken covenant. They are 
 already much cast down ; and they should rather 
 be lifted up, by the comforts of the gospel, than 
 cast down still lower, by the terrors of the violated 
 law. 
 
 7. Do not, at any time, speak to them in a harsh 
 or passionate strain. Bitter words will do them 
 no good, but will, on the contrary, inflame their 
 wounds, and so increase their anguish. If you de- 
 sire to be instrumental, in alleviating their sorrows, 
 and in removing their sadness ; do not, on any pre- 
 tence whatever, irritate their minds by rugged 
 speeches. To rebuke or upbraid them now, when 
 they are least able to bear it, will but imbitter their 
 wounded spirits, and so add to their dejection. 
 Do not say to them, That they complain without 
 a cause ; for they would not complain, if their 
 hearts were not perplexed, by the terrors of the 
 Almighty. Besides, if ye be harsh in your speeches 
 to them, they will begin to suspect, that ye have no 
 kindness for them, no sympathy with them ; and 
 consequently, they will disregard almost every thing 
 that you say to them. Job, in answer to the severe 
 speeches of his three friends, said to them, " Mi- 
 serable comforters are ye all. If your soul were in 
 my soul's stead, I could heap up words against 
 1 
 
200 ADVICES TO THE FRIENDS OF 
 you, and shake my head at you. But I would 
 strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving Ox 
 my lips should assuage your grief 1 ." The enemies 
 of Messiah are, in ancient prophecy, thus charac- 
 terized : " They talk to the grief of those, whom 
 thou hast wounded k ." Let not the behaviour of 
 your dejected friends, then, provoke you at any 
 time, to anger against them ; nor let any of their 
 expressions, ever make you speak passionately or 
 harshly, to them. 
 
 8. Believe that, their griefs and fears are such, 
 as the?/ say that they are. When you talk with 
 them, believe that, their words are a true expression 
 of their thoughts and feelings ; and do not contra- 
 dict them. Be not so cruel as to say, in answer to 
 any of their doleful complaints, as some have said ; 
 ' It is but a mere whim, an odd freak, a strange 
 fancy.' If it is but a fancy, a distempered imagina- 
 tion is, at least, as real, and as grievous an afflic- 
 tion, as any other calamity ; and the persons afflict- 
 ed with it, require, at least to be treated with as 
 tender sympathy, as they do, who are under any 
 other, how great soever it may be. Do not think 
 that they affect to be more sad, than they really 
 are. They are under such perturbation of spirit, 
 that they need not, and will not, and cannot, coun- 
 terfeit any more sadness or anguish, than that which 
 they already feel. If you do not appear to them, 
 to credit what they say ; it will not be in their 
 power to believe, that your concern for them, or 
 sympathy with them, is real. And when they find 
 
 i Job xvi. 2, 4, 5. k Psal. lxix. 26. 
 
 6 
 
CHRISTIANS UNDER MELANCHOLY. 201 
 that it is to no purpose, to disclose the anguish of 
 their souls to you, they will suppress it ; and then, 
 it will overwhelm them, and so increase the disease 
 of their natural spirits. If then, you have the 
 smallest desire, to be instrumental in relieving your 
 afflicted friends, do not disbelieve, nor contradict 
 them ; but shew them invariably, that you believe 
 their doleful complaints, to be true expressions of 
 the anguish which they feel. 
 
 9. Study as far as, consistently with a good con- 
 science, ye can, to please them in every thing, and 
 not to do, nor say, any thing that may displease 
 them. To irritate them, will but disquiet and per- 
 plex them the more, and so will increase their dis- 
 temper ; whereas, to please them in every thing, 
 and in every way possible, will be one of the most 
 effectual means of curing them. If you know what 
 it is that, in any degree disgusts them, let it be re- 
 moved without delay; and if you can conscienti- 
 ously do, or say, or afford, any thing which ye 
 know would gratify them, do not withhold it from 
 them. This indeed will not be an easy task : for 
 to be gloomy, or apt frequently to be displeased, 
 forms no small part of their distemper. But you 
 ought carefully to study it : for if ye could fre- 
 quently please them, it might, by the Divine bless- 
 ing, be a mean of arresting the progress of their 
 doleful malady, if not, of removing it in process of 
 time altogether. 
 
 10. Do not press them to do any thing which, 
 their grievous distemper renders them unable to do. 
 They are under great depression, and anguish of 
 spirit, and are continually full of perplexing 
 
 i2 
 
202 ADVICES TO THE FRIENDS, &c. 
 
 thoughts. It would then be very unkind, and even 
 cruel, to urge them vehemently, to do any thing 
 which requires exertion of mind, or intenseness of 
 thought. If you importune or press them, to do 
 that which, in their present condition, they are no 
 more capable of performing, than a man whose 
 bones are broken, is, of running a race, or of walk- 
 ing under a burden ; ye will thereby, throw them 
 into still deeper perturbation of spirit, and this will 
 increase their malady. If the distemper has not 
 yet advanced far, you may indeed, if necessary, 
 often exhort them to do any thing that can easily 
 be done, and to engage in the exercises of social 
 and public worship ; but even this must be done 5 
 not in a peremptory, but in a gentle and affection- 
 ate manner. 
 
 11. At the same time, do not if possible suffer 
 them to be habitually idle, or to be long alone. En- 
 deavour, with loving and mild importunity, to al- 
 lure them to some agreeable and easy task ; such 
 as will exercise the body, and yet not require exer- 
 tion of mind. This will contribute, not only to 
 strengthen the body, but, in some degree, to with- 
 draw the attention of the mind, from its disquiet- 
 ing thoughts. Do not permit them to remain for 
 a long time, alone, especially, if their doleful mala- 
 dy appears to be increasing ; but study to procure 
 suitable company for them. Do also all that you 
 can, to prevent them from reading such books as 
 may discourage, or alarm, or terrify them ; and 
 from reading any book long at a time. 
 
 1 2. To conclude : choose such a Physician for 
 them, as is eminently skilled in curing the disease 
 
REFLECTIONS. 203 
 
 of melancholy ; and, at the same time, is prudent 
 and cautious. If one can be found, who has him- 
 self, in any degree, been afflicted with that grievous 
 malady, and who has, by the blessing of God, 
 cured some who had been under it ; he should, in 
 preference to any other, be consulted ; and his pre- 
 scriptions and directions ought to be so carefully 
 observed, as even in cases of extremity to force, if 
 it cannot be otherwise attained, the afflicted persons 
 to comply l . 
 
 From what has oeen advanced in this Chapter, 
 it will, I hope, be obvious to the intelligent and 
 candid reader, that true religion is neither the cause, 
 nor the effect of melancholy. 
 
 It cannot be the cause of melancholy ; for many 
 have been, and many are, truly religious, who have 
 never appeared, in the smallest degree, to be under 
 the disease of melancholy. Were genuine religion 
 the cause of melancholy, it would undoubtedly have 
 been so, in the case of all, who have exhibited sa- 
 tisfactory evidences of their godly sincerity. Every 
 religious man, would inevitably be afflicted with 
 that dreadful malady ; yea, he would be oppressed 
 with it, usually in the very degree, in which he is 
 religious. But so far is this from being the case, 
 that, on the contrary, instances not a few have been 
 found of persons, whom, pure religion has most ef- 
 fectually cured even of deep melancholy. Peace 
 with God, and peace of conscience, together with 
 
 1 For several of these Advices, I have been indebted to 
 Mr Timothy Rogers' Preface to his Discourse on 
 Trouble of Mind, and Melancholy. 
 
204 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 the exercise of supreme love to God, have, in many 
 instances, removed deeply-rooted melancholy, and 
 that, after it had resisted all the power of medicines. 
 Joy and peace in believing have, by the Divine 
 blessing, often effected the cure, without the help 
 of medicines; especially in those cases in which, 
 the melancholy constitution of the body, had been 
 produced by trouble of mind. True religion, then, 
 when it has its due effect upon the heart, is so far 
 from being the cause, that it is the best cure, of 
 melancholy. 
 
 As religion is not the cause, so neither is it the 
 effect of melancholy. Were true religion the effect 
 of melancholy, every melancholy man would be- 
 come truly religious, and his degree of genuine re- 
 ligion, would be in exact proportion to his degree 
 of melancholy ; so that, the more afflicted with that 
 direful malady, he were, the more joy and peace in 
 believing, and the more love to God, and delight in 
 him, would he at the same time experience. But 
 instead of this, it appears in fact, that the greater 
 number of those who are under the disease of me- 
 lancholy, consists of persons who are entire stran- 
 gers, yea, and some of them avowed enemies, to 
 true religion. Faith, holiness, and spiritual com- 
 fort, which constitute real religion, are so far from 
 being the effects of melancholy, that the disease of 
 melancholy is, in itself, a great hindrance to them. 
 It is true that, the Lord may render this dreadful 
 malady, subservient to faith, holiness, and comfort, 
 as he sometimes doth, legal terror ; but both the 
 one and the other are, in themselves, obstructions to 
 them. Melancholy, indeed, effects slavish fears, 
 
REFLECTIONS. 205 
 
 legal terrors, and endless scruples ; but these con- 
 stitute no part of pure religion : for, in proportion 
 as religion is increased, in the heart and life of the 
 believer, these are diminished. To say then, either 
 that, genuine religion makes persons melancholy, 
 or that, melancholy renders people truly religious ; 
 is to utter an ignorant, and an impudent slander, 
 against our holy religion. No man who has the 
 smallest experience of Godliness, can deliberately 
 reproach it in that manner. Some of the saints, it 
 is granted, are sometimes melancholy ; but this is 
 not, because they are religious ; but either, because 
 they find, that they have too little of religion, or, 
 because they fear, that they have none at all. Me- 
 lancholy, therefore, instead of being styled, religi- 
 ous, should rather, I humbly apprehend, be termed, 
 superstitious melancholy ; for while this distemper 
 makes no man truly religious, it has a direct ten- 
 dency to render all who are afflicted with it, whether 
 they be converted, or unconverted, superstitious ». 
 Hence, the devout reader may also learn that, so 
 much doth the direful disease of melancholy, weak- 
 en the mind of a holy man, while he is under it ; 
 that he not only cannot, but will not, be sensible of 
 joy, or of any other grace in himself. So far as 
 that doleful malady prevails, it renders him sullen, 
 and averse from seeing, or feeling, or attending to, 
 any thing which might afford him comfort. It 
 makes him willing to despond, and unwilling to 
 hope, or to rejoice. The consequence commonly 
 is, that he makes it his main study, to raise doubts 
 
 m See Henry on the Pleasantness of a Religious Life, p.50. 
 
206 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 m himself, to frame objections against himself, and 
 so to help forward his own affliction. Whatever 
 grounds of consolation, he reads or hears of, he dis- 
 regards ; and he spends his time in starting objec- 
 tions against himself, which he is as unwilling, as 
 he is unable, to answer. He has the principle and 
 habit of faith, of love, of joy, and of every other 
 grace, in his soul ; but he perceives them not, be- 
 cause he will not perceive them. His views are 
 dark and gloomy. His feelings and exercises, are 
 much tinctured by the disease of his natural spirits ; 
 and his imagination and mind, are more susceptive, 
 at that, than at any other time, of impressions from 
 the powers of darkness. No sooner does his imagi- 
 nation become distempered, by an alteration in the 
 motion of his nervous spirits, than this mysterious 
 distemper, in addition to the corruption that re- 
 mains in the imagination, affords Satan an avenue, 
 for assaulting him with the most terrifying of his 
 temptations. Immediately, that infernal enemy 
 pours in, like a torrent, blackness of darkness, 
 frightful illusions, and distracting terrors ; so that, 
 the dejected Christian becomes a terror to himself. 
 Oh ! what anguish, what horror, fill his soul, when 
 Satan is permitted, by means of that malady, thus 
 to tyrannize over him ! How dreadful is this dis- 
 temper, which leaves the imagination so exposed to 
 that merciless enemy, and which enfeebles the 
 mind, and impairs the judgment, to such a degree; 
 that the Christian, whilst he is feeling the deepest 
 anguish of spirit, is, at the same time, unwilling to 
 receive that consolation, which is freely offered to 
 him, and which only can relieve him ! If he can 
 
REFLECTIONS. 207 
 
 take pleasure in any thing, it is in solitariness and 
 darkness, in sadness and wailing. The mysterious 
 distemper, under which he labours, turns fancies 
 into realities and realities into fancies, fictions into 
 truths and truths into fictions. It renders every 
 sweet thing, bitter, and every bitter thing, bitter in 
 a ten-fold degree. 
 
 Dejected believers may, from what has been said, 
 see what ground they have to hope, that the Lord 
 will not deal with them, according to what they 
 are, or to what they do, under deep melancholy, 
 God in Christ, is infinitely gracious and merciful ; 
 and he will not consider the inevitable consequents 
 of a direful malady, which none but himself can 
 remove, as sins against him. He will indeed treat 
 believers, according to what they are, and to what 
 they do, when their understanding is sound ; but 
 not, according to what they think, or speak, or do, 
 when their imagination is distempered, and their 
 mind disabled and perplexed. A tender-hearted 
 father, will not be angry with his beloved son, for 
 those injurious expressions and actions, which are 
 the effects of frenzy ; but he will, on the contrary, 
 feel and discover the more tender sympathy with 
 him. Now, " as a father pitieth his children, so 
 the Lord pitieth them that fear him n ," Let no 
 good man then conclude, from his inconsistent and 
 strange behaviour, under the disease of melancholy, 
 that he never was a child of God. 
 
 Lastly, However doleful, the distemper of me- 
 lancholy is, it is infinitely more desirable, even to be 
 
 . ciii. 13. 
 
208 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 a melancholy saint, than a mad sinner. Solomon, 
 who could not be mistaken, informs us, when 
 speaking of unregenerate sinners, that, " madness 
 is in their heart while they live °." Now suppos- 
 ing, (which very seldom happens,) that a holy man 
 should be afflicted with melancholy, all his clays ; 
 still, it is infinitely less dreadful, to have that dire- 
 ful malady affecting the mind, during the short 
 period of human life, and then, followed by endless 
 and ineffable delight ; than to have that madness 
 in the heart whilst one lives, which afterwards, will 
 increase into hideous and endless rage. Impeni- 
 tent sinners, like Saul of Tarsus, are " mad against 
 the saints p ;" and " they are mad upon their 
 idols i." The prodigal, under conviction of his sin 
 and misery, is said to have " come to himself r ;" 
 which intimates, that hitherto he had been beside 
 himself. Unregenerate men, with respect to the 
 concerns of their souls, are madmen ; and all their 
 joys, are but like the pleasant dreams of a man, who 
 has been deprived of his understanding : whereas, 
 those regenerate men, who are under the deepest 
 melancholy, have still the principle and the habit 
 of pure, solid, and everlasting joy. 
 
 ° Eccles. ix. 3. p Acts xxvi. 11. 
 
 9 Jer. ]. 38. r Luke xv. 17. 
 
209 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 OF THE DESIGNS OF GOD, IN PERMITTING SOME 
 OF KIS CHILDREN, TO LOSE THEIR SPIRITUAL 
 COMFORT. 
 
 The throne of the incomprehensible, and only- 
 wise God, " is established in righteousness; but 
 it is, at the same time, surrounded " with clouds 
 and thick darkness." " He maketh darkness his 
 pavilion round about him.*" " His judgments are 
 a great deep :" they are too deep for us to fathom. 
 His counsels are unsearchable, and his ways of 
 providence are past finding out. When, therefore, 
 we would try to penetrate into the mysterious de- 
 signs, which the infinitely wise God hath, in per- 
 mitting any of his redeemed, so to lose their spi- 
 ritual consolation, as to fall under spiritual trouble, 
 and even sometimes under melancholy ; it becom- 
 eth us to do it, with the most profound reverence, 
 and only so far, as the holy Scriptures are our 
 guide. Now from these, we discover that the Lord 
 suffereth believers, to deprive themselves of their 
 sensible comfort, and to continue for a season, 
 under trouble of mind ; not in order that they may 
 thereby, give the smallest degree of satisfaction to 
 his justice, for their sins. Their Divine Surety 
 hath endured for them, the whole punishment due 
 for all their iniquities ; and so, hath fully satisfied 
 the offended justice of Jehovah s. We also find 
 that, he doth not permit this, from any pleasure 
 
 s Isa. xlii. 21. Gal, iii. 13. 
 
210 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 that he taketh in their perplexity of soul, consider- 
 ed merely in itself : for His nature is so infinitely 
 merciful, that he can take no pleasure in their sor- 
 rows, considered as disunited from the purposes, 
 intended to be served by them t. We likewise dis- 
 cern that, he doth not suffer any of the saints, to 
 fall under depression of spirit, with a view to dis- 
 courage any unregenerate sinner, from coming to 
 Christ, or from entering upon a holy life ; for, saith 
 an apostle, f* God cannot be tempted with evil, 
 neither tempteth he any man "." — But, he permits 
 them, I humbly apprehend, so to lose their spirit- 
 ual comfort, as to be disquieted and distressed in 
 spirit, especially for the following purposes : 
 
 1. That he may thereby, render them tJte more 
 conformable to his beloved Son, their head and re- 
 presentative in the new covenant. So delighted is 
 Jehovah the Father, with the image of his infi- 
 nitely dear Son, who, as the second Adam, is the 
 first-born among many brethren ; that he hath re- 
 solved, that the objects of his redeeming love, shall, 
 as much as possible, consistently with their eter- 
 nal salvation, be conformed to that image, not only 
 in point of holiness, but of suffering. " Whom he 
 did foreknow," says the apostle Paul, " he also 
 did predestinate to be conformed to the image of 
 his Son, that he might be the first-born among 
 many brethren w ." Now, seeing that the Lord 
 Jesus, in his estate of humiliation in this world, 
 suffered, not only in his body, but in his soul; God 
 the Father, hath determined, that the spiritual seed 
 
 t Lam. iii. 33. Jer. xxxi. 20. Isa. lxiii. 9. 
 u James i. 13. w Rev. viii. 29, 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 211 
 
 of Christ shall in this world, resemble him, by suf- 
 fering more or less in their souls, as well as in 
 their bodies. As Christ endured in his soul, an 
 awful suspension of Divine consolation, together 
 with a dreadful impression of vindictive wrath ; so 
 believers, in order to resemble him, do sometimes 
 endure the hiding of their heavenly Father's coun- 
 tenance, and the sense of paternal anger, which 
 they often mistake for vindictive wrath. Hereby 
 they drink of his cup : they are partakers of his 
 sufferings ; and so are able from experience to say, 
 "As he was, so are we in this world x ." For, 
 though they never actually experience, in their 
 trouble of soul, that vindictive wrath, which Christ 
 Jesus felt in his ; yet, by this conformity to him, 
 they have fellowship with him in his sufferings, 
 and attain some small experience of the bitterness 
 of what he endured for them ; and so they learn, 
 the more highly to esteem him, the more ardently 
 to love him, and the more gratefully to remember 
 his immense love to them. 
 
 3. He suffers them to lose for a season, their 
 comfort, that he may make themfeel more sensibly 
 and see more clearly, the deep depravity of their 
 nature. We read that, Jehovah led the Israelites 
 " through a great and terrible wilderness, wherein 
 were fiery serpents, and scorpions, and drought, 
 and where no water was ; that he might humble 
 them, and prove them, to do them go6d at their 
 latter end," by discovering to them, what was in 
 their hearts *. In like manner, he sometimes with- 
 
 x 1 John iv. 17. y Deut. viii. 15, l6\ 
 
212 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 holds his influences of comfort, from believers, and 
 leaveth them for a season, under depression of spi- 
 rit; in order that he may prove them, and give 
 them, more clear and humbling discoveries of the 
 depth and strength of the corruption, which re- 
 maineth in themz. The hearts of believers, are 
 like the waters of the sea, which in a calm appear 
 to be clear ; but no sooner does a storm arise and 
 agitate them, than they begin " to cast up mire 
 and dirt." When Christians are at ease, they 
 sometimes think, that their corruptions are not so 
 strong, and that their graces are not so weak, as 
 they really are : they flatter themselves, that their 
 sanctification is much further advanced, than it ac- 
 tually is. But when their comfort is gone, and 
 their hearts are troubled ; what unbelief, what 
 pride, what deadness, what enmity against a holy 
 God, what impatience, what murmuring, what 
 strange unbecoming thoughts of God, arise and 
 appear in their hearts ; which they never before, 
 could either feel or believe to be there ! Mental 
 trouble serves, in the hand of the Holy Spirit, to 
 shew them, how deeply rooted, how inveterate, 
 how malignant, their depravity is ; and what rea- 
 son they have to be greatly ashamed, and to blush, 
 before the omniscient and holy Lord God. It was, 
 upon Job's having been grievously afflicted in spi- 
 rit, that he discerned more vileness in his heart, 
 than he could formerly have suspected to be in it a ; 
 and that he learned, deeply to abhor himself as a 
 sinner *\ There are abominations which, like nests 
 
 z 2 Chron. xxxii. 31. a Job. xl. 4. b Job. xlii. 6. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 213 
 of vipers, lie so quietly within ; that believers do 
 not suspect them to be there, till the rod of spirit- 
 ual trouble, disturbs and arouses them. Some cor- 
 ruptions lie so very deep in their hearts, that they 
 can hardly discern them. But as fire under a pot, 
 causes the scum to rise up and run over ; so trou- 
 ble of mind brings up from the bottom of the 
 heart, such deep corruptions to view, as the most 
 enlightened of the saints, could otherwise, scarcely 
 have conceived to be there : and discoveries espe- 
 cially of these, are necessary to deep humiliation of 
 spirit, before the Lord. 
 
 3. Another design which God hath, in inflicting 
 trouble of spirit upon some of his children, is, 
 that he may thereby chasten them for their sins, 
 and so, imbitter sin to them. Disquietude of soul 
 is to believers, a fatherly chastisement. The Lord 
 resolveth thereby to correct them. He determines 
 that, by their bitterness of soul, they shall " know 
 and see, that it is an evil thing and bitter, that they 
 have forsaken Him c ." By this most afflictive dis- 
 pensation, he thus speaketh to each of them ; 
 " Thy ways and thy doings have procured these 
 things unto thee : this is thy wickedness, because 
 it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart d . w 
 As the Lord never chasteneth any of his children, 
 but for their profit e ; so he never afflicteth them 
 with spiritual trouble, except when it is necessary 
 for that purpose. Accordingly the apostle Peter 
 saith, " Ye are now for a season, (if need be), in 
 heaviness, through manifold temptations $.? By 
 
 c Jer. ii. 1Q. d Jer. iv. 18. 
 
 e Hab. xii. 10. f 1 Pet. i. 6. 
 
214 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 suspending his influences of consolation, from their 
 souls, and so imbittering their sins to them, the 
 Lord weakeneth the remains of corruption in them. 
 He thereby, renders them more wise, and circum- 
 spect, and so he preventeth much sin, into which, 
 they otherwise would fall e. By this painful dis- 
 cipline, their souls are " purified, and made white, 
 and tried ;" and so by sad experience, they are 
 made to feel, as well as to see, that their sin is ex- 
 ceeding sinful. By withholding for a season, con- 
 solation from them, he shews them, the evil of 
 their not having improved their former comfort 
 well ; of their having made for themselves, a sa- 
 viour of their pleasant frames, by relying on them, 
 rather than on Jesus Christ. By permitting dis- 
 trust and despondency to prevail against them, 
 and so to occasion much trouble and perplexity of 
 mind to them ; he teaches them, the exceeding sin- 
 fulness of their unbelief and distrust. His design 
 in hiding his face from them, is, to teach them that 
 they did wrong in setting a small value upon his 
 favour, and the light of his countenance. If he 
 layeth them under a painful sense of his anger, it 
 is, to make them sensible of their folly, as well 
 as ingratitude, in provoking his displeasure. By 
 piercing their hearts with deep sorrow, he teaches 
 them, the sinfulness of their having pierced his be- 
 loved Son, and grieved his Holy Spirit. If he 
 maketh them experience the terror of his vindic- 
 tive wrath, or the dread of suffering, through eter- 
 nity, the pains of hell : it is to teach them, the 
 
 8 2 Cor. xii. 7. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 215 
 extreme folly of their not having been afraid of 
 sinning against him. One part of his design, in 
 suffering his fiery law, to re-enter and distress their 
 consciences, is, to make them deeply sensible of 
 the great evil of their legal spirit. By permitting 
 them for a time, to lose sight of their evidences of 
 grace ; he teaches them, that they ought never to 
 be proud of their attainments in religion, nor to 
 trust in grace received. If he appears not to stand 
 in the relation of a Father, to them, it is to render 
 them more sensible, that they have not acted the 
 part of obedient children, to him. By seeming to 
 shut out their prayers, he reproves them, for re- 
 straining prayer, and for their unbelieving, wander- 
 ing, and vain thoughts in prayer. When he per- 
 mits them to be afraid, that they are yet under the 
 dominion of spiritual death ; it is to teach them, 
 the great evil of deadness and coldness of heart, in 
 their acts of worship. If he denies them, his re- 
 viving and consoling presence, in reading and hear- 
 ing his blessed word ; it is to make them deeply 
 sensible of the sinfulness, of their having despised 
 his glorious gospel. And if he ieaveth any of them, 
 to fall into some gross and open sin ; his design may 
 be to chasten them, for having suffered themselves 
 to commit secret iniquity. By thus chastening 
 them, the Lord instructeth them in the exceeding 
 sinfulness of their sin h ; in order that, they may 
 so bewail and abhor it, as to turn with fuller de- 
 termination of heart from it, to Him as their gra- 
 cious God and Father. Hereby he also teaches 
 
 h Chastening and instructing are, both in the Hebrew, 
 and in the Greek, expressed by one word. 
 
216 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 them, that if he leave them but for a single mo- 
 ment, they will instantly fall, even into the most 
 atrocious crimes. Ah ! how deep, how inveterate, 
 is their disease, when a potion so bitter, is requisite 
 to accomplish their cure I 
 
 4. The Lord withholds consolation from some 
 of his people, and suffers them for a season, to 
 walk in darkness, in order to try and exercise their 
 graces. Hereby the graces of the Spirit in them, 
 are tried or proved, and their truth, as well as 
 their weakness or strength, is manifested to them. 
 " Now for a season, 1 ' says the apostle Peter, " ye 
 are in heaviness, through manifold temptations ; 
 that the trial of your faith, being much more pre- 
 cious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried 
 with fire, might be found unto praise and honour 
 and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ l ™ No 
 affliction is so grievous and so trying, as spiritual 
 distress. The Lord therefore inflicteth spiritual 
 trouble, sometimes, upon believers, in order that 
 he may try their faith and other graces, and so dis- 
 cover these to them. It appears to have been one 
 of the designs of Job's spiritual trouble, to try, and 
 so to manifest to himself and others, the strong 
 faith, and the invincible patience, which God had 
 given him. There are some graces in the heart of 
 a holy man, which are discovered more clearly to 
 him, by means of spiritual trouble, than of any ex- 
 ternal affliction. When he finds that he has been 
 enabled, to trust in the Lord Jesus, at the very 
 time in which, he was frowning upon him, and 
 
 * 1 Pet, i. 6, 7, 
 5 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 217 
 
 seeming even to slay him ; to love him for Him- 
 self, when he had no reviving sense of his love to 
 him ; and to follow him with longings and prayers, 
 in the midst of darkness and discouragement ; 
 this is afterwards a clear proof to him, of the re- 
 ality of these graces in his soul. Trouble of mind, 
 during its continuance, renders the exercise of 
 graces, and the performance of duties, peculiarly 
 difficult. If believers, then, when they are under 
 spiritual distress, continue still to cleave in some 
 degree, to God in Christ, and so to love him, as to 
 prefer Him before every other object of affection, 
 even when he seemeth to be casting off their souls, 
 and to be shutting out their prayers ; this, when 
 they afterwards reflect upon it, will be an evidence 
 to them, that they are sincere, and that their love 
 to him is supreme. Moreover, when they are en- 
 abled, under that most grievous trial, to exercise 
 in some degree, their graces ; those graces, are not 
 only manifested to their consciences, but are 
 strengthened and increased, by their exercise of 
 them. The same affliction that serves, in the hand 
 of the Holy Spirit, to try and discover their graces, 
 serves also to excite them to exercise ; and the 
 more they are exercised, the more the habit of 
 them is strengthened. When the Lord thus chast- 
 eneth any of his dear children, it is invariably for 
 their profit, that they may be partakers of his ho- 
 liness. For this " chastening, though for the pre- 
 sent, it is not joyous, but grievous," exceedingly 
 grievous; " nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the 
 peaceable fruit of righteousness, to them who are 
 
 K 
 
218 OF GODS PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 exercised thereby V It supplies them, in the mean 
 time, with special occasions, for striving and wrest- 
 ling against their spiritual enemies, for swimming 
 against the stream, for pressing on as through an 
 opposing crowd ; and thus, their graces have spe- 
 cial opportunities afforded them, of becoming 
 stronger by frequent exercise. It affords occasion, 
 for many actings of faith and love, of repentance 
 and resignation ; and for many ardent longings, 
 and heavenly breathings, which otherwise would 
 not, perhaps, be experienced. Besides, the exer- 
 cise of the graces of his Holy Spirit in believers, es- 
 pecially of that grace in which, each of them excels, 
 is so pleasing to the Lord ; that he will on no ac- 
 count, suffer them to want occasion, nay, frequent 
 occasion, for such exercise K 
 
 5. His design also in withholding consolation, is, 
 to teach them by experience, their continual need 
 of living upon Christ by faith ; and so, to render 
 Him the more precious to them. " I will leave in 
 the midst of thee," saith Jehovah, " an afflicted and 
 poor people ; and they shall trust in the name of 
 the Lord m ." Paul and Timothy, " had the sen- 
 tence of death in themselves, that they should not 
 trust in themselves, but in God who raiseth the 
 dead »." It is not enough, that the saints merely 
 believe their need, every moment, of fresh supplies 
 of grace from the fulness of Christ : they must be 
 made to see and to Jeel that need. Nor is it suffi- 
 
 k Heb. xii. 10, 11. 
 
 1 Psal. cxlvii. 11. Song ii. 14. and iv. 9- 
 
 m Zeph. iii. 12. "2 Cor. i. 9. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 219 
 
 cient for them, merely to believe that it is their 
 duty, at all times, to trust in him for those sup- 
 plies : they must be made to see clearly, and to feel 
 deeply, their extreme need to do so. They must, 
 by experience, be made deeply sensible that, with- 
 out a fresh supply of grace at the time, they are as 
 unable to perform spiritually a single duty, as they 
 were, even in their unregenerate state °. So very 
 unwilling are they, to believe this, and to regulate 
 their spiritual exercise according to it ; that for or- 
 dinary, they must be trained up to it by sad expe- 
 rience. Now the Lord suspendeth influences of 
 comfort, from many of them, and for a season, in- 
 flicteth upon them, a greater or less degree of men- 
 tal trouble ; in order to make them see and feel, 
 how much need they have at all times, to trust in 
 Christ, for continued supplies from his fulness ; 
 and to render them deeply sensible, that they can- 
 not otherwise, perform even the least degree of ac- 
 ceptable obedience, than by trusting solely and 
 firmly in Him, for new communications of sancti- 
 fying grace, to enable them to perform it. To trust 
 daily, and with unsuspecting confidence, in the 
 great Trustee of the new covenant, that he will, 
 by his Holy Spirit, " work in them, both to will 
 and to do" is of such necessity and importance to 
 their growing in grace ; that, rather than leave 
 them ignorant thereof, God will teach his children, 
 even by discipline, the most painful, how needful it 
 is to do so. He will permit them to feel, what an- 
 guish of soul, their neglecting the daily exercise of 
 
 ° John xv. 5. 2 Cor. hi. 5. 
 
220 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 faith in the Lord Jesus, will occasion to them ; in 
 order that, he may reduce them to the happy ne- 
 cessity of placing, at all times, the confidence of 
 their hearts in Him only ; and that, for comfort- 
 ing, as well as for sanctifying influences. He will 
 imbitter a life of sense to them, that he may dis- 
 pose them to relish a life of faith. He will make 
 them know by experience, what their having trusted 
 in their habits of grace, hath procured for them ; 
 that they may discern the exceeding sinfulness of a 
 legal spirit, and see that, without faith, or the daily 
 exercise of direct confidence in the incarnate Re- 
 deemer, it will be impossible for them to please 
 him p. The death of their sensible comfort, will 
 shew them the necessity of a life of faith. The 
 Lord giveth to many of his saints, frightful disco- 
 veries of sin and wrath, in order that, by being 
 shaken, they may learn to rely the firmer on the 
 sure foundation, which he hath laid in Zion q. . He 
 hideth himself from them, and delayeth to help 
 them, till they be in extremity ; that, they may 
 learn the high and difficult art. of living by faith, 
 and not by sight. Living by signs of grace, is most 
 natural and pleasing to them ; but living by faith, 
 is most acceptable to Him. The sight of their evi- 
 dences of grace, indeed, cannot fail to be delightful 
 to them ; but the sight of Jesus, by faith, ought to 
 be a thousand times more delightful. But when 
 they pore so much and so long, upon their evi- 
 dences, as to be thereby, prevented from direct and 
 frequent actings of trust in the Saviour, they so far 
 
 p Hebi xi. 6. q Isa. xxviii. 16. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 221 
 
 dishonour and displease him. When they build 
 their comfort and hope, upon their evidences, in- 
 stead of building all their comfort, and all their 
 hope, upon Him ; they at once, greatly dishonour 
 him, and deeply injure themselves. Thus they 
 render it necessary, that he hide his face, cloud 
 their evidences, and wither their comforts ; in order 
 that they may learn, to prefer himself before their 
 clearest evidences, and their liveliest frames ; to set 
 a higher value upon the husband of their souls 
 Himself, than upon the bracelets and jewels, which 
 they receive from him ; and that they may study 
 the art, in the absence of evidences and frames, of 
 living above them, upon himself, who is their life 
 and consolation, their hope and all in all. In 
 this manner, he wisely and graciously trains them 
 up, to trust as sinners in himself; to rely on him, 
 not as felt by them, but as offered to them ; to de- 
 pend on him only ; and to stay upon him as theirs 
 in the gospel-offer, when feelings and comforts fail 
 them r . As nothing done by believers, glorifies 
 the great Redeemer so much, as their acting of par- 
 ticular trust in him, for salvation ; so, if necessary, 
 he will rather hide every other object of confidence 
 from their view, than suffer them to continue rest- 
 ing on it, instead of trusting in Him s . In few 1 
 words, his grand design is, to render Himself, and 
 his redeeming grace, more precious to them ; to 
 shew them experimentally, that none can calm the 
 tumults of a troubled soul, but himself only * ; and ? 
 
 r Isa. 1. 10. Psal. xlii. 11. Song viii. 5. 
 5 Psal. xlii. 4, 5. t Isa. lvii. 1Q. 
 
222 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 that without Him, they can do nothing that is spi-. 
 ritually good ». 
 
 6. Another end, which the Lord proposeth to 
 himself, in afflicting believers with trouble of mind, 
 is, that they may be stirred up to search the Scrip- 
 tures, more earnestly, and more frequently : it is, 
 to make them capable of relishing, and of esteem- 
 ing his glorious gospel, the more. One great de- 
 sign of the doctrines and promises of sacred Scrip- 
 ture, is, to comfort the saints under their manifold 
 afflictions. Accordingly, the most part of the pre- 
 cious promises, is adapted and made to them, con- 
 sidered as in circumstances of trouble : for, al- 
 though they assent to the truth of them ; yet they 
 cannot, so well and so feelingly, experience the 
 suitableness and sweetness of them, unless they are, 
 sometimes, brought into the circumstances to which 
 they refer. The Lord saith, " Call upon me in 
 the day of trouble ; I will deliver thee w ;" " I will 
 be with him in trouble ; I will deliver him, and 
 honour him * :" " I have seen his ways, and will 
 heal him : I will lead him also, and restore com- 
 forts unto him, and to his mourners ?." Now, till 
 the day of trouble come, believers do not know by 
 experience, either the use or the value, of such pro- 
 mises as these ; because they are not in the condi- 
 tion, to which they relate. Were they to continue 
 long without affliction, and especially, without some 
 degree of spiritual trouble, they would, at least 
 many of them would, be but slightly affected with 
 the doctrines and promises of the gospel ; because 
 
 u John xv. 5. w Psal. 1. 15. 
 
 x Psal. xci. 15. y Isa. lvii. 18. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 223 
 they could not feel their need of that consolation, 
 which many of these are designed to afford. If 
 they had no burdens to weigh them down, no fears 
 to disquiet them, no distress of conscience to exer- 
 cise them ; much of the good word of God, would 
 comparatively be of little use to them. Without 
 such trouble in a greater or less degree, the saints 
 could not have an opportunity of experiencing the 
 truth, suitableness, and sweetness, of many of the 
 promises : they could not feel the need, nor under- 
 stand the true meaning, of a great part of the Bible. 
 Indeed, were believers always triumphing, in the 
 unmingled light of God's countenance ; they should 
 thereby, as one expresses it, c be cut off from half 
 of the promises of the gospel.' In order, then, 
 that they may feel their need of all the declarations, 
 and promises of the blessed gospel ; and so, be 
 trained up to set such an high value upon the Scrip- 
 tures, as to search them carefully, and diligently ; 
 the Lord permits them, sometimes, to fall under 
 distress of mind. At those times, a sense of need 
 urges them to look eagerly, and frequently, into 
 his blessed word ; in order to see if there are any 
 doctrines, or directions, or promises in it, suited to 
 revive their drooping spirits, or to console their 
 disquieted souls. And when they find, as they 
 sooner or later shall do, any passages of it, which 
 through grace afford direction, or consolation, to 
 their troubled souls ; each of them will from expe- 
 rience be able, with the holy Psalmist, to say, 
 " This is my comfort in my affliction ; for thy 
 word hath quickened me z ." " Thy testimonies 
 2 PsaL cxix. 50. 
 
224 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 
 also are my delight, and my counsellors a. 11 " It 
 is good for me that I have been afflicted ; that I 
 might learn thy statutes V 
 
 7. God inflicteth trouble of spirit, upon many of 
 his children, to the end that, by supporting them 
 under it, and delivering them from it, he may the 
 more effectually recommend to them, the infinite 
 suitableness, riches, andfreeness, of his redeeming 
 grace. It is impossible for a man, who has never 
 experienced in any degree, the distress of a wound- 
 ed conscience, highly to esteem and admire the 
 grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only, when 
 his conscience hath been distressed by a galling 
 sense of guilt, and his soul been troubled with a 
 fear of deserved wrath, as well as renewed by the 
 Holy Spirit ; that he can eagerly desire, and cor- 
 dially embrace, the promises of redeeming mercy, 
 or see the inestimable value of super-abounding 
 grace. One of the designs of God, therefore, in 
 laying any of his people in the depths of spiritual 
 trouble, is, that they may in their deliverance, see 
 what reason they have, highly to prize, and grate- 
 fully to adore, the transcendent riches and freeness 
 of his glorious grace ; that when they are delivered 
 from " the sorrows of death, which compassed 
 them, and from the pains of hell, which got hold 
 upon them ;" each of them may from experience, 
 be able to say, with the Psalmist, " Gracious is the 
 Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. 
 The Lord preserveth the simple : I was brought 
 low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O 
 
 a Psal. cxix. 24, b Psal. cxix. 71. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 225 
 
 my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with 
 thee. For thou hast delivered my soul from death, 
 mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling e ." 
 When, in their deliverance, believers are made to 
 see that, from the thickest darkness, the Lord hath 
 brought them forth to the light ; that, he hath 
 overruled the greatest evils in their hearts, for good 
 to them ; that, when they were bleeding inwardly, 
 and when no man, nor angel, could afford them re- 
 lief, he kept them from bleeding to death ; that, 
 after they had been hearing the tremendous thun- 
 ders of his fiery law, he hath caused them to hear 
 for themselves, the reviving sound of his gospel ; 
 that, after they had been at the very mouth of hell, 
 and had, as it were, been smelling the fire and 
 brimstone, he hath exalted them to the hope of 
 heaven ; that, notwithstanding their distrustful and 
 hard thoughts of him, he hath been gracious to 
 them ; that, after they had been very undutiful to 
 him, he hath been kind and compassionate to them ; 
 that, after they had, by their desponding fears, re- 
 flected much dishonour upon him, he hath caused 
 their souls to hope in his mercy ; and that, after 
 they had been sinking in the waters of trouble, he 
 hath set their feet upon a rock, and filled them 
 with joy and peace in believing : when, I say, they 
 are made to experience so great a deliverance, they 
 cannot fail to be deeply affected with the sovereign- 
 ty, the riches, and the freeness of redeeming grace. 
 One design of God, then, in the infliction of men- 
 tal distress, upon any of his saints, and afterward 
 
 c Psal. cxvi. 5—8. 
 K % 
 
226 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 
 in delivering them from it, is, to afford them spe- 
 cial opportunities of esteeming, admiring, and 
 adoring, his immense love, and boundless grace to 
 them. Hereby, his glorious method of salvation 
 Jby Jesus Christ, is exceedingly endeared to their 
 souls. 
 
 8. Another end which the Lord hath, in permit- 
 ting some of the saints so to lose their spiritual 
 comfort, as to be disquieted in spirit, is, that there- 
 by, he may rouse them to greater diligence in 
 watching and 'praying. 
 
 Disquietment of soul serves, in the hand of the 
 Holy Spirit, to stir them up to greater watchful- 
 ness. A man who walks in the dark, finds it ne- 
 cessary to be the more careful, where, and how, he 
 treads. To be lifted up, and cast down ; to be 
 emptied, as it were, from vessel to vessel, is of great 
 utility to excite believers to be always watchful. 
 
 By these means, the Lord also rouseth them to 
 pray more earnestly, and more frequently. Ac- 
 cordingly, Heman, when he was in his deep dis- 
 tress of soul, was much employed in prayer. " O 
 Lord God of my salvation, saith he, I have cried 
 day and night before thee d ." So was David : 
 " Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled : 
 I cried to thee, O Lord ; and unto the Lord I 
 made supplication e ." " I poured out my com- 
 plaint before him ; I shewed before him my trouble, 
 when my spirit was overwhelmed within me C 
 And Hezekiah likewise : " O Lord I am oppress- 
 ed : undertake for mes." And Jonah: " When 
 
 d Psal. lxxxviii. 1. e Psal. xxx. 7, 8. 
 
 f Psal. cxlii. 2, % s Isa. xxxviii. 14. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 227 
 my soul fainted within me, I remembered the 
 Lord ; and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine 
 holy Temple V It was not, until Peter was be- 
 ginning to sink in the sea, that he cried, " Lord 
 save me iT> There are, I believe, more prayers in 
 the writings of David and of Jeremiah, than in 
 any other parts of the sacred Volume. Indeed, 
 many of the saints, would not be so frequently on 
 their knees, as they are, if trouble of spirit did 
 not weigh them down. This, then, is one of the 
 Lord's designs in going away, that believers may 
 pursue after him. And he will never so hide him- 
 self from them, as to render it impossible for them 
 to find him ; nor will he depart any faster or far- 
 ther, than he will enable them so to follow, as to 
 overtake him k . A long continuance of ease, has 
 a tendency to render them cold and formal in pray- 
 er, especially in secret prayer ; but spiritual trou- 
 bles, and painful changes, tend to rouse their spirits, 
 and impel them to " seek the Lord and his face," 
 with greater earnestness and importunity : for it is 
 then, especially, that they deeply feel their want of 
 that help, which He only can afford to them. 
 
 9. Many of the saints, are afflicted with trouble 
 of mind, to the end that they may thereby, be the 
 more prepared for spiritual conifbrt, and that their 
 consolation, in time to come, may be the greater. 
 Sometimes, the Lord inflicteth spiritual distress 
 upon many of his children, in order that, he may 
 afterwards give them the more comfort, and that, 
 their comfort may be the more pure, sweet, and 
 
 h Jonah ii. 7- ! Matth. xiv. 30. k Psal. lxiii. S. 
 
228 OF GODS PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 solid. He inflicteth it, in order to prepare them 
 for that strong consolation, which he hath design- 
 ed for them ; to make them relish and value it the 
 more, and be the more solicitous to possess and re- 
 tain it. When the church, after Christ had with- 
 drawn himself and departed, found him again, 
 " she held him, and would not let him go 1 ." As 
 a tree, by being shaken with the stormy wind, is 
 the more deeply and strongly rooted in the ground ; 
 so believers are, sometimes, " tossed as with tem- 
 pest, and not comforted P3 % 11 that they may by faith, 
 cleave the more closely to Christ, and thereby de- 
 rive the more strength and consolation from his 
 fulness : for the more, they " continue in the faith, 
 grounded and settled," the greater, will their peace 
 and their comfort be n . Moreover, when the Lord, 
 by the witnessing of his Spirit, assures them that 
 they have been enabled to love him, even when he 
 seemed to be hating them ; and with lamentation 
 and desire, to follow after him, when he appeared 
 to be going away from them ; such a clear evidence 
 of the truth of grace in them as that, cannot fail 
 to yield a pleasing satisfaction to their souls. 
 It is the manner of the Lord Jesus, to empty the 
 souls of his children, that he may fill them ; to cast 
 them down, that he may lift them up ; to trouble 
 them, that he may the more effectually comfort 
 them ; and to take away from them, a smaller de- 
 gree of mental serenity, that he may prepare room 
 in their souls, for a greater measure of pure conso- 
 lation °. He commonly suffers the bitter waters 
 
 I Song- iii. 4. m Isa. liv. 11. 
 
 II Isa. xxvi. 3. ° Psal. lxxi. 20, 21, 23. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 229 
 of trouble, to swell ; in order that the sweet wa- 
 ters of holy consolation, may afterwards rise higher 
 than ever, in their souls. Inward trouble is, in 
 his hand, a mean of enlarging the capacity of the 
 holy soul; and the more capable that soul is, of 
 comfort, the more consolation is poured into it, 
 Heaviness of spirit also humbleth such a soul ; and 
 true humility is, as it were, the vessel into which, 
 the wine of consolation is poured. A humble spi- 
 rit is a deep spirit, and the deeper the spirit is, it 
 is fitted to contain the more consolation. Besides, 
 as food is doubly sweet after hunger, and light, af- 
 ter darkness; so is consolation, after anguish of 
 spirit. By their want of spiritual comfort for a 
 season, the Lord teacheth his people, to know more 
 of the value of it ; and when they learn to prize 
 it, and to trust constantly and solely in the great 
 Redeemer for it, as a part of their salvation, the 
 more of it shall they receive. 
 
 10. Another design of God, in laying some of 
 his children, in the depths of spiritual trouble, is, 
 to render them the more compassionate toward other 
 saints around them, when they see them depressed 
 in spirit. As no outward affliction, how painful 
 soever it may he, is so dreadful and overwhelming, 
 as anguish of spirit is ; so, if it is the duty of a 
 Christian, to shew compassion to such fellow-Chris- 
 tians as are under the former ; much more ought 
 one, to shew pity to such of them as are under the 
 latter. Surely, the most tender compassion from 
 fellow-saints, is due to those who have " the arrows 
 of the Almighty within them, the poison of which, 
 is drinking up their spirits." Such perplexing dis- 
 
230 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 
 tress, calls aloud for the greatest sympathy, the 
 tenderest pity; as that of Job did, from his friends. 
 " Have pity upon me, said he, have pity upon me, 
 O ye my friends ; for the hand of God hath touch- 
 ed me p." Those Christians are deeply wounded 
 in their spirits ; and such wounds, require to be 
 touched with a tender, as well as with a skilful 
 hand. But none of their fellow-Christians, are so 
 well qualified, to treat them with gentleness and 
 tenderness, or to speak to them with mildness and 
 pity, as they who were themselves, in the same 
 doleful condition, and have been mercifully deliver- 
 ed from it. The Lord, then, permitteth some of 
 his saints so to lose their comfort, as to become 
 disquieted in spirit ; in order to render them the 
 more compassionate, toward others of their bre- 
 thren who are in spiritual trouble ; and also, the 
 more capable, as well as desirous, of being instru- 
 mental in binding up their wounds, with a tender 
 heart, and with a gentle hand. In that way, he 
 teacheth them most effectually, to " put on bowels 
 of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, and 
 meekness,"" toward such as are in any trouble, es- 
 pecially in mental trouble ; and so, he qualifies 
 them to be merciful and helpful to such. 
 
 Moreover, in inflicting upon some of the saints, 
 a painful sense of his anger, the Lord may also 
 have it in view, to teach them so to pity nnregene- 
 rate sinners around them, as willingly to seize every 
 fit opportunity, of instructing them in the way of 
 salvation <i ; and of labouring, from their own ex- 
 
 p Jobxix. 21. i Psal. li. 12, 13. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 231 
 perience of the terror of the Lord, to persuade them 
 to flee speedily from sin, and from the tremendous 
 wrath due for sin, to the compassionate Saviour for 
 salvation. Those of the saints who have been in 
 trouble of mind, can, from the anguish and terror, 
 which they themselves have experienced, feel a 
 compassionate and a deep concern for the dreadful 
 condition of secure sinners ; and can say more than 
 others can, to assure them, that "it is a fearful 
 thing to fall into the hands of the living God r ." 
 
 11. The Lord also permitteth some believers, so 
 to forfeit their comfort, as to fall under depression 
 of spirit, in order to qualify them Jbr speaking com- 
 fortably to others of them, in a similar condition. 
 As a humble, patient, and compassionate spirit is, 
 perhaps, not attainable by any other means ; so 
 neither are readiness and skill, in comforting them 
 who are cast down. They, who have been led 
 through the depths of dejection and temptation, 
 are better acquainted, than other Christians are, 
 with the various griefs, fears, perplexities, and con- 
 flicts, of the heart in those depths ; and therefore 
 they know better, " how to speak a word in sea- 
 son to them who are weary.'" They have had ex- 
 perience of great and sore trouble, of being sup- 
 ported under it, and afterwards, of being comfort- 
 ed with deliverance from it. The Lord therefore 
 casteth some, yea many, of the saints down, and 
 in a little, raiseth them up again ; that they may 
 learn from experience, not only to pity, but, with 
 meekness of wisdom, to comfort others of them, 
 
 r Heb. x. SI. 
 
232 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 who are cast down. The apostle Paul, according- 
 ly, " was troubled on every side," cast down, and 
 then comforted; in order that, he might attain 
 eminent skill in comforting other saints. cc Bless- 
 ed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus 
 Christ," says he, " who comforteth us in all our 
 tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them 
 which are in any trouble, by the comfort, where- 
 with we ourselves are comforted of God. Whether 
 we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and sal- 
 vation ; — or whether we be comforted, it is for 
 your consolation and salvation ** The Lord hath 
 work for some of his children to do, which none of 
 them can perform so well, as they who are thus qua- 
 lified for it. He hath sin-sick souls to be visited 
 and healed, tempted souls to be relieved, drooping 
 spirits to be revived, weak hands to be strengthen- 
 ed, and feeble knees to be confirmed. It was ne- 
 cessary that, the apostle Peter should have sad ex- 
 perience of his own weakness, in order that, he 
 might be qualified for strengthening his brethren l . 
 Besides, as a man under a dangerous malady, will 
 choose rather, to intrust himself to the care of that 
 Physician, who, by having been afflicted with the 
 same distemper, hath much experience of it, than 
 to that of another who never was afflicted with it ; 
 so troubled souls will be more attentive to, and 
 more affected by, the advices and encouragements, 
 suggested by that Christian, who speaks to them 
 from his own experience, than by those of any 
 other Christian. 
 
 * 2 Cor. i. 3, 4, 6. * Luke xxii. 31, 32. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 233 
 12. It is likewise the intention of God, by that 
 most painful discipline, to prepare some of his chil- 
 dren, for special and eminent service to Him. Some 
 believers continue all their days in a low way, and 
 have neither much trouble, nor much comfort : 
 they experience little distressing fear, and as little 
 joyful hope. These are believers of a lower class. 
 Others again, are raised up aloft, in flashes, and 
 even in raptures, of sensible joy ; but they do not 
 perceive distinctly, the objects which are below : 
 various mistakes, and failings, and improprieties, 
 in their mind and conduct, do almost entirely es- 
 cape their notice. These too are Christians of an 
 inferior rank. But, when the Lord is training up 
 any of his redeemed, for special and eminent ser- 
 vice to him, he commonly brings them low, and 
 employs them in deep exercises, and sharp con- 
 flicts with motions of sin within, and temptations 
 of Satan, from without. He bringeth them into 
 depths of spiritual trouble, and giveth them deep, 
 humbling, and even frightful, discoveries of the 
 strength and sinfulness of the unbelief, and other 
 abominations, which lie deep in their hearts. He 
 hideth his face from them, and permits their spirit- 
 ual enemies, frequently to assault them, and some- 
 times to prevail so against them, as to threaten 
 their eternal destruction. At the same time, he 
 secretly upholds them ; and when the design of 
 the dispensation is gained, he comforts them with 
 deliverance. Thus he advances them to higher de- 
 grees of experimental knowledge, to more enlarg- 
 ed views of themselves and of Christ, of sin and of 
 holiness, and of the suitableness, riches, and free- 
 
234 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 ness of redeeming grace, than other believers at- 
 tain. He thereby renders them more intelligent, 
 wise, and humble, more deeply sensible of their in- 
 finite obligations to him, more disposed to trust 
 firmly, and at all times, in the Lord Jesus, and 
 more zealous, lively, and active for his glory, than 
 the generality of other believers ; and so, he pre- 
 pares them for special service, and eminent useful- 
 ness in their generation. Some think, and indeed 
 it is probable, that Heman was laid in the darkness 
 and the depths, expressed in the lxxxviii. Psalm, 
 in order that, he might be qualified for that emi- 
 nent station in the Church, to which he was raised. 
 Doubtless, it is in proportion as believers attain 
 deep experience, that they have the capacity, and 
 especially the wisdom, requisite for superior use- 
 fulness in the Church of Christ. 
 
 13. Another purpose which the Lord hath to 
 serve, by the spiritual trouble of many of his peo- 
 ple, is, to encourage and confirm their hope ; and 
 so to render them the more lively, in their exercise 
 of graces, and performance of duties. " We glory 
 in tribulations also, V) says Paul, " knowing that 
 tribulation worketh patience ; and patience, expe- 
 rience ; and experience, hope u ." And Jeremiah : 
 " This I recall to my mind, therefore have I 
 hope w ." God suifereth some of his dear children, 
 to lose for a season, their tranquillity of mind ; in 
 order that, he may take occasion from their per- 
 plexity, to favour them with such experience of his 
 grace and mercy, power and faithfulness, in sup- 
 
 u Rom. v. 3, 4. w Lam. iii. 21. 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 235 
 porting them under it, in freeing them from it, and 
 in sanctifying it to them ; as also, with such ex- 
 perience of the truth of their faith, and the upright- 
 ness of their heart under it, as will encourage, and 
 confirm their hope of eternal life. Although it is 
 not the experience of a holy man, but the righ- 
 teousness of Christ, and the promises of God, of- 
 fered to him in the gospel, that are the foundations 
 of his hope of salvation ; yet, his past and present 
 experience encourages him to hope. Such ex- 
 perience, as is a proof to him of his personal in- 
 terest in Jesus and his great salvation, worketh 
 hope ; in as much as, it affords him great encou- 
 ragement, both to expect and to desire complete 
 salvation. His experience also, of deadness of 
 frame and coldness of love, of dejection of mind 
 and sadness of heart, of powerful support under 
 these, and of comfortable deliverance from them ; 
 serves exceedingly, through the power of the Holy 
 Spirit, to make him abound in hope : and the more, 
 he abounds in the delightful exercise of that living 
 hope, which is founded upon the living Redeemer, 
 and which hath for its object, the eternal enjoy- 
 ment of the living God ; the more lively and cheer- 
 ful, will he be, in all spiritual exercise, and holy 
 obedience. When he reflects that his great Re- 
 deemer hath, in his love, and in his pity, delivered 
 him from the greatest of all troubles, and restored 
 to him the joy of his salvation ; he is encouraged, 
 yea, and sweetly constrained, to expect from such a 
 Saviour, the greatest blessedness, the highest feli- 
 city, of which his nature will, through all eternity, 
 be capable. 
 
236 OF GOD'S PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 
 14. One end which the Lord may have to ac- 
 complish, by inflicting spiritual trouble upon some, 
 is, tJie instruction of others of his children. He 
 seemeth, in his adorable sovereignty and infinite 
 wisdom, to have resolved, that some of his redeem- 
 ed should be afflicted with inward, as well as with 
 outward troubles, for the instruction of the rest. 
 By subjecting some, to that most painfid discip- 
 line, he appears to have determined that others of 
 them, shall thereby learn, the exceeding sinfulness 
 of their own unbelief and other sins ; the necessity 
 of trusting simply, cordially, and at all times, in 
 the Lord Jesus, for sanctifying grace ; the unspeak- 
 able importance of holy comfort, and of constant 
 reliance upon Christ, for the continuance, and in- 
 crease of it ; and the duty of being more thankful 
 to him, for the peace of conscience which they en- 
 joy, as well as of being more circumspect, and 
 more solicitous not to provoke his displeasure. 
 Spiritual trouble seems peculiarly adapted, as an 
 instrument, to convey spiritual and holy instruc- 
 tion, to the minds of all who believe. Accordingly, 
 the thirty-second, forty-second, and eighty-eighth, 
 Psalms, in which, mental trouble is described, are, 
 each of them, entitled Maschil, which signifies, 
 Giving instruction. 
 
 15. Another design which God may have, in af- 
 flicting many of the saints for a season, with trou- 
 ble and terror of conscience, is, to assure wicked 
 men around them, of a judgment, and of wrath to 
 come. His intention thereby seems to be, to give 
 assurance to unregenerate sinners, and that, by 
 their very senses/ that there shall be a future 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 237 
 
 judgment, in which it shall be ill with the wick- 
 ed, " seeing the reward of his hands, shall be 
 given him x ;" that, " if the righteous shall be re- 
 compensed in the earth ; much more the wicked 
 and the sinner y;" and that, " if judgment begins 
 at the house of God," inexpressibly dreadful, " shall 
 the end be, of them that obey not the gospel of 
 God z ." The saints, are the objects of Jehovah's 
 immense, and unchangeable love : they are un- 
 speakably precious in his sight, and are kept by 
 him, as the apple of his eye. They love him su- 
 premely, and study sincerely to please and honour 
 him. Jesus Christ their Divine surety, hath fully 
 satisfied his justice, for all their offences : and yet, 
 he afflicteth many of them in this world, with a 
 grievous, and perplexing sense of his anger against 
 them for their sins, and even, with an overwhelm- 
 ing dread of his eternal wrath. Now, may it not 
 be partly the intention of God, by thus afflicting 
 many of his own dear children, to shew to uncon- 
 verted sinners, what a dreadful punishment must 
 be inflicted on them, if they still continue impeni- 
 tent ? Hereby, he affords them evident warning of 
 their danger, before it is too late, and gives them 
 repeated opportunities of making, each of them, 
 this reflection : e If even God's own children, ex- 
 perience such terror and anguish of soul, when they 
 are only under the mild rod of his fatherly anger, 
 and that, for their salvation; how inconceivably 
 more horrible, and intolerable, will the torment of 
 his enemies, and of me in particular, if I continue 
 
 x Isa. iii. 11. y Prov. xi. 31. z 1 Pet. iv. 17. 
 
238 OF GODS PERMITTING BELIEVERS 
 but a little longer an enemy to him, be, when we 
 shall lie, through eternal ages, under the unrelent- 
 ing strokes of his vindictive wrath, for our destruc- 
 tion r 
 
 16. Lastly, The Lord inflicteth trouble of spirit, 
 upon many of the saints, on purpose to manifest his 
 own glory. To display the glory of God in Christ, 
 is, indeed, the chief and ultimate end of that dis- 
 pensation, to which, every other end is subordi- 
 nate. His chief design in inflicting spiritual trouble, 
 is, the manifestation of the infinitely glorious per- 
 fections of his nature. Next to that unparallel- 
 ed display of the glory of his attributes, which 
 hath been made in the sufferings of Christ, their 
 Covenant-head ; is, perhaps, the display of it, 
 which is afforded in the sufferings, especially in the 
 mental sufferings, of the members of his mystical 
 body. The glory of his manifold wisdom, shineth 
 illustriously, in devising those circumstances of 
 their mental trouble, which are, of all others, the 
 fittest for subserving the designs of his grace in 
 their sanctification ; the glory also of his infinite 
 power, both in supporting them under that great- 
 est of all afflictions, and then, in delivering them 
 from it ; the glory of his holiness, in hiding his 
 face from them, and in laying them, on account of 
 their sins, under dreadful impressions of his anger, 
 even though they still continue to be the objects of 
 his redeeming love; the glory of his justice, in 
 raising them to the full enjoyment of the salvation 
 purchased for them, even by discipline, the most 
 painful, rather than suffering them to come short of 
 it ; the glory of his love, grace, and mercy, in dis- 
 
 7 
 
TO LOSE SPIRITUAL COMFORT, 239 
 
 pensing, whenever it is needful, temporary trouble, 
 in order to prevent that eternal torment which they 
 deserve, in mitigating that trouble, and in deliver- 
 ing them from it, as soon as the ends of inflicting 
 it are served ; the glory of his faithfulness, in per- 
 forming the promise of that kind of paternal chas- 
 tisement, which is the most grievous, rather than 
 leave a single promise, unperformed to them ; and, 
 the glory of his sovereignty, in thus afflicting, for 
 their good, whomsoever, whensoever, and in what 
 degree soever, he pleaseth. He displays the glory 
 of his infinite sovereignty, by dispensing to his 
 people, trouble and comfort, sorrow and gladness, 
 just as it pleases him. Upon that ground, Elihu 
 vindicated the Lord's afflicting of Job, without 
 questioning, as Job's other three friends had done, 
 his integrity. " I will answer thee," 1 '' says he, 
 " that God is greater than man. Why dost thou 
 strive against him ? for he giveth not account of 
 any of his matters a." By inflicting mental trouble 
 on some of his saints, the Most High sheweth 
 them, and others around them, what he could do 
 with them, if he would. By so doing, he maketh 
 it manifest that it is He, " who formeth the light, 
 and createth darkness ; who maketh peace, and 
 createth evil 15 . 11 He thereby makes them deeply 
 sensible, that all their comforts, whether outward 
 or inward, depend as entirely on His sovereign 
 pleasure, as their election and regeneration did. 
 
 a Job xxxiii. 12, 13. b Isa. xlv. 7- 
 
240 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 From what has here been said, disconsolate be- 
 lievers may see that, the Lord never withholds sen- 
 sible comfort from them, but when his doing so, is 
 for their good, in subservience to his ozen glory. 
 Although the loss of spiritual consolation, and the 
 trouble of mind which ensues, are in themselves, 
 discouragements from holy practice, and even ob- 
 structions to it ; yet, the Lord hath appointed that 
 many of the saints, shall sometimes be afflicted with 
 these, in order that they may in his hand, subserve 
 the designs of his grace, in their sanctification and 
 salvation. Were believers always alike : were they 
 continually in a lively frame : could they invariably 
 exercise ardent love, and sensible joy ; they would 
 begin to think that, the power to do so, was inhe- 
 rent, and that it was in a great measure, their own. 
 But when, by means of their want of consolation, 
 they are made deeply sensible that, of themselves 
 they can do nothing, and that, they need to depend 
 continually on Christ, for supplies from his ful- 
 ness ; they are hereby prepared to glorify him, 
 both by trusting in him, and by advancing in con- 
 formity to him. Disconsolate Christian, thou art 
 never laid in the furnace of spiritual trouble, but 
 when it is necessary for thy good. Love therefore 
 thy gracious God and Father, who, in all his dis- 
 pensations, consults thy welfare ; who never chas- 
 tens thee, but for thy profit, that thou mayest be a 
 partaker of his holiness c . " Rest in the Lord, 
 and wait patiently for him d ." " For a small mo- 
 
 c Heb. xii. 10. d Psal. xxxvii. 7- 
 
REFLECTIONS. 241 
 
 ment he hath forsaken thee, but with great mercies 
 will he gather thee e ." What is the reason, that 
 the glorious gospel hath often appeared to thee, too 
 plain, to be practically understood, and too good, 
 to be believed with application ? It is thy pride, 
 thy self-righteous spirit. Endure then, with faith 
 and patience, that greatest of all afflictions, — dis- 
 tress of mind ; for by it, thy heavenly Father is, in 
 answer to thy own earnest prayers, destroying the 
 pride of thy heart. 
 
 From the foregoing particulars, exercised Chris- 
 tians may also see that, when outward and inward 
 troubles, at any time, meet upon them, this is no 
 proof, either that they are unregenerate, or that God 
 is their enemy. Believer, when thou art under 
 great and sore troubles, Satan will try to persuade 
 thee, that they are proofs of thy hypocrisy ; and 
 that if God loved thee, he would never subject thee 
 to such long, complicated, and grievous calamities. 
 The construction, which Job's three friends put 
 upon his complicated, and grievous afflictions, was, 
 that they evidenced him to be a hypocrite, and God 
 to be his enemy. When waters of a full cup, are 
 measured out to thee, do not conclude that God 
 doth not love thee, or that thou art not one of his 
 children. For great, as thy distresses are, they are 
 not only consistent with his love to thee, but they 
 proceed from it. " Whom the Lord loveth he 
 chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he re- 
 ceivethO Others whom God hath loved, have 
 endured as great troubles as thou, if not greater. 
 
 € Isa. liv. 7. f Heb. xii. 6. 
 
 L 
 
242 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 Heman suffered terrors, which threatened to over- 
 whelm his amazed soul, and that, not for a short 
 season, but from his youth up ; and yet, instead of 
 concluding that God was his enemy, or that He 
 did not love him, he addressed God, as the " Lord 
 God of his salvation C 
 
 Believers may hence see that, they have no rea- 
 son to be offended at the ways of godliness, on ac- 
 count of any trouble, how grievous soever it may 
 be, which they sometimes endure in those ways. 
 They have no sufficient reason to " be weary, or 
 faint in their minds. " Their gracious God and 
 Father, proposeth to himself the best of all ends, in 
 afflicting them ; namely, their sanctification, in sub- 
 ordination to his own glory : and they may rest as- 
 sured, that they shall at no time, be afflicted with 
 any degree, either of inward, or of outward trouble, 
 but what infinite wisdom sees necessary, for attain- 
 ing those ends. The kind, degree, and continu- 
 ance of their troubles, are all fixed, by the immut- 
 able decree of their heavenly Father, who loveth 
 them ; whose wisdom could not have devised less, 
 and whose love could not have appointed more, af- 
 fliction for them, than is requisite for the purposes 
 of his glory in their salvation. They have, there- 
 fore, no reason to be displeased with any afflictive 
 dispensation ; or to think the worse of His ways of 
 grace and providence, because of any of their suf- 
 ferings. 
 
 Once more : Let every disconsolate Christian en- 
 deavour, in the diligent use of appointed means, to 
 
 s Psal. lxxxviii. 1. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 243 
 
 have those ends accomplished in him, for which, the 
 Lord is afflicting him. If he do not know the par- 
 ticular design, which the Lord may more immedi- 
 ately have in view, in visiting him with his present 
 distress of soul ; let him study to have at least, all 
 those ends of it gained upon him, which have been 
 explained above. His duty is, to trust firmly in 
 the Lord Jesus, and also to pray frequently, that 
 all the designs which God usually hath, in thus af- 
 flicting any of his children, may be obtained upon 
 him. Perhaps, the particular intention of his spi- 
 ritual trouble, is for a season, concealed from him ; 
 in order that, his heart may be set on having all 
 the ends of the Lord, in that most afflictive dispen- 
 sation, gained upon him. " It is the glory of God 
 to conceal a thing V " Clouds and darkness are 
 round about Him 1 ." And, therefore, though it is 
 the duty of a holy man, to inquire into the Lord's 
 principal design in hiding his face from him, that 
 he may in his exercise strike in with that design ; 
 yet, it becomes him to search into it, with the deep- 
 est reverence and humility ; and not to be so dis- 
 appointed if he succeed not, as to sink lower in de- 
 pression of mind, or to be deterred from any part 
 of spiritual exercise. On the contrary, he ought, 
 by the frequent exercise of every grace, and the 
 diligent performance of every duty, to grow up into 
 Christ in all things : and he may warrantably hope 
 that, in proportion as he is enabled to do so, the 
 end, or ends of his mental trouble, will be gained 
 upon him. 
 
 h Prov. xxv. 2. ,«? Psal. xcvii. 2, 
 
244 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 OF THE MEANS WHICH, DISCONSOLATE BELIEV- 
 ERS SHOULD EMPLOY, IN ORDER TO RECOVER 
 THEIR SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 
 
 Spiritual consolation is a commodity of heaven, 
 not to be imported, but from that distant and bet- 
 ter country. It is God only, the God of all com- 
 fort, to whom infinite mercy and power belong, who 
 can impart pure consolation to the sorrowful heart, 
 or pour the balm of peace into the wounded spirit- 
 It is only the adorable Spirit, the Comforter, who, 
 like Noah's dove, can fly with the olive-leaf of peace, 
 to assure the troubled soul, " that the winter is 
 past, and that the rain is over and gone." When 
 a holy man is walking in darkness, the day of com- 
 fort will not dawn, nor the shadows flee away, till 
 " the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his 
 wings :" and he can no more command at his plea- 
 sure, the rising of the spiritual Sun, within, than 
 he can, that of the natural sun, without. All that 
 he can do is, in the strength of the grace which is 
 in Christ Jesus, to use means of recovering com- 
 fort, or, like the mariners in the ship with Paul, to 
 cast anchor, and wish for the day. 
 
 The means which he ought to employ for that 
 purpose, must be means of Divine appointment, 
 especially the following : 
 
 1. He ought, in humble reliance on the grace of 
 Christ, to search out, and confess to his heavenly 
 Father, those iniquities, which have provoked Him 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 245 
 
 to hide his face from him. He must without delay 
 resolve, as the Israelitish Church in captivity did, 
 to " search and try his ways, and to turn again to 
 the Lord ; until the Lord look down, and behold 
 from heaven k ." He ought to imitate David, who, 
 when he was in distress of conscience, said to Jeho- 
 vah, "I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine 
 iniquity have I not hid : I said, I will confess my 
 transgressions unto the Lord ; and thou forgavest 
 the iniquity of my sin. For this shall every one 
 that is godly, pray unto thee, in a time when thou 
 mayest be found 1 .'" One special design of the 
 Lord's hiding his face, sometimes, from many of his 
 children, is, so to chasten them for some latent 
 sins, in their hearts or lives, as to make them deep- 
 ly sensible of them, and of the horrible malignity 
 of them ; in order that, they may attain deeper hu- 
 miliation and self-abhorrence. The omniscient eye 
 of God, hath seen all those secret evils, which, 
 either have escaped their own notice altogether, or 
 which, they have carefully concealed from that of 
 others, while they could not but know that they 
 were open to His view ; and it hath also beheld, 
 how much, his own glorious majesty, and spotless 
 holiness, have been affronted and insulted by them. 
 Hence are his righteous displeasure, and that pain- 
 ful sense of it, under which they languish and 
 mourn m . It is their own evil tempers, and especi- 
 ally their unbelief, and self-righteous spirit, that 
 are the principal bars to their enjoyment of holy 
 consolation. When, therefore, they complain of 
 
 k Lam. iii. 40, 50. 1 Psal. xxxii. 5, 6. m feu lix. 1, 2. 
 
246 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 desertion and darkness, they ought to search im- 
 partially, and diligently, into the hidden abomina- 
 tions, which have procured for them that anguish of 
 spirit which they feel ; to examine strictly their 
 consciences, if some sinful inclination, opinion, or 
 practice, have not been indulged by them. They 
 must listen to the softest whispers of conscience. If 
 conscience report that this hath been neglected, or 
 that hath been done wrong ; they ought to trace 
 that report to the grounds of it, and to search even 
 into the deepest recesses of the heart. And when 
 their discovery of lurking depravity, or of secret 
 iniquity, is as deep as they can make it ; they 
 should, next, with holy shame, sorrow, and self- 
 abhorrence, make ingenuous and particular confes- 
 sion of that to the Lord n . 
 
 2. The disconsolate believer must likewise, if he 
 would recover spiritual comfort, study without de- 
 lay, to be deeply convinced of' the exceeding sinful- 
 ness, and hurtfuhiess, of his sins in general, and 
 especially of his unbelief. " When the Comforter 
 is come," saith Jesus Christ, " he will reprove, or, 
 convince the world of sin ; — of sin, because they be- 
 lieve' not on me ° :" He will convince the world of 
 unbelief, as if there was no other sin in the world, 
 to be compared to that. The refusing to believe, 
 or trust in the great Redeemer, is the radical evil 
 of the human heart, the principal sin, the most ma- 
 lignant of all sins : and therefore to be truly con- 
 vinced of the strength, the sinfulness, and the per- 
 niciousness, especially of that sin, is necessary to 
 
 "Hos. v. 15. ° John xvi. 8, o. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 247 
 
 the Christian's attaining of spiritual comfort. In- 
 deed the Spirit of Christ, for ordinary, never re- 
 storeth consolation to troubled saints, without pre- 
 viously convincing them, of the exceeding sinful- 
 ness of their refusing to trust as sinners, in Christ, 
 for all their salvation. When they are under dis- 
 tress of conscience, they commonly see and bewail 
 their other sins ; but they still continue, and cannot 
 but continue, to be without comfort, because they 
 do not see that, their not believing with application, 
 the record concerning the Son of God, and that, 
 their not relying with the confidence of their hearts 
 on Him, for salvation to themselves, are the great- 
 est of all their provocations. They cannot be fa- 
 voured with true consolation, till they be made 
 deeply sensible, that by their unbelief and distrust, 
 they have done what they could, to make the God 
 of truth a liar p. Ah ! little do they think, what 
 reproach, what indignity, they have reflected on the 
 infinitely holy and faithful Jehovah, by giving the 
 lie to his immutable veracity ! They do not con- 
 sider that, by refusing or even hesitating, to trust 
 in Jesus the Son of God, for salvation to themselves 
 in particular, they have charged the God of truth 
 with disingenuity and treachery ; as if he had said 
 one thing in his word, and intended another in his 
 heart ; as if he had not been in earnest, in his of- 
 fers of a Saviour and of salvation, to them ; or, as 
 if he had not spoken the truth, and so did not de- 
 serve to be trusted. Jehovah sweareth by his life, 
 that he hath no pleasure in their death, but rather 5 
 
 ? 1 John v. 20. 
 
248 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 that through the compassionate Saviour, they 
 should turn to him and live. And therefore to 
 doubt after all, that He is not willing to save them, 
 is to charge him, not only with insincerity, but 
 with perjury. The high authority of the great and 
 holy God, is, in a special manner, interposed in his 
 commandment, to believe on the name of his Son 
 Jesus Christ. He styleth it, " His command- 
 ment ;" as if it had been the only one, that he ever 
 gave to the children of men q . Now, disconsolate 
 Christians, by their not believing on the name of 
 his dear Son, do fly in the face of all that sovereign 
 authority. Their presuming, on any pretence 
 whatever, to disobey that high command, is a crime 
 of the deepest die. It is more criminal, than even 
 the sin of Adam, in eating of the forbidden fruit : 
 for Adam by so doing, sinned against God, only as 
 a Creator and Preserver ; but they sin against him, 
 not merely as a Creator and Preserver but as a 
 Redeemer. It is more criminal, than the sin of 
 Sodom and Gomorrah r . Jt is even worse than the 
 sin of the Jews, in crucifying the Lord Jesus : for 
 they crucified him, when he was disguised under 
 the form of a servant ; but disconsolate Christians, 
 by refusing to trust in him for salvation, crucify 
 him afresh, after he hath, by his resurrection from 
 the dead, been declared to be the Son of God and 
 the true Messiah s . Nay, it is even more heinous 
 than the sin of devils ; for they never had a Savi- 
 our offered to them, nor a commandment given 
 them, to believe in him. Ah ! how inconceivably 
 
 i John iii. 23. r Matth. x. 14, 15. 8 Rom. i. 4. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 249 
 
 sinful it is, not to trust for salvation, in the Lord 
 Jesus, the faithful Trustee of that everlasting co- 
 venant, which is well ordered in all things, and 
 sure ! Alas 1 why do not saints shrink with horror, 
 from the first risings of unbelief in them, as they 
 would do, from a temptation to commit murder, or 
 any other enormous crime ? Unbelief is the radical 
 evil of the depraved heart, from which, every other 
 abomination issues. 
 
 It is also requisite in order to comfort, that dis- 
 quieted Christians be deeply convinced of the ex- 
 ceeding hurtfulness, of their sins in general, and 
 especially of their unbelief. They must without 
 delay, study to become deeply sensible that, the 
 unbelief which prevails against them, and which 
 passes in their minds, under the disguise of humi- 
 lity, and a dread of presumption, is a most deep, 
 dangerous, and destructive evil. Their unbelief is 
 the source, to which, every other departure of their 
 hearts from the living God, may be traced. It is 
 the principal cause of all their spiritual trouble, 
 What is it, but their distrusting of Christ, and their 
 apprehending of God to be their enemy ; that in- 
 creases the enmity against him, the deadness of 
 sprit, the hardness of heart, and the indisposition 
 of soul, to meditate on him as a God of grace, and 
 to pray to him, which they feel ? What is it, but 
 their fearing that he doth not love them, and their 
 apprehending that he is laying snares for them, or 
 is watching for evil against them ; that fills their 
 souls with trouble and anguish, terror and dismay, 
 aversion from him, and weariness in every act of 
 service done to him ? Is it not their disbelief of his 
 
250 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 care, and their distrust of his mercy, that dispose 
 them, to put a dark construction upon his dispen- 
 sations to them, and to sink even under the slight- 
 est pressures ! Let the disconsolate Christian, then, 
 assure himself, that he cannot attain holy comfort, 
 until he be convinced that, his refusing to trust as 
 a sinner in Jesus Christ, for salvation to himself, 
 is not only exceedingly sinful in the sight of God, 
 but inexpressibly hurtful to himself. 
 
 3. He should, in order to recover spiritual con- 
 solation, take heed that, he do not make rash and 
 desperate conclusions against himself respecting 
 that which is either past, or present, or future. 
 When a holy man concludes rashly, after he has 
 had good evidence of his having been in a state of 
 grace, That he is still in a state of nature, he bears 
 false witness against himself, and reflects dishonour 
 on his faithful Redeemer. 
 
 He must, therefore, strive against forming rash 
 and sad conclusions against himself, with respect to 
 that which is past. He ought not to conclude that, 
 he never had the grace of God, and that, all his 
 past experience has been but delusion ; merely 
 because he is now walking in darkness, and is not 
 able to discern the evidences of that grace. He 
 should be much on his guard against thinking that, 
 he never was renewed in the spirit of his mind, or 
 that, he never passed from death to life ; because 
 all his former experiences appear now to him, to 
 have been counterfeit. When, under a sense of 
 Divine anger, he rashly calls in question all that 
 the Lord hath done in, and for his soul ; this is 
 a sin which is highly provoking to the Holy Com- 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 251 
 
 forter. Asaph seems to have been guilty of it, 
 when his remembrance of God, and of his song in 
 the night, did not lessen his trouble t . 
 
 Neither ought the disquieted believer, to con- 
 clude rashly against himself, with regard to his 
 present state. He must take heed, that he do not 
 grieve the Holy Spirit ; by concluding that, he 
 hath at present, no true work of grace in his heart, 
 no vital union with Christ, no personal interest in 
 him, or that God is his enemy, and hath utterly 
 cast him off. As the hypocrite is always disposed 
 to hope, upon false grounds, that he is a true be- 
 liever ; so the true believer is frequently disposed, 
 especially if troubled in soul, to fear, upon im- 
 proper grounds, that he is a hypocrite. The an- 
 cient church in her captivity, said, " My way is 
 hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over 
 form my God u ." Jonah likewise said, " I am 
 cast out of thy sight w :? and David, " I am cut off 
 from before thine eyes*." But these and other 
 instances of the same kind, are left on record, not 
 for the believer's imitation, but for his admonition. 
 It is a great sin in a holy man, to deny Christ 
 within him ; a sin, of which he must be made 
 deeply sensible, in order to his attainment of pure 
 consolation. 
 
 Moreover, he must take heed, that he do not 
 form desperate conclusions against himself, respect- 
 ing thejuture. He ought to be on his guard against 
 concluding, with respect to his spiritual condition, 
 that it will never be better with him. He should 
 
 -_' * Psal. Ixxvii. 3, 6. u Isa. xl. 27. 
 
 w Jonah ii. 4. x Psal. xxxi. 22. 
 
252 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 tremble at the impious thought, of making this 
 peremptory and desperate conclusion ; — < the Lord 
 will be favourable to me no more : I shall undoubt- 
 edly perish for ever.' He ought to be cautious, 
 even of doubting whether God will be merciful to 
 him, or not ; but much more, of concluding rashly 
 that, He never will have mercy on him. Is he 
 " plagued all day long, and chastened every morn- 
 ing ?" He must not hence conclude, that the Lord 
 will never lay aside the rod, nor be favourable any 
 more. There is nothing in the Oracles of God, 
 nothing in the dealings of God with him, and no- 
 thing in himself, which can render that conclusion 
 warrantable. The disconsolate Christian, indeed, 
 is often prone, under the influence of temptation, 
 to make such a dismal conclusion ; but let him re- 
 member, that it is a very heinous sin to do so y. 
 
 y It is lamentable to reflect, how ready, some of the 
 saints, when in trouble of mind, have been, to form des- 
 perate conclusions, respecting their eternal state; and 
 thereby, to gratify the tempter, as well as, to reflect 
 much dishonour on redeeming- grace: and it is no less 
 wonderful, how often, infinite mercy hath interposed for 
 their support, and even their deliverance, at the very 
 times in which, they have been making such conclusions. 
 I have read the following account of one Mrs Honey- 
 wood, who lived, more than a century ago, in England : 
 When she was ' under deep desertion, she refused all 
 comfort, and seemed to despair utterly of the mercy of 
 God. A worthy Minister being one day with her, and 
 reasoning against her desperate conclusions, she took a 
 Venice-glass off the table, and said, Sir, I am as sure to 
 be damned, as this glass is to be broken ; and therewith, 
 threw it forcibly to the ground : but to the astonishment 
 of both, the glass remained whole and sound. The Mi- 
 nister, with admiration, took it up, rebuked her pre- 
 sumption, and shewed her, what a wonder, Providence 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 253 
 
 It tends greatly to harden his heart, and to strength- 
 en his remaining enmity, against the God of his sal- 
 vation. The saints in Scripture, who had been guilty 
 of that sin, did afterwards bitterly bewail it. When 
 David had said that he was cut off, he informs us that 
 he said it in his haste z . After Asaph had express- 
 ed the thoughts of his desponding soul, thus; 
 " Will the Lord cast off for ever ?" &c. he said, 
 " This is mine infirmity ?." The dejected Chris- 
 tian, then, must beware of provoking in a still 
 higher degree, the displeasure of God, by casting 
 away his confidence in the Redeemer, and giving 
 over himself as undone for ever. If, in the dark- 
 ness of spiritual trouble, he cannot discern evidences 
 of his being in a state of grace ; he ought on no ac- 
 count, rashly to conclude, that he certainly is not in 
 that state, much less, that he never shall be in it : 
 
 had wrought for her satisfaction. This greatly altered 
 the temper of her mind.' Flavel's Divine Conduct, 
 &c. p. 291. 
 
 1 Mrs Joan Drake of Emersham too, in her great 
 temptations, had a custom of turning over the Bible, to 
 put her finger suddenly upon some verse, saying, Now, 
 whatsoever my Jinger is upon, is just my case, (whatso- 
 ever it be), and my doom. But the Lord did so order it, 
 that looking upon the verse, it was always found to be 
 encouraging and comfortable. She was much entreat- 
 ed to desist' from that practice ; c but she begged that, 
 she might be allowed to do it once more, promising 
 faithfully to leave it off: afterwards, being permitted, 
 she opened the Bible, and put her finger upon that ex- 
 cellent text, without looking or reading a word ; — 
 <£ Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My 
 way is hid from the Lord?" &c. Isa. xl. 27. which, 
 being read and considered, so crossed her expectation, 
 that it made her blush.' Clark. Exam. vol. 2. p. 357. 
 z Psal. xxxi. 22. a Psal. lxxvii. 7 — 10. 
 
254 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 but leaving, in the mean time, that matter unde- 
 cided, he should, by the direct actings of faith, in- 
 trust to the compassionate Saviour, the whole affair 
 of his eternal salvation : for that is the way to re- 
 cover in due time, the joy of that salvation. 
 
 4. He must, for the same purpose, call his soul 
 to a strict account, for its dejection and disquietude, 
 and charge it again and again, to trust in Jesus 
 Christ, and in God through him. 
 
 He ought without delay, to call his troubled 
 soul to an account. This was a mean of recover- 
 ing comfort, which David employed, and which he 
 did not employ in vain. When his soul was cast 
 down, and disquieted in him, he called upon it 
 to give an account of itself: " Why art thou cast 
 down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted in 
 me £?" The grief of holy David, was not without 
 a cause ; and yet, it must not be obstinate, nor ex- 
 ceed due bounds. It must not continue to depress 
 and disquiet his soul ; and so to discompose it, as 
 to disqualify it for the spiritual performance of 
 present duty. The disconsolate believer ought, 
 in like manner, to commune with his own heart, 
 and to call upon his soul to assign a sufficient rea- 
 son, why it suffers itself to be disquieted, and cast 
 down. He should call upon his troubled soul, to 
 answer such questions as these : « Is the cause of 
 this dejected, this despondent frame, a just one? 
 Why, O my soul, art thou thus disquieted ? What 
 ground hast thou for these perplexing fears ? Thou 
 wilt say, I have good reasons indeed to be troubled, 
 
 b Psal. xlii. 5. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 255 
 
 yea, to be so troubled, as to be disqualified for the 
 acceptable performance of every duty. But, hast 
 thou sufficient reasons; such reasons, as will en- 
 dure to be tried, before the awful tribunal of the 
 omniscient and righteous Judge of the world ? 
 Have not other believers, as much cause as thou, 
 to be uneasy ; who yet, do not yield themselves, 
 as thou dost, to gloomy dejection, and to obstinate 
 grief? Why shouldst thou be cast down, as if thou 
 hadst no grounds of hope or encouragement, in 
 the blessed gospel ; as if thou hadst a God without 
 mercy, a Saviour without merit, a Comforter with- 
 out a right of access to him, and trouble without a 
 promise, either of support under it, or of deliver- 
 ance from it ? Wilt thou be still miserable, and not 
 know why ? Why, O my soul, dost thou, by thy 
 despondency and sadness, dishonour thy God and 
 Saviour, injure thyself, and deter others from the 
 way of holiness ? Canst thou give a good account 
 of this tumult V Were a holy man but to make 
 strict inquiry, into the grounds of his uneasiness of 
 soul, it would soon, in some happy measure, be 
 lessened. He can at no time, have any real ground 
 to be afraid, that the Lord hath, either totally or 
 finally forsaken him. 
 
 Moreover, he should frequently charge his dis- 
 quieted soul, to hope in the Saviour, and in God 
 through Him. " Hope thou in God,' 1 said David 
 to his troubled soul ; « for I shall yet praise him 
 for the help of his countenance."' 1 After the Chris- 
 tian has urged his soul, to search into the grounds 
 of its disquieting fear, he must next charge it, not 
 to harden itself in sorrow ; but on the contrary. 
 
256 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 to trust in God ; to hope that, it " will yet praise 
 Him for the help of his countenance ;" that is, for 
 his favour, and the comfort of it. 
 
 5. If a good man troubled in mind, would re- 
 cover spiritual comfort, he must labour to under- 
 stand, and to consider well, his warrant as a sinner 
 of mankind, to trust in Christ and in God through 
 Him, for complete salvation. When he cannot dis- 
 cern evidences within himself, of his having for- 
 merly believed in Jesus ; it would, through grace, 
 relieve his mind much, if he could see a full war- 
 rant in the Scripture without him, to believe now 
 in Him. He should, therefore, in order to attain 
 consolation, consider well, that in the gospel, Christ 
 with his righteousness and fulness, is wholly, freely, 
 and particularly, offered to him as a sinner of man- 
 kind c ; that the calls or invitations of the gospel 
 to accept of all that is offered, are addressed to 
 him d ; that an authoritative commandment, to com- 
 ply with the invitations, and so to accept the offers, 
 of the gospel, is given him e ; that all the promises, 
 being in Christ, are, in and with Christ, freely of- 
 fered to him for his acceptance f ; and, that these 
 promises, and such as these, are in a special man- 
 ner, given him : — " Him that cometh to me, I will 
 in no wise cast outs." " He that belie veth, and is 
 baptized, shall be saved V " Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved \" He ought 
 
 c Exod. xx. 2. lea. Iv. 4. John vi. 32. and iii. 16. 
 1 John v. 1 1. d Prov. i. 22, 23. and viii. 4. 
 
 Isa. Iv. 1—3. Matth. xi. 28. Rev. xxii. 17- 
 
 c Exod. xx. 3. Psal. lxii. 8. Prow iii. 5. 1 John iii. 23. 
 
 f 2 Cor. i. 20. Prov. i. 23. Acts ii. 39- Heb. iv. 1. 
 
 s John vi. 37. h Mark xvi. lo\ * Acts xvi. 31. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 257 
 
 to know and to consider, that these four things, the 
 offer, the invitation, the commandment to believe 
 or trust in Christ, and the promise, being all ad- 
 dressed or directed to him, as a sinner of Adam's 
 race, — form his warrant, or afford him a right, to 
 come as a sinner in himself, and without a mo- 
 ment's delay, to trust firmly in the Lord Jesus for 
 eternal salvation. He should study clearly to un- 
 derstand, that those, being founded on the intrinsi- 
 cal sufficiency of the obedience and death of Christ, 
 for the salvation even of all mankind, afford him, 
 as a sinner of mankind, a sufficient right or war- 
 rant, to come as he is ; to come with all his sins, all 
 his wants, and all his griefs, and to rely with as- 
 sured confidence, on that Divine Redeemer, for 
 complete salvation to himself in particular. He 
 ought to understand distinctly, that, as they are all 
 directed as particularly to him, as if there was not 
 another sinner in the world, besides himself; so, 
 they afford to him, a particular, a present, and a 
 sufficient warrant, to confide, for all salvation to 
 himself, in Christ and in God through Him ; that 
 they afford to him a full right, not indeed to be- 
 lieve that Christ is already his in possession ; (his 
 assurance of this, must be founded on evidences ;) 
 but — to trusty and to trust cordially, that Christ 
 now giveth himself, with his righteousness and sal- 
 vation, to him in possession. He must in order to 
 recover true comfort, learn, spiritually and clearly 
 to understand, that Christ's being his in offer, giv- 
 eth him a right, to trust in him for possession. 
 
 The disconsolate Christian should likewise, have 
 it firmly settled in his mind and conscience, that, as 
 
258 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 the great commandment to believe on the name of* 
 Jesus Christ, forms a main part of his reveajed 
 warrant to trust in Him, so it makes it his duty to 
 trust in him ; and that, if it is his duty to trust in 
 him for salvation, it cannot at the same time, be 
 his sin. He must labour to be fully persuaded, 
 that his endeavouring to trust cordially and confi- 
 dently, in the Lord Jesus for all his salvation, is 
 not presumption or a sin ; but, that it is his pre- 
 sent duty, yea, his first, his principal, his greatest 
 duty, without the performance of which, it will be 
 impossible for him, to please God in any other 
 duty k . It cannot, surely, be presumption in him, 
 to do that which God commandeth. Could the 
 disquieted Christian be but convinced that, his dis- 
 trust of the great Redeemer, is his chief, his great- 
 est sin, the source of all his other sins ; and that, 
 his trusting in Him for salvation to himself, is his 
 first duty, the principal of all his duties ; it would 
 be a sure step, toward his attaining of spiritual 
 consolation. O that he but knew, what an unspeak- 
 able comfort it is, that the God of all consolation 
 hath made it his duty, his first duty, to trust at all 
 times, in the infinitely compassionate Saviour ! O 
 that he would instantly and frequently try, to 
 place the confidence of his heart, in Him for salva- 
 tion ; and not stop a moment to look into himself, 
 for any good qualification, to add to, or to strengthen 
 that warrant for doing so, which the Lord hath gra- 
 ciously afforded him in his holy word ! 
 
 6. He should also, in order to attain consolation, 
 
 * Heb. xi. 6. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 2S9 
 
 consider the encouragements which he still hath, to 
 trust in the blessed Redeemer. Those things men- 
 tioned above, which afford the disconsolate Chris- 
 tian, in common with all the other hearers of the 
 gospel, a warrant, give him at the same time, an 
 encouragement, to rely with confidence on the Lord 
 Jesus. But there are various other things which, 
 though they, strictly speaking, form no part of his 
 revealed warrant ; yet serve greatly, when he pro- 
 perly considers them, to encourage him to trust in 
 the Saviour. These are, — the infinitely gracious 
 and merciful nature of God in Christ ; the con- 
 summate righteousness of the Lord Jesus ] ; the 
 infinite fulness of grace which is in Him, and that, 
 for the chief of sinners m ; the plenteous redemp- 
 tion which is with him n ; the forgiveness of ini- 
 quity, which is dispensed by him » ; the absolute 
 promises of his gracious covenant p ; his infinite 
 ability and willingness to save, even the chief of 
 sinners i ; his intercession for the transgressors r ; 
 his experimental sympathy with all the members of 
 his mystical body, or his being touched with the 
 feeling of their infirmities s ; his moderating all 
 their afflictions, or keeping them within measure 1 ; 
 the secret support, which he hath hitherto afforded 
 them u ; and the intervals of grief and fear, with 
 which, even in their greatest extremity, he hath 
 favoured them. 
 
 1 Jer. xxiii. 6. m Psal. Ixviii. 18. n Psal. cxxx. 7- 
 
 Psal. cxxx. 4. p Ezek. xxxvi. 25 — 28. 
 
 9 Heb. vii. 25. Jer. ix. 24. John v. 40. 
 
 r Isa. liii. 12. s Heb. iv. 15. * Jer. xxx. 11. 
 
 * Psal. Ixxiii. 23. 
 
260 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 Moreover, when a holy man is in trouble of mind, 
 he may be conscious of several things in his own 
 present experience, which ought also to encourage 
 him, to renew his exercise of trusting in Christ, 
 and thereby to receive comfort from Him ; such 
 as these : — He finds no righteousness, nor strength, 
 in himself, in which he can deliberately confide. 
 He now perceives, and feels, more of the depravity 
 of his heart, than ever he did before ; which is an 
 evidence, that he has attained more spiritual light 
 and life. He feels now, the sin which dwelleth in 
 him, rising, struggling, threatening to carry all be- 
 fore it, and indisposing him for the practice of ho- 
 liness, more than he did formerly. His deadness of 
 spirit w , his hardness of heart, his enmity against 
 God, his legal temper, his worldly mindedness, 
 and his inability to hate, and to mourn for sin, are 
 a burden and a trouble to him. His inability to be- 
 lieve in Christ, and to pray in faith, is a ground of 
 much uneasiness and complaint. He counts sin to 
 be the greatest of all evils ; and he is conscious of 
 no sin in himself, but what he either loathes, or is 
 troubled, because he cannot loathe it as he should ; 
 of no sin, but what he utterly disapproves, and 
 from which, he would count it a mercy to be saved. 
 He dares not allow himself deliberately, to displease 
 
 w Shepard of New England says, that f more are 
 drawn to Christ, under the sense of a dead and blind 
 heart, than by all sorrows, humiliations, and terrors.' 
 And another eminent Minister, who was a famous instru- 
 ment of converting- many to God, used to say, ' that for 
 his own part, he had no other evidence in himself, of be- 
 ing in a state of grace, than that he was sensible of his 
 deadness.' — Brooks' Cabinet, p. 48. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 261 
 
 the Lord, but desires above all things to please 
 Him. He highly esteems the Lord Jesus, and con- 
 cludes that the loss of Him, is greater than the 
 loss often thousand worlds : he is persuaded that, 
 the possession of the whole universe, could not 
 make him content to be without Christ. He is trou- 
 bled greatly, because he can discern no satisfying 
 evidence of his being personally interested in Christ, 
 and in God as a covenant-God. He is greatly 
 alarmed, and deeply perplexed, because all his past 
 experience now appears to him, to have been coun- 
 terfeit. He finds that he is utterly unable of him- 
 self, either to perform spiritual duties, or to resist 
 spiritual enemies. He is grieved, because he can- 
 not approve the covenant of grace as he should ; 
 because he cannot trust cordially in Christ for 
 salvation ; and because he is unable to exercise 
 godly sorrow for the evils of his heart. He finds 
 that he cannot rest upon Christ, and at the same 
 time, that he cannot rest or be easy without him. 
 He desires the presence of God, and the light of his 
 gracious countenance ; and he often fears that he 
 is not sincere, in his desire of communion with 
 him : he also mourns for the absence of God, and 
 cannot be kept from him. He loves the company 
 of the saints, more than that of others. Those of 
 his relations and acquaintance who appear uncon- 
 verted, he regards with pity ; and he endeavours 
 to recommend the Saviour and his great salvation, 
 to their esteem. These things, in the present ex- 
 perience of the disconsolate Christian, of which, for 
 the most part, he may be conscious ; though they 
 do not, strictly speaking, afford him a warrant to 
 
262 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 renew the acting of confidence in Christ, for salva- 
 tion, nor in the least degree, strengthen his revealed 
 warrant for doing so ; yet, if he is conscious but of 
 any one of them in himself, it should encourage 
 him to trust afresh, and not to be afraid. He 
 ought not indeed to trust in it, nor to make it the 
 ground of his right, to trust in the Saviour ; but 
 he should be animated and emboldened by it, to 
 avail himself of his warrant, to renew his acting of 
 trust in Him. 
 
 Besides, the disquieted Christian should, for his 
 further encouragement to trust in Jesus Christ, and 
 in God through him, consider frequently that he is 
 not only commanded, in common with all other 
 hearers of the gospel ; but that he is in ft special 
 manner commanded, to trust in Him. " Who is 
 among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the 
 voice of his servant, and walketh in darkness, and 
 Hath no light ? let him trust in the name of the 
 Lord, and stay upon his God x :" as if Messiah, 
 who is the speaker in the immediately preceding 
 verse, had said to the professed members of the 
 Israelitish church, < Whoever is among you, though 
 it were but one, who hath a sincere regard to the 
 commandments of the Lord, and a humble venera- 
 tion for his high authority ; who is also willing, to 
 listen attentively to the instructions, and to obey 
 sincerely the laws of me, his righteous servant; 
 and who is in the darkness especially of spiritual 
 trouble, without the light of deliverance or com- 
 fort ; tell him that I have a special command, to 
 
 * Isa. 1. 10. 
 
 7 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 263 
 
 lay, and to urge upon him : — Let him trust ; let 
 him confide in the name of Jehovah ; yea, let him 
 continue resolutely, to rely with firm confidence, 
 upon his God, for all grace and consolation.' Al- 
 though the believer, when he is walking in the 
 darkness of mental trouble, cannot for ordinary, 
 perceive that God is his God in possession ; yet he 
 is at least firmly to believe that He is his God in 
 offer, and frequently, as well as cordially, to say 
 that he is his in choice, and in Reference to every 
 other God ; and so, to place an unsuspecting confi- 
 dence in him. The gracious and special command, 
 then, which Messiah here giveth him, to confide 
 constantly in Him, and in God through him ; 
 should be regarded by the disconsolate Christian, 
 as the very highest encouragement to intrust to 
 him, all the concerns of his disquieted soul. 
 
 7. The troubled Christian, accordingly, in order 
 to recover consolation to his wounded spirit, ought 
 without delay, to trust in the Lord Jesus, and in 
 God as reconciled in Him. He should, in depen- 
 dance on the grace of Christ, instantly strive to 
 trust that God the Father loveth him, and hath 
 good-will toward him y ; that Jesus Christ saveth 
 him, and that he will save him to the uttermost 2 ; 
 and that the blessed Spirit will in due time, restore 
 comfort to him. Let him not delay trusting in the 
 Saviour, till he be in a better frame, or till he be 
 so brought forth to the light, as to discern some 
 good qualifications in his own heart ; but let him, 
 even whilst he is in darkness, endeavour to trust, 
 
 y 1 John iv. 16. % Isa. xxxiii. 22. 
 
264 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 and to say, f Though he slay me, yet will I trust 
 in him a : if I perish, I shall perish, casting myself 
 down at the feet of the Saviour, for mercy. He 
 who is the Lamb of God, is too gracious, too mer- 
 ciful, to suffer any to perish there : if he save me 
 not, I cannot be much worse than I am: in this 
 way, I can but perish ; and it may be I shall be 
 saved.' When a good man is in the darkness of 
 spiritual trouble, let him not sit down desponding 
 in that darkness ; but let him walk on in it, and 
 walk by faith : let him presently and resolutely, 
 humbly and confidently, trust in the infinitely faith- 
 ful and compassionate Redeemer. Elihu , s exhor- 
 tation to Job, when he was in darkness, is address- 
 ed also to him : " Although thou sayest thou shalt 
 not see him, yet judgment is before him ; there- 
 fore trust thou in him V He ought then to adopt 
 without delay, the resolution of the holy Psalmist, 
 and to say to the Lord, — " What time I am 
 afraid, I will trust in thee c ." It is his present du- 
 ty, to place the confidence of his heart in Jesus, 
 that faithful Trustee of the everlasting covenant, 
 and to say with the afflicted Psalmist, " Though I 
 walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me ; 
 thou wilt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath 
 of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me : 
 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me d ." 
 " Thou wilt light my candle ; the Lord my God 
 will enlighten my darkness e ." " Thou wilt guide 
 me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to 
 glory '." Let him trust, not only that the Lord 
 
 a Job xiii. 15. b Job xxxv. 14. c Psal. lri. 3. 
 
 d Psal. cxxxviii. 7, 8. e Psal. xviii. 28. f Psal. lxxiii. 24. 
 
 1 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 265 
 
 Jesus will, according to his promise, save him with 
 an everlasting salvation, but that he will in due 
 season comfort him; and Jet him say with holy 
 David, " Thou who hast shewn me great and sore 
 troubles, wilt quicken me again, and wilt bring me 
 up again, or, wilt return, wilt bring me up from 
 the depths of the earth. Thou wilt increase my 
 greatness, and comfort me on every side s ;" so 
 that, as if he had said, 6 I shall in due time, see 
 nothing dark or discouraging on any side.' The 
 disconsolate Christian, should confide likewise in 
 the Father of mercies, the God of all comfort, and 
 with the church of Israel say, " My God will hear 
 me : Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy : when 
 I fall, I shall arise ; when I sit in darkness, the 
 Lord will be a light unto me. He will bring me 
 forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteous- 
 ness. He will turn again, he will have compassion 
 upon me ; he will subdue my iniquities ; and he 
 will cast all my sins into the depths of the sea h ." 
 He ought to trust even in a frowning and with- 
 drawing God ; to trust Him, though he cannot 
 trace him, and, like the woman of Canaan, to be 
 resolute and peremptory in trusting him. 
 
 Nor should he be afraid, that his endeavouring 
 thus to trust is presumption. Presumption is un- 
 warrantable or groundless confidence. It cannot 
 then be presumption, so long as he is conscious 
 that, he trusteth only in Christ and in God ; and 
 that, he places confidence in Christ and in God, 
 not upon the ground of any good thing in his own 
 
 £ Psal. lxxi. 20, 21. h Mic. vii. 7, 8, 9, 19- 
 
 M 
 
266 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 heart or life ; but only, upon the Divine warrant, 
 which is afforded him in the gospel. Nor ought 
 he to fear that he is acting presumptuously, so long 
 as he is conscious that, he sincerely endeavours to 
 trust in the Saviour, not for a part merely, but for 
 the whole of salvation ; not for salvation in any sin, 
 but for salvation from every sin ; not for salvation, 
 with sin, or to sin, but for that salvation, which 
 comprises universal holiness of heart and life ; not 
 for salvation by his own righteousness, but for sal- 
 vation by grace, reigning through the righteousness 
 of Jesus Christ, unto eternal life * ; and for salva- 
 tion, not for his own glory, but for the glory of 
 Christ, and of God in Him. Presumption also is 
 unreasonable confidence. But nothing can be more 
 reasonable, than that a needy sinner come at the 
 command of God, and trust with firm confidence, 
 in Jesus Christ, for all that salvation which is laid 
 up in Christ, laid out in the promise, and brought 
 near in the offer of the gospel. And nothing, on 
 the contrary, can be more unreasonable, than to 
 trust for that which, it is impossible even for omni- 
 potence itself, to afford, and which, the Saviour 
 hath never promised to give — salvation in sin — sal- 
 vation, consistently with a man's retaining of some 
 darling lust — salvation merely from the punishment 
 of sin — salvation, in order to be at liberty to com- 
 mit sin with impunity. In few words, The discon- 
 solate Christian should not fear, that his trusting 
 in the Lord Jesus, for salvation to himself in par- 
 ticular, is presumptuous confidence ; if it is accom- 
 
 1 Acts xv. 11. Rom* v. 21. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 267 
 
 panied withjfear, that he doth not approve cordial- 
 ly s the whole scheme of redemption delineated in 
 the gospel ; with desire, so to approve it ; and 
 with diligence, in the use of all the other means of 
 grace within his reach. 
 
 In his endeavouring to trust cordially in the 
 blessed Saviour, for salvation, he must not overlook 
 the promises of salvation. All the promises of 
 God, being in Christ, yea and Amen, are, in and 
 with Christ, offered in the gospel to him. He 
 should, therefore, in applying Christ to himself, 
 embrace or apply the promises, not indeed separate 
 from Christ, but in and with Him ; and believing 
 that the absolute promises especially, are, in the 
 offer, directed to him for his acceptance, he must 
 rely on the faithfulness of God in them, which is 
 pledged for the performance of them ; and so, trust 
 in Christ, for the performance of them to himself'. 
 To trust for salvation is, to rely with confidence, 
 not only on Christ and his righteousness, but on 
 the truth of the promises. It is to rely and live 
 upon Christ, not as felt in the heart, but as offered 
 and promised in the gospel ; and it must be of the 
 same extent as the promises. The absolute pro- 
 mises of the eternal covenant, are open. They are 
 free. The disquieted Christian, therefore, should 
 cast himself freely upon them, when feelings and 
 evidences fail. He has been trying if he had al- 
 ready, a personal interest in the Redeemer ; and he 
 has found no satisfying evidences of it in himself. 
 Let him, for a little while, forbear that inquiry ; 
 and, in the mean time, put the matter out of doubt, 
 by trusting that Christ now giveth him, a saving 
 
268 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 interest in Him. Every scriptural evidence of a 
 personal interest in the Redeemer, is either com- 
 prised in faith, or is a consequence of faith. Let 
 his actings of faith in Christ, and in the promise, 
 then, be distinct and express, in order that, he may- 
 be conscious that he is acting it * : and at the same 
 time, let him rest, not on the act, but on the glori- 
 ous Object, of his faith ; and draw consolation, not 
 from the act, but by the act, from Christ and the 
 promises. 
 
 To trust simply in the Lord Jesus for salvation 
 to himself, is the principal mean, which the discon- 
 solate Christian should employ, for attaining spirit- 
 ual comfort. Without this, no other means will be 
 of the smallest avail. To rely with cordial and un- 
 suspecting affiance, upon the faithful Redeemer, 
 and the free promises, is not only in itself, an ease 
 to the troubled soul 1 ; but is, according to the co- 
 venant of grace, the appointed instrument of deriv- 
 ing consolation, as well as holiness, from the fulness 
 of Christ. After Job had said, « I ~know that my 
 Redeemer liveth m ," &c. he was so relieved from 
 the extremity of his trouble, that he no more utter- 
 ed such doleful complaints, as before. " The 
 Lord is my strength and my shield,"" says David, 
 " my heart trusted in him, and I am helped : there- 
 fore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song 
 will I praise him K n Again, " I had fainted, un- 
 less I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord, 
 in the land of the living o." And again, " I have 
 trusted in thy mercy ; my heart shall rejoice in thy 
 
 k Psal. xci. 2. Lam. iii. 24. l Heb. iv. 3. 
 
 m Job xix. 25. n Psal. xxviii. 7. ° Psal xxvii. 13. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 269 
 
 salvation p." The Lord Jesus said to his disconso- 
 late disciples, " Let not your hearts be troubled, 
 ye believe in God, believe also in meV 1 If the 
 disquieted Christian, then, would recover spiritual 
 consolation, let him " hold the beginning of his 
 confidence, steadfast unto the end r ." Let him come 
 frequently to Jesus, the Consolation of Israel, and 
 come every time, as if it were the first time, or, as 
 if he were but beginning to come : let him come as 
 a sinner in himself, and trust that Christ will save 
 him from his sin, and from his trouble. So will 
 the joy of God's salvation, be in due time restored 
 to him. By thus casting all his care upon his gra- 
 cious Redeemer, who careth for him, his depressed 
 spirit will become easy and cheerful. 
 
 8. He must also for the same purpose, hope in 
 the Lord Jesus, and in God as the God of all com- 
 fort. Spiritual hope, comprises a cordial desire 
 and expectation of all promised good things, both 
 in time and in eternity. It is a certain, and a long- 
 ing, expectation of all the good of the everlasting 
 covenant; and is grounded, on the declarations 
 and promises of the gospel ; on the perfections of 
 God in Christ, and his relations to his people ; and 
 on the office, righteousness, fulness, and interces- 
 sion of Christ. It hath an inestimably precious ob- 
 ject, and a heart-purifying and enlivening influ- 
 ence s . It is a consequence of saving faith, and is 
 inseparably connected with it. Faith, is a trusting 
 that the faithful Redeemer, will perform all the 
 promises of his eternal covenant to me : hope, is a 
 
 p Psal. xiii. 5. i John xiv. 1. r Heb. iii. 14. 
 8 1 John iii. 2, 3. 1 Pet, i. 3. 
 
270 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 desire and an expectation of all the future blessings, 
 which are therein promised. It is a living princi- 
 ple, which revives and supports, strengthens and 
 elevates, the soul of the true believer, and which 
 carries him beyond this finite scene, into that which 
 is infinite ; where he is transported with the joyful 
 prospect of life eternal, in the immediate presence 
 of God and the Lamb, of seeing his glorious Re- 
 deemer as he is, of being like him, and of the full 
 enjoyment of Jehovah, Father, Son, and Holy 
 Spirit, for evermore. Now the dejected believer 
 should, for his comfort, endeavour frequently to 
 exercise this living hope ; this " hope of an inheri- 
 tance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth 
 not away, reserved in heaven for him V He must, 
 in dependance on the grace of Christ, hope for all 
 necessary grace; and especially, " for the grace 
 that is to be brought unto him, at the revelation of 
 Jesus Christ u ." He ought to hope that the Lord 
 will in due season, comfort him ; that " the God of 
 hope will yet fill him, with all joy and peace in be- 
 lieving w." He must, if he would recover holy 
 consolation, charge his soul, as the Psalmist did, to 
 " hope in God x ;" to hope that he shall yet have 
 comfort from God ; that he " shall yet praise him, 
 for the salvation of his countenance, 1 ' for the ma- 
 nifestation of his favour to his soul, and for the 
 consolation which will ensue. He ought to hope 
 even against hope, " to hope continually," and " to 
 shew diligence to the full assurance of hope, unto 
 the endy." His Redeemer is the great God, and 
 
 1 1 Pet. i. S, 4. u 1 Pet. i. 13. w Rom. xv. 13. 
 x Psal. xliii. 5. v Heb. vi. 11. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 271 
 
 he resolveth to act like himself. The believer 
 should therefore expect great, as well as good 
 things, from Him ; great deliverances and supplies, 
 great enlargements and consolations, great mercy 
 and peace, and a great salvation z . The Lord Je- 
 sus is " the hope of Israel, and the Saviour there- 
 of, in time of trouble.' 1 He will often disappoint 
 the fears of the timorous believer ; but will never 
 disappoint his hopes, in so far as they are grounded 
 on, and regulated by, the promises. Let him 
 therefore build his hope no longer, upon any good 
 thing, wrought in, or done by himself; but let him 
 build it wholly, upon the righteousness and grace 
 of Christ, and upon the promises and faithfulness 
 of God. The exercise of a well-grounded hope, 
 tends to settle the heart, and to calm the troubled 
 spirit. " It is good, therefore, that a man should 
 both hope, and quietly wait, for the salvation of 
 the Lord. For the Lord will not cast off for ever : 
 but though he cause grief, yet will he have com- 
 passion, according to the multitude of his mercies V 
 That hope, when it is accompanied in its exercise, 
 with, filial fear, pleases the Lord greatly : and it is 
 a special mean, of attaining the light of his graci- 
 ous countenance b . 
 
 The disconsolate believer should at no time, 
 suspect, that his endeavouring to hope, is presump- 
 tion ; so long as he is conscious that, his expecta- 
 tion is founded solely, upon the grace and power of 
 God, exhibited in the declarations and offers of the 
 gospel, upon the spotless righteousness of Jesus 
 
 2 Jer. xxxiii. 3. a Lam. iii. 26, 31, 32. b Psal. cxlvil 11. 
 
M% THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 Christ, and upon the faithfulness of God in the 
 promises c . True hope is grounded, not upon that 
 which the Christian feels in himself, but upon that 
 which Jesus felt in his stead ; not upon what he doth 
 for Christ, but upon what Christ did, and is still do- 
 ing for him. Evidences of grace in the heart and life, 
 are indeed great encouragements to exercise hope ; 
 but they are not the grounds upon which, true 
 hope is built. He who exercises a living hope, is 
 diligent in using all appointed means of grace ; and 
 yet, he does not rest upon the use of those means, 
 but upon the Lord as speaking to him, in his word 
 of grace. 
 
 9. Another mean of recovering spiritual com- 
 fort, is diligence in the exercise of evangelical 
 repentance. If the disconsolate Christian would 
 exercise repentance, in an upright and accept- 
 able manner ; he must, first of all, in the faith 
 of pardoning mercy, and of sanctifying grace, 
 repent of his unbelieving, distrustful, and de- 
 sponding thoughts, and next, of all his other 
 sins. His unbelief and distrust of the Saviour, 
 are his radical crimes ; and, therefore, in his exer- 
 cise of repentance, he ought to begin at them. 
 And in order to exercise repentance sincerely 
 and acceptably, he should trust that the Lord 
 Jesus, the exalted Prince and Saviour, giveth re- 
 pentance to him, and forgiveness of sins d . It is 
 faith in pardoning mercy, that breaks the heart, 
 and that opens all the sluices of godly sorrow for 
 sin. Trusting, then, in the mercy of the Lord 
 
 c Psal. cxxx. 5 } 7- d Acts v. 31. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 273 
 
 Jesus Christ, and of God in him e, he should en- 
 deavour to attain a true, and a humbling sense of 
 his iniquity. Without placing confidence in re- 
 deeming mercy, a man may have a sense of sin, 
 but not a true sense of it : he may have a sense of 
 sin, as hurtful to himself f , but not as hateful to 
 God 8 ; a sense of the danger and demerit, but not 
 of the deep malignity and pollution, of sin. The 
 dejected Christian, therefore, should study to at- 
 tain by faith, a spiritual sight and sense of the 
 horrible malignity, as well as of the infinite de- 
 merit, of his unbelief and other transgressions. 
 He must without delay, and in the exercise of 
 faith, look upon Jesus whom he hath pierced ; in 
 order that, his grief for the loss of his comfort, 
 may be turned into godly sorrow for those iniqui- 
 ties, which have pierced his dear Saviour, and pro- 
 cured for himself that grievous loss h . Viewing 
 his iniquity as laid on Christ, and Christ as pierced 
 for it in his stead, he must also, with holy self- 
 loathing, and deep abhorrence of his sin, turn, not 
 from one sin to another, but from all sin to God \ 
 Let him hate sin, and hate it as sin k . Let his 
 hatred be universal against all sin, and irreconcile- 
 able to any sin K He must, in the faith of re- 
 deeming mercy, turn from all iniquity, and es- 
 pecially, from the sins for which, the Lord is 
 pleading a controversy with him m • and say with 
 
 e Psal. xiii. 5. Joel ii. 13. f Gen. iv. 13. 
 
 § Habak i. IS. h Zech. xii. 10. 
 
 1 Isa. vi. 5. Hos. vi. 1. k Psal. cxix. 104. 
 
 1 Psal. ci. 3. m Ezek. xiy. 6. 
 
 m 2 
 
274 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 Ephraim of old, " Turn thou me, and I shall 
 be turned, for thou art the Lord my God n ." 
 Trusting that the Lord his God turneth him, he 
 should turn to " the Lord with all his heart, with 
 fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning °." 
 He ought to turn to the love of God p , and to the 
 spiritual performance of every duty to him q . This 
 is what, the Israelitish Church in her captivity, re- 
 solved to do : " Let us search and try our ways, 
 and turn again to the Lord r ." If the disconsolate 
 believer would recover pure consolation, let the ex- 
 ercise of his faith and hope, be penitential. And 
 if, after all his endeavours, he find that he cannot 
 shed a tear, or feel such bitter sorrow for sin, as he 
 longs to feel ; let him not be discouraged, but re- 
 collect that turning, with holy abhorrence, from 
 all iniquity, to the Lord, is the very essence of true 
 repentance. Let him turn from his sins of omis- 
 sion, and especially, from his sin of suffering him- 
 self to be discouraged, by a sense of the corruption 
 of his nature, from the great duties of believing 
 and rejoicing in Christ Jesus s ; by which, he hath 
 brought up an evil report upon the good ways of 
 the Lord. And he ought not to fear, that his re- 
 pentance is legal or hypocritical, so long as he is 
 conscious, that he endeavours to exercise godly sor- 
 row for all sin, as sin, and to turn from it, because 
 it is sin. The repentance of the legalist or hypo- 
 crite, is not so much, sorrow for sin, as a sullen 
 
 n Jer. xxxi. 18. ° Joel ii. 12. P Isa. xxvi. 13. 
 
 i Psal. cxix. 105. r Lam. iii. 40. s Phil. iii. 3, 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT 275 
 
 grief, that he is not allowed to sin with impunity ; 
 not so much, a turning from sin to the Lord, as a 
 turning from one sin to another t . 
 
 As the exercise of evangelical repentance, is an 
 appointed mean, so it is a sure mean, of recovering 
 holy consolation : for thus saith the Lord, " To 
 this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and 
 of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word u ." 
 " The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken 
 heart ; and he savetli such as be of a contrite 
 spirit w ." " He healetli the broken in heart, and 
 bindeth up their wounds *." As soon as Ephraim's 
 heart is troubled for his iniquities, God's bowels 
 are troubled for Ephraim ; and He will surely have 
 mercy upon him y . Godly sorrow for sin, is not 
 only a mean of attaining future comfort, but is ac- 
 companied with present consolation. There is more 
 joy in the penitential mourning of a humble be- 
 liever, than in all the vain mirth of an unregenerate 
 man. 
 
 10. He ought for the same end, to meditate fre- 
 quently on the blessed Jesus, and on God as a God 
 of grace in Him. 
 
 He is disposed to muse often on the trouble of 
 his own mind ; but he should rather, contemplate 
 the sufferings of Chrisfs soul. Were he frequently 
 to meditate on the unparalleled anguish, the dole- 
 ful agony, of his dear Redeemer's soul, when He 
 was enduring for him, the vindictive wrath of 
 God, and was not allowed to discern the least smile, 
 in the countenance of his righteous Father ; it 
 
 * Hos. vii. 16. u Isa. lxvi. 2. w Psal. xxxiv. 18, 
 x Psal. cxlvii. 3. ? Jer. xxxi. 20. 
 
276 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 might be a happy mean of calming the tumult of 
 his own soul. The compassionate Saviour, in love 
 to him, and for his salvation, drank a cup of un- 
 mixed wrath ; and he putteth into his hand, only 
 a cup of suffering, mixed with many sweet and 
 salutary ingredients. What are his sorrows, then, 
 to those of the Lord Jesus ? There is no compa- 
 rison. There was more bitterness in one drop of 
 Christ's sufferings, than in an ocean of his. De- 
 vout meditation on the loving, the agonizing, the 
 dying Redeemer, hath often been a reviving, and a 
 delightful exercise to holy souls. " My medita- 
 tion of Him," saith the Psalmist, " shall be 
 sweet *.* It hath, many times, been sweet and 
 soothing to holy men, even under spiritual trouble. 
 The disquieted believer should, moreover, think 
 frequently on God in Christ, as a God of mercy and 
 grace, and on his amiable perfections, and precious 
 promises. In Christ, God manifests himself to be 
 a gracious, a promising, and a performing God ; 
 to be just such a God, as an afflicted saint would 
 choose to have to do with. In Him, God exhi- 
 bits his infinitely glorious excellencies, in the most 
 amiable, attractive and encouraging point of view. 
 He manifests himself, to be " the Father of mer- 
 cies, and the God of all comfort." To present Him 
 often to the mind, therefore, in that point of view, 
 will, in the hand of the adorable Comforter, be a 
 sovereign cordial to a drooping spirit. Hence the 
 afflicted Psalmist said, " O my God, my soul is cast 
 down within me : therefore will I remember thee 9 
 
 2 Psal. civ. 34. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 277 
 
 from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, 
 from the hill Mizar a :" as if he had said, ' I will, 
 in order to cheer my drooping spirit, remember 
 thee as a God of mercy : I will call to remembrance, 
 thy love and faithfulness, thy power and presence 
 in the sanctuary : I will remember thee, from the 
 most distant countries, to which I may be driven. 1 
 To the same purpose, he says in another Psalm, 
 " My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and 
 fatness ; and my mouth shall praise thee with joy- 
 ful lips ; when I remember thee upon my bed, and 
 meditate on thee in the night-watches b ." Asaph 
 likewise, when his soul was in trouble, said, " I 
 will remember the years of the right hand of the 
 Most High. I will remember the works of the 
 Lord ; surely I will remember thy wonders of old. 
 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy 
 doings c ." The dejected Christian must, in order 
 to attain peace and comfort, meditate on God, es 
 pecially as a God in covenant ; as a God, offering 
 and promising to be a God to him ; and that, 
 from regard to no worthiness in him, but merely, 
 to the glory of his own free and sovereign grace. 
 He ought frequently to contemplate the covenant 
 of grace, in the making, the fulfilling, and the ad- 
 ministration of it : for, the Lord hath devised and 
 established that gracious covenant, as the rule ac- 
 cording to which, all his dispensations of grace and 
 providence, are adjusted. There, the timorous 
 believer will see that, all is of infinitely free grace ; 
 that, every blessing is to be received as a free gift ; 
 
 a Psal. xlii. 6. b Psal. lxiii. 5, 6. 
 
 « Psal. lxxvii. 10— -12. 
 
278 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 that, the great Redeemer himself, is " given for a 
 covenant of the people \V that, God is first in the 
 obligation of the covenant ; and that, there is no 
 tie upon the believer, but what depends on, and 
 is similar to, the tie which the believer has upon 
 God. 
 
 11. He should also, in order to receive comfort, 
 pray much in the name of Christ, and so pour out 
 his heart, before his gracious God and Father. 
 This was the exercise of David, when his soul was 
 disquieted. " O my God, saith he, my soul is 
 cast down within me. 1 ' And again, " I will say 
 unto God my Rock, Why hast thou forgotten me ? 
 why go I mourning, because of the oppression of 
 the enemy d ?" He had already charged his soul to 
 hope in God, and no longer to yield to disquieting 
 grief and fear, but had found no relief; and there- 
 fore he betook himself to his Covenant- God, and 
 complained of his disquietude, to Him. Although 
 he could not himself, command a calm in his trou- 
 bled spirit ; yet he knew that his redeeming God 
 could. He therefore complained to the Lord, but 
 did not complain of him. He complained not, 
 that afflictive dispensations had troubled his soul ; 
 but, that his soul had troubled itself. " When 
 my spirit was overwhelmed within me," saith 
 he, " I poured out my complaint before him : I 
 shewed before him my trouble e ." He present- 
 ed this supplication to him ; " O Lord, rebuke 
 me not in thine anger, neither chasten me in 
 thy hot displeasure. Have mercy upon me, O 
 
 d Psal. xlii. 6, 9- e Psal. cxlii. 2, 3 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 219 
 
 Lord ; for I am weak : heal me ; for my bones are 
 vexed. My soul is also sore vexed : but thou, 
 Lord, how long ? Return, O Lord, deliver my soul : 
 
 save me for thy mercies 1 sake*." The apostle 
 James saith, " Is any among you afflicted ? let 
 him pray s." The Lord Jesus, recommends this 
 duty to disconsolate believers, by his own example ; 
 for we read that, when He was " in an agony, he 
 prayed more earnestly V The prayer of faith, 
 is a sure mean of obtaining relief: for thus saith 
 Jehovah, " Call upon me in the day of trouble; 
 
 1 will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify meV 
 Does the distressed Christian say, That he feels 
 himself sadly indisposed for the duty of prayer ; or, 
 that he has been long attempting the exercise of 
 it ; but, that the Lord " shutteth out his prayer k ? T5 
 Let him, nevertheless, persist in trying to pray, 
 and in looking up for an answer l . Is he ready to 
 say, that he cannot pray acceptably ? Let him at- 
 tempt it, as he can, and commit it, notwithstand- 
 ing all the imperfection attending it, to the Lord 
 Jesus, his " Advocate with the Father." Jesus 
 will with infinite ease, understand it, and will put 
 it into such language, as will be accepted in the 
 court of heaven. He should, therefore, " come 
 boldly to the throne of grace," and present such re- 
 quests as would shew, that he hath honourable sen- 
 timents of the riches, and the munificence, of the 
 King of glory, He ought to come, firmly per- 
 suaded that, though a little is too much, for his de- 
 
 f Psal. vi. 1—4. s James v. 13 
 
 h Luke xxii. 44. l Psal. 1. 15. 
 
 l Lam. iii. 8. Luke xviii. 1. 
 
280 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 sert ; yet that, much is too little for his great Re- 
 deemer's bounty m . By so doing, he will greatly 
 honour the marvellous loving-kindness of the Lord. 
 When he prays for spiritual comfort, or for any 
 other spiritual blessing, let him pray in faith ; and 
 according to his faith, it will in due time, be unto 
 him n . He ought, as the Canaanitish woman did, 
 to convert, even the greatest discouragements, into 
 so many encouragements, to trust and plead the 
 promises. He must not conclude, that his prayers 
 are lost, or are hypocritical ; merely because he 
 doth not experience comfort in them, and does not 
 receive the very thing which he asketh. Mercies 
 seldom do good to that man, who is over peremp- 
 tory in asking them. It is only the prayer of faith, 
 founded on the promises, and regulated by them, 
 that is the outlet from trouble, and the inlet of con- 
 
 m In order to illustrate the sentiment here expressed, 
 I cannot forbear mentioning a heathen story : — Alexan- 
 der had a Philosopher in his court, who once was greatly 
 straitened in his circumstances. He, on that occasion, 
 applied for money to his sovereign, the conqueror of the 
 world. No sooner was his request made than granted. 
 Alexander gave him a commission to receive from his 
 treasurer, whatever sum he wanted. He immediately 
 went and demanded a hundred talents, which amount to 
 about ten thousand pounds sterling. The treasurer sur- 
 prised at so large a demand, refused to comply ; but 
 waited upon the king, and represented to him, how un- 
 reasonable, he thought, the petition was, and how exor- 
 bitant, the sum. Alexander heard him with patience ; 
 but, as soon as he had ended his remonstrance, replied ; 
 ' Let the money be immediately given him. I like that 
 man : I am delighted with his way of thinking He has 
 done me a singular honour ; and, by the largeness of his 
 request, he has shown, what a high idea he has, both of 
 my great riches, and my royal munificence/ 
 
 n Mark xi. 24. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 281 
 
 solation. Even the desire thus to pray, is a fore- 
 runner of success, and an earnest of the blessing 
 implored. " Thou drewest near," saith Jeremiah, 
 " in the day that I called upon thee : thou saidst, 
 Fear not ."" The more speedily, God seemeth to 
 be departing from the disconsolate believer, he 
 ought to pursue after him, with the firmer trust, 
 and the greater importunity : and in praying for 
 spiritual consolation, he should ask only that mea- 
 sure of it, which the Lord may see proper to give 
 him ; and should ask it, not so much for his own 
 relief, as for the glory of redeeming grace. In 
 continuing so to do, he shall in the fittest season, 
 experience a heavenly sweetness, diffusing itself over 
 his troubled soul; and shall from his experience, 
 know, that it is better to " seek the Lord," than to 
 Jlnd all things else. 
 
 When the afflicted believer is praying, he must 
 endeavour to praise and thank the Lord. This 
 also, is a special mean of recovering spiritual con- 
 solation. We read, in a passage of Scripture, cited 
 above, that the Psalmist said to his dejected soul, 
 " Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise himP;" 
 as if he had said, ? I hope yet to praise him : I 
 long to praise him. 1 This grateful and adoring 
 frame, was not only an evidence of David's begin- 
 ning to emerge out of the depth of his trouble ; but 
 was likewise a mean, of his emerging. The depress- 
 ed Christian, then, if he would attain spiritual com- 
 fort, should study in his prayers, to occupy at 
 least as much time, in thanking the Lord for the 
 
 ° Lam. iii. 57. p Psal. xlii. 5. 
 
282 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 mercies vouchsafed to him, as in confessing the 
 sins committed by him. This would tend greatly, 
 to remove his bitterness of spirit, and to bring re- 
 freshing consolation to his weary soul. The fre- 
 quent mentioning of things, that are sweet and 
 cheering, is a mean of sweetening the temper of 
 the mind, and of promoting cheerfulness of spirit. 
 Were the disquieted believer, to take special notice 
 of the manifold blessings, which are still vouchsaf- 
 ed to him, and frequently to bless the Lord for 
 them ; he would not remain long after, in an un- 
 comfortable frame q. He ought therefore to es- 
 teem it his privilege, as well as his duty, in every 
 condition, to give thanks to God r . He should be 
 thankful that, his heavenly Father condescends 
 to be angry with him, and to reprove him for sin ; 
 that, he hath not given him over to a reprobate 
 mind s ; and that, the sin which dwelleth in him, 
 is in any measure, a burden to him. If he is un- 
 worthy even of the least, of all the mercies bestow- 
 ed upon him, he surely ought to be thankful for 
 the least of them t. 
 
 1 % He ought, moreover, to wait patiently for the 
 Lord. If the disquieted believer would regain spi- 
 ritual tranquillity of mind, he must " both hope 
 and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord u ." 
 He must say, as Messiah himself did, " I will wait 
 upon the Lord, who hideth his face from the house 
 of Jacob, and I will look for him w ." The way to 
 recover his comfort, is, to say to his soul, " My 
 
 9'Lam. iii. 22—24. r 1 Thess. v. 18. 
 
 s Job v. 17. Psal. xciv. 12. l Gen. xxxii. 10. 
 
 u Lam. iii. 26. w Isa. viii. 17. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 283 
 
 soul, wait thou only upon God ; for my expecta- 
 tion is from him.'" His duty at all times, and es- 
 pecially when his soul is disquieted, is, to " rest in 
 the Lord, and wait patiently for him ; to wait on 
 the Lord, and keep his way \" " Though the vi- 
 sion tarry ," he ought to " wait for it ; because it 
 will surely come; it will not tarry" a moment 
 longer than the appointed time y . He should con- 
 sider that the Lord, who hath appointed that great 
 affliction for him, is infinitely wise, righteous, and 
 good ; that he is his own God, the God of his sal- 
 vation z ; and that, by such methods as please him 
 least, God often doth him the most good. More- 
 over, the time that he hath to wait, is but short. 
 Yet a little while, and the compassionate Saviour 
 will come and save him. The Lord Jesus waited 
 long for him; and he waiteth still, for a fit oppor- 
 tunity to comfort him, more than he himself can 
 wait, for the enjoyment of comfort. " Therefore 
 will the Lord wait," saith Isaiah, " that he may be 
 gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalt- 
 ed, that he may have mercy upon you ; for the 
 Lord is a God of judgment a ." Although he has 
 no prospect of deliverance soon, yet let him still 
 wait, until the time to favour him, even the set 
 time be come ; and wait, with a patient and silent 
 resignation to the Divine will b . The Lord is 
 waiting for the very same day of comfort, for 
 which, the disconsolate saint is to wait ; and if the 
 Lord cannot be disappointed, so neither can he. 
 
 x Psal. xxxvii. 7, 34. y Hab. ii. 3. 
 
 z Psal. lxxxviii. 1 a Isa. xxx. 18* 
 
 b Isa. xxviii. 16. 
 
284 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 There is in the love of Christ to him, an earnest 
 longing, as it were, that the day might come. And 
 therefore he may, in submission to the will of his 
 gracious God, lawfully pray, as jhe holy Psalmist 
 did c , even for a speedy deliverance. But, if his 
 mental trouble still continue, he must resolve to 
 wait patiently, and to justify the infinitely wise 
 God, in his delaying to return with comfort to him. 
 Let him still " hope, and quietly wait ;" for it is 
 the time of his extremity, that is commonly the 
 Lord's opportunity of appearing for his relief. Holy 
 consolation, is worth his waiting for it : it is, as it 
 were, the opening of heaven upon the soul. Let 
 him therefore wait, and the Lord will, at the time 
 appointed, so console his troubled spirit, as to cause 
 him from experience to say, " Lo, this is my 
 God ; I have waited for him, and he will save me : 
 this is the Lord ; I have waited for him, I shall be 
 glad and rejoice in his salvation V The longer he 
 stays in expectation, for spiritual consolation, the 
 sweeter and purer, at length, will the enjoyment of 
 it prove. Let his patience then be the " patience 
 of hope." It is hope, that giveth life and vigour 
 to patience. He must not suffer his exercise of 
 patience to be interrupted, either by fretting him- 
 self, or by betaking himself for comfort, to any 
 creature. He should not fret himself in any wise ; 
 but should, with humbleness and calmness of spirit, 
 wait upon the Lord. Let him firmly resolve to 
 wait God's time, and to bear his frown e ; in hum- 
 ble expectation, that He will at length, return and 
 
 c Psal. xxxi. 2. and cii. 2. d Isa. xxv. 9. 
 
 e Mic. vii. 9. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 285 
 
 visit him, with the light of his countenance, and 
 with the joy of his salvation. 
 
 13. It is also requisite, in order to recover true 
 comfort, that, a holy man be constantly on his 
 guard, against yielding to any motion of 'sin , in his 
 heart ; and that, he be pressing on toward more 
 holiness of heart and of life. 
 
 He must, in depen dance on the promise of sanc- 
 tification, always take heed, that he do not yield to 
 any secret motion of sin in his heart. If he would 
 have his conscience pacified and peaceful, he must 
 strive to keep it pure. Sin, like Achan in the 
 camp, or Jonah in the ship, is that which causeth 
 trouble. If the disconsolate believer allow himself, 
 for a season, to yield to any motion of sin, or 
 temptation of Satan, or of the world, he cannot be 
 easy or comfortable in his mind. Although a tra- 
 veller were sure that he was to reach, in safety, 
 the place to which he was going; yet if he tra- 
 velled with a thorn in his foot, he could not but 
 be sensible of pain, at every step. If the Chris- 
 tian suffer himself to connive, especially at that 
 in himself, which he knows to be wrong, he can- 
 not but be disquieted. Uprightness and singleness 
 of heart, are necessary to his recovering of lost 
 comfort. God hath made an eternal separation, 
 between continuance in the love and practice of any 
 sin, and holy tranquillity of mind. Let therefore 
 the afflicted believer, in the faith that Christ will 
 strengthen him, maintain a resolute and continual 
 struggle, against the first risings, the secret mo- 
 tions, of depravity in his heart. It is as natural 
 for sin indulged, to raise and increase doubts and 
 
286 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 fears in his mind, as for rotten wood to breed 
 worms. Every instance of his yielding to a mo- 
 tion of sin, will be like a blot upon his evidences 
 for heaven. Let him, then, in all his conflicts with 
 the risings of sin, diligently study, both to disco- 
 ver, and to mortify, the corruption of his nature ; 
 both to sigh under the burden, and to act against 
 the power, of the sin that dwelleth in him. It 
 should always be his manner, to attack and mortify 
 sin, in its first risings : for, as that which usually 
 destroys his peace of conscience, is his indulging of 
 corrupt desires ; so his constant endeavour, through 
 grace, to resist and quell them, before they have 
 time to acquire strength, is a sure mean of recover- 
 ing spiritual comfort. 
 
 He should also endeavour daily, to attain more 
 and more holiness of heart and life. True holiness 
 consists, of loving the Lord our God supremely, of 
 delighting in Him as manifested in Jesus Christ, 
 and of studying habitually to serve him with glad- 
 ness f , as well as^. with abhorrence of all iniquity. 
 Spiritual comfort accordingly is a part of holiness. 
 The more, a believer advances in universal holiness, 
 the more of title principle and habit of pure conso- 
 lation, does he possess ; and the more of the princi- 
 ple and habit of this holy comfort, he attains, the 
 more of the enjoyment of it, shall he have in every 
 time of need. The disconsolate Christian, then, 
 to the end that he may recover sensible comfort, 
 should, by faith, receive out of the fulness of Christ, 
 greater measures of sanctifying grace ; that he may, 
 
 f Psal. c. 2. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 287 
 
 not only die daily to sin, but live to righteousness. 
 He ought, from principles of faith and love, and 
 for the glory of his redeeming God, to become 
 more and more diligent in all the duties of holiness. 
 This, though it shall not merit consolation for him, 
 yet, will in his experience be connected with conso- 
 lation ; yea, it will itself be a comfort to him. 
 " Our rejoicing is this," saith an Apostle, * the 
 testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and 
 godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by 
 the grace of God, we have had our conversation 
 in the world s." To be advancing sensibly, in con- 
 formity to the Lord Jesus, and in holy activity for 
 his glory, cannot fail to be very pleasing and en- 
 couraging to a holy man. Although the beginning 
 of comfort in the soul, is necessary to the practice 
 of true holiness ; yet, the practice of holiness, is 
 requisite to the increase of comfort, and to the re- 
 covering of it, after it hath in any measure been 
 lost h . Let it, then, be the ardent desire of the 
 believer's soul, and the settled purpose of his heart, 
 to advance daily in the love and practice of univer- 
 sal holiness. Let perfection of holiness, be the 
 ruling wish of his heart, and the great purpose of 
 his life, to which he uniformly directs all his ef- 
 forts. Let his will be always, in union with the 
 will of Christ, and with the glory of God ; and 
 then, Christ " will give him the desires of his 
 heart i : v then, he shall know by experience, that a 
 supreme regard to the will, and to the glory of God, 
 is, the health and happiness of the soul. 
 
 s 2 Cor. i. 12. h Isa. xxxii. 17- John xiv. 21. 
 
 Gal. vi. lo\ * Psal. xxxvii. 4. 
 
288 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 14. As a mean of attaining the spiritual comfort 
 which he desires, the Christian, if he be capable, 
 must perform diligently^ the duties of his lawful 
 calling. Though this forms a part of the holiness, 
 mentioned in the particular immediately preceding; 
 yet the special importance of it, as a mean of com- 
 fort, requires that it be considered by itself. Let 
 the disconsolate believer take care, that he regard 
 idleness, as a continued omission of the duty, re- 
 quired in the eighth commandment of the moral 
 law ; and that he abhor it, as a continued crime, 
 and as a reproach to his holy profession k. To be 
 idle, even for a single day, without real and evi- 
 dent necessity, is dangerous to any Christian ; but 
 especially, to a Christian in trouble of conscience. 
 It is a tempting of Satan, to come and find em- 
 ployment for him ; and it is a leaving of himself 
 at leisure, to weigh, one after another, the tempta- 
 tions of that subtile, and malicious enemy. A 
 Heathen philosopher terms idleness, ' The grave of 
 a living man £ and a holy minister of the gospel 
 styles it, c The hell of a living Christian.' Let 
 the disquieted Christian, then, be constantly upon 
 his guard against idleness, and especially against a 
 disposition to be idle. Let his heart, as well as 
 his hands, be exercised, in a voluntary and diligent 
 performance of the various duties of some honest, 
 and useful vocation ; otherwise, his heart will work 
 out of itself, a still greater degree of trouble to him. 
 Idleness feeds, and increases, the distemper of a 
 troubled soul ; whereas, lawful employment occu- 
 
 K 1 Tim. v. 8. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 289 
 
 pies the mind, and takes it off from poring inces- 
 santly, upon the causes and aggravations of the 
 trouble. When Elijah the prophet, was in de- 
 pression of mind, the Lord would not suffer him 
 to sit still in any place. When he sat down under 
 a Juniper-tree, " an angel touched him, and com- 
 manded him to arise and eat :" when he again lay 
 down, the Angel of the Lord, a second time, rous- 
 ed him to action. When he went to a cave at Ho- 
 reb, in order to lodge there, "the word of the 
 Lord came to him, and said, What dost thou here, 
 Elijah ? Go forth, and stand upon the mount be- 
 fore the Lord. ,, Soon afterwards, when he was 
 standing in the entrance to the cave, the Lord again 
 disturbed his repose, and said to him, " Go return 
 on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus !." If 
 it is a Christian's duty, even when he is under the 
 disease of melancholy, to be diligent in business ; 
 it is no less his duty, when he is troubled in soul, 
 merely on a spiritual account. He must not there- 
 fore say, either that he is disinclined to work, or 
 that his trouble is so great, that he is unable to 
 work ; until he first, be well satisfied from the 
 Oracles of truth, that such excuses will be sustained 
 at the tribunal of Christ, the omniscient, and righ- 
 teous Judge of the world. The Holy Comforter 
 hath, in wonderful condescension, visited with the 
 joy of his salvation, many thousands of his saints, 
 at the very times in which, from regard to his au- 
 thority, they have been employed in the business of 
 their several callings. 
 
 1 1 Kings, xix. 4 — 16. 
 
 N 
 
290 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 15. If he have reason to apprehend that he is, 
 in any degree, under melancholy, which, as has been 
 observed above, is a bodily disease ; he should^/re- 
 quently intrust his imagination, to the blessed Re- 
 deemer, that sovereign Physician of soul and body, 
 in the hope that He will cure the distemper of it. 
 So long as the imagination continues weak and dis- 
 ordered, it will present to the understanding, even 
 the most encouraging, and amiable objects, in a 
 distorted, discouraging, and unamiable form ; and 
 so long as that is the case, trouble of mind, or sad- 
 ness of spirit, must in a greater or less degree, con- 
 tinue. The melancholy Christian therefore should, 
 not only trust in the compassionate Saviour, for 
 consolation to his troubled soul ; but he should, in 
 the use of other appointed means, trust that, so far 
 as it can subserve the glory of God in his salva- 
 tion, Jesus will deliver him from the distemper of 
 his natural spirits. He ought to trust in the great 
 Redeemer, for the health of his body, which is the 
 temple of the Holy Spirit m , as well as, for the 
 happiness of his soul ; in order that both soul and 
 body may be prepared, to '« serve the Lord with 
 gladness. r> He is fully warranted to rely with firm 
 confidence, on the Lord Jesus, for all that is ne- 
 cessary to enable him to glorify God, in his body, 
 and in his spirit, which are God's n . 
 
 16. To disclose the condition of his soul, to some 
 experienced and judicious Minister, or private 
 Christian, is also a mean of recovering tranquillity 
 of mind, which, the disconsolate believer should 
 
 m 1 Cor. vi. 19. n 1 Cor. vi. 20. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 291 
 
 not fail to employ. He ought, if possible, to select 
 for this purpose, some holy and humble Minister, 
 or private Christian, who had himself been in 
 trouble of mind, but has mercifully been delivered 
 from it ; and who appears now, to be confirmed in 
 faith, and to be filled with joy and peace in believ- 
 ing. He should without delay, discover the con- 
 dition of his soul to such a one. He ought to re- 
 veal to him, as fully and distinctly as he can, What 
 it is, that more immediately troubles and depresses 
 his mind ; what it is, that makes him conclude 
 himself, to be yet unregenerate, and his former ex- 
 perience, to have been but counterfeit ; what the 
 grounds of his present doubts and fears, are ; and 
 especially, why he cannot trust in the infinitely com- 
 passionate Saviour, for salvation to himself in parti- 
 cular. He should, if he can with prudence, hint to 
 such a one, the sin or sins which, he apprehends, 
 have provoked the Lord to plead this controversy 
 with him ; in order, that he may afford him an op- 
 portunity, of speaking pertinently to his condition °. 
 " When I kept silence," saith David, " my bones 
 waxed old, through my roaring all the day long p ;" 
 as if he had said, < The sin which, I did not freely 
 and ingenuously confess to the Lord, and also to 
 persons skilful in assuaging trouble of mind, rankled 
 inwardly, and occasioned unspeakable anguish in 
 my soul/ The affliction of the soul, as well as that 
 of the body, should be made known to such a 
 fellow- Christian, as appears qualified to suggest 
 suitable advices, and encouragements ; to the end 
 
 ° James y. 16. p Psal. xxxii. 3. 
 
292 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING 
 
 that, these may be afforded seasonably, as means 
 of relief. When the Holy Spirit comforteth a de- 
 jected saint, he doth it usually, by the instrumen- 
 tality of some other saint. If the disconsolate be- 
 liever, be providentially favoured with an opportu- 
 nity, to open the case of his soul to another believer ; 
 the Holy Comforter will very seldom, in an imme- 
 diate manner, create peace to him: He usually 
 " creates the fruit of the lips, peace V He will 
 comfort him, by means of the presence and the 
 speech of them, whom he hath comforted, and so 
 qualified to be instruments of consolation to him r . 
 Faithful Ministers of the gospel, especially, are 
 helpers of the Christian's joy. But how can they 
 be helpful to it, in the case of a disquieted Chris- 
 tian, who stands most in need of their help, if he do 
 not afford them an opportunity ? How can they 
 answer objections, resolve doubts, or loose, as one 
 expresses it, the knots of conscience, if these be not 
 proposed to them ? 
 
 Moreover, the disconsolate believer, should not 
 forget to request the fervent prayers, not only of 
 him, to whom he has disclosed the condition of 
 his soul, but of other Christians, with whom he is 
 acquainted. Some have observed that, those be- 
 lievers, in former times, who were the most accus- 
 tomed, to request the aid of each other's prayers, 
 were commonly the most flourishing Christians; 
 and that, those who neglected this part of their 
 duty, were usually the most languishing and hesi- 
 tating. If " the effectual fervent prayer," even 
 
 « 1sa. Ivii. 19. r 2 Cor. i. 6. 
 
SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 293 
 
 of one " righteous man, availeth much • ;" how 
 much more, will the prayers of many such, avail * ! 
 17. Finally, If he would attain pure consolation, 
 he must not expect it from the means, which it is 
 his duty to employ. Let him use diligently, all 
 the means of Divine appointment, and especially, 
 those explained above ; but let him take heed, that 
 he do not trust in them, nor in his using of them, 
 for the smallest degree of comfort. He ought to 
 use them as diligently, as if he were to merit by it, 
 not merely spiritual consolation, but even eternal 
 life; and at the same time, to trust as little in 
 them, and in his use of them, as if he had never 
 known nor used, so much as one of them, His 
 employing of them is a duty, which he is bound to 
 regard, in point of performance, and to renounce, 
 in point of dependance. He is, in his constant 
 use of them, to rely for consolation, only upon the 
 Lord Jesus, and upon God in Him, as the God 
 of all comfort u . If he would recover a peaceful 
 serenity of mind, he must renounce all confidence 
 in his use of means, and expect consolation only 
 from his God and Saviour : saying, " Ashur shall 
 not save me ; neither will I say any more to the 
 work of my hands, Ye are my gods." " What have 
 I to do any more with idols w ? ,< ' He may expect 
 all necessary comfort, in his diligent use of the 
 means ; but no comfort, from it. He must not 
 presume to think, that his utmost diligence in em- 
 ploying them, will give him, either a meritorious. 
 
 s James v. 16. * Aets xil 12. u PsaL lxil 5. 
 w Hos, xiv. S. 8, 
 
294 THE MEANS OF RECOVERING, &c. 
 or a pactional, title to holy consolation. Spiritual 
 comfort is a free gift, a gift of grace ; and all the 
 appointed means of attaining it, are means of grace. 
 There is, indeed, a tendency in those means, to 
 comfort the disquieted believer, who diligently uses 
 them : it is not, however, any virtue in them, nor 
 in his use of them ; but it is the power of the 
 Holy Spirit accompanying them, that imparteth 
 all the comfort. He ought not, therefore, as Chris- 
 tians in spiritual trouble, too often do, to promise 
 himself relief, by such and such a duty, at this or 
 that time, or place: for if his expectation be not 
 answered, (and it would indeed be a wonder if it 
 should,) he will be ready to conclude, that the 
 promise of God faileth, and that the disappoint- 
 ment, especially if repeated, is a sure indication, 
 that the Lord hath cast him off for ever. This, 
 instead of bringing peace or comfort to his troubled 
 soul, will contribute greatly, to plunge it into still 
 deeper perplexity, and to enchain it the faster, un- 
 der perturbation and terror. 
 
 Thus, I have endeavoured to point out the 
 means, which the disconsolate believer should 
 chiefly employ, in order to regain his spiritual 
 comfort. If he persevere in the diligent use of 
 them, and in complying with the advices concern- 
 ing them, given in this Chapter ; he shall, through 
 grace, as soon as it will subserve the glory of his 
 God and Saviour, and the sanctification of his own 
 soul, recover holy consolation. He perhaps may 
 never, whilst he remains in this valley of tears, ex- 
 perience rapturous joy ; but he shall, by the grace 
 of the Lord Jesus, recover solid tranquillity, and 
 
REFLECTIONS. 293 
 
 sweet satisfaction of mind. " In hope of eternal 
 life, which God that cannot lie, promised before 
 the world began x ," his soul, by the consoling in- 
 fluences of the Holy Comforter, shall enjoy a calm 
 and pleasing resignation, in all things, to the holy 
 will of his redeeming God. 
 
 From the foregoing particulars, it appears clear- 
 ly, that disconsolate saints have no allowance from 
 the Lord Jesus, to refuse to be comforted, or to 
 harden themselves in sorrow. The holier any of 
 the saints are, they are, when under desertion, 
 usually the more troubled. The more they love 
 their God and Saviour, the more does it trouble 
 them to want the light of his gracious countenance ; 
 the more are they afraid lest they sin, and the more 
 are they troubled because they have sinned; the 
 more are they disquieted by a sense of his pater- 
 nal displeasure, and the more are they overwhelmed 
 by the dread of his avenging wrath. Still, how- 
 ever, they must not yield to despondency, nor har- 
 den themselves in sorrow y ; but, on the contrary, 
 they should exert themselves, in using the means 
 of attaining holy tranquillity of mind. To persist 
 obstinately in refusing to be comforted, wilJ pro- 
 voke the Lord to proceed in the controversy, and 
 to sink their souls still deeper, in the waters of 
 trouble. 
 
 Ought the believer, when he is troubled in mind, 
 diligently to search out the particular sin or sins, 
 which have provoked his heavenly Father, to hide 
 
 s Tit, i. 2; y Job. vi. 10. 
 
296 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 his face from him ? Let him not hence conclude, 
 that he will, in that condition, succeed in searching 
 for his graces, or evidences of personal interest in 
 Christ. Whilst he is walking in the darkness of 
 spiritual trouble, it will be to little purpose for 
 him to spend his time, in searching for evidences 
 of his being in a state of grace : for during that 
 time, they are wrapped up in darkness, and cannot 
 be discerned. He may sooner expect, to see his 
 face in troubled waters, than to see his evidences 
 for heaven, when his soul is troubled and covered 
 with darkness. The only thing, which he can at 
 that time, do to good purpose, is, to intrust the 
 salvation of his soul to Jesus Christ, and to trust 
 and plead absolute promises. Times of desertion 
 and of temptation, are rather seasons for mourning, 
 and trusting, and seeking the Lord, than for judg- 
 ing the state of the soul. To search at such times, 
 for remaining corruptions in the heart, is one of the 
 means of recovering spiritual comfort ; but to try 
 to find evidences of grace in it, when they are 
 veiled with darkness, is the way to sink the deeper, 
 in the waters of trouble. 
 
 Is trusting in Christ, the principal mean of re- 
 covering spiritual consolation ? Let the disconso- 
 late Christian, then, be exhorted and entreated to 
 trust in Him. O let him endeavour, to come anew, 
 to come without delay, to come as a sinner, to 
 come with all his burdens, all his griefs, all his 
 fears, and cordially to trust, that the infinitely com- 
 passionate Saviour will save, and comfort him. Re- 
 sisting every unbelieving thought, and every sug- 
 gestion that would disquiet his soul, let him trust 
 
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED. 297 
 
 in the mercy of the Lord Jesus, and not be afraid. 
 Let him come as he is, and place the confidence of 
 his heart in the dear Redeemer, for all the salva- 
 tion, and all the consolation, which are presented 
 to him, in the offers and promises of the gospel. 
 Let him trust with firm confidence, in the Saviour, 
 for salvation to himself in particular ; not only, 
 because it is necessary for his comfort to do so, 
 but because it is his duty, his first, his main duty. 
 O if he could but be persuaded, to rely with 
 assured confidence on the Lord Jesus, peace and 
 joy, would soon be restored to his troubled soul ! 
 He would find the exercise of trusting in Christ, to 
 be most profitable to himself, and most pleasing to 
 God. O Christian, trust resolutely in the blessed 
 Redeemer, and persist in trusting, till comfort 
 come. Apply promises and take the comfort of 
 them. Suck, and be satisfied with those breasts of 
 consolation. 
 
 But some dejected Christian will say, ' I see no 
 right that I have^ to trust in Christ for salvation to 
 myself; and therefore it would be presumption in 
 me, so much as to attempt it.' To this I would 
 answer : You conclude, it would appear, that you 
 have no right to trust in him ; because you can at 
 present, see no good qualifications in yourself, to 
 give you a right. But you were informed above, 
 that your right to trust in Christ for salvation, is 
 not founded upon any good quality in yourself; 
 but, upon the offer, the call, the commandment to 
 believe on his name, and the promise ; all directed, 
 in the gospel, to you as a sinner of mankind. 
 These afford you, an ample, a perfect, a sufficient, 
 
 n2 
 
298 OBJECTIONS 
 
 warrant to believe in him ; and nothing in your- 
 self, can render that warrant more complete, than 
 it already is. It is nothing within you, but it is 
 those things in the gospel without you, that give 
 you all the right that you need, to trust anew in 
 Jesus. To say, then, that you have no right to 
 intrust your salvation to him, or, that it would be 
 presumption in you to trust him, is direct unbe- 
 lief. Whether you believe it or not, you have in 
 the gospel, a full, an unchangeable right, to trust 
 as a lost sinner, in the almighty Saviour, for all 
 your salvation. And nothing which is good in 
 yourself, can afford you the smallest right ; for all 
 that is good in you, is either in faith, or conse- 
 quent on faith ; but nothing of it can be previous 
 to faith. 
 
 Another, perhaps, is ready to say, ; I cannot 
 trust in Christ, for I know not if I be elected to 
 salvation."' You cannot know that you have been 
 elected, till after you have trusted in him. Your 
 election to salvation, forms no part of your reveal- 
 ed warrant, to trust in Jesus for salvation. Your 
 warrant is that which was mentioned above. Your 
 ignorance then of your election, cannot lessen 
 that warrant, and your knowledge of your election, 
 cannot add to it. The offers and invitations of 
 the gospel, are not directed to men as elect sin- 
 ners, but — as sinners of mankind. Although, 
 therefore, you do not know, that you are a sinner 
 elected ; yet, since you know, that you are a sin- 
 ner of Adam's race, the offers and calls are address- 
 ed to yon ; and they afford you an authentic right, 
 to place the confidence of your heart in Christ, for 
 
ANSWERED. 299 
 
 all the blessings of salvation. As you cannot know, 
 that you are elected, before you venture to trust in 
 Christ ; so neither can you know, that you are not 
 elected. Your present duty therefore is, to ap- 
 proach, and, upon the ample warrant afforded you 
 in the gospel, to trust firmly in the Lord Jesus, 
 for all salvation to yourself in particular. So shall 
 you, by believing and walking in Him, know your 
 election of God. You can never know, that God 
 hath ordained you to eternal life, otherwise, than 
 by knowing experimentally, that he hath ordained 
 you to believe z . You are bound to believe, before 
 you know your particular election, and in order to 
 know it ; and also, because it is the will of God, 
 that you should believe. 
 
 A third is ready to object thus, c I am afraid 
 that, I have no personal interest in Christ and his 
 salvation.'' If you cannot perceive, that the Lord 
 Jesus hath already given you, a saving interest in 
 himself, trust, as you were directed above, that he 
 now saveth you ; or, in other words, that he now 
 giveth you, a personal interest in his salvation. 
 Trust that he giveth you an interest, in order to 
 see and feel, that he hath given it. The more ig- 
 norant you are, of your interest in the Saviour, 
 the more need you have to trust, that he granteth 
 you a saving interest in himself. You must not 
 excuse yourself from trusting for it, because you do 
 not see and feel that you have it ; but you ought 
 to trust for it, in order to see and feel that you 
 possess it. Instead then of saying, 4 I dare not 
 
 z John vi. 37- 
 
300 OBJECTIONS 
 
 confide in Jesus for salvation, because I fear that 
 I have no interest in salvation ;' you should, on the 
 contrary, say, c Because I have a revealed warrant 
 to do it, I will cordially trust, that He giveth me 
 salvation, and that he will in due time, favour me 
 with a sense of my personal interest in it.' You 
 must not seek to feel, in order to believe ; but you 
 are to believe, in order to feel a . 
 
 Another, perhaps, will be reasoning thus, ' All 
 who believe in Christ, rely upon the promises; but 
 no promise so comes to me, as to be impressed with 
 power on my mind : promises are not given me, 
 and therefore it would be presumption in me, to 
 apply them and rest upon them.' 1 You seem to 
 think that, a powerful impression of some promise, 
 on a man's mind, is the ground of his right, to 
 take and to trust that promise; and that, because 
 you experience no such impression of any promise, 
 you have no right to apply any. But this would 
 be, to build your faith, upon you? feeling of the 
 promises; or, to make the sensible impression of 
 them upon your mind, your ground of right to ap- 
 ply and trust them. A powerful impression of a 
 promise, made by the Holy Spirit, upon your mind 
 and memory, in a time of need, is indeed an encour- 
 agement to you, to apply and trust that promise ; 
 but it forms no part of your warrant to do so. It 
 is the offer of all the promises, in and with Christ, 
 to you, and the call and command to accept of that 
 offer, that afford you a right, to trust in Him, and 
 to apply and trust all the promises in him. The 
 
 a Eph. i. 13. 
 
ANSWERED. 301 
 
 inward impression cannot add to, and the want of 
 it, cannot lessen your warrant. Your duty then is, 
 to apply and trust the promises, not as powerfully 
 suggested to, or impressed on your mind, but as 
 offered or directed to you, in the gospel. One rea- 
 son, perhaps, of your not being favoured with com- 
 fortable impressions of promises, is, your not hav- 
 ing trusted in the Holy Comforter, for such impres- 
 sions ; and your not having honoured the promises 
 themselves, by trusting them, upon the Divine war- 
 rant which lies in the word without you. Know 
 then that, in order to spiritual consolation, you 
 must study to trust Divine promises, not upon the 
 ground of their being impressed, but upon that of 
 their being offered to you. 
 
 Some other disconsolate soul may be saying, 
 c Alas, I have a dead, hard, and deceitful heart, 
 which greatly discourages me from trusting, that 
 the holy One of God, will ever visit me with his 
 salvation. How can I hope, that he will save and 
 comfort such an uncommon sinner as I am ?' This 
 is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, 
 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- 
 ners ; of whom, says our Apostle, I am "chief *. 
 Now you should accept, or believe that faithful say- 
 ing, with application to yourself, and say, 6 It is 
 indeed true that I am an uncommon sinner, yea, 
 the very chief of sinners ; but it is equally true, 
 that Christ Jesus came into the world to save such 
 sinners, and why not — to save me ? My heart, alas, 
 is very dead, hard, and deceitful ; but the deeper, 
 
 b 1 Tim. i. 15. 
 
802 OBJECTIONS 
 
 the depravity of it is, the more, will the power and 
 grace of Christ be glorified, in saving me from that 
 depravity. I will therefore venture to trust, that 
 He will glorify the exceeding riches of his grace, 
 in saving me from all the sin that dwelleth in me, 
 and from all the iniquity that has been committed 
 by me. 1 It is your duty, to humble and to loathe 
 yourself much, for the evils of your heart, and of 
 your life ; but it is your sin, to let them discourage 
 you in the least, from attempting any one of your 
 duties. You ought, indeed, to be humbled for 
 them, in the greatest degree ; but you must not 
 be deterred by them, even in the smallest degree, 
 from your duty, especially, from the first and great 
 duty of believing in Jesus Christ. If you be, in 
 your own sight, the chief of sinners ; even this, 
 must not discourage you from the chief, the first of 
 all duties. The deeper, your sense of the plague 
 of your heart, is, this should, instead of discour- 
 aging you, excite you the more, to perform dili- 
 gently the duty of trusting in Christ, especially for 
 sanctification. 
 
 One, it may be, will be saying, 6 - Why should I 
 be exhorted to trust in Christ ? I have, times with- 
 out number, been guilty of backsliding, both in my 
 heart, and in my life. I have frequently resolved 
 to be more circumspect, and more diligent in the 
 spiritual performance of every duty ; but I have, 
 upon the very slightest temptation, acted contrary 
 to my resolutions, by relapsing, once and again, 
 into the same sin.'' You have, indeed, much reason 
 to exercise godly sorrow, and self- abhorrence ; but, 
 no reason to be so dismayed, as to cease trusting in 
 
ANSWERED. 303 
 
 the Saviour, or to be so dejected, as to refuse to be 
 comforted. You have much need to exercise re- 
 pentance ; but, as much need to exercise that re- 
 liance on Christ, from which, true repentance 
 flows : and it is as great a sin, to suffer your back- 
 sliding to deter you from the latter, as from the 
 former. No past sin, however aggravated, must 
 be pled in excuse, for omitting a present duty. 
 The Lord hath graciously promised, to keep you 
 from total and final backsliding ; but, nowhere, as 
 far as I know, to secure you against partial back- 
 sliding, or against relapsing, in the hour of temp- 
 tation, into the same sins of infirmity, of which 
 you have formerly repented. Abraham was suf- 
 fered, again and again to dissemble ; Lot, to be 
 twice overcome with wine ; John, to be twice guilty 
 of worshipping the angel ; and Jehosaphat, to join 
 affinity with Ahab, and afterwards, to join himself 
 with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wicked- 
 ly. It is not indeed usual with God, to leave his 
 dear children, to relapse often into enormous trans- 
 gressions ; but he suffers them, for their humilia- 
 tion, to relapse into sins of infirmity. Though 
 your backsliding, then, should humble you to the 
 dust ; yet it should not, for a moment, discourage 
 you, from the great duty of trusting in Jesus 
 Christ. Hearken to these gracious, these cheering 
 invitations : — " Return, thou backsliding Israel, 
 saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to 
 fall upon you :" " Return, ye backsliding children, 
 and I will heal your backslidings V Apply, and 
 
 c Jer. iii. 12, 22. 
 
304 OBJECTIONS 
 
 trust, and plead, these consoling promises : — " I 
 will heal their backsliding, I will love them free- 
 ly d .•» u j w j}i see k t na t w hich was lost, and bring 
 again that which was driven away, and will bind up 
 that which was broken, and will strengthen that 
 which was sick e ." 
 
 Another may be ready to say, f How can my 
 heart, which frequently revolts from God, be up- 
 right before him ? How can that heart be sound, 
 which is often sore ? I have bewailed my sin, and 
 resolved against it ; but no sooner am I tempted 
 to it, than, alas, I often Jail before the temptation. 
 Indeed, I have much reason to dread, that I shall, 
 one day, perish by the hands of sin and Satan.' 
 Your bewailing and striving against your sin, are 
 a good evidence that, though sin sometimes pre- 
 vails against you, yet it does not reign in you ; 
 that, though it rebels, yet it does not rule. It is 
 a willing obedience to the commands of the body 
 of sin, which evidences the soul to be under the do- 
 minion of sin. You shall never perish by the hands 
 of sin and Satan, until God first forsake you, to- 
 tally and finally. But He hath graciously promised 
 that, he M will never leave you, nor forsake you f . n 
 The sheep of Christ, hear his voice, and follow him, 
 as you desire and endeavour to do. Now, hear what 
 he promiseth concerning them : "I give unto 
 them eternal life, and they shall never perish, nei- 
 ther shall any pluck them out of my hand. My 
 Father, which gave them me, is greater than all ; 
 and none is able to pluck them out of my Father's 
 
 4 Hos. xiv. 4. e Ezek. xxxiv. 16. f Heb. xiii. 5. 
 
ANSWERED. 305 
 
 hand g ." " The God of peace, will bruise Satan 
 under your feet shortly V " Surely he shall de- 
 liver thee from the snare of the fowler*/' The 
 more, your spiritual enemies are threatening to de- 
 stroy you, the more should you apply and trust 
 those promises of salvation. The more frequently, 
 it is suggested to you, that iniquity will be your 
 ruin ; you ought to take occasion, the more fre- 
 quently, and the more resolutely, to trust that, your 
 almighty Redeemer will come and save you ; that, 
 " He will deliver you from every evil work, and 
 will preserve you to his heavenly kingdom K n 
 
 Some discouraged soul will be saying, € How 
 can I venture to trust, that the holy Jesus will 
 perform the part of a Saviour, to me, when I know 
 that my iniquities against him, are innumerable, 
 and aggravated in an uncommon degree V For that 
 very reason, you ought to be the more disposed, 
 and the more determined, to trust in him for sal- 
 vation from them. You must permit me to inform 
 you, that, so far as your desire of salvation from 
 the love and practice of iniquity, is sincere, you 
 do resolve to rely upon Him for that salvation. 
 Without this resolution, it will be impossible for 
 you, to evidence to your conscience, the sincerity, 
 either of your complaints of sin, or of your desires 
 of salvation from it. In proportion as you do not 
 fully resolve, and endeavour, to trust in the Lord 
 Jesus for salvation from your sins, you love them ; 
 and your complaining of the number, and the great- 
 ness of them, is hypocritical. Besides, your tak- 
 
 g John x. 27—29. h Rom. xri. 20. 
 
 1 Psal, xci. 3. k 2 Tim. iv. 18. 
 
306 OBJECTIONS 
 
 ing occasion from your innumerable and great 
 transgressions, to say, « I dare not trust in the 
 holy Jesus, for salvation,' 1 shews that, you are wish- 
 ing for some good thing, either in your heart, or 
 your life, to entitle you to trust in him. This 
 evidences the dreadful prevalence of a self-righte- 
 ous spirit, as well as of unbelief, in you. You 
 should consider that, the salvation of Jesus Christ, 
 is infinitely free; and that, the more numerous, 
 and the more heinous, your sins are, the more need 
 you have of Him and of his salvation, and there- 
 fore the greater need to believe in him. If you 
 could suppose, that the omnipotent Saviour, did 
 never yet perform such a great work, as the sav- 
 ing of a sinner from sins, so innumerable, and so 
 great as yours are ; even this, could be no just ob- 
 stacle to your trusting in Him ; because the depth 
 of his immense love, hath never yet been sound- 
 ed \ 9 and the greatness of his ability to save, hath 
 never yet been searched out. He hath never yet 
 done the utmost that he can do. Suppose the 
 mountain of your innumerable sins, were so high, 
 as, with its height, to reach, not only the clouds, 
 but the throne of the Eternal himself; suppose 
 that, and another, and ten thousands of them, were 
 piled up, and the whole cast into the abyss of re- 
 deeming love, and redeeming blood ; the waters of 
 that bottomless, that boundless ocean, would still 
 be as high above them, as the heaven is high above 
 the earth m. 
 
 Another perhaps is saying, \ I do not doubt the 
 
 I Eph. iii. 18, 19. ra Psal. ciii. 11. 
 
ANSWERED. 307 
 
 ability, but the willingness of Christ, to save me 
 from my great transgressions.'' If you believe his 
 ability, you do in the same degree, believe his will- 
 ingness : for, what is his willingness to save sin- 
 ners, but his moral ability. To doubt his willing- 
 ness, then, is to question his ability. Why doth 
 he offer himself to you ? why doth he invite, be- 
 seech, and even command you, to accept and trust 
 in him for your salvation ? and why doth he say 
 in his promises to you, " / will f but because he 
 is willing to save you. Would he ever have made 
 it your duty, to believe in him for salvation ; or 
 would he ever have said to you, " He that belie v- 
 eth not shall be damned ;" if he had not been will- 
 ing to give you salvation ? Would he ever have 
 said, " Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise 
 cast out ;" or have complained that sinners " would 
 not come to him, that they might have life f' if 
 he had been unwilling, to receive and save them ? 
 Indeed, to disbelieve his willingness, is to make 
 him — a liar ; to say that he is not willing to save 
 you, is, to blaspheme the kindness of his redeeming 
 love, and the riches of his glorious grace. If you 
 think, that he is willing to save other sinners, but 
 not to save you ; know that, this is one of Satan's 
 whispers, entertained by your evil heart of unbe- 
 lief; and that, it is not more injurious to the infi- 
 nitely gracious Redeemer, to doubt even of his 
 existence, than to doubt of his willingness, to save 
 a lost sinner who desires to trust in him. O be- 
 lieve, with application to yourself, his infinite will- 
 ingness. Trust, not only that he is willing to save 
 you, but that he will save you ; and say, with the 
 
S08 OBJECTIONS 
 
 holy Psalmist, " Though I walk in the midst of 
 trouble, thou wilt revive me ; — and thy right hand 
 shall save me n ." 
 
 Some other desponding Christian may say, « Alas ! 
 it will be in vain to urge me, to believe in Jesus ; 
 for I dread that I have committed the sin against 
 the Holy Spirit, which will never be forgiven. 1 
 That horrible sin appears, from various passages of 
 Scripture compared, to include ; first, A wilful, 
 malicious, and avowed, rejecting of the Saviour 
 and of salvation by him, and that, after a manifest 
 conviction of the truth of the gospel; next, an 
 avowed and obstinate opposing of the doctrines of 
 the gospel ; and, lastly, an obstinate and spiteful 
 scoffing at the religion of Jesus Christ, and the 
 professors of it, attended sometimes with a rancor- 
 ous persecution of them ; and all these, as conse- 
 quences of a total and final apostacy, from the pro- 
 fession of Christianity. The man, who is guilty of 
 that dreadful sin, is not merely an apostate, but a 
 blaspheming apostate. And so horrible, is his en- 
 mity against Christ, and the way of salvation by 
 him ; that he chooses rather to risk eternal damna- 
 tion, than to be indebted to him for mercy. Now 
 you may be assured, that you have not been guilty 
 of this most atrocious sin ; if none but yourself 
 complains of it ; if you are desirous of complete 
 salvation by Jesus Christ ; if you are content, to 
 be an eternal debtor to his redeeming grace; if 
 you are afraid that you have been guilty of it ; if 
 you are, in the smallest degree, grieved and 
 
 n Psal. cxxxviii. 7» 
 
ANSWERED. 309 
 
 troubled for the unbelief of your heart ; if you are 
 grieved and ashamed, that so much sin is in your 
 heart, and in your life ; and, if you wish, that the 
 glory of sovereign and redeeming grace, may be il- 
 lustriously displayed in your salvation. 
 
 One perhaps is disposed to say, * I am not hum- 
 bled, or at least not humbled enough, for my sins ; 
 and therefore, I dare not place confidence in Christ 
 for his salvation.' You ought to know that true 
 humiliation is, either a concomitant, or a conse- 
 quent of saving faith, but is not a ground of it : it 
 gives a man no right to trust in Christ ; no title to 
 the Divine acceptance, either of his person, or of 
 his performances. It is, indeed, in the hand of the 
 Spirit, a mean of rendering a man willing to trust 
 in the Lord Jesus, and the more of it he attains, he 
 is the more willing ; but it affords him, no degree 
 of warrant to trust in him : nor is it requisite that 
 it should. For, by the offers and calls of the gos- 
 pel, he already is fully warranted ; so well war- 
 ranted, that nothing in himself can either diminish, 
 or increase, his warrant. When you then say that, 
 you dare not trust in the Redeemer, because you 
 are not sufficiently humbled ; you thereby shew, 
 that you are under the prevalence, both of unbelief, 
 and of a legal spirit : — of unbelief; for you do not 
 seem to believe that, by the offers, calls, and com- 
 mands of God, you are sufficiently warranted to re- 
 ly on Christ; but that, something more is requi- 
 site, to afford you a sufficient warrant : — of a legal 
 spirit ; for you regard humiliation, as that which 
 must confer upon you, a right to trust in him ; 
 since, for want of it in a sufficient degree, you dare 
 5 
 
310 OBJECTIONS 
 
 not intrust your salvation to him. But be assured 
 that, you cannot recover spiritual consolation, till 
 you come as you are, and place direct confidence 
 in Jesus Christ, for all your salvation ; and that, 
 you cannot have more evangelical humiliation, til] 
 you first trust in Christ for it, and so receive it by 
 faith, out of his fulness. The more of this humi- 
 liation, you attain, the more willing will you be, to 
 come as a sinner to the Saviour ; but you cannot 
 attain an increase of it, before you trust in Him for 
 it, as a part of your salvation. 
 
 Another it may be will reason thus, « I am not 
 sufficiently troubled^ for the heinous transgressions, 
 of which I have been guilty ; and therefore I dare 
 not trust in the Holy One of God, for salvation 
 from them.'' But are you not already so troubled 
 in mind, as to long for comfort ? Are you not dis- 
 quieted because you apprehend, that you are not 
 troubled enough for your sins ? Are not your trans- 
 gressions a real source of trouble to you ? But 
 what think you of that trouble for sin, which keeps 
 you from trusting in the only Saviour ; which 
 weakens your heart, and injures your health ; 
 which renders all your outward comforts unsavoury 
 to you ; and which disqualifies you, for the ac- 
 ceptable performance of your religious and moral 
 duties ? Is such trouble as that, desirable to you ? 
 is it not sinful ? and do not you, by wishing for 
 more of it, increase the number of your sins, and 
 provoke the Lord to proceed in his controversy 
 with you ? Indeed, that distress of mind even for 
 sin itself, which keeps you from coming to Christ, 
 is more sinful, than it is possible for you to con- ; 
 
ANSWERED. 311 
 
 ceive ; and it must be repented of, before you can 
 experience pure consolation. That uneasiness of 
 soul for sin, which indisposes a man to place confi- 
 dence in Christ, for salvation from sin, is undoubt- 
 edly hypocritical and sinful. When a man is 
 troubled for his other offences, but not for his 
 greatest sin, the sin of refusing to trust in the 
 blessed Saviour for salvation ; he may assure him- 
 self, that such trouble is not of the right kind. 
 Genuine trouble of mind for sin presses a man for- 
 ward to Jesus Christ ; and it is accompanied with 
 frequent attempts to trust in him for pardon and 
 sanctification °. 
 
 Some one will say, c But I am so very unworthy 
 of Christ, and of his great salvation, that I fear 
 He will not receive me, nor admit me to share in 
 that salvation.' Indeed, you are very unworthy, 
 infinitely more unworthy, than any man or angel 
 will ever be able to conceive. You are not only 
 far, but infinitely far, from being able to deserve 
 Christ and his great salvation. But it seems, you 
 wish that you could deserve salvation, or at least, 
 that you could merit the Saviour himself; or, if 
 not salvation, nor the Saviour ; that you could but 
 merit the good will of the Saviour, and could so 
 recommend yourself to his favour, as freely to 
 claim and trust in him. But do not you hereby in 
 effect declare, that you are under the prevalence of 
 strong unbelief ; that you do not believe, that sal- 
 vation is altogether free, or, that " eternal life is 
 the gift of God, through Jesus Christ our Lord ?" 
 
 ° Hos. vi. 1 — S. and xiv. 1 — 3. Jer. xxxi. 18 — 20. 
 Psal. lxv, 3. 
 
312 OBJECTIONS 
 
 You seem at present not to believe, that salvation 
 is an infinitely free gift ; that it is so free, as not to 
 admit of the sinner's offering the smallest price for 
 it p ; and that it is so great, as to be infinitely above 
 the highest price, that he can ever afford to offer. 
 And do not you likewise shew, that you are under 
 the prevalence of a legal spirit ; when you are 
 averse from trusting in Christ, because you are not 
 worthy of him, or, because you cannot recommend 
 yourself to his favour ? Are not you thereby lean- 
 ing to the covenant of works ? Do you think it pos- 
 sible, that Christ the inestimable gift of God, can 
 be purchased with the money of your merits ; or, 
 that you can procure a title to that salvation, which 
 is wholly of sovereign grace ? Suppose you offered, 
 but a single good thought for it ; would not even 
 that, mar the freeness of it, and obscure the glory 
 of immensely rich grace, in the gift of it ? Ah ! 
 Why do you try to find a cause in yourself, why 
 the Lord Jesus should save you ? Why do you 
 seek to make merit, the object of redeeming grace 
 and mercy ? You are invited to " take the water of 
 life freely :" why then are you discouraged, because 
 you have nothing to pay for it ? Why do you think 
 it hard, that you are not allowed to put something 
 of your own, into the scale, with the consummate 
 righteousness of Jesus Christ, to make it full 
 weight ? 
 
 Another disconsolate soul is saying, ' I cannot 
 trust in Jesus for my salvation : I have no ability 
 to believe in him.' That is a common objection, 
 
 p Isa. lv. 1, 2. 
 
 
ANSWERED. 31B 
 
 but it amounts just to this ; — a complaint that, 
 however much Christ hath done for you, he hath 
 not yet, advanced you to a state of independence 
 on himself, nor set you free from your incapacity 
 of doing any thing without him. But why should 
 this be a ground of complaint ? He knows that you 
 cannot, by any power of your own, believe, or so 
 much as think one good thought; and yet, he 
 commands you to believe on him. But he nowhere 
 commands you, to do it in your own strength. He 
 enjoins you, to " take hold of his strength % n and 
 to " be strong in the grace that is in Him r .' n In- 
 stead then, of excusing yourself from trusting in 
 the great Redeemer, because you cannot do it, by 
 any strength of your own ; you ought on the con- 
 trary to say, " I can do that, and all things else, 
 through Christ which strengtheneth me s ." Al- 
 though you are not able to trust cordially in him, 
 by your own power; yet it is your duty, so to 
 trust in him, and your sin, not to do it. You 
 should therefore attempt it frequently, looking to 
 himself for grace to enable you. Indeed to say, 
 < I cannot trust in him,' is almost the same as to 
 say, c I will not : I will trust in man who can lie ; 
 but not, in God the Saviour who can not lie. 1 Ah ! 
 what a heinous sin is this ! You thereby presume 
 to lay the blame of your unbelief, upon the holy 
 Lord God. But your impotence, as it is voluntary, 
 is wholly your own sin. Your inability consists, 
 not so much in a mere want of executive power, as 
 in the want of a willing mind. O do not imagine, 
 
 * Isa. xxvii. 5. r 2 Tim ii. 1. * Philip, iv. 13. 
 o 
 
314 OBJECTIONS 
 
 that such inability will in the least, excuse you. 
 Inability to discharge a just debt, excuses not a 
 debtor. Though you do not feel, that Christ 
 strengthens you, for believing or other spiritual 
 exercises ; yet your duty is, to trust that he 
 strengthens you for them. Your not feeling the 
 habit of faith in you, will never excuse you from 
 attempting the exercise of faith. Although you 
 cannot cordially believe in Christ, until the Holy 
 Spirit work faith in you ; yet, you should try so 
 to believe in him, before you feel the Spirit working 
 it in you. 
 
 To conclude : A Christian, under extreme dejec- 
 tion of spirit, will be ready even to say, ' In my pre- 
 sent doleful condition, I find myself neither able 
 nor willing, to trust in Jesus for salvation.' What f 
 — Are you not willing to trust in Him ? — not will- 
 ing, to be saved and comforted by him ? — not will- 
 ing, to afford him an opportunity of shewing, in 
 your salvation, the exceeding riches of his grace ? 
 He, with all his salvation, and with all the joy of 
 that salvation, is freely and particularly offered to 
 you * ; and you are peremptorily commanded to ac- 
 cept of him, and to place your trust in him «. And 
 are you still unwilling to trust in him ? The truth 
 is, you are in some degree, either willing to trust 
 him, and his promises of salvation; or willing to 
 quit, henceforth, all right to him, all interest in 
 him, and to forego all expectation from him. Are 
 you then willing, to bid an eternal adieu to the 
 only Saviour, and, in testimony of your doing so, to 
 
 1 John iii. 16. and vi. 32. Rev. xxii. 17- u 1 John iii. 23. 
 
ANSWERED. 315 
 
 transcribe and sign this Declaration : — « I, A. B. 
 do hereby, in the presence of God the Judge of all, 
 declare, that I henceforth renounce, and that for 
 ever, all my part in the Saviour and in his salva- 
 tion ; and that for the future, I will never allow 
 myself to hope in him, either for salvation or con- 
 solation?" Now are you indeed willing, to sub- 
 scribe this Renunciation ? If you are not ; you bear 
 false witness against yourself, when you say that 
 you are not willing, to trust in Christ Jesus for sal- 
 vation : for you are, either willing in some degree 
 to trust him, or willing to renounce him T; Is your 
 heart indeed willing, to be for ever separate from 
 
 % I am aware, that even an unregenerate man will re- 
 fuse, in a deliberate and formal manner, to renounce for 
 ever, his claim to the Saviour ; and yet continue far from 
 being' willing, truly to believe in him for all his salvation. 
 But there is a great difference between the refusal of the 
 careless sinner, so to renounce Christ, and that of the 
 disconsolate saint. The reason why the secure sinner, 
 will refuse to abandon for ever, his claim to the only Sa- 
 viour, is merely his fear of eternal torment ; whereas, the 
 reason why the disquieted saint, will tremble at the 
 thought of renouncing his part in him, is not so much, 
 his dread of eternal torment, as, of being for ever separat- 
 ed from the blessed God, and for ever deprived of holy 
 conformity to Him. The unwillingness of the disconso- 
 late Christian, to renounce for ever, his part in the great 
 Redeemer, arises from a principle of grace in his heart; 
 and it implies a proportional degree of willingness to 
 trust in Him, for all the parts of his salvation ; though 
 the Christian be not able, under trouble of mind, to dis- 
 cern this willingness in himself. As to the unregenerate 
 sinner, he may, indeed, be willing to trust in the Lord 
 Jesus, for preservation from hell ; but he cannot, so long 
 as he continues unregenerate, be cordially willing to rely 
 upon him, for salvation from all sin : and therefore let 
 him not natter himself, that he is, in the smallest degree, 
 willing to exercise true faith. 
 
316 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 the Lord Jesus ? Or is it matter of indifference to 
 you, whether He save you with an everlasting sal- 
 vation, or punish you with everlasting destruction ? 
 No : it cannot be. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 OF THE MEANS, WHICH BELIEVERS ARE TO EM. 
 PLOY, IN ORDER TO ATTAIN INCREASING COM- 
 FORT. 
 
 It frequently happens, not only in the experience 
 of young converts, but also in that of advanced be- 
 lievers, newly delivered from mental trouble, espe- 
 cially, if their preceding distress and sorrow were 
 very deep ; that the joy which succeeds these, is 
 lively and almost rapturous. We are not however 
 to imagine, that they are all equally joyful, or that 
 the joy which any of them feels, will always con- 
 tinue: It will rather subside, and settle into a 
 peaceful serenity, or a pleasing tranquillity of 
 mind. They, indeed, " go out usually with joy ; 
 but afterwards, they will be led forth with peace."" 
 And though their joy is no longer extatic, as be- 
 fore ; yet, it becomes more pure and spiritual, or 
 rather, subsides into a peaceful and refreshing tran- 
 quillity of soul. This peace or serenity of mind, 
 as was observed above, is indeed the lowest de- 
 gree of spiritual consolation, yet still it is real and 
 solid comfort. And although it is the office of the 
 Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to maintain and in- 
 crease it in the souls of believers, and in every 
 time of need, to elevate it to joy, or even to tri- 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 317 
 umph ; yet it is ordinarily, in their diligent use of 
 appointed means, that he affords them the influences 
 of consolation, requisite for these purposes. If 
 therefore the man who believes, and who experiences 
 spiritual consolation, would retain this comfort, 
 and rise to higher degrees of it ; he must, in de- 
 pendance on the grace of Christ, diligently- em- 
 ploy, especially the following means : 
 
 1. He must study to increase in the habit and 
 exercise of faith, and to be more resolute and ex- 
 press in his actings of faith. 
 
 It will be necessary that he give all diligence, to 
 grow in the habit and exercise of true faith. " We 
 which have belie ved," says an Apostle, " do enter 
 into rest w ." He whose heart trusteth in Christ, 
 and relieth on the promise of eternal life, as offer- 
 ed to him in the gospel, does thereby enter al- 
 ready into spiritual rest, or holy tranquillity of 
 soul : and the more, he trusts with firm confidence 
 in the Lord Jesus, for eternal life to himself, the 
 more of spiritual rest, does he experience. Here* 
 by, he enters further and further into rest ; and, 
 notwithstanding all temptations and troubles, from 
 sin, Satan, and the world, he attains increasing 
 ease and comfort of soul. He comes labouring 
 and heavy laden, to Jesus Christ, and he giveth 
 him rest x . Jesus giveth rest to his conscience, in 
 his own blood and righteousness, and rest to his 
 heart, in God as his God and portion. Accord- 
 ingly Isaiah says, « Thou wilt keep him in per- 
 fect peace, Heb. in peace, peace, whose mind is 
 
 w Heb. iv. 3. x Matth. xi 28. 
 
318 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 stayed on thee ; because he trusteth in thee *." 
 When the Holy Spirit enable th him, to trust with, 
 unsuspecting confidence, in the faithful Redeemer, 
 ibr all salvation to himself in particular, and to re- 
 ly on the promises as offered to him ; the very act- 
 ing of this faith sets his mind at rest : he is, through 
 the power of the Holy Spirit, " filled with joy and 
 peace in believing V Committing himself, with 
 all his spiritual and temporal concerns, to Christ 
 Jesus, and trusting that Jesus will save him, and 
 uphold him, and manage for him ; his soul is, in 
 proportion to the strength of his faith, set at ease. 
 " He rests in the Lord, and waits patiently for 
 him a ;" not only because it is his duty, but because 
 it is the instituted mean of his attaining an increase 
 of consolation. Knowing that, it is the Jog/ of the 
 Lord, that is his strength for the spiritual perform- 
 ance of every duty ; he studies to increase in the 
 livelv exercise of faith, in order that " believing, 
 he may rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of 
 glory b . r> Indeed, faith is the principal mean, not 
 only of recovering, but of increasing, holy consola- 
 tion. The way to console is to settle the heart. 
 The increase of comfort, therefore, will be accord- 
 ins: to the increase of faith. If the believer would 
 advance in pure consolation, let him endeavour di- 
 ligently, and constantly, to exercise faith : let hinv 
 " labour to enter into that rest «." To bring his 
 heart, to the habitual exercise of trusting simply in 
 the Saviour, will indeed cost him many hard 
 struggles, and hot conflicts with his remaining un- 
 
 y Isa. xxvi. 3. * Rom. xv. 12. a Psal. xxxvii. 7- 
 h 1 Pet. i. 8. c Heh. iv. 11, 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 319 
 
 belief: but still he must lal>our 5 not only to exer- 
 cise, but to increase his faith ; and that, by acting 
 faith more frequently, and by trusting in Christ at 
 all times, for an increase of it. He must endea- 
 vour, so to advance h\ the daily exercise of cor- 
 dial, and direct confidence in Jesus for salvation, 
 as thereby to receive from him, a daily increase of 
 holiness : for the more of holiness, he receives, the 
 more of holy comfort, he will experience. Let him 
 also renew frequently, his application of the blood 
 of Jesus, to his conscience, for purging away the 
 guilt which he is daily contracting. The apostle 
 Paul informs us that, " The kingdom of God is 
 righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy 
 Ghost d ." From the spotless righteousness of Jesus 
 Christ, applied by faith, cometh peace, peace of 
 conscience, as as well as peace with God, and from 
 peace, issueth joy. Hence it is evident, that the 
 way to advance in spiritual peace and joy, is to in- 
 crease in that faith, which is a relying on Christ 
 and his righteousness, for justification and com- 
 plete salvation. Moreover, the principal, if not 
 the only way, in which, the Holy Comforter admi- 
 nisters consolation to believers, is, by testifying of 
 Christ to them. It is, by shewing them his love- 
 liness and love, his ability and willingness to save, 
 his suitableness and faithfulness ; and, by enabling 
 them, so to confide in him for salvation to them- 
 selves, as to rejoice in the hope of that salvation. 
 It is likewise, by enabling them to appropriate 
 God in Christ, and to place increasing confidence 
 
 d Rom, xir. 17. 
 
320 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 in Him. This was David's exercise, in order to 
 attain more comfort : " I trusted in thee, O Lord ; 
 I said, Thou art my God." And the happy con- 
 sequence of it, he expresses thus : " Blessed be the 
 Lord ; for he hath shewed me, his marvellous kind- 
 ness in a strong city e ." 
 
 If the believer would attain increasing consola- 
 tion, he must likewise be more resolute and express, 
 in his actings of faith. It will be necessary for 
 him to be resolute, in looking away from every 
 other object of dependance, to Jesus. He must 
 habitually and peremptorily resolve, to trust sim- 
 ply in Him ; and, in full assurance of faith, to in- 
 trust all his salvation, and all his concerns, to His 
 care. By thus casting his burden upon the Lord 
 Jesus, and trusting that He will make all things, 
 work together for good to him ; his heart will be- 
 come light and cheerful : he shall be freed from a 
 thousand anxieties, which otherwise would dis- 
 quiet and distract his soul. The more distinct and 
 explicit, the actings of his faith are; the more 
 peace, will they bring into his conscience, and the 
 more joy, into his heart. When his actings of 
 faith, are so lively and express, that he becomes 
 habitually conscious of them ; he thereby, sits down 
 to a rich feast of inward tranquillity, and even of 
 spiritual delight. When his faith, under the irr- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit, is so direct, and so par- 
 ticular in its exercise, as to meet Christ in the pro- 
 mise, heart to heart, and eye to eye ; it is like a 
 rod of Myrtle in the hand of the traveller,, which, 
 
 e Psal. xxxi. 14, 21. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 321 
 
 as some say, revives his spirits, and enables him 
 to proceed, without feeling himself weary. He 
 thereby dwells in him, who is the Consolation of 
 Israel, the Fountain from which, all the streams of 
 ineffable delight do flow. Let every believer, then, 
 study diligently to be more distinct, particular, and 
 express, in his exercise of faith. Let him endea- 
 vour daily, to be more and more express, especially, 
 in his trusting in Christ, for salvation from the 
 love, power, and practice of every sin. This ap- 
 propriating and express exercise of faith in the 
 Lord Jesus, is graciously and absolutely promised ; 
 " Surely, shall one say, In the Lord, have I righ- 
 teousness and strength f ." " I will say, It is my 
 people; and they shall say, The Lord is my 
 Gods." 
 
 % It will be necessary that he trust frequently 
 in Christ, not only for salvation in general, but for 
 an increase of comfort in particular. Let him con- 
 tinue, humbly and firmly to trust that, the Lord 
 Jesus will not only save him, but " comfort him 
 on every side ;* and that, He will not merely pre- 
 serve and increase in his soul, the habit of spiritual 
 joy, but that, he will favour him in every time of 
 need, with an increase even of sensible comfort. 
 He must endeavour, in every condition, and in the 
 diligent use of all other instituted means, to trust 
 that God in Christ, the God of consolation, will 
 " fill him with all joy and peace in believing ;" 
 that, Jesus the Consolation of Israel, will " speak 
 comfortably to him h ," and " will never leave him 
 
 f Isa. xlv. 24. e Zech. xiii. Q. h Hos. ii. 14. 
 
 o2 
 
322 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 comfortless i ;" and tha*, the Holy Spirit the Com* 
 forter will, by his inhabitation and influence, fill 
 his soul with an increase of holy consolation; — 
 and, in every season of need, it will be unto him 
 according to his faith. Instead of refusing to be 
 comforted, by raising captious and frivolous objec- 
 tions, against the consolation which in the gospel, 
 is offered and promised him ; he should, upon the 
 warrant of the gospel-offer, habitually desire, and 
 constantly rely upon Christ for, a higher degree of 
 it, according to the promise. He ought never to 
 forget, that the comfort of the Holy Spirit, is one 
 of the fruits of trusting in the Lord k . It is a part 
 of the office of faith, to accept, and to hand, spi- 
 ritual comfort to the holy soul. If faith therefore 
 be strong, and frequently in exercise, such a soul 
 will have strong consolation. If faith increase, in 
 its habit, and in the frequency of its exercise, spi- 
 ritual comfort will in proportion increase. Let the 
 believer therefore trust at all times, in the Lord Je- 
 sus, for increasing consolation. Let him see that 
 he take comfort, rather from Christ discovered, 
 than from his own discoveries of him ; and that he 
 live comfortably, upon Christ himself, rather than 
 upon his own experience of Christ. He should 
 encourage himself continually, in his God and Sa- 
 viour. Amidst all his inward and outward trou- 
 bles, he must, by the frequent actings of particular 
 trust, derive strong consolation, from the life, the 
 death, the resurrection, the intercession, the cove- 
 nant, the words, the offices, the victories, and the 
 
 John xiv. 18. k Prov. xvi. 20. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 323 
 
 relations, of Jesus Christ. He must also trust that, 
 the blessed Spirit loveth him ; and that, as his 
 gracious Comforter, " He will abide with him for 
 ever, and will bring all things to his remembrance,'" 
 that are necessary to comfort him l . 
 
 Believer, if thou wouldst advance in true conso- 
 lation, thou must always trust that, whenever the 
 Lord Jesus shall take from thee, any of thy pre- 
 sent comforts; it will be, only to make room for 
 better and sweeter comforts. Intrust all thy tem- 
 poral comforts, without the least anxiety, to thy 
 faithful Redeemer, and he will render them doubly 
 sweet to thee ; or if he shall take any of them 
 from thee, he will restore them again with much 
 advantage, either in kind, or in value. Beware of 
 relying, partly on Christ, and partly, on the crea- 
 ture, for thy comfort. Derive all thy comforts of 
 every kind, by the direct actings of faith, from 
 Christ in the promise, and derive them only from 
 Him. It is the character of the true circumcision, 
 that " they rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no 
 confidence in the flesh m :" " If the sufferings of 
 Christ," or sufferings in conformity to him, shall 
 at any time, abound in thee, thy " consolation also 
 will abound by Christ V Look therefore to Jesus, 
 the glorious Sun x)f righteousness, for the light of 
 consolation, and not to thyself; and charge it often 
 upon thy soul, to rejoice in Him. When thou 
 usest diligently, the appointed means of advancing 
 in spiritual comfort, do not forget to trust that, he 
 will abundantly bless them for that purpose: so 
 
 1 John xiv. 26*. m Philip, iii. S. n 2 Cor. i. 5. 
 
SU THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 shall they prove means, to thy soul, of increasing 
 in holy consolation. 
 
 3. If the believer would retain his comfort, and 
 rise to higher degrees of it, he must exercise con- 
 stantly, the hope of eternal life. As hope is a mean 
 of recovering, so it is a mean of increasing, spiritual 
 comfort. The more, therefore, that a good man 
 " abounds in hope, through the power of the Holy 
 Spirit ;" the more shall he " rejoice, in the hope of 
 the glory of God °." Having " fled for refuge, to 
 lay hold upon the hope set before him," let him 
 " shew the same diligence, to the full assurance of 
 hope," that many especially of the first Christians 
 shewed ; and then he shall, like them, " have 
 strong consolation p." If he hope continually, for 
 the full and endless fruition of God, and of the 
 Lamb, in the heavenly world ; he shall thereby, 
 be weaned from undue attachment to the present 
 world, and so shall be preserved from being much 
 affected, either by the smiles, or the frowns, of 
 worldly men. If he exercise daily, " the lively 
 hope of that inheritance, which is incorruptible, 
 undefiled, and which fadeth not away, reserved in 
 heaven for him ;" and build his hope upon the sure, 
 the immoveable, foundation laid in Zion, remote 
 from all the changes experienced in himself; he 
 shall thereby, " hold fast the confidence, and the 
 rejoicing of the hope, firm unto the end %? Were 
 the believer to exercise constantly, a lively and firm 
 expectation of sufficient grace in time, and of con- 
 summate blessedness through eternity ; it would be 
 
 ? Rom. v. 2. p Heb. vi. 11, 18. <i Heb. iii. 6. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 325 
 
 a special mean of exciting, and promoting, inef- 
 fable delight in his soul : it would fill his heart, 
 with overflowings of holy gratitude, and his lips, 
 with expressions of joy and triumph. In propor- 
 tion as his hope is grounded, and frequently exer- 
 cised, on the love of God, on the promise of eter- 
 nal life, and on the righteousness, grace, and faith- 
 fulness, of the glorious Redeemer ; it brings more 
 and more of eternal life, and of that heavenly de- 
 light which forms a part of it, into his soul. That 
 living hope is from above, and in proportion as it 
 is strengthened, and frequently exercised, it elevates 
 the holy soul, to the things which are above. The 
 believer, when he is exercising it, lives in a joyful 
 expectation, and a sweet anticipation, of the ineffable 
 and endless pleasures, which are at God's right hand. 
 Hope settles and cheers the heart. It disposes the 
 Christian, patiently and quietly to wait upon the 
 Lord, for every promised blessing r . It leaves the 
 season, and the manner, of bestowing any promised 
 blessing, to that Divine Redeemer, who is infinitely 
 wise, gracious, and faithful. True hope is the as- 
 sured expectation that, although Christ may seem 
 to delay long, yet he will certainly come with every 
 promised, every necessary, blessing ; and that, he 
 will not defer, a single moment longer than the time 
 appointed in the everlasting covenant. 
 
 Moreover, the exercise of hope promotes holy 
 consolation ; inasmuch as it is a mean of purifying 
 the soul from sin, that greatest enemy of spiritual 
 comfort s , When a holy man is enabled to hope, 
 
 r Rom. viii. 25. s 1 John iii. 3. 
 
326 THE MEANS (^INCREASING 
 
 that he shall abide in Christ, and endure to the 
 end ; that he shall continue to receive, from the 
 fulness of Christ, rich supplies of sanctifying grace, 
 to enable him, faithfully to keep his command- 
 ments ; that he shall consequently grow in grace, 
 and in the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ ; that 
 he shall be graciously upheld under, and delivered 
 from, all the afflictions which may still await him ; 
 that he shall at the appointed time, be prepared to 
 die in peace, and to pass over with joy, into the 
 embraces of his dear Redeemer ; and, that he shall 
 be with Him to behold his glory, for evermore i ;— 
 this hope, fills his heart with inexpressible joy : 
 it diffuses a delightful perfume of comfort, over 
 his soul. 
 
 4. It will be requisite for the same purpose, 
 that he daily advance in love to the Lord Jesus, and 
 to God in him. The Christian's love to Christ, is 
 the immediate principle of his delighting or joying 
 in him. To advance therefore in supreme love 
 to Christ, is the way to increase in holy joy. The 
 apostle Paul, in describing the fruit of the Spirit 5 
 mentions joy and peace, in immediate connection 
 with love u . And the Lord Jesus himself, when 
 he was comforting his disciples, said, " If a man 
 
 * ' An eminent minister, after having been silent in 
 company, a considerable time, and being asked the rea- 
 son, signified that the powers of his mind, had been so- 
 lemnly absorbed with the thought of everlasting happi- 
 ness. " O my friends," said he, with an energy which 
 surprised all present, " consider what it is, to be for ever 
 with the Lord — for ever, for ever, for ever !" Buck's 
 Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 95- 
 
 ■ Gal. v. 22. 
 
 2 
 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 32? 
 love me, he will keep my word : and my Father 
 will love him, and we will come unto him, and 
 make our abode with him v.y Love is a pleasant, 
 a cheering affection. Those believers, therefore? 
 who excel others in love to Christ Jesus, do com- 
 monly surpass others also, in spiritual comfort. 
 The exercise of supreme love to Him, and to God 
 in him, diffuseth a sacred sweetness over the soul. 
 Whether it be a love of desire to him, when he is 
 absent, or of delight in him, when he is present ; 
 still, in proportion to the strength, and the exer- 
 cise of it, it sweetly refreshes and invigorates the 
 soul. " There is no fear in love," says the apos- 
 •tle John; "but perfect love casteth out fearV 
 Although it is always attended, with a holy and 
 filial fear of displeasing God ; yet, in proportion to 
 the degree and exercise of it in the soul, it banishes 
 all slavish, diffident, and disquieting fear of him. 
 Indeed^ when the ardour of love decays, and the 
 exercise of it fails, distressing fear usually arises ; 
 but when love is revived, and is vigorous in its 
 exercise upon its transcendently glorious, and amia- 
 ble Object, such fear usually vanishes, and gives 
 place to holy consolation in the soul. The vigor- 
 ous exercise of ardent love to his dear Redeemer 
 excited, by believing views of His infinite loveliness 
 in himself, and of his immense love to him ; tends, 
 through grace, to fill the mind of the believer 
 with a pleasing tranquillity. If loving any object, 
 has in its nature, a tendency to make the person 
 who loves, take pleasure in the company of the 
 
 w John xiv. 23. * 1 John iv. 18. 
 
328 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 object beloved, notwithstanding all the infirmities, 
 which cleave to that object; what inexpressible 
 pleasure, must a saint experience, in loving Him 
 who " is altogetlier lovely V All the delights of 
 worldly men, are but like the toys of children, in 
 comparison of the pleasure of supreme love to the 
 Lord Jesus, and to a God of love in Him. The 
 apostle Paul informs us that, " love thinketh no 
 evil V Love of God doth, in proportion to the de- 
 gree of it, think no evil of him : it f eareth no evil 
 from him. It indulgeth not evil surmises, or 
 groundless jealousies of him. " He who dwelleth 
 in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him *." He 
 counts it his highest pleasure, to please Him, and 
 his greatest joy, to have intimate communion with 
 him. He delighteth in him, as his Friend, his Fa- 
 ther, and his God, as his only portion, and his ex- 
 ceeding joy : and the more he delights in the Lord, 
 the more of holy consolation, does he experience. 
 Believer, see that thou advance daily, in supreme 
 and ardent affection, to God in Christ, to all of 
 God, and all of Christ : love especially the holiness, 
 the will, and the glory of Christ. Let thy soul 
 cleave continually to Him ; and it will comfort thee 
 greatly, to think of him, and of his immense, and 
 amazing love to thee. To advance in supreme love 
 to thy dear Redeemer, will, notwithstanding all the 
 afflictions, which may henceforth befall thee in thy 
 lot, render thee capable of increasing in heavenly 
 consolation. Difficult things will for His sake, 
 seem easy, and bitter things, sweet. 
 
 y 1 Cor.xiii. 5. z l John i v. 16. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 329 
 5. If the believer would advance in holy conso- 
 lation, let him, in the faith of redeeming love to 
 him, learn to delight more and more, in the law of 
 the Lord. The more, he is enabled to delight in 
 the will of God, expressed in that holy law ; the 
 more comfortable and happy is he, in doing that 
 will a ; the more pleasure, does he take, in perform- 
 ing every part of his duty : and seeing he is com- 
 manded to employ himself always, in present duty ; 
 the more, his present duty is his delight, the more, 
 will he always be delighted. u Great peace, 1 ' saith 
 the Psalmist, " have they who love thy law : and 
 nothing shall offend them O For the more, they 
 delight in the holiness, spirituality, and perfection 
 of the law, as the rule of their duty, and in holy 
 obedience to it ; the clearer evidence they have, 
 that they are so justified by faith, as to have peace 
 with God ; the more, do they enjoy peace of con- 
 science, which is a sense of peace with God ; and 
 the more, are they at peace with the creatures of 
 God. No external troubles or offences, can deprive 
 them of this " great peace," or divert them from 
 the path of duty, in which they delight. Indeed 
 the more, a holy man delights in the command- 
 ments of the law, as expressions, of the will of 
 God the Father who loveth him, of the mind of 
 Christ who redeemeth him, and of the desire of 
 the Holy Spirit who dwelleth in him ; the more, 
 will he regard sincere obedience to them, as his 
 privilege, his pleasure, and his comfort. Those 
 precepts, which are all " holy, and just, and good," 
 
 a Psal. cxii. 1. »> Psal, cxix. 165. 
 
330 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 prescribe good and pieasant work to him ; such 
 work as is, not only good for him, but agreeable 
 to the bent of his renewed nature. The more, 
 therefore, he advances in sanctification, the more 
 pleasure, doth he take in doing, and even in suffer- 
 ing, the will of his heavenly Father. So much, 
 was this the attainment of the holy apostle Paul, 
 that " he gloried in tribulations ;" that " he took 
 pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, 
 in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake ;" be- 
 cause it was the will of God, that he should en- 
 dure them, and because they afforded the power of 
 Christ, an opportunity so to rest upon him, as to 
 be gloriously displayed, and evidenced to be per- 
 fect, in his weakness c . Doubtless, his taking plea- 
 sure even in manifold sufferings, for the sake of 
 Christ, could not but be attended with such a mea- 
 sure of holy consolation, as would make him " ex- 
 ceeding joyful, in all his tribulation d ." Thus it is 
 evident, that the more a believer delights in the 
 providential, and especially in the preceptive, will 
 of God, a nd the more spiritual and exact his obe- 
 dience is ; the more experience has he, of spiritual 
 comfort. Besides, his delighting in, or savouring 
 those things of the Spirit, is a comfortable evidence 
 to him, not only, that he hath the Spirit of Christ, 
 and that the prevailing inclination of his heart, is 
 toward spiritual and holy objects ; but, that the 
 delight which he has in the Lord, and in the word 
 and law of the Lord, is his chief delight e . O how 
 cheering must it be to a holy man, to be conscious, 
 
 c 2 Cor. xii. 9, 10. d 2 Cor. vii. 4. 
 
 e Psal. xliii. 4. andcxix. 127. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 331 
 not only that the grace of the promises, but that 
 the holiness of the precepts, instead of displeasing 
 him, renders them inexpressibly pleasant to his 
 soul f ! He cannot perish in his affliction, because 
 the law of God is his delight s. Delight in the will 
 of the Lord, is heaven upon earth, the very essence 
 of real satisfaction, of true felicity. The Lord him- 
 self, is inconceivably happy in his own will ; and 
 he hath revealed it to his people, that they might 
 be happy in it likewise. 
 
 6. Another mean of retaining and increasing 
 spiritual comfort, is, frequently to exercise godly 
 sorrow ', or contrition of heart, for sin. To be con- 
 trite in heart is, from a principle of faith in Christ, 
 of love to God, and of desire to please and honour 
 him, to be sorrowful for having sinned against him. 
 The apostle Paul styleth sorrow for sin, " godly 
 sorrow*," that is, sorrow which hath God in 
 Christ, for its author, and its object ; or sorrower 
 God, for having by sin, offended a God of infinite 
 holiness, justice, faithfulness, and goodness ; or 
 sorrow according to God, according to believing 
 views of his redeeming mercy, and according to 
 his holy will; or sorrow which is acceptable to 
 God, through Jesus Christ The same apostle in- 
 forms us that, " it worketh repentance unto salva- 
 tion," that evangelical repentance, which is a man's 
 turning from all sin to God, as in Christ a God of 
 infinite mercy and grace. Now in order to advance 
 in spiritual consolation, the Christian must, in the 
 faith of pardoning mercy, and of sanctifying grace^ 
 
 s Psal. cxix. 143. s Psal. cxix. 92. h g Cor. vii. 10. 
 
332 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 exercise frequently that godly sorrow for sin, espe- 
 cially for the sin that dwelleth in him. The exer- 
 cise of godly sorrow, is not only consistent with 
 holy joy; but it always tends to it, and frequently 
 issues in it ; yea, it even includes it. Such refresh- 
 ing of soul, such joy of heart, is often experienced 
 in the depth of godly sorrow ; that the true peni- 
 tent would not exchange, even the lowest degree of 
 that joy, for all the carnal mirth in the world. 
 The most sorrowful Christian would not, for a 
 thousand worlds, exchange states, or pleasures, 
 with the most prosperous of ungodly men. In 
 comparison of that pure and solid joy, with which, 
 the penitential sorrow of a true believer, is often 
 attended, carnal mirth is folly, and even madness \ 
 iHis mourning for sin, because it hath offended his 
 gracious God, and wounded his compassionate Sa- 
 viour ; because it hath pierced that heart which 
 loveth him, and shed that blood which saveth him ; 
 is a joyful mourning, a real comfort to his soul. 
 To mourn for sin, on such accounts as these, is, as 
 one expresses it, to weep for joy. As godly sorrow 
 cannot be exercised by the Christian, without some 
 comfortable apprehension of the mercy of God to 
 him, or of Christ's having been pierced for his ini- 
 quities ; so, it is seldom exercised by him, without 
 some degree of comfort experienced, either in, or 
 after, his exercise of it. " Wisdom's ways are 
 ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace k ." 
 The believing penitent takes delight, in mourning 
 for his crucified Redeemer ; in sitting down at his 
 
 1 Eccles. ii. 2. k Prov. iii. 17. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 338 
 pierced feet, and bathing them with his tears. His 
 godly sorrow is a mean, both of preparing him for 
 consolation, and of introducing it into his soul. Ac- 
 cordingly, Jehovah promiseth that He will " dwell 
 with him, who is of a contrite and humble spirit, 
 to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive 
 the heart of the contrite ones liT The Lord Jesus 
 also saith, " Blessed are they that mourn ; for 
 they shall be comforted ra :" and again, " The Lord 
 bath anointed me, — to bind up the broken-heart- 
 ed ; — to comfort all that mourn n ." Hence holy 
 fasting is represented in Scripture, as spiritual 
 feasting °. The penitential grief of a holy man, is 
 also matter of joy to him. He rejoices more, to 
 feel his heart melting for sin, than he would do, 
 in enjoying all the carnal delights of the sons of 
 men. He finds a secret sweetness in the tears of 
 evangelical repentance ; a balm which refreshes 
 and cheers his soul. Besides, godly sorrow renders 
 him capable of receiving in a higher degree, in- 
 fluences of spiritual consolation. The more he 
 grieves in a godly manner for sin, the more capable 
 is he, of rejoicing in God his Saviour : yea, the 
 more he grieves that he cannot as he ought, grieve 
 for his iniquity, and mourns that he cannot mourn ; 
 the more capacity has he, for receiving and enjoying 
 spiritual comfort. The joy of God's salvation is 
 not to be found, but in the deep recesses of a con- 
 trite heart. Although, then, true repentance con- 
 sists more, in turning from all sin to God, than 
 merely in sorrow for sin ; yet, in order to retain 
 
 1 Isa. lvii. 15. m Matth. v. 4. 
 
 n Isa. lxi. 1, 2. ° Zech. viii. 19- 
 
334 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 and increase his comfort, for the service and the 
 glory of God, the believer should diligently exer- 
 cise that sorrow. 
 
 7. It will be necessary for the same purpose, 
 that he be more and more diligent in mortifying the 
 sin, that dwelleth in him. When the Christian 
 finds himself, yielding to motions of sin in his 
 heart, it cannot but occasion to him, trouble of 
 soul ; but, when he feels himself, by the sanctify- 
 ing influences of the Holy Spirit, enabled to resist 
 or act against them, it is a special comfort to him : 
 and the more he is enabled to maintain a holy op- 
 position to them, the more pure and solid, is his 
 consolation. To mortify the deeds of the body of 
 sin, and the members of it which are upon the 
 earth p, is, — constantly to apply the blood and the 
 Spirit of Christ, for subduing, weakening, and de- 
 stroying it, with all its corrupt affections, princi- 
 ples, and practices : it is, by the gracious influ- 
 ences of the Spirit of Christ, so to resist, and to 
 subdue, the vital qualities, and active powers of 
 the body of sin in the heart, as gradually to de- 
 stroy them. Now, one of the means, which the be- 
 liever must employ, in order to retain and increase 
 his comfort, is, to maintain constantly, a holy op- 
 position to all the affections, principles, and mo- 
 tions, of the body of sin in him ; until, in confor- 
 mity to Christ in his crucifixion, and by grace de- 
 rived from his fulness, they be destroyed. The 
 more resolute he is, and the more pleasure he 
 takes, in thus mortifying them ; the more of spi- 
 
 PRom. viii. 13. Col. iii. 5. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 335 
 
 ritual and pure consolation, will he attain. The 
 more of sanctifying influences, he derives by faith, 
 for the mortification of sin ; the more of consoling 
 influences, will he commonly receive. According- 
 ly, David prayed thus, " Create in me a clean 
 heart, O God ; renew in me a right spirit ;" and 
 then, " Restore to me thejoz/ of thy salvation q ." 
 As the Christian advances, in mortifying his unbe- 
 lief and pride, his self-righteous and worldly spi- 
 rit ; he will increase his enjoyment of the cheering 
 light of his heavenly Father's countenance. The 
 more diligent and successful he is, in mortifying 
 his propensity to cavil or dispute, against the free- 
 ness of the offers, promises, and grace of the gos- 
 pel ; the more disposed he will be, to admit, and 
 to relish, the comforts of the gospel. It is in pro- 
 portion as remaining sin dies in the believer, that 
 he lives a life of holiness, and of comfort. The 
 weaker the body of sin in him, is, the less power 
 over him, will his other spiritual enemies have : 
 the temptations of Satan, and of the world, will 
 proportionably lose their influence with him. The 
 only care of the hypocrite, is, to reform his life ; 
 whereas, the main, though not the only, concern of 
 the sincere believer, is, to cleanse his heart r . And 
 the sweetness, which he experiences, in obtaining 
 victory over sin in his heart, is a thousand times 
 greater, than the seeming pleasure, which is felt in 
 
 * Psal. li. 10, 12. 
 
 r Jer. iv. 14. Luther used to say, ' I fear more what 
 is within me, than what comes from without : the storms 
 and winds without, do never move the earth : it is only 
 vapours within, that cause earthquakes.' 
 
336 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 gratifying sin. Indeed, were the least real plea- 
 sure to be enjoyed in sinning, the torments of the 
 damned in hell, would thereby be greatly lessened ; 
 for there, they will for ever sin, in the utmost de- 
 gree possible : but, instead of being the less, they 
 shall be the more tormented by, as well as for, 
 their sinning. Believer, take heed that thou be 
 diligent, in mortifying the depravity of thy heart. 
 The further thou advancest, in mortifying the sin 
 that remains in thee, and especially the sin that 
 more easily besets thee ; the more pleasure wilt thou 
 take, in mortifying it, and the more comfort wilt 
 thou experience, in thy conflicts with it. Learn 
 to hate all sin, in an increasing degree; for the 
 more thou abhorrest it, the greater delight thou 
 wilt take, in opposing, and subduing it. Holy joy 
 can consist with remaining sin, but not with re- 
 tained and indulged sin. Mortify then, through 
 the Spirit, the corruption of thy nature ; and Christ 
 will not be constrained to mortify it for thee, by 
 the extremity of outward, or of inward trouble. 
 Study to attain more eminence in that grace, which 
 is the direct opposite of the sin, which doth easily 
 beset thee. 
 
 8. The Christian must, for the same end, endea- 
 vour daily, to become more and more circumspect 
 and conscientious, in the practice of universal holi- 
 ness. It is only in proportion as he " walketh in 
 the fear of the Lord,'" that he can walk " in the 
 comfort of the Holy Spirit s ." To walk circum- 
 spectly is, to be habitually cautious and watchful, 
 on every side, against all manner of sin ; and to be 
 
 s Acts ix. 31. ' 
 7 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 337 
 always attentive to every duty, and to every cir- 
 cumstance of duty : or it is. to walk in all the 
 duties of holiness, with wisdom, diligence, and ex- 
 actness. So far as a good man walketh circum- 
 spectly, he is in all things, upright, exact, and con- 
 scientious. He is " in the fear of the Lord all the 
 day long C From a principle of faith in Christ, 
 and of love to God, he dreads sin as the worst evil 
 in the world ; and consequently, he abstains even 
 from all appearance of that evil u . He abstains 
 from the very appearance of it, not merely, be- 
 cause he sees that it is reasonable and prudent to 
 do so, but because it is the will of his God and 
 Father. And though this doth not afford him, the 
 smallest title to Divine consolation ; yet he knows 
 that it is a necessary mean of it, and that it is 
 inseparably connected with as much of it, as the 
 Lord seeth good to afford him. The more spirit- 
 ually, and closely, he walks with God ; the more, 
 doth he walk in the light of his countenance. The 
 more, he makes the practice of universal holiness, 
 his main business, a business in which, he princi- 
 pally engages, and which, he pursues with the 
 greatest earnestness and diligence ; the clearer evi- 
 dence has he, that the Holy Spirit the Comforter 
 dwelleth in him. Accordingly, the Lord Jesus 
 said to his disciples, " If ye love me, keep my 
 commandments : and I will pray the Father, and 
 he shall give you another Comforter, that he may 
 abide with you for ever V Let the believer then 
 beware of sinning, especially, of sinning wilfully : 
 
 1 Prov. xxiii. 17- u 1 Thess. v. 22. w John xiv. 15, 16. 
 
338 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 for that would provoke the Lord, to cover his evi- 
 dences with a cloud in his anger, and to suspend 
 influences of consolation, from his soul. Let it be 
 his constant purpose, and unwearied endeavour, 
 through grace, to please God in every thing, and to 
 displease him in nothing. To walk circumspectly, 
 is indeed the sure way to walk comfortably, and to 
 advance in comfort. He who is enabled, from the 
 principles of faith and love, and for the glory of 
 God, so to walk, " shall sing in the righteous ways 
 of the Lord * ;" for he shall find that they " are 
 wavs of pleasantness, and paths of peace." As spi- 
 ritual comfort, is necessary to the practice of holi- 
 ness ; so increasing holiness of heart and of life, is 
 requisite to the maintenance and increase of com- 
 fort. As heat accompanies fire, so a greater or less 
 measure of comfort, usually attends the spiritual 
 performance of holy actions y. It cannot be other- 
 wise. For to walk circumspectly in a course of 
 holy obedience, is, to walk with God, the God of 
 all comfort ; to walk in Christ, the Consolation of 
 Israel ; and to walk after the Spirit, the Holy Com- 
 forter. 
 
 If the believer would walk so circumspectly, as 
 to glorify Christ, and to promote his own comfort, 
 he must, first, take heed that he do not on any oc- 
 casion, walk in the dark, that he do not go forward, 
 where he cannot, by the light of holy Scripture, 
 discern his way ; and, next, he should be as much 
 afraid of taking comfort, merely from his duties 
 themselves, as from his sins. 
 
 x Psal. cxxxviii. 5. * Psal. xix. 11. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 339 
 
 9- To grow in spiritual mindedness, is also the 
 way to maintain and increase spiritual comfort. 
 « To be spiritually minded" is, from the spiritual 
 principles of grace, and under the sanctifying in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit, to have the mind and 
 heart, frequently, intently, and delightfully, em- 
 ployed about spiritual objects. It is, to have all 
 the powers of the soul habitually concurring, in 
 spiritual thoughts and desires, and in taking a holy 
 complacence in the things of the Spirit, especially 
 in the things concerning Christ, and the wonder- 
 ful scheme of redemption by him. Now, one spe- 
 cial mean of advancing in spiritual consolation, is, 
 to increase in spiritual mindedness. The apostle 
 Paul informs us that, " to be spiritually minded is 
 life and peace 2 ." It is in its very nature, spiritual 
 life, and is the earnest and the beginning of life 
 eternal, consisting in the full and immediate fruition 
 of God and the Lamb, in the mansions of glory : 
 and, in proportion as the believer increases in it, 
 his soul is endued, not only with spiritual activity, 
 but with pleasing serenity, and pure consolation. 
 The more spiritually minded, he becomes, the 
 more of spiritual peace and comfort, he attains. 
 The more, he spiritually understands, meditates, 
 relishes, and delights in, the doctrine of redeeming 
 grace, and the glory of God, displayed in the won- 
 derful person and work of the great Redeemer ; 
 the more of pleasing tranquillity, and of refreshing 
 delight, does he experience. By how much, he 
 
 z Rom. viii. 6. 
 
340 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 grows in spiritual understanding, or, in the know- 
 ledge of the transcendent loveliness and love of 
 God in Christ, and of the excellence^ suitableness, 
 and freeness, of salvation by Christ ; by so much, 
 does he experience holy serenity, and solid conso- 
 lation, in committing to such a God, and such a 
 Saviour, all his spiritual and temporal concerns. 
 In proportion as his heart becomes more deeply 
 sensible, of the unparalleled holiness and beauty of 
 spiritual objects, and of his own personal interest 
 in them ; it is delighted, enlarged, and elevated. 
 Whether he contemplates the cheering truths, and 
 precious promises of the gospel, or practises the 
 spiritual duties of the law, toward his God or his 
 neighbour ; the more spiritual he is, in them, the 
 more pure, solid, and heavenly, is the pleasure 
 which he enjoys. These are the banquet of his 
 mind. They are sweeter than honey to his taste. 
 In proportion as his spiritual understanding, and 
 his disposition to count all earthly things, empty 
 and mean, in comparison of union with Christ and 
 of conformity to him, increase ; he sets his affec- 
 tion on things above, he places his happiness in 
 them, and rejoices in hope of them. When he 
 advances in habitual desires, and in holy endea- 
 vours, to aim, in all his exercise of graces, and 
 performance of duties, at the glory of his God and 
 Redeemer ; he, in the same proportion, glories and 
 delights in the Lord. To become more and more 
 spiritually minded, then, is a sure way of attaining 
 higher degrees of spiritual comfort. As the higher 
 a bird flies, the more out of danger he is, from the 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 341 
 
 snares of the fowler ; so the higher a believer soars, 
 in spirituality of mind, above the world, the higher, 
 and the safer, is his consolation. 
 
 Moreover, the Christian, in order to attain in- 
 creasing comfort, must be always on his guard 
 against formality and remissness, in his exercise of 
 graces, and performance of duties. To be remiss 
 or formal, in performing any of his duties, is the 
 very opposite of being spiritually minded. Now 
 he may assure himself, that he is declining into 
 formality, — if he be more studious of approving 
 himself to men, than to God ; if, instead of per- 
 forming his duties, with holy delight, he perform 
 them as a task ; if, instead of habitually exercising 
 faith, love, godly sorrow, and spiritual desire, in 
 performing them, he satisfy himself with the ex- 
 ternal performance ; and, if the remaining car- 
 nality of his mind, be not so grievous or burden- 
 some to him, as formerly. Nothing will more 
 effectually hinder, his advancing in the comfort of 
 the Holy Spirit, than remissness or negligence of 
 spirit, in the duties of religion a . For, when the 
 Christian does not serve God with his spirit, he 
 grieves the Holy Spirit of God, and provokes him 
 to suspend influences of consolation, from his soul ; 
 and when he does not ardently pursue increasing 
 communion with Christ, in holy exercises, he can- 
 not expect, to enjoy the comfort of communion 
 with him. 
 
 10. Another mean of a believer's advancing in 
 spiritual comfort, is, to become more and more con- 
 
 3 Song- v. 2, 6. Prov. x. 4. 
 
U2 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 tent with God in Christ, as his inheritance. He 
 cannot be comfortable, but in proportion as he is 
 content. God in Christ, as their Covenant-God, 
 is the sure, the boundless, the unchanging, and the 
 everlasting, portion of all the saints. Nothing can 
 be added to Him : nothing can be taken from him, 
 or diminished in him. A holy man may lose all 
 his earthly possessions, but he cannot lose his 
 God, nor any thing in God ; and therefore he 
 continues still as rich, as he was before. His out- 
 ward comforts, are only lent him, in order to be 
 used for a season, and then, to be willingly and 
 thankfully restored; but his God, is given him, to 
 be eternally enjoyed by him, as his immense, un- 
 changeable, and sure portion : and therefore he 
 has as much reason, to be satisfied with, and to 
 rejoice in, his all-sufficient inheritance, after, as 
 before, his outward losses. The ancient Church, 
 accordingly, after she had been deprived of her best 
 external comforts, placed her happiness and her 
 hope in Jehovah, as her sure portion : " The Lord 
 is my portion, saith my soul ; therefore will I hope 
 in him b ." And Asaph, when he was emerging from 
 his depths of spiritual trouble, said to Jehovah, 
 44 Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is 
 none upon earth, that I desire besides thee. My 
 flesh and my heart faileth ; but God is the strength 
 of my heart, and my portion for ever c . r> The 
 sincere believer, trusting that a gracious God be- 
 stoweth Himself, and all that he is, and that he 
 hath, upon him, as his infinite inheritance, should 
 
 b Lam. iii. 24. « Psal. lxxiii. 25, 26. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 348 
 be much more content than he is, with his por- 
 tion. The more satisfied he is with God in Christ, 
 as his inheritance, the more pleasure will he take 
 in him ; and the more pleasure he taketh in him, 
 the more consolation will he receive from him, and 
 the more will he rejoice in him. " Although the 
 fig-tree shall not blossom," saith Habakkuk, " nei- 
 ther shall fruit be in the vines ; — yet will I rejoice 
 in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salva- 
 tion d ." In proportion as the believer is content 
 with God, or satisfied that his Covenant-God is 
 enough for him, without any thing else, except 
 what infinite wisdom and love see meet, for a time, 
 to afford him ; he attains true, lasting, and in- 
 creasing enjoyment. If he have outward com- 
 forts, he enjoys God in them ; or if he has been 
 deprived of them, he still enjoys them in God : so 
 that, his spiritual enjoyment or comfort is not, 
 strictly speaking, dependent on them. Being satis- 
 fied with God himself, as his portion, he learns to 
 be content wifcn all the providential dispensations 
 of God. U X have learned,'" says Paul, " in what- 
 soever state I am, therewith to be content e ," &c. 
 The Lord Jesus hath given to his Church, " ex- 
 ceeding great and precious promises ;" in order 
 that every saint may, by faith, " suck, and be 
 satisfied with, these breasts of her consolation f f 
 and God, having reconciled them to himself in 
 him, hath graciously promised that, He will be 
 their God. O what cause, then, hath the believer, 
 to be always content I " He is an heir of God, 
 
 * Hab. iii. 17, 18. * Philip, iv. II, 12, 
 
 f Isa. lxvi. 1 1- 
 
344 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 and a joint heir with Christ;" and therefore — all 
 things are his s. There is more ground of comfort 
 in this, than the heart of man can conceive. God 
 in Christ, is thy inheritance, believer ; and there- 
 fore whatever He is, or hath, or doth, or can do ; 
 — all shall promote thy consolation in time, and 
 thy felicity through eternity. Be contented, then, 
 as well thou mayest, with thy glorious, thy bound- 
 less, thy incorruptible, thy unfading, inheritance h . 
 Live continually and comfortably upon thy God. 
 Make up all thy happiness in Him. Blame thy- 
 self, if thou wantest strong consolation, when the 
 God of all comfort, is thy God and thy portion : 
 for thou art never without comfort, but when, thou 
 art not satisfied with something in thy God and 
 Redeemer. See that thou rejoice more in Him, 
 than in all the delights of the sons of men. Know- 
 est thou any thing desirable, or delightful, in the 
 creature ? Thou mayest find it in thy Redeemer, 
 and enjoy it in thy God. What although thou 
 have lost, not merely one, but all thy earthly com- 
 forts ; in possessing God, the fountain of living 
 waters, thou still possessest all things : thou hast 
 one comfort still, which is worth infinitely more 
 than all others. — " This God is thy God for ever 
 and ever : He will be thy guide even unto death l ." 
 See the hand of thy God, in that which is, and be 
 
 g 1 Cor. iii. 21. 
 
 h Menedemus being told, one day, that it was a great 
 felicity to have whatever we desire, ' Yes/ said he, * but 
 it is a much greater, to desire nothing but what we have/ 
 Buck's Anecdotes, vol. i. p 111. 
 
 1 Psal. xlviii. 14. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 345 
 
 not disquieted by it : see that which is to come, in 
 His hand, and be not discouraged in the prospect 
 of it. What canst thou wish for, in an inheritance, 
 that is not in thy Covenant- God ? If thou wouldst 
 have a large estate, He is infinite : if thou wouldst 
 have sure possession, He is unchangeable : if thou 
 wouldst desire durable riches, He is eternal. If 
 God were to give thee, all that is in the universe, 
 without himself; thou shouldst be completely mi- 
 serable, and couldst never be satisfied. None can 
 afford satisfaction to thy soul, but that dear Saviour 
 who gave, and that gracious God who received, sa- 
 tisfaction for the sin of the soul. 
 
 11; If the believer would advance in spiritual 
 consolation, he must also increase daily, in holy re- 
 signation to the will of the Lord. He must endea- 
 vour, by grace, not only to be content with God 
 in Christ, as his infinite portion ; but to increase 
 in holy resignation of heart, to the will of God, 
 with respect to all his earthly comforts. The way 
 to advance in peaceful tranquillity of soul, is, to 
 become so resigned to the providential will of the 
 Lord, as always to submit without murmuring, to 
 that holy will. God's will of providence, as well 
 as his will of precept, is not only wise, and sove- 
 reign, but holy, and just, and good. It is infinitely 
 wise, and therefore it cannot be liable to the small- 
 est mistake, in its determination of any thing, re- 
 specting the external condition of the believer. It 
 is absolutely sovereign, and therefore it is in vain for 
 him, to attempt resistance to it. It is also infi- 
 nitely holy and righteous ; and for these reasons, it 
 is infinitely incapable of doing a Christian, the 
 v2 
 
346 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 smallest injury, or of dispensing to him any thing, 
 whether pleasant or painful, but what is right, and 
 even necessary for him. It is infinitely good like- 
 wise ; and therefore it can appoint nothing to hap- 
 pen in the outward condition of a believer but 
 what is good, yea, best, for subserving at the time, 
 the sanctification and consolation of his soul. So 
 good, is the will of the Lord, that it hath deter- 
 mined, never to give, nor to take away, a single 
 outward comfort from a saint, but when this is 
 good for him, or even necessary, to promote the 
 great designs of redeeming grace, in his salvation. 
 So wise and good, is that adorable will, that all 
 things do, under the direction and control of it, 
 " work together for good, to them who love God, 
 to them who are the called according to his pur- 
 pose k ." If therefore, a holy man would advance 
 in pure consolation, he must study, in dependance 
 on the grace of Christ, cordially to resign himself, 
 and all his concerns, to the holy will of his hea- 
 venly Father. The more, he studies to delight in 
 the holy will of God, the more, will he be disposed 
 to acquiesce in it ; and the more he acquiesces 
 in it, the more of comfort, amidst all the vicissi- 
 tudes of life, shall he experience. Let him endea- 
 vour to love it, in an increasing degree: for, in 
 proportion as he loves it, he will be pleased with 
 it, and will rejoice to think that, every thing in 
 his lot has been, from eternity, unalterably fixed 
 according to it. He will delight in the cheering 
 thought that, under the direction and control of 
 
 k Rom. viii. 28. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 347 
 it, all objects, all events, do either directly or in- 
 directly promote his eternal welfare ; and that, all 
 hands in the universe, are continually at work, for 
 good to him. If affliction come, the storm, which 
 then arises in his natural passions, is hushed into 
 a calm ; and not only doth submission, but sweet 
 resignation, ensue. 
 
 So far as the believer attains holy resignation, he 
 is secure from, disappointment ; for his leading de- 
 sire, that the will o£ the Lord may be done con- 
 cerning him., cannot fail to be accomplished. He 
 believes that, the Lord chooseth better for him, 
 than h« can do, for himself. He is persuaded, not 
 only that he hath no right, to complain of any pro- 
 vidential dispensation, but that he hath no reason ; 
 because u all the paths of the Lord, are mercy and 
 truth to him l ." " I was dumb," says holy David, 
 <c I opened not my mouth, because thou didst it m . w 
 In proportion as he is resigned to the holy will of 
 God, he is always pleased, always comfortable; 
 because whatever pleaseth God, pleases him. As 
 far as his will is in union with the will of the Lord, 
 lie shall always have what he chooses : he shall 
 constantly be in a state of enjoyment, as having the 
 very thing which he desires. If he be under af- 
 fliction, he comforts himself with thinking that, it 
 Is the appointment of his heavenly Father's wilL 
 Believer, the more thou welcomest the whole will 
 of thy gracious God and Father, the more happi- 
 ness and comfort, shalt thou enjoy. Consider, how 
 sinbecoming, how sinful it is, to murmur against 
 
 1 Psal. xxv. 10. m Psal. xxxix. 9. 
 
348 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 the will of the only-wise God thy Saviour. Know 
 that, the moment thou repinest at the providence 
 of the Lord, thou secretly accusest him : thou pre- 
 sumest to charge Him, with having done thee an 
 injury ; to blame him for something wrong, in his 
 management of thy affairs. But is not this the 
 same as secretly to blaspheme him ? O, if thou 
 wouldst maintain spiritual consolation, take heed 
 that, thou murmur not against the holy will of thy 
 gracious God. Thou art not qualified, to be the 
 chooser of thy own outward condition ; and there- 
 fore it belongeth not to thy wisdom and will, but 
 to His, to dispose of all thy affairs. 
 
 12. Another mean of advancing in holy conso- 
 lation, is, to become more and more thankful for 
 blessings, either received, or promised. " To give 
 thanks always for all things, unto God and the 
 Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ n ," 
 is both the duty, and the privilege, of a holy man. 
 It is his duty, in every condition of life, to main- 
 tain a thankful frame of heart, and to express 
 daily to the Lord, a lively and grateful sense of the 
 unmerited, and unnumbered benefits, which He 
 hath bestowed upon him. The apostle Paul, ac- 
 cordingly, gave this charge to the Thessalonians ; 
 " In every thing give thanks : for this is the will 
 of God in Christ Jesus, concerning you °." And, 
 in his epistle to the Hebrews, he says, " By 
 him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to 
 God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giv- 
 ing thanks to his name p." It is also & privilege to 
 
 n Eph, v. 20. « 1 Thess. v. 18. p Heb. xiii. 15, 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 349 
 
 the believer, when he is enabled in every circum- 
 stance of life, to be thankful for the mercies, which 
 God bestoweth either upon himself or others. 
 A disposition to be, in every condition, thankful to 
 the Lord, for benefits received from him, is al- 
 ways attended with some degree of comfort, in a 
 holy soul. A saint's frequent recollection, and ac- 
 knowledgment, of the sweet mercies which he has 
 in hand, and of the sure mercies which he has in 
 hope, tend to sweeten and to cheer his spirit. 
 Praise and thanksgiving, according to the follow- 
 ing passages of Scripture, are the genuine expres- 
 sions of a comfortable frame of soul : st My heart 
 greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise 
 him V " Because thy loving kindness is better 
 than life, my lips shall praise thee." " My mouth 
 shall praise thee with joyful lips r . r) " My lips 
 shall greatly rejoice, when I sing unto thee ; and 
 my soul, which thou hast redeemed 8 /' While 
 these passages evince praise and thanksgiving, to 
 be the native expressions of holy joy ; they at the 
 same time, intimate that a saint's being disposed, 
 gratefully to praise and thank the Lord, for bless- 
 ings, either received or promised, is commonly 
 attended with an increase of comfort or joy. An 
 habitual cheerfulness of spirit, is thereby maintain- 
 ed and increased. A heart truly thankful is, in 
 the same proportion, cheerful. The most humble 
 and thankful of the saints, are commonly the most 
 eminent in holiness and comfort. Indeed, thank- 
 fulness and comfort imply each other. A holy man 
 
 <J Psal. xxviii. 7. r Psal. lxiii. 3, 5. s Psal. Ixxi. 23. 
 
350 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 must be in some degree, comfortable, in order to 
 be thankful ; and thankful, in order to be in an 
 increasing degree, comfortable. If, then, he would 
 retain and increase his spiritual consolation, let him 
 frequently give thanks to God, not only for the 
 unspeakable gift of his dear Son ; but, for all his 
 benefits conferred upon him : let him, as often and 
 as much as possible, gratefully remember them, and 
 thank the Lord for each of them ; whether it be a 
 great or a small, a spiritual or a temporal, bless- 
 ing. He must be thankful particularly, for the 
 degree of comfort with which, the Lord hath al- 
 ready favoured him ; and then, if his trials or suf- 
 ferings do at any time abound, " his consolation 
 by Christ will also abound*." Let him extract 
 arguments, even from the darkest dispensations of 
 providence, for exciting him to be always thank- 
 ful to his God and Redeemer : for, when he is 
 continually thankful, he will in the same propor- 
 tion, be comfortable. He should, moreover, ex- 
 press his gratitude daily, for the inestimable and 
 innumerable blessings, vouchsafed to him ; by giv- 
 ing to God in Christ, all the glory of them, and by 
 employing them all, for the purposes of his glory : 
 so shall he enjoy them, and experience increasing 
 comfort in using them. 
 
 13. Further, Let the believer pray with increas- 
 ing importunity, for the continuance and increase 
 of his holy comfort. The fervent and incessant 
 prayer of faith, is a mean, not only of recovering, 
 but of retaining, and increasing, spiritual consola- 
 
 x 2 Cor. L 5. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 851 
 
 tion. Let him therefore pray importunately, not 
 only for sanctifying, but for consoling influences, 
 The Spirit is the Comforter of the saints ; and God 
 " giveth the Holy Spirit to them who ask him u ." 
 The Christian, then, should with increasing ear- 
 nestness, pray to his heavenly Father, in the name 
 of Christ, and in the faith of the promise, for the 
 refreshing and comforting grace of the blessed 
 Spirit. The more earnestly and frequently, he of- 
 fers up the prayer of faith, for grace and consola- 
 tion ; the more will his heart be strengthened, with 
 the consolation of the Holy Comforter. " In the 
 day when I cried," saith David, " thou answeredst 
 me, and strengthened st me with strength in my 
 soul w ." When the God of consolation, seemeth at 
 any time, to be forgetting, or passing by the exer- 
 cised believer ; the prayer of faith will call him in. 
 When the Lord Jesus, having come to Emmaus, 
 made as though he would have gone further, and 
 when the two disciples constrained him, saying, 
 " Abide with us ; for it is towards evening, and 
 the day is far spent ; He went in to tarry with 
 them x ." The less, true Christians desire from 
 Christ, the less, do they glorify the immense riches 
 of his grace ; but, on the contrary, the more they 
 expect, and the more they ask from him, the more 
 will he give, and the more will he manifest his de- 
 light, in giving to them. The believer there- 
 fore should pray, as the apostle Paul did for the 
 saints at Rome, " That the God of hope, would 
 fill him with all joy and peace in believing * ;" 
 
 11 Luke xi. 13. w Psal. cxxxviii. 3. 
 
 x Luke xxiv. 28, 2Q. y Rom. xv. 13. 
 
352 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 and, as the same apostle prayed for the Thes- 
 salonians, " That the Lord Jesus Christ him- 
 self, and God even his Father, would comfort his 
 heart, and establish him in every good word and 
 work z ." And he should pray as the disciples did, 
 That the Lord would increase his faith ; for as 
 faith is increased, so is the joy of faith. Let him 
 pray that he may be enabled, always to thirst for 
 spiritual consolation, " as the hart thirsteth for the 
 water-brooks ;" and, at the same time, let his de- 
 sire of sensible comfort, be regulated by a due sub- 
 mission to the sovereign will of God. Paul had 
 not been long praying, before it was revealed to 
 him, that he was a chosen vessel. It was, when 
 Jesus Christ himself was praying, that He was 
 transfigured, and that " a voice from the excellent 
 glory said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am 
 well pleased.*" Those of the saints who pray most, 
 have the most comfort. Prayer crowneth God, 
 with the glory of his redeeming grace ; and God 
 crowneth prayer, with the comfort of that grace. 
 
 If a holy man would so pray, as thereby to ad- 
 vance in spiritual comfort, he must not only pray 
 in faith, and with importunity ; but he must pray 
 with his spirit, with understanding, with sincere 
 desire of that which he asketh, with watchfulness, 
 attention, and ardour. He should make supplica- 
 tion to God, as his God and Father, in the name 
 of Christ, by the help of the Spirit, and only for 
 things which are promised. " He ought always to 
 pray, and not to faint a ;" or, " to continue instant 
 
 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. a Luke xviii. 1. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 353 
 
 in prayer V It will be necessary also, that he 
 plead in prayer ; that he plead the promises, and 
 that he fill his mouth with such arguments, as will 
 tend to excite and increase his faith, and hope, and 
 love. He must, moreover, be habitually disposed 
 to pray, to intermingle ejaculatory prayer with all 
 his other duties, and to pray much in secret. It 
 was when Jacob retired for secret prayer, that the 
 Angel of the covenant came to him, and enabled 
 him so to wrestle with Him by supplication, as to 
 receive the blessing. She, who was alone with Je- 
 sus at the sepulchre, was the first, who participated 
 in the joy of his resurrection. The holy Psalmist, 
 seems to have considered the comfort, which he en- 
 joyed with God in secret, as his sweetest comfort c . 
 14. It is necessary for the same purpose, that 
 the believer increase daily, in Ms knowledge of the 
 grounds of spiritual consolation. He must, in or- 
 der to advance in true comfort, study through 
 grace, to attain clearer and juster views of God the 
 Father, as a God of love, grace, and mercy to him ; 
 of Christ, in his person, righteousness;, fulness, of- 
 fices, and relations; of the Holy Spirit, as his 
 Quickener, Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide; of 
 the covenant of grace, in the admirable suitableness, 
 fulness, and stability of it ; and of the doctrines, 
 offers, and promises of the glorious gospel. The 
 more spiritual and enlarged, clear and distinct, his 
 knowledge, especially, of these grounds of pure 
 consolation, is ; the more, will he see reason to be 
 
 b Rom. xii. 12. e Psal. lxiii. 5, 6, 
 
354 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 of good comfort ; the more, will the principle and 
 habit of spiritual joy, increase in his soul ; and the 
 more, will he rejoice in Christ Jesus, and glory in 
 his cross. A spiritual and clear understanding of 
 those glorious, and reviving objects, will make his 
 way clear, in taking comfort. Remaining ignor- 
 ance, in the mind of a good man, is, for the most 
 part, the parent of all his doubts and perplexities 
 of spirit ; because he does not know, how far he 
 may, or may not, take encouragement and comfort. 
 Were he but to study the covenant of grace more, 
 and to understand better, wherein it differs from 
 the covenant of works ; his doubts and fears would 
 proportionably evanish, as clouds before the sun 
 shining in its strength ; and he would attain more 
 of the holiness, and of the consolation, which are 
 therein promised him. The better he understands 
 that well-ordered and sure covenant, and the more 
 he meditates on it, and admires it ; the more cor- 
 dials, he will find in it, to cheer him, under all his 
 pressures and faintings of soul. If he understood 
 better, that eternal, and wonderful contract, he 
 would look for less from the creature, and for more 
 from . the Redeemer, for less here, and for more 
 hereafter. He would discern more clearly, that a 
 humbling sense, of the sinfulness and strength of 
 sin in his heart, is a good evidence of spiritual life 
 in it ; and that he has, notwithstanding the sin 
 that remaineth in him, much, in the promises, daily 
 to afford him pure consolation. It is " through 
 the knowledge of God," as his Covenant-God, " and 
 of Jesus our Lord," as his Covenant-head, that 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 355 
 
 eg grace and peace are multiplied" to the believer d . 
 Let him then " grow in grace, and in the know- 
 ledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ e ," that 
 sure foundation of holy comfort ; " and the peace 
 of God, which surpasseth all understanding, shall 
 keep his heart and mind through Christ Jesus C 
 If the pleasure even of natural knowledge, is great ; 
 how inexpressibly great, must the pleasure of ad- 
 vancing in spiritual knowledge, be ! 
 
 15. If the believer would attain an increase of 
 spiritual, and solid consolation, let him not give 
 ear to the reports of sense. By sense here, is meant, 
 the present frame, or feeling, or perception, of an 
 exercised Christian ; which is either pleasant, or 
 unpleasant, and is continually subject to change. 
 To hearken and trust to the reports of sense, or in 
 other words, to make his feelings or frames, the 
 ground of his faith, or the rule according to which, 
 he regulates his exercise ; renders the faith of the 
 Christian, unsteady, and hinders the growth of it : 
 and if the growth of faith be obstructed, the in- 
 crease of spiritual comfort, will be obstructed like- 
 wise. Sense judges and reports, that he is in a 
 state of grace, and that Christ saveth him, merely, 
 because his feelings are pleasant and comfortable. 
 It concludes that his state is either good or bad, 
 only from what he feels, or from his present frame 
 of spirit. If this be lively and pleasant, sense re- 
 ports that he is in a state of grace, and that Christ 
 is acting the part of a Saviour to him. If, on the 
 
 d 2 Pet. i. 2. e 2 Pet. iii. 18. f Philip, iv. 7. 
 
356 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 contrary, his frame be dull and unpleasant, sense 
 reports that he is not in a state of grace, and that 
 it would be rash and presumptuous in him, to trust 
 that Jesus will save him. Thus the report, which 
 it makes to the believer's conscience, of the state of 
 his soul before God, and of his salvation by Jesus 
 Christ, is not founded on unchangeable grounds, 
 which would set his mind and conscience at rest ; 
 but, on things which are changeable, and which 
 frequently expose him to perplexing doubts and 
 fears. If, instead of making the record of God, he 
 make his lively feelings, the foundation of his faith ; 
 his acting of faith, will be either lively or languid, 
 either more or less, just as these are. If, instead 
 of trusting in Christ, upon the warrant of the offers 
 and calls of the gospel, which is an unchanging, as 
 well as an authentic, warrant, he trust in Christ, 
 upon the ground of his own pleasant feelings, which 
 are perpetually changing ; his exercise of faith must 
 cease, as often as his lively or comfortable frame 
 ceases. Now, how can his faith increase, if it be not 
 daily exercised ? and how can he exercise it daily, if 
 he think that he ought not to exercise it, but upon 
 the ground of a pleasant frame, which he may have 
 to-day, and want to-morrow ; yea, which he may not 
 for a long season, enjoy? If, then, he would by 
 daily actings of faith, derive solid and increasing 
 consolation from the fulness of Christ ; he must no 
 longer ground his actings of faith, upon his feel- 
 ings, but, upon the immutable offers and promises 
 of God who cannot lie. By building his confidence 
 in Christ, upon the reports of sense, he builds it 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 357 
 
 upon a wrong, as well as a changeable, foundation ; 
 and thereby he forfeits his comfort, instead of de- 
 riving an increase of it. Faith cannot derive any 
 increase, either of holiness or comfort, from Christ, 
 except the exercise of it proceed upon its proper 
 ground. It is not the report of sense, but the re- 
 cord of God, that is the true, and the warrantable, 
 ground of saving faith. If the believer, then, 
 would attain solid and increasing consolation, he 
 must allow his faith to stand always, upon the re- 
 cord of God concerning his Son ; for that is the 
 only right ground of confidence in the Son of God, 
 for salvation, and is therefore styled the word of 
 faith. Then will he see that, he has ground still 
 to hold fast his confidence in his faithful Redeemer, 
 when his pleasant frames are gone. Then will he 
 learn, to retain the confidence of his heart, in his 
 Divine Saviour, even when the reports of sense, 
 contradict the report of the gospel ; and, like Abra- 
 ham, " against hope, to believe in hope." And in 
 proportion, as he ceases to ground his confidence in 
 the Lord Jesus, for salvation, upon his comfortable 
 feelings ; he will receive that pure and everlasting 
 consolation from Christ, which will be the pleasant 
 fruit, though not the ground, of his faithA 
 
 s In order to illustrate, as well as to confirm, what has 
 been advanced in this particular, I cannot forbear tran- 
 scribing the most part of a paragraph from Romaine's 
 Life of Faith, p. 6l. — i Sense judges from what it sees, 
 and draws its inferences from what it feels : so that its 
 report to the conscience, either of a believer's state, or of 
 his growth in it, is not from unchangeable things, which 
 would settle the conscience in peace, but from changeable 
 things, which leave room for continual doubting. Sense 
 also looks at the fruits of faith, more than at the object * 
 
358 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 
 16. It will be necessary also, for the same pur- 
 pose, that the believer be always upon his guard 
 against affected sadness. Has he already, some 
 happy measure of true consolation ? Let him shew 
 that he has it, by an habitual cheerfulness of tem- 
 
 of it : and if the believer has been misled, and taught to 
 confound these two together, he Mill be at great uncer- 
 tainty in judging of his state : for instead of making the 
 word of God, he will make his comforts, the ground of 
 his faith ; and as these are more or less, so will his faith 
 be. When he has comfortable feelings, then he will 
 think himself a believer ; and when he has none, then he 
 will think himself an unbeliever, changing his judgment 
 of himself, as his feelings do, like the wind, and varying 
 as his comforts do, like the weather. This is a common 
 case. I have seen the sad effects of it, in the lives of 
 many of my acquaintance, who, from being taught thus 
 to judge of themselves, were tost about for several years, 
 up and down, now comforted, then doubting, and could 
 not get any solid establishment ; till the word and Spirit 
 of God convinced them, that sense was not to be the 
 ground of their believing, nor the object to which they 
 were to look. Sense judges by feeling, and reports what 
 it sees. Sense says, Now I am in the favour of God ; for 
 I feel it. Now he is my God ; for I find him so : I am 
 comforted. Now he demonstrates it to me ; for I feel 
 nearness to him in prayer, and sweet answers. Now I 
 am sure, my duties and services are acceptable ; for I am 
 quite lively in them, and come from them, with warm 
 affections. Now I cannot doubt ; for I feel the assurance 
 of his love to me. And when sense has lost those com- 
 fortable feelings, then it draws contrary inferences — Now 
 I am not in the favour of God; for I do not feel it. 
 Now he is not mj* God ; for I do not find him so : I am 
 not comforted, &c. What can be the issue of this, but 
 continual wavering and changing? For our feelings are 
 sometimes more, sometimes less, as every believer experi- 
 ences. What a state then must he be in, who has no 
 way to judge of himself, but by those changeable things ! 
 What room does he leave for continual doubting, and 
 what trouble and misery, does he thereby bring upon 
 himself, as well as dishonour, to the unchangeableness of 
 God in his nature and promises !' 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 359 
 
 per, and of manner. Let him not, by assuming an 
 air of gloominess, or peevishness, shew to any 
 around him, that he finds no comfort, in a life of 
 communion with the blessed Redeemer. When a 
 believer is not afflicted with trouble of soul, and 
 yet appears habitually dejected and gloomy ; he 
 thereby, in the view of others, gives the lie to the 
 truth of his holy profession, as well as to the truth 
 of God, in his promises of consolation. He there- 
 by, practically declares it to be false, that God " is 
 the God of all comfort," that the Lord Jesus " is 
 the Consolation of Israel," that the Holy Spirit is 
 the Comforter, and that " wisdom's ways are ways 
 of pleasantness." By assuming an air of gloomi- 
 ness, or of peevishness, he, instead of recommending 
 the way of holiness, brings reproach upon that good 
 way. Like the unbelieving spies, who, by bringing 
 up an evil report of the promised land, discouraged 
 the Israelites ; he represents the life of faith and 
 holiness, as an uncomfortable, an unamiable life, 
 and so discourages, more effectually than one can 
 express, sinners around him from trying to enter 
 upon that life. Were he, on the contrary, by an 
 habitual cheerfulness of temper and manner, to ex- 
 hibit the comforts of religion, so far as he possesses 
 them ; he would resemble the faithful spies, who 
 brought with them clusters of the grapes of Canaan, 
 that they might thereby, invite their brethren to 
 enter that good land. It is his duty, as he is in- 
 finitely obliged to the Lord Jesus, to promote al- 
 ways the honour of his glorious name, and the in- 
 terests of his spiritual kingdom, among men. His 
 whole behaviour therefore should be such, as would 
 
360 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 be the means of winning souls to the blessed Re- 
 deemer. The apostle Peter, exhorteth wives to be 
 in subjection to their own husbands ; " that if any 
 obey not the word, they also may, without the 
 word, be won by the conversation of the wives *." 
 A holy man should not only be, but appear to be, 
 habitually cheerful ; that all who know him might, 
 have an opportunity of perceiving, that his blessed 
 Saviour hath made him happy, as well as holy; 
 and that his holy religion, instead of having render- 
 ed him gloomy, hath disposed him to be cheerful. 
 Conscious, that he is under the greatest obligations, 
 to invite others around him, to " taste and see that 
 the Lord is good," let him, henceforth, adopt this 
 resolution of the holy Psalmist : " My soul shall 
 make her boast in the Lord : the humble shall hear 
 thereof, and be glad '." He has cause, indeed, to 
 be always humble and penitent ; but no cause, to 
 appear gloomy. A smiling aspect is comely ; and, 
 doubtless, none have so good reason to be of a 
 cheerful countenance, as the upright in heart. If 
 the believer, then, would have lasting and increas- 
 ing comfort, let him be continually upon his guard, 
 against affected or pretended sadness ; else he will 
 provoke the Lord, to deprive him of his present de- 
 gree of comfort, and to afflict him with real sad- 
 ness. Although he does not always enjoy sensible 
 consolation ; yet he has the root and the habit of 
 it, and has always good cause to rejoice. Let him 
 therefore be always cheerful, and on every occasion 
 shew, that he can distinguish between gravity and 
 
 h 1 Pet. iii. 1. I Psal. xxxiv. 2. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 361 
 
 sullenness, seriousness and gloominess : and let him 
 never appear so ignorant, as once to insinuate it to 
 be right or becoming in any true Christian, to ap- 
 pear habitually sad and sullen. 
 
 17. If the believer would attain increasing tran- 
 quillity of mind, he must frequently examine his 
 heart and conduct ; in order that he may the more 
 clearly discern his evidences of personal interest in 
 spiritual consolation. The more clearly, he per- 
 ceives his personal interest in Christ, and in the 
 covenant of grace ; the higher, will the degree of 
 his holy comfort usually be. The more diligently, 
 he scrutinizes his heart and life, comparing them 
 with the word of God, and the more frequently 
 and clearly, he perceives, in consequence of the 
 witnessing of the Holy Spirit, his evidences of union 
 and communion with Christ ; the more, will his 
 heart be comforted and encouraged ; the more, 
 will he know that he is of the truth, and, with the 
 greater confidence, will he assure his heart before 
 God k . Now, when he has it in view at any time, 
 to examine himself, let him begin it, by renewing 
 his act of trusting in Christ, for all his salvation, as 
 well as, for the joy of that salvation. For, if he 
 begin this inquiry, by fearing that the Lord Jesus 
 will not save him, or by yielding to distrust and 
 despondency; he will be afraid to search deeply 
 into his heart, or to know the worst of himself. 
 But if he begin it, by an act of humble and direct 
 confidence in Christ Jesus, for salvation to himself 
 in particular ; he will be disposed, as well as en- 
 
 k 1 John Hi. 19, 21. 
 
362 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 couraged, to deal impartially with himself: he will 
 be willing to find out the worst, as well as the best, 
 of himself. He will not be afraid to find that his 
 heart, so far as it is unrenewed, is deceitful above 
 all things, and desperately wicked. Besides, by 
 means of that acting of faith, his other graces will 
 be invigorated, and excited to lively exercise ; and 
 the more he exercises them, the more easily, and 
 the more clearly, will he perceive them. Further, 
 let him begin it also, by praying that, the Holy 
 Spirit may shine upon the graces which, he trusts, 
 are implanted in his heart ; and so, " bear witness 
 with his own spirit, that he is a child of God 1 ." 
 He may then proceed to try his graces : and he 
 should try them by their nature, rather than by 
 the degree of their strength or liveliness. Let him 
 more especially examine himself, " whether he be 
 in the faith, and so prove himself™." If he do not 
 discern true faith in his heart ; yet, if he is consci- 
 ous of an earnest desire, to believe cordially in Je- 
 sus Christ, accompanied by frequent endeavours to 
 do so ; he ought to conclude that, he hath some 
 measure of that precious faith. . An earnest and 
 habitual desire of grace, is grace, in the account of 
 God n : and a man's desire of faith, of love, of hope, 
 and of all the other graces of the Spirit, is sincere 
 and earnest ; when he desires them, for their own 
 intrinsic excellence and amiableness, and chiefly, 
 for the glory of God in Christ ; and when, though 
 he do not perceive them, he yet feels his need of 
 them, and is conscious that he desires them, and 
 
 1 Rom. viii. 16. m 2 Cor. xiii. 5. n Matth. v. 6. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 363 
 desires even the perfection of them. Let the be- 
 liever, then, trusting that the Lord Jesus giveth 
 him grace, and that the holy Comforter will, in 
 every time of need, shine upon that grace in his 
 soul, and render it apparent to him ; enter fre- 
 quently, upon the trial of his state and conduct: 
 and if he find but one scriptural evidence of his be- 
 ing in a state of grace, he ought, for his comfort to 
 conclude that, he has all the other evidences of 
 being in it, though he cannot at present, clearly 
 perceive them. Nevertheless, be should frequently 
 pursue the important inquiry, till he have the com- 
 fort of discerning clearly, all his evidences : for the 
 more knowledge he has, of his personal interest in 
 the blessings of salvation, the more consolation, he 
 will enjoy. 
 
 Moreover, let the believer search daily into his 
 heart and life, in order to find out more of his sins\ 
 and of his wants ; that, by a deep and affecting 
 sense of them, he may be urged to apply and plead 
 frequently, the promises of pardon and of sanctifi- 
 eation. This is a necessary mean of « walking in 
 the comfort of the Holy Spirit." 
 
 18. Finally, In order to advance in spiritual con- 
 solation, the believer must endeavour diligently, to 
 mortify his fear of' death. Although death is, by 
 the almighty Redeemer, so disarmed of its sting 
 and strength, that it can do no hurt to any of his 
 redeemed ; yet it is still a dreadful enemy to na- 
 ture. When the exercised Christian thinks of tem- 
 poral death, as armed with the tremendous curse of 
 the violated law, and as a punishment of sin ; it as- 
 sumes even to him, the grim and ghastly visage of 
 
364 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 " the king of terrors." But when he contemplates 
 it, as removed from the curse of the covenant of 
 works, to the promise of the covenant of grace ; as 
 no longer a curse, but a blessing ; and as no more 
 an enemy, but a friend, to all the spiritual seed of 
 Christ; its terror should not make him afraid. 
 The apostle Paul said to the believers at Corinth, 
 " Death is your^s " And concerning himself, he 
 saith, " To me to live is Christ, and to die is 
 gain p. ' 1 John the beloved disciple, " heard a voice 
 from heaven, saying unto him, Write, Blessed are 
 the dead who die in the Lord q." If temporal 
 death, then, is an article in the inventory of the 
 believer's treasure, and if as such, it is his in pro- 
 mise ; if it is gain to him, and a blessing in dis- 
 guise ; why should he any longer, fear it with a 
 slavish dread ? why should he suffer himself so to 
 fear it, as, for a single moment, to lose the small- 
 est degree of his spiritual consolation ? If a good 
 man therefore would subdue, and rise superior to, 
 his fear of death, let him, under the sanctifying in- 
 fluences of the Holy Spirit, study, 1st, To fear sin 
 more and more. As one wedge drives out another, 
 so the godly fear of sinning, expels the slavish fear 
 of dying. 2d, Let him also in the prospect of 
 dying, commit frequently his soul with all the con- 
 cerns of it, to his infinitely merciful and faithful 
 Redeemer ; and let him commit it, with unsus- 
 pecting confidence, to Him ; trusting firmly that, 
 as he is able, so he is willing, " to keep that which 
 he hath committed to him, against the great day." 
 
 * 1 Cor. iii. 22. p Philip i. 81. * Rev. xiv. 13. 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT, $65 
 
 Let him constantly intrust to the Lord Jesus, the 
 safety, the comfort, and the complete salvation, of 
 his precious soul ; and, as often as disquieting fear 
 arises, let him say with the holy Psalmist, " What 
 time I am afraid, I will trust in thee V " None 
 who trust in Him shall be desolate s ." Seeing the 
 great Redeemer, " who liveth for evermore, and 
 who hath the keys of hell and of death," inviteth, 
 and even commanded! the saints, to trust him with 
 their souls, their bodies, and all their concerns; 
 they may rest assured, that he will not deceive 
 their expectation : no ; he will not deceive it ; for 
 he hath promised that, he " will never leave them, 
 nor forsake them K" 3d, The Believer should, for 
 the same purpose, familiarize to his mind, the 
 thoughts of dying, and of his Redeemers glorious 
 victory over death and the grave. He ought to 
 meditate frequently on Christ's having, as his fe- 
 deral Representative, disarmed death to the dying 
 Christian. The almighty Redeemer, hath disarm- 
 ed it of its sting and strength, and so, of all its 
 terror. " The sting of death is sin ; and the 
 strength of sin is the law V Now the Lord Je- 
 sus " hath put away sin 9 by the sacrifice of him- . 
 self;" and he hath perfectly fulfilled the law, by his 
 obedience unto death. Thus he hath, for the true 
 believer, disarmed death of its venomous sting, and 
 at the same time, of its strength or dreadful do- 
 minion. And what hurt, can the most poisonous 
 and frightful monster do to him, when it has en- 
 tirely lost, both its sting and its strength? The 
 
 * Psal. Ivi 3. s Psal. xxxiv. 22. 
 
 1 Heb. xiii. 5. u l Cor. xv. 56. 
 
366 THE MEANS OF INCREASING 
 Redeemer promiseth that, by taking away the 
 sting, and the strength of it, he will be the plague 
 of death, to his dying saints. Nay,, he promiseth 
 that, by raising them up in glory at the last day y 
 he will be the destruction of death, to his dead saints. 
 " I will ransom them," saith he, " from the power 
 of the grave ; I will redeem them from death : O' 
 death, I will be thy plagues ; O grave, I will be 
 thy destruction : repentance shall be hid from mine 
 eyes w ." Accordingly, we read that he " hath 
 abolished death x ;" that is, he hath annulled, or re- 
 duced it to nothing, or so destroyed it to all who 
 believe in him, as to have turned it from a curse 
 to a blessing. How consoling then, how cheering 
 is the thought, that death disarmed, can do no more 
 harm to the dying believer, than if it had been com- 
 pletely annulled ! It can, indeed, separate his soul 
 from his body ; but it cannot separate, either the 
 one or the other, from Him who is the living Re- 
 deemer, the resurrection and the life. The dying 
 of a saint is but a sleeping : it is a sleeping in Je- 
 sus y. Death to him, is but " the shadow of 
 death ;" it is not the substance. It is not the 
 Omega, but the Alpha, of his consummate felicity: 
 he then begins to live, when he begins to die. It 
 is not the end, either of his soul, or of his body, 
 but only a separation between them, for an ap- 
 pointed time. 4th, Let him also study, by an in- 
 creasing diligence, in the exercise of every grace, 
 and in the practice of every duty, to be always ac^ 
 tually, as well as habitually, prepared for death and 
 
 w Ho?, xiii. 14. x 2 Tim. i. 10. y 1 Thess. iv. 14, 
 
IN SPIRITUAL COMFORT. 367 
 
 judgment : for when he, in this manner, gives " all 
 diligence to make his calling and election sure r;" 
 he will, through grace, overcome gradually, the 
 disquieting fear of death and judgment, and will re- 
 joice in hope of eternal life z . 
 
 Thus I have endeavoured to point out, to the 
 exercised Christian, those principal means, of re- 
 taining and increasing spiritual consolation, which 
 he ought diligently to employ. The illustration of 
 such of them, as the disquieted believer, was di- 
 rected to use for the recovery of his forfeited com- 
 fort, I have studied, as far as I could, to diversify. 
 I have only to add that, if the sincere believer use 
 them diligently, and if, instead of resting in them, 
 or depending on his use of them, he rely only upon 
 his great Redeemer, for all grace and consolation ; 
 he will increase in the principle and habit of spi- 
 ritual joy, and will in every time of need, be fa- 
 voured with sensible comfort. 
 
 From what has now been discoursed, the pious 
 reader may easily see that, no other pleasures un- 
 der the sun, are to be compared to those of 'faith and 
 holiness. The pleasure of true religion, or of com- 
 munion with God, far surpasses all the other de- 
 lights of the sons of men. In comparison of other 
 pleasures, it is pleasantness itself, pleasantness in 
 the abstract. The pains of sense, have frequently 
 conquered and destroyed the delights of sense ; but 
 
 z ( Write down the reasons which, at any time, make 
 you afraid to die ; and then endeavour, by faith, prayer, 
 and conversation with experienced Christians, to remove 
 the causes/ Hervey's Rules, &c. 
 
368 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 those pains, instead of having been able to con- 
 quer the delights of faith and holiness, have, in ten 
 thousand instances, been counterbalanced and con- 
 quered by them. And while the pleasures of sense, 
 diminish ; the delights of religion, increase with 
 the using. The longer a holy man continues, and 
 the higher he advances, in the exercise of faith and 
 practice of holiness, the greater and the sweeter, is 
 his delight. Besides, in order to enjoy, and advance 
 in the pleasures of religion ; he is not called to re- 
 linquish any of the pleasures of sense, but such 
 as are sinful, despicable, and productive of misery. 
 Believer, as none hath so much reason to rejoice, as 
 thouj see that thou exercise and " increase thy joy 
 in the Lord." Study to attain an increasing cheer- 
 fulness of disposition, and pleasantness of manner. 
 These, so far as they are spiritual, will greatly pro- 
 mote holiness in thyself, and will so adorn it, as to 
 recommend it much to others. 
 
 Are spiritual knowledge and faith, principal 
 means of advancing in holy consolation ? we may 
 hence infer that, those are usually the sweetest 
 hours in the life of a believer, in which, he has the 
 deepest sense of his need of Christ ; the clearest 
 discoveries of the fulness and suitableness, of the 
 willingness and glory, of Christ ; and the firmest 
 confidence in Christ, for the supply of all his wants. 
 He commonly experiences the most solid comfort, 
 when he is most enabled and excited, to intrust 
 all his spiritual and temporal concerns, to his Di- 
 vine Redeemer ; whose power and grace, whose 
 thoughts and ways, infinitely surpass the highest 
 conceptions of men and angels. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 369 
 
 Those of the saints who have attained much 
 sensible joy, may, from the foregoing particulars, 
 see, how necessary it is for them to take heed, 
 that the height of their joy, do not elate them with 
 pride or seif-sufficwncy. The sensible joy of God's 
 salvation, should never lift them up with self-con- 
 ceit; and the want of such joy, should never cast 
 them down, under disquieting and discouraging 
 fear. The want of sensible joy, should not for a 
 moment, deprive believers of their peaceful tran- 
 quillity of mind. Their serenity of mind should 
 be as great, when they are with Jesus on mount 
 Calvary, sorrowing, as when they are with him 
 on the mount of transfiguration, rejoicing. The 
 proper tendency of sensible joy is, to humble ; but, 
 through the depravity remaining in the heart, it 
 hath not always that effect. Let such believers, 
 therefore, as are favoured with sensible and lively 
 emotions of joy, take heed, that they never delight 
 in them,, so much as in Jesus, the Consolation of 
 Israel ; that they never yield to any temptation 
 to rest in them, or trust on them ; and, that they 
 never think themselves, the more holy, or the 
 more acceptable to ^rod, because of them. The 
 more sensible joy, they experience, the more hum- 
 ble, as well as self-diffident, they should be, and 
 the more u fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." 
 
 Let such believers as, by grace, have attained 
 increasing consolation, learn from what has been 
 said, always to take heed, that they do not suffer 
 their fear of sinning, and of losing their comfort, 
 to degenerate into a perplexing' scrupulousness of 
 conscience. The apostle Peter exhorts believers, 
 *2 
 
370 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 to " pass the time of their sojourning here, in 
 fear a ; r1 that is, in filial fear, which is a fear of 
 sinning against God, their heavenly Father. The 
 Christian, indeed, ought daily to attain more and 
 more of this filial fear ; but he ought also for his 
 comfort, to keep it within its due bounds, and not 
 to suffer it to run out into a vain, and endless 
 scrupulosity of conscience. He should, by study- 
 ing the law of God, concerning sin and duty in 
 every particular case, have his conscience well in- 
 formed. If his persuasion, that this or that which 
 presents itself to be done, is lawful and right, be 
 grounded upon his knowledge of the spirituality, 
 and great extent of that holy law ; his persuasion, 
 in that case, may be full and firm ; and being firm- 
 ly persuaded, that it is according " to the law and 
 to the testimony," he should without scruple, re- 
 solve to do it. But, if his persuasion of the law- 
 fulness of that, which he is requested or disposed 
 to do, be grounded on opinion only ; if he be of 
 opinion merely, that it is agreeable to the law, 
 and so not fully persuaded ; there will always re- 
 main, a secret doubt in his mind, that the contrary 
 is his duty, and not this. In such a case, if the 
 arguments for the lawfulness of it, appear to his 
 judgment, more probable, than those against the 
 lawfulness of it ; he should resolve to do it, with- 
 out suffering his resolution to be shaken by the 
 latter. But, if the arguments against the lawful- 
 ness of it, appear to his mind, more probable, 
 than those for it, or even equally probable; in 
 
 a 1 Pet. i. 17. 
 
 
REFLECTIONS. 371 
 
 that case, doubting the lawfulness of it, he ought 
 not to do it : for the apostle Paul says, " He that 
 doubteth, is damned," or, condemned in his own 
 conscience, and by the word of God, "if he eat, 
 because he eateth not of faith : for whatsoever is 
 not of faith, is sinV He who does, what he him- 
 self does not determine to be lawful and right, but 
 still doubts whether it be so or not, sinneth : for 
 though he does that which may, in itself, and in 
 the sight of God, be materially right, yet he does 
 it not rightly; because he at the time doubteth 
 whether it be lawful or not. In order to prevent 
 his sinning in such cases, he should " be fully per- 
 suaded in his own mind," of the lawfulness of an 
 action, before he resolves to perform it ; and then, 
 he will not condemn himself, in that which he al- 
 lows himself to do. And when he is fully per- 
 suaded, that he may do this or that lawfully, and 
 yet some objections to the contrary, occur to his 
 mind, he ought not to delay doing it, till these 
 difficulties be solved ; for if he do, others may 
 arise. Scruples will multiply, the more they are 
 attended to; and will damp the resolution, and 
 so, mar the comfort of the exercised Christian. 
 
 Has any believer, after having been in the depths 
 of spiritual trouble, not only recovered spiritual 
 consolation, but attained an increase of it ? His 
 duty is, constantly to admire and praise those won- 
 ders of the wisdom, power, faithfulness, and grace 
 of Christ, which he hath seen in those depths e. 
 The floods of trouble, and the waves of terror, did 
 
 b Rom. xiv. 23. c Psal. cvii. 24. 
 
372 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 beat vehemently upon his soul; but the Lord 
 Jesus, who " sitteth upon the flood," hath merci- 
 fully upheld him, and " hath drawn him out of 
 many waters." He hath seen the wonders of the 
 Redeemer's wisdom, in dispensing to him, trouble 
 and comfort, terror and hope, sorrow and joy ; and 
 in teaching him by these means, the malignity and 
 bitterness of sin, and the preciousness and freeness 
 of grace ; the wonders of His power and love, in 
 sustaining his fainting soul, under the pressure of 
 his overwhelming distress ; and the wonders of His 
 mercy and faithfulness, in delivering him from the 
 darkness of desertion, and in brinmnsc him forth 
 to the light of communion with Himself. Let him 
 then, with adoring gratitude, admire and praise 
 these wonders ; and say with the holy Psalmist, 
 " Thou art the God that doeth wonders d ." He 
 ought likewise with holy reverence, and ardent 
 love, to say to his redeeming God, " O Lord, I 
 will praise thee : though thou wast angry with me, 
 thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortest 
 me e :" " Thou hast turned for me, my mourning 
 into dancing : thou hast put off my sackcloth, and 
 girded me with gladness ; to the end that my glory 
 may sing praise to thee ; and not be silent : O 
 Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for 
 ever f ." Be assured, O Christian, that "it is good 
 to sing praises unto our God, for it is pleasant, as 
 well as comely g :" it will infuse a double sweetness 
 into all thy enjoyments. Though the Lord doth 
 not need thy praises, yet he is glorified by them ; 
 
 d Psal. lxxvii. 14. e Isa. xii. 1. f Psal xxx. 11, 12. 
 e Psal. cxlvii. 1. 
 
DIRECTIONS, &c. 873 
 
 and a growing disposition to praise Him, is neces- 
 sary to thy own advancement in spiritual consola- 
 tion. 
 
 To conclude : The Christian, who is favoured 
 with the cheering light of God's gracious counte- 
 nance, may, from what has been discoursed, see 
 that, he is under the highest obligations to be 
 more and more assiduous, in using all the means 
 of obtaining a daily increase of spiritual consola- 
 tion. The sweetness, and especially the useful- 
 ness, of holy comfort, for the purposes of his Re- 
 deemer's glory, should excite him to unwearied 
 diligence, in employing every appointed mean of 
 attaining a daily increase of it. Let him live by 
 faith, grow in grace, and take heed that he do not 
 rest in comfort received, as an evidence of grace. 
 Let him also guard against taking his comfort, 
 from the act, instead of the object, of his faith, of- 
 fered to him in the gospel. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 OF DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING ESTABLISH- 
 MENT IN SPIRITUAL CONSOLATION. 
 
 To be established, is to be settled firmly, or fixed 
 unalterably, in the enjoyment of some privilege, 
 either of a spiritual, or of a temporal kind. By a 
 believer's being established in spiritual comfort, I do 
 not mean, his being so established in a state of 
 grace, as to persevere therein to the end ; (for 
 this is the common privilege of ally who cordially 
 
374 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 believe h ;) but, his being settled firmly in the lia- 
 bit of peaceful tranquillity, and of holy joy ; which 
 is the privilege of those only, who are holy in an 
 eminent degree. An eminently holy man, is esta- 
 blished in solid consolation, when, though he be 
 not often favoured with joyful frames, or lively 
 emotions of delight ; yet, he is blessed with a settled 
 tranquillity of mind, and with a constant inclina- 
 tion of heart, to rejoice in Christ Jesus, and to de- 
 light in God as his God in him. After he has 
 attained settled comfort, his frames, notwithstand- 
 ing, may often change, and his afflictions may be 
 frequent and painful ; but, inasmuch as he trusts 
 in Christ, and delights in the will of God, his in- 
 ward consolation, in times even of great affliction, 
 instead of being lessened, is commonly increased. 
 The more sharp and painful, his trials are, his con- 
 solation is usually the more strong, sensible, and 
 sweet ; and so, his times of outward affliction are 
 for ordinary, the seasons of his greatest inward 
 comfort. The consoling influences, which then 
 are graciously afforded him, serve to render the 
 habit of holy joy in his soul, the more stable, and 
 the exercise of it, the more lively and sensible. 
 Now this is established, and even " everlasting 
 consolation." It is heaven upon earth : it is the 
 earnest, the foretaste, and the beginning, of that 
 celestial, that extatical, that endless delight, which 
 the happy believer is soon to enjoy, in the immedi- 
 ate presence of God and of the Lamb. 
 
 If the exercised Christian would arrive at esta- 
 
 h John x. 28. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 375 
 
 blishment in spiritual comfort, let him, in depend- 
 ance on the grace of Christ, observe diligently the 
 following directions ; which I humbly offer to him, 
 as those which appear to me, to be of all others, 
 the most adapted to his purpose. 
 
 1. Let him endeavour with all diligence, to at- 
 tain establishment in the assurance of faith. By 
 the assurance of faith, is meant, A firm assent of 
 the heart, to the truth of the gospel, and a firm or 
 assured confidence of the heart, in Jesus Christ, for 
 that salvation which is offered and promised in the 
 gospel ; or, A cordial belief of the Divine testimony, 
 and a cordial trust in the Divine Saviour, for the 
 whole of his salvation ; or, in other words, A man's 
 cordial belief of the record of God, with application 
 to himself, and his trusting firmly in Christ, and 
 in God through him, for all that salvation to him- 
 self, which Jesus hath purchased for him, and 
 which God, in the gospel, offereth to him. His 
 assurance of faith, is not an assurance, that Christ 
 hath already saved him ; but it is a trusting, that 
 Christ now saveth him, and that He will save him, 
 with an everlasting salvation i \ it is the simple, the 
 direct confidence of his heart in the adorable Sa- 
 viour, for salvation to himself in particular. It is 
 always the duty, though seldom the attainment^ of 
 the believer, to receive the word, not only in assur- 
 ance, but " in much assurance k ;" and in every act 
 of worship, to draw near to his gracious God and 
 Father, not only in assurance, but " mjull assur- 
 ance of faith J." Now, the way to attain establish « 
 
 1 Acts xv. 11. k l Thess. i. 5. \ Heb. x. 22, 
 
376 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 ment in solid consolation, is, through grace, to be- 
 come established in this assurance of faith. The 
 Christian must, for that end, not merely trust in 
 the Lord Jesus, for complete salvation to himself; 
 but he must endeavour to place & firm trust, a 
 steady affiance, a settled and an assured confidence, 
 in that infinitely faithful Redeemer. It must be 
 his habitual endeavour, to honour the exalted Sa- 
 viour, not only with the confidence of his heart, 
 but with strong, unsuspecting, and unshaken confi- 
 dence. It will be necessary that, under the al- 
 mighty operation of the Holy Spirit, he study di- 
 ligently, to become " established in the faith ;" to 
 u continue in the faith grounded and settled m ;" 
 and to " hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing 
 of the hope, firm unto the end n ." 
 
 By being established in the assurance or confi- 
 dence of faith, the exercised Christian attains es- 
 tablishment in spiritual comfort. His establishment 
 in faith, does not indeed merit for him, establish- 
 ment in consolation ; but the latter, is in propor- 
 tion to the former, and is inseparably connected 
 with it. Hence are these declarations of Scrip- 
 ture : " If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not 
 be established °.' >1 " Believe in the Lord your God, 
 so shall you be established p ." " Thou wilt keep 
 him in perfect peace, Heb. in peace, peace, whose 
 mind is stayed on thee; because he trusteth in 
 thee O To stay the mind on the Lord Jesus, is 
 to repose ajirm or settled confidence in him. Now 
 the compassionate Saviour, will not suffer such a 
 
 ra Col. i. 23. n Heb. iii. 6. ° Isa. vii. 9- 
 
 p 2 Chron. xx. 20. * Isa. xxvi. 3. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 377 
 
 resolute believer, to continue oppressed and tossed 
 with disquietude of soul ; but He will, on the con- 
 trary, " keep him in peace, peace ;" that is, in all 
 manner of peace, or in great, settled, and durable 
 peace. This is the happy attainment of the man, 
 " who feareth the Lord, who delighteth greatly in 
 his commandments." " He shall not be afraid of 
 evil tidings : his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord. 
 His heart is established, he shall not be afraid *." 
 Such joy is in believing, or at least such peace, 
 such undisturbed quietness, as is in no other thing 
 in the world. It is, by means of his inward and 
 assured confidence in the love, and care, and faith- 
 fulness, of his great Redeemer, that the advanced 
 believer is carried wonderfully, and sweetly, through 
 all the outward vicissitudes of life. By trusting 
 firmly in his exalted Lord, his heart is fixed, 
 amidst all the tumults and changes of this world. 
 The hearts of other men, are unstaid ; and there- 
 fore, they are agitated by every rumour, as the 
 leaves of a tree are shaken by the wind, or even 
 " as the ehafF which the wind driveth away s ." 
 But, as no tidings of calamity, can shake the con- 
 fidence of that man, whose faith is established on 
 the Rock of his salvation ; so none can disturb the 
 tranquillity of his heart. He shall be enabled to 
 say, If afflictions do come, u my heart is fixed :" 
 " God is the strength of my heart, and my portion 
 for ever * :" " I know in whom I have believed : 
 I trust that, he will keep that which I have com- 
 mitted to him;" and that, he will perform these 
 
 r Psal. cxii. 1, 7, 8. s Psal. i. 4. * Psal. Ixxiii. 26. 
 
378 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 great promises to me : " As thy days so shall thy 
 strength be" :" " I will be with him in trouble; 
 I will deliver him, and honour him V Thus the 
 advanced believer, attains established comfort ; for 
 the confidence of his heart, is firmly fixed on 
 Christ, and on the promises. He believes that, 
 the Lord Jesus can and will, sweeten every bitter, 
 make up every loss, and make all things work to- 
 gether for good to him ; and so, he trusts simply 
 to the promise and power of the Redeemer, beyond, 
 and even against, appearances. Having but one 
 Object, to rely and live upon, for all things in 
 time and in eternity, his heart is fixed ; his com- 
 fort is established. Come what will, he is " upon 
 the mountain of the Lord's house," where he looks 
 down with calmness of spirit, upon all the commo- 
 tions beneath : and if the storm threaten himself, 
 he intrusts all to Him, who in one moment can say, 
 " Peace, be still." Indeed, were his trust in the 
 Rock of his salvation, as firm, as his spiritual state 
 is secure ; his holy joy, would almost be equal to 
 that of one of the ransomed above. 
 
 % Believers, in order to arrive at established 
 comfort, must also study to be rooted and grounded 
 in love. The apostle Paul, in his epistle to the 
 saints at Ephesus, informed them that he offered 
 up this prayer for them ; " That ye, being rooted 
 and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend 
 with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and 
 depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, 
 which surpasseth knowledge, that ye may be filled 
 
 u Deut. xxxiii. 25. w Psal. xci. 15. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 379 
 
 with all the fulness of God x ." To be rooted and 
 grounded in love is, to be deeply fixed, and firmly 
 established in love. Saints are rooted and ground- 
 ed in love, when they are deeply and firmly fixed, 
 in an experimental knowledge, and an assured faith, 
 of Christ's infinite love to them, and in the exercise 
 of grateful, and ardent love to Him ; or when, in 
 the faith and sense of his redeeming love to them, 
 they are confirmed, or firmly settled and strength- 
 ened, in the habit and exercise of their supreme 
 love to him, and to God in him. They may be 
 said to be rooted and grounded in love, when the 
 faith of Christ's love to them, and the habit of their 
 love to him, are firmly rooted and strengthened in 
 their souls. 
 
 Now, in order to be established in spiritual con- 
 solation, the believer must be established by the 
 Holy Spirit, in his love to Christ, and to God as 
 his God in him. Supreme love to God, is the 
 principal grace, the spring of all the other graces 
 in a holy soul. It is, in particular, the principle 
 of spiritual joy. In proportion as a holy man loves 
 the Lord, and enjoys communion with Him, he 
 delights and rejoices in him. He delights and re- 
 joices in all his perfections, and in all the manifest- 
 ed glory of them. He rejoices in the works and in 
 the word of the Lord. He delights in his precep- 
 tive and providential will ; and in his holy image, 
 whether he discerns it in himself, or in others. The 
 infinite loveliness and love of God in Christ, are 
 objects of his supreme delight. If, therefore, he 
 
 x Eph. iii. 17—19. 
 
380 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 is always loving and enjoying God, he is always in 
 the same proportion, delighted ; and in proportion 
 as he is delighted, he of course must be comfort- 
 able. If he is established in the faith of God's love 
 to him, and in the exercise, as well as in the habit, 
 of his love to God ; he shall in the same degree, 
 be established in Divine consolation. It will be an 
 inexpressible comfort to him, to reflect that He, 
 upon whom he hath set the supreme love of his 
 heart, is infinitely worthy of it. Besides, when he 
 is established in his unfeigned love of God, he is 
 proportionably confirmed in his hatred of all sin ; 
 and in proportion as he is firm in his holy abhor- 
 rence of all iniquity, he is established in holy com- 
 fort. To be established, therefore, in supreme love 
 to God and Christ, is the way to become establish- 
 ed in the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Hence are 
 these words of the apostle Paul, to the believers at 
 Colosse ; " I would that ye knew what great con- 
 flict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and 
 for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh ; 
 that their hearts might be comforted, being knit 
 together in love y :" as if he had said, ( I wrestle 
 with God in prayer for all the saints, that, as they 
 already are firmly cemented together in cordial af- 
 fection to Christ, and to one another ; so, their 
 hearts may be filled abundantly with holy consola- 
 tion.' He prayed for the latter as a consequence 
 of the former. Love is the most delightful affec- 
 tion of the soul. When therefore it is set upon 
 the Lord Jesus, who is altogether lovely, and who 
 
 y Col. ii. 1, 2. 
 

 ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 381 
 
 is, for that reason, the most deserving of it ; the 
 more fixed and strengthened it is, in the heart, the 
 greater, must the delight, and the stronger, the 
 consolation be, which it will produce. According- 
 ly, when our Apostle said, " Who shall separate 
 us from the love of Christ z ?" it was with holy 
 joy, and even with triumph, that he expressed 
 those words. O how inexpressibly delightful and 
 cheering is it, constantly to love, and always to 
 be loved by, Him who is " the chiefest among 
 ten thousand, and altogether lovely ," yea, — love 
 itself! 
 
 3. It will be necessary, for the same purpose, 
 that the exercised Christian, be established in hu- 
 mility and meekness. 
 
 He must be established in true humility ', or evan- 
 gelical humiliation of mind. True humility is, the 
 deep and abasing sense, which a good man has, of 
 his odiousness as a sinner, in the sight of God, of 
 his vileness as a sinful creature, and of his utter 
 insufficiency for his own salvation, and that, ac- 
 companied by poverty of spirit. It is a true sight 
 and sense of the hatefulness of all sin, and of his 
 own odiousness because of sin, attended with a dis- 
 position to abase himself, and to exalt his God and 
 Saviour alone a . In evangelical humiliation, he is 
 made, not only to despair of ever being able to 
 help himself, but, to renounce himself in every 
 point of view, and freely to prostrate himself at the 
 feet of Jesus Christ. He hath self-abasing views 
 of himself, as an unworthy sinner, and admiring 
 
 2 Rom. viii. 35. a Isa. ii. 11. 
 
382 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 views of the Lord Jesus, as an all-sufficient Savi- 
 our. He has also a quick perception of his own 
 defects and defilements, and especially of the pride 
 of his heart. He is therefore like a little child, 
 afraid of taking a single step, alone ; and he is so 
 conscious of weakness and depravity within, and 
 of snares and dangers without, as to cry continual- 
 ly to the Lord, to " hold him up that he may be 
 safe." He is disposed to think that, his attain- 
 ments in holiness, are comparatively small, and to 
 count himself little among saints, yea, even one 
 of the very least of saints. And the more he in- 
 creases in humility b , the more does he see and feel, 
 the strength of his corruptions, and the weakness 
 of his graces ; the greatness of his natural defor- 
 mity, and the smallness of his spiritual attain- 
 ments, in comparison of what they ought to be; the 
 deep and dreadful malignity of the least of his sins, 
 and the inexpressible meanness and deficiency of 
 the greatest of his performances. Hence, he be- 
 comes proportionably poor in spirit, and disposed, 
 in lowliness of mind, to esteem other saints, better 
 than himself c . Now, to advance to eminence and 
 establishment in true humility d , is a special mean 
 
 b The saints increase in humility, the nearer they get 
 to heaven. Paul, some years after his conversion, said 
 of himself, That he was, " unworthy to be called an 
 Apostle." As he advanced in holiness, he cried out, 
 " Less than the least of all saints." A little before his 
 death, his cry is " The chief of sinners." 
 
 c Philip, ii. 3. 
 
 d ' Should any one,' says Augustine, ' ask me con- 
 cerning the Christian religion, and the people of it, I 
 would answer, That the first, the second, and the third 
 thing in it, and all, is — humility' 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 383 
 
 of attaining establishment in pure consolation. 
 " Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect 
 unto the lowly V " Thus saith the high and 
 lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is 
 holy, I dwell in the high and holy place ; with 
 him also, that is of a contrite and humble spirit, 
 to revive the spirit of the humble '*" " He that 
 humbleth himself shall be exalted g." u Whoso- 
 ever therefore shall humble himself, as this little 
 child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of hea- 
 ven h ." Deep humility is, as it were, the guard of 
 spiritual consolation, as well as, the soil in which it 
 grows. 
 
 It is no less necessary for the same end, that the 
 believer grow, and be established, in meekness. To 
 be meek, is to be of a mild, soft, and gentle spirit. 
 The Christian, by " putting on the new man, 
 which is created in righteousness and true holiness," 
 puts on " the ornament of a meek and quiet spi- 
 rit 1 . 11 He is meek in proportion as he is holy. 
 Meekness is so much the character of every saint, 
 that in Scripture, the meek and the wicked, are 
 opposed one to another. " The Lord lifteth up 
 the meek : he casteth the wicked down to the 
 ground k ." In proportion as a good man is meek, 
 he is of a loving, a merciful, and a forgiving dis- 
 position. At the feet of Jesus, he has learned to 
 be meek and lowly in heart ; and therefore he is 
 not captious, nor easily provoked, nor hard to be 
 reconciled. If he meet with unkind and unjust 
 usage, he recollects that, though he has not de- 
 
 e Psal. cxxxvni. 6. f Isa. Ivii. 15. & Lukexiv. 11. 
 b Matth. xvdii. 4. ■ * 1 Pet. iii. 4. k Psal. cxlvii. 6. 
 
 7 
 
384 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 served such treatment from men ; yet, they are 
 often the instruments employed by his heavenly 
 Father, to chasten, and to humble him. Now it 
 is in proportion as the Christian advances in holy 
 meekness, that, he increases in pure consolation ; 
 and it is in as far as he is established in the former, 
 that he is established in the latter. " The meek 
 shall inherit the earth ; and shall delight themselves 
 in the abundance of peace 1 ." They shall inherit 
 the earth. The earth, empty and transitory as it 
 is, will be worthy to be styled an inheritance to 
 them ; for they shall enjoy much of heaven upon 
 earth. The more of a meek and quiet spirit, they 
 attain, the more shall they enjoy themselves and 
 their earthly comforts ; and the more quietly and 
 comfortably, shall they pass through the world, 
 whatever their lot in it may be. " Learn of me," 
 saith the Lord Jesus, " for I am meek and lowly 
 in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls **f 
 He also promiseth that, " the meek shall eat and 
 •be satisfied n ;" and that, " the meek shall increase 
 their joy in the Lord <>." 
 
 4. If the believer would reach establishment in 
 spiritual comfort, he must study daily to grow in 
 grace. It must be his earnest and continual en- 
 deavour, in the faith of God's free favour to him, 
 to grow stronger and stronger in the habit, and to 
 abound more and more in the exercise, of every 
 grace implanted by the Holy Spirit in his soul. 
 By so doing, spiritual declension and the loss of 
 comfort will under sanctifying and consoling influ- 
 
 1 Psal. xxxvii. 11. m Matth. xi. 29- 
 
 n Psal. xxii. 26. ° Isa. xxix. 19- 
 
 1 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 385 
 
 ences, be happily prevented. The apostle Peter, 
 in order to prevent the believers to whom he wrote, 
 from being so led away with the error of the wicked, 
 as to fall from their own stedfastness directed them 
 to " grow in grace p." Believers, " holding the 
 head, and having nourishment ministered," ought 
 in point of duty, as well as of privilege, to " in- 
 crease with the increase of God q." It is their duty, 
 to " grow up into Christ who is the head," not only 
 in all things, but at all times *. Their path should 
 always be " as the morning light, that shineth 
 more and more unto the perfect day *." They 
 ought at all times, to grow inwardly, by faith and 
 love, cleaving more firmly to Christ the head of 
 gracious influences ; to grow outwardly, by being 
 more and more fruitful in good works t ; to grow 
 upward, in heavenly mindedness, and joy in God u ; 
 and to grow downward, in humility, and self-de- 
 nial w . To grow thus in grace, and to grow con- 
 tinually in it, is the sure way to attain establish- 
 ment in spiritual comfort. For, the more a holy 
 man advances in grace, the firmer do his habits of 
 grace become ; and the firmer they are, the more 
 " his heart is established with grace x ." The more 
 it is established with grace, the more is he esta- 
 blished in the truth, so as to M continue in the faith 
 grounded and settled r ;" and the more this is the 
 case with him, the more is " his heart established 
 unblameable in holiness \" But, in proportion as 
 
 p 2 Pet. iii. 18. i Col. ii. 19- r Eph. iv\ 15. 
 
 s Prov. iv. 18. * Tit. iii. 8. u Philip, iii. 20. 
 
 w Hos. xiv. 5. x Heb. xiii. 9. y Col. i. 23. 
 a 1 Thess.iii. 13. 
 
386 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 His heart is established in holiness, which com- 
 prises joy, and which is the only true felicity of 
 an immortal soul ; it is established in holy consola- 
 tion. 
 
 5. It will be necessary, for the same purpose, 
 that he be continually upon his guard against sin- 
 ning, in his use and enjoyment of lawful things. 
 The believer may assure himself, that "he pursues 
 and uses lawful things, in an unlawful manner ; — if 
 he desire them, or enjoy them, immoderately ; if he 
 love any of them so passionately, as to have his 
 heart inflamed with it a , and to be hindered by it, 
 from the vigorous exercise of grace, or the spi- 
 ritual performance of duty ; if his desire and en- 
 deavour, to obtain the enjoyment of some outward 
 comforts, become ardent, and render him impa- 
 tient b ; so that he begins to say, 8 I must have 
 such and such a thing, whatever it may cost me ;' 
 if his heart become so fond, and so tender, of any 
 of his earthly comforts, as not to be able to endure 
 the thought, that either the word, or the rod of 
 God, should come so near as to touch it c ; if he 
 entertain hopes of high satisfaction from any out- 
 ward enjoyment, or promise himself more profit or 
 pleasure from it, than it is fitted to afford d ; if, 
 when the Lord is by his providence, calling for 
 some one of his earthly comforts, he be so very un- 
 able and unwilling to resign it, as to become impa- 
 tient and fretful, and to render it necessary that it 
 be forced from him ; if he become so anxious about 
 the good things of this life, as to be often ready to 
 
 a Isa: lvii. 5. b Gen. xxx. 1. 
 
 c 2 Sam. xviii. 5. d Jer. ii. IS. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 39? 
 
 say, " What shall I eat ? or, What shall I drink ? 
 or, Wherewithal shall I be clothed e ?" and if, when 
 the Lord hath been visiting him with some special 
 dispensation, in order to wean him from earthly 
 enjoyments, his heart be still cleaving to them : if, 
 I say, he pursue or use earthly comforts, in any of 
 those ways, he so uses them as to abuse them. 
 He uses lawful things, in an unlawful manner ', and 
 so transgresses the law of God. He sets them 
 up as idols in his heart ; and, by his inordinate 
 and undue affection to them, he impairs his inward 
 consolation, and provokes his heavenly Father, 
 even to leave him for a season, without the com- 
 fort of communion with Him. Now, the love of 
 earthly things, and the deceitfulness of sin, which 
 remain in the heart of the believer, are such, that 
 they will continually expose him to the danger, of 
 sinning in one or other of those ways, in his pur- 
 suit or use of lawful things. If, then, he would 
 advance to establishment in spiritual comfort, he 
 must continually take heed, that he do not, in a 
 sinful manner, pursue and enjoy lawful comforts. 
 It will be necessary, that he be at all times, " so- 
 ber and vigilant ;" lest he at any time, so love the 
 world, as to use lawful things in a sinful manner. 
 And it must be his constant endeavour, through 
 grace, so to use his outward comforts, as to enjoy 
 the inward comfort of communion with Christ, in 
 his use of them. He must always live above them, 
 and never place his happiness in them. He ought, 
 to keep them constantly in their own place ; and to 
 
 e Matth. vi. 31. 
 
388 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 value them, not so much for themselves, as for the 
 opportunities and facilities, which they afford him, 
 of glorifying his God and Saviour. 
 
 6. In order to be established in pure consolation, 
 it will be no less necessary, that the Christian be 
 firmly fixed in his resolution and endeavour, to 
 avoid those places, and that company, which appear 
 to have even a remote tendency, to draw him into 
 sin. He must for that purpose, be always firm in 
 his resolution, never without evident necessity, or 
 a clear providential call, to be present in the com- 
 pany of worldly and wicked men ; and when at 
 any time, he hath such a call, never to stay longer 
 in their company, than till his business with them, 
 be transacted. He ought on all occasions to shew 
 them, that he loves their persons, but not their 
 company ; and, that he is ready to do them all the 
 good that he can, but not to countenance them in 
 any evil. It must also be his firm resolution, never 
 to venture into their company, how clear soever 
 his call be, till after he have intrusted his temper, 
 his manner, and his object, to that Saviour who 
 " preserveth the souls of his saints *;" and who 
 hath said to each of them, " I will teach thee in 
 the way which thou shalt go : I will guide thee 
 with mine eye s." It is his duty to maintain con- 
 stantly, a holy jealousy over himself; and, having 
 tasted the sweetness of heavenly consolation, to live 
 as distant as possible, from the ensnaring society 
 of worldly men. As he cannot approach too near 
 to God, so he cannot stand at too great a distance 
 
 f Psal. xcvii. 10. * Psal. xxxii. 8. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMPORT. 389 
 
 from sin. It will not therefore be enough for him, 
 to keep himself merely from acts of sin : he must 
 endeavour constantly, to "abstain even from all 
 appearances of evil, 11 and from that company, and 
 those amusements, which have even a remote ten- 
 dency to lead him into sin. Such conduct will, 
 indeed, expose him to the contempt and ridicule of 
 ungodly men. Some will account him, a designing 
 hypocrite ; others, a precise formalist ; and others, 
 a weak and gloomy enthusiast. Be it so : " his 
 witness is in heaven, and his record is on high V 1 
 He can say that, never till he believed in Jesus 
 Christ, did he know what it was, to enjoy real 
 pleasure, or true satisfaction. He can from expe- 
 rience attest that, communion with Christ in his 
 redeeming love and grace, is so delightful, so cheer- 
 ing, that one who has tasted the sweetness of it, 
 cannot but desire more and more of it, in prefe- 
 rence to all the mean gratifications, the polluted 
 delights, of carnal men. The men of the world ? 
 therefore, should cease to wonder, if the experien- 
 ced Christian so conduct himself, as to evince on 
 all occasions, his firm resolution, to prefer the mar- 
 row and fatness of pure consolation, before the 
 husks of vanity and sin. Indeed, such a resolu- 
 tion, manifested by a suitable conduct, is indispen- 
 sably necessary to established comfort: for, though 
 the former doth not merit the latter, yet the one is 
 inseparably connected with the other. The more 
 firmly fixed, a saint is, in his holy resolution and 
 endeavour, always to avoid whatever hath a known 
 
 h Job xvi. 19. 
 
390 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 tendency to draw him into sin ; the more establish- 
 ed, shall he be, in his enjoyment, of everlasting con- 
 solation. " I have not sat with vain persons, 11 says 
 the holy Psalmist,. " neither will I go in with dis- 
 semblers. I have hated the congregation of evil- 
 doers ; and I will not sit with the wicked K" And 
 again, " Blessed is the man, that walketh not in 
 the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the 
 way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scorn- 
 ful. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers 
 of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his sea- 
 son : his leaf also shall not wither ; and whatso- 
 ever he doth shall prosper. The ungodly are not 
 soV 1 
 
 7. If the advanced Christian, would arrive at 
 establishment in spiritual comfort, he must attain 
 some degree of establishment in the assurance of 
 sense. The assurance of sense, is an assurance of 
 vital union with Christ, or of personal interest in 
 him, founded on scriptural evidences thereof. It 
 is the believer's certain knowledge of his being 
 united to Christ, and is built on the sense or expe- 
 rience, which he has, of his possessing those evi- 
 dences of union and communion with Christ, which 
 are stated in the Scriptures. In this place, I shall 
 take notice only of three of those evidences. 
 
 1st, Saving faith, is a sure evidence of union 
 with Jesus Christ. Whilst, according to the co- 
 venant of grace, faith is the instrument of vital 
 union with the second Adam ; it is at the same 
 time, an evidence of that union. " He that eat- 
 
 1 Psal. xxvi. 4, 5. k Psal. i. l s 3, 4. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 391 
 
 eth my flesh," saith the Lord Jesus, " and drink- 
 eth my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him 1 .'" 
 u Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believetb 
 on me hath everlasting life m . M <c He that believ- 
 eth, and is baptized, shall be saved ».?' If an ex- 
 ercised Christian, have just and distinct views of 
 the nature of true faith, as declared in the Scrip- 
 tures ; if he clearly understand, what it is to be- 
 lieve Christ, and what it is to believe in him ; and 
 if, at the same time, his actings of faith be direct 
 and lively ; he will, under the witnessing of the 
 Holy Spirit, be less or more conscious of them. 
 He will be enabled to reason thus : " He who be- 
 lieveth on Jesus Christ, dwelleth in him, and hath 
 everlasting life ° :" but I am conscious that I be- 
 lieve on him : therefore I dwell in him, and have 
 the beginnings of eternal life. Whosoever belie v- 
 eth on the Lord Jesus, is united to him, and 
 " shall be saved p :" but I believe on him : there- 
 fore I am united to him, and I shall be saved. 
 And in order to be satisfied, that his actings of faith, 
 are unfeigned, or not hypocritical q ; let him, in 
 dependance on the enlightening influences of the 
 Spirit of truth, attend carefully to the distinctions, 
 marked in the sacred Volume, between a true, and 
 a counterfeit faith. There he shall find that, if a 
 man, convinced of his sin and misery, believe the 
 record of God, with application to himself, and 
 with cordial approbation of the whole plan of re- 
 demption by Jesus Christ ; that, if he trust in 
 Jesus for salvation, not upon the ground of pre- 
 
 1 John vi. 56. m John vi. 47. n Mark xvi. lo\ 
 
 ° John vi. 46, 47- p Acts xvi. 31. 9 1 Tim. i. 5, 
 
S92 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 vious qualifications in himself, but solely upon the 
 warrant afforded by the gospel-offer, call, and com- 
 mandment to believe on the name of Jesus Christ r ; 
 that, if he rely, not like the hypocrite, partly on 
 his own performances, and partly on the righteous- 
 ness of Christ, but on the righteousness of Christ 
 only, for all his title to eternal life ■ ; that, if he 
 trust in the Saviour, not for salvation in sin, or 
 to sin, as the hypocrite does, but for salvations/row 
 all iniquity, and especially from the sin that easily 
 besets him, or in other words, for the whole of sal- 
 vation 1 ; that, if he trust for that salvation only, 
 which is wholly of sovereign grace, and in which, 
 the glory of redeeming grace, is most illustriously 
 displayed u ; and that, if his faith work by love, 
 and purify the heart : — there he shall find, I say, 
 that, if a man exercise this faith, and be conscious 
 that he exercises it, he may consider it as a good 
 evidence, that he is united to Christ, and interest- 
 ed in his righteousness and salvation. That is 
 ** the faith of God's elect." It is " a believing 
 with the heart unto righteousness w ;" " a trust- 
 ing in the Lord with all the heart x ;" and, there- 
 fore, when the Holy Comforter shineth upon it, as 
 his own work in the soul, it cannot fail to be a 
 comfortable evidence to the Christian, that he is 
 in a state of grace. 
 
 2d, Unfeigned love to God, and to the saints, is 
 also a sure evidence of union and communion 
 
 r John iii. 27 and iv. 10. 8 Rom. ix. 31, 32. 
 
 Philip, iii. 9- l 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. Lam. iii. 26. 
 
 2 Tim. iv. 18. * Acts xv. 11. w Rom. x. 10. 
 
 * Prov. iii. 5. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 393 
 with Christ. " He that loveth me" saith the Lord 
 Jesus, " shall be loved of my Father, and 1 will 
 love him, and will manifest myself to him f" 
 <s If any man love God, the same is known of 
 him 2 ." " He that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in 
 God, and God in him a ." " Every one that lov- 
 eth, is born of God, and knoweth God b ." If, 
 then, a man love Christ and God in him, for 
 his infinite loveliness in himself, as well as for his 
 redeeming love to him ; if he love all of God, all 
 his perfections, and especially his holiness, all his 
 purposes and providential dispensations, all his pre- 
 cepts, promises, and ordinances, and that, chiefly 
 because they are holy ; if he love God supremely, 
 setting Him upon the throne in his affections ; and 
 if he lament sincerely, that he does not love him 
 more : such love, is a good evidence to him, that 
 he is " an heir of God, and a joint heir with 
 Christ" A pious mother dearly loves her sucking 
 child ; but she never complains, that she loves it 
 too little: whereas, she often laments, that she 
 loves the Lord Jesus too little, and often fears, 
 that she loves her infant more, or at least as much, 
 as she loves Him. But these complaints and fears 
 are proofs, that her affection to her Saviour, is 
 greater, than it is. to her child. They shew, that 
 she sees much more reason to love and admire 
 Him, than to love the most amiable of creatures ; 
 and, that she wishes to esteem Him, and to delight 
 in him, more than in any creature. The more a 
 saint feels, and bitterly bewails, the coldness of his 
 
 y John xiv. 21. * 1 Cor. viii. 3. 
 
 a 1 John iv. 16. b 1 John iv. 7. 
 
 R2 
 
394 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 affection, or the sinful deficiency of his love to his 
 God and Saviour; the more evidence has he, of 
 the sincerity of his love to him. The hypocrite 
 pretends to love the Lord, but he never loathes him- 
 self in his own sight, for loving him too little ; for 
 he thinks that he loves him a great deal, and is 
 even proud of the greatness of his love to him. 
 Whereas the sincere believer, knowing that it 
 is a sinful, an abominable defect, not to love Him, 
 even in a 'perfect degree ; loathes himself often in 
 secret, for the criminal imperfection of his love to 
 him. ? 
 
 Unfeigned love to the brethren^ flowing from su- 
 preme love to God, is likewise a sure evidence of 
 union and communion with Christ. " By this 
 shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye 
 have love one to another <*." " We know that we 
 have passed from death unto life, because we love 
 the brethren d ." " My little children, let us not 
 love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in 
 truth. And hereby we know that we are of the 
 truth, and shall assure our hearts before him c ." 
 " If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and 
 his love is perfected in us f ." If, then, a man be 
 conscious that, whilst he loves all others, as crea- 
 tures of God, with a love of benevolence^ he loves all 
 the saints, with a love of complacence ; that, he 
 regards all, with cordial esteem and affection, to 
 what denomination soever they belong, who appear 
 to be saints of the Most High ; that, he is pleased 
 
 c John xiii,^5. d 1 John iii. 14. 
 
 e 1 John iii. 18, 19- f 1 John iv. 12. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 395 
 
 with them, and delighted in their company, not 
 so much because they are generous, or kind, or 
 serviceable to him, as because they are holy and 
 devout ; that, he loves them, not so much for their 
 upright, peaceable, and courteous demeanour, or 
 for their charity, fidelity, and usefulness in society, 
 as for the truth's sake which dwelleth in them, 
 and for the holy image of the Son of God, which 
 shines forth in their conversation ; and that, he 
 regards them, in proportion to the degrees of holi- 
 ness which appear in them, with such affectionate 
 kindness and tenderness, as to be always careful, 
 not to hurt, nor neglect, nor offend them : if, I say, 
 he be conscious that he thus loves the saints, he 
 may consider such love of them, as a comfortable 
 evidence, that he himself is one of their number. 
 He may for his comfort, conclude that, his love of 
 the image of Christ in others, is a valid proof of the 
 grace and image of Christ in himself. For, as no 
 saint can love a sinner as a sinner g ; so no hypo- 
 crite or sinner, can love a saint, as a saint, how 
 much soever, he may regard him with affection on 
 other accounts. 
 
 3d, The practice of universal holiness, or obedi- 
 ence of heart and life, to all the commandments of the 
 mwal law as a rule of life, is likewise, a sure evi- 
 dence of a man's union and communion with Christ. 
 " He that hath my commandments, and heepeth 
 them," saith the Lord Jesus, " he it is that loveth 
 me h ." " Therefore, whosoever heareth these say- 
 ings of mine, and doth them, I will liken him unto 
 
 g Psal. cxxxix. 21, 22. h John xiv. 21. 
 
396 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 a wise man who built his house upon a rock 1 ." 
 And the apostle John : " Hereby we do know that 
 we know him, if we keep his commandments." 
 " Whoso keepeth his word, in him, verily, is the 
 love of God perfected : hereby know we that we 
 are in him k ." " He that keepeth his command- 
 ments, dwetteth in him, and he in him K™ The be- 
 haviour, or practice of every man, who is vitally 
 united to the holy Jesus, is universally conformed 
 to the law as a rule of duty. Such a holy practice, 
 is the grand business of his life ; the business in 
 which, he is chiefly engaged, and which, he pur- 
 sues with more earnestness and diligence, than he 
 does, any other. His understanding is divinely 
 enlightened, to see the transcendent beauty of ho- 
 liness, his will is renewed, to choose holiness, and 
 his affections are sanctified, to love, desire, and de- 
 light in it. He is also constrained by the love, 
 commanded by the law, and enabled by the Spirit, 
 of Christ, to be " holy in all manner of conversa- 
 tion m ." He, therefore, makes the constant prac- 
 tice of universal holiness, his choice, his delight, 
 and in an eminent degree, his employment. Re- 
 lying on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for all 
 his title to eternal life, trusting in Christ for con- 
 tinual supplies of grace, and aiming in all his per- 
 formances, at the glory of God; he perseveres, 
 through all changes, and under all trials, in the 
 love and practice of universal holiness, to the end 
 of life. He may indeed be left to be guilty, in 
 some degree, of spiritual declension, and may be 
 
 * Matth. vii- 24. k 1 John ii. 3, 5. 
 
 » 1 John iil 24. m 1 Pet. i. 15. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMPORT. 897 
 suffered to yield so far to some temptations, as even 
 to fall occasionally into great sins; but, he shall 
 never be permitted so to fall, that it will cease to 
 be his manner, even in the most difficult situations, 
 to perform sincerely, all duties required of him, 
 even the most hard. 
 
 Now, when a man is conscious that, relying on 
 the surety-righteousness of Jesus Christ, for all 
 his title to life eternal, that, trusting in Christ, for 
 all promised supplies of sanctifying grace, and be- 
 lieving the love which God hath to him, he is ena- 
 bled, cordially to perform obedience to all the com- 
 mandments of Christ ; when he finds that, he is 
 enabled to yield universal obedience, not, that it 
 may secure him from hell, or entitle him to heaven, 
 not merely, because he is bound to perform it, but 
 because he is constrained by the love of Christ, and, 
 because he wishes and delights, and resolves to do 
 it ; when he is conscious that, he pursues and prac- 
 tises universal holiness, according to the law as a 
 rule, from principles of supreme love to God, and 
 of unfeigned gratitude to Jesus Christ, who fulfilled 
 all righteousness for him, according to the same 
 law as a covenant ; and, when he knows by expe- 
 rience, that he has been enabled, under manifold 
 trials, resolutely to cleave to Christ and his word, 
 and habitually to make the glory of Christ, and of 
 God in Him, the chief end of all his performances : 
 -—he ought to consider this holy obedience, as a 
 sure, a distinguishing evidence, that he is united to 
 the Lord Jesus. Indeed, universal holiness of 
 heart and of life, is the most sure, the most unex- 
 ceptionable, evidence of a personal interest in Christ. 
 
398 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 It is the sign of signs, the chief of all the signs of 
 grace. No faith, is an evidence of union with 
 Christ, but that which is made perfect by works n . 
 No love, is a sign of it, but that which is perfected 
 in keeping his word °. Holy practice, is the high- 
 est evidence of connection with the holy Jesus ; the 
 great mark of distinction, between the children of 
 God, and the children of the devil p. It is very 
 remarkable, that this evidence is much more insist- 
 ed on in the Scriptures, than any other. " Blessed 
 are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law 
 of the Lord q." " Then shall I not be ashamed, 
 when I have respect unto all thy commandments r ." 
 " If ye love me," saith our Lord, " keep my com- 
 mandments." " If a man love me, he will keep 
 my words. He that loveth me not, keepeth not 
 my sayings s." " Herein is my Father glorified, 
 that ye bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my dis- 
 ciples. 1 ' " Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever 
 I command you l ." " Little children,''' says the 
 apostle John, " let no man deceive you : he that 
 doth righteousness, is righteous, even as he is 
 righteous. Whosoever doth not righteousness, is 
 not of God u ." " This is the love of God, that we 
 keep his commandments w .'' The man, therefore, 
 who is truly conscious that, from principles of faith 
 and love, and for the glory of God, he forsakes 
 with abhorrence, every known sin, and studies to 
 know, and to perform cordially, every commanded 
 duty ; may warrantably assure himself, that he is 
 
 n James ii. 22. ° 1 John ii. 5. PI John iii. 10. 
 
 i Psal. cxix. 1. r Verse 6. s John xiv. 25, 23, 24. 
 
 1 John xv. 8, 14. u 1 John iii. 7, 10. w 1 John v. S. 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 399 
 
 united to Christ, and is in a state of grace. Let 
 the believer, then, endeavour diligently, to attain 
 more and more of this high evidence of grace : so 
 shall he arrive, not only at sensible assurance of his 
 union with Christ, but, at establishment in that as- 
 surance. Indeed, when a man trusts, with cordial 
 and strong confidence, in Christ Jesus for salvation, 
 he trusts that Christ will afford Mm evidences of 
 salvation ; and the consequence will be, that his 
 mind will never be entirely at ease, till he see that 
 he has, at least, the evidences above mentioned. 
 Whatever degree of the assurance of faith, he at- 
 tains, he will in the same degree, be diligent to at- 
 tain, as soon as possible, the assurance of sense, and 
 establishment in this assurance. 
 
 And here, I must remind the exercised Chris- 
 tian, that how diligent soever he may be, in the 
 practice of holiness, he cannot attain this holy as- 
 surance, much less establishment in it, but by the 
 testimony of the blessed Spirit, the Comforter. It 
 is the same Holy Spirit, who hath implanted in his 
 heart, all saving graces, that can, by shining upon 
 them, make him M know the things which are freely 
 given to him of God x ." As the sun cannot be 
 seen, but by its own light ; so the graces and fruits 
 of the Spirit, cannot be certainly known, but by 
 the light of the Spirit. The believer cannot be as- 
 sured that the Spirit dwelleth in him, as a sancti- 
 fier, otherwise than by the same blessed Spirit, as a 
 Comforter. " The Spirit itself, or, the same Spi- 
 rit," says the apostle Paul, " beareth witness with 
 
 x 1 Cor. ii. 12. 
 
400 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 our spirits, that we are the children of God*." 
 The same Spirit, that worketh habits of grace, or 
 holy dispositions, in the hearts of believers, doth 
 by shining upon these, by exciting their attention 
 to them, and by enabling them to compare them 
 with the signs of adoption, mentioned in Scripture, 
 concur with their consciences, in witnessing that 
 they are the children of God. In order then, to 
 attain such establishment in sensible assurance, as 
 will introduce establishment in spiritual comfort, 
 the Christian must frequently trust, as well as 
 pray, for the witnessing of the Holy Spirit ; and 
 he should continually take heed, that he do not 
 grieve the Spirit z . 
 
 8. Moreover, In order to his being established 
 in pure consolation, the believer must endeavour, 
 with all diligence, to make a right and profitable 
 tise of the holy Sacraments. . These are the seals of 
 the covenant of grace ; for they were instituted, in 
 order to confirm thai holy covenant with true be- 
 lievers * They, accordingly, in the hand of the 
 Holy Comforter, are special means of confirming 
 that everlasting covenant with them ; and they 
 confirm it with them, not by making it firmer in 
 itself, than it is already ; but by confirming their 
 faith of it, and by clearing up, or confirming to 
 them, their personal interest in it, and in all the 
 blessings promised in it. 
 
 The believer, then, in order to be established in 
 spiritual comfort, must improve his baptism^ both 
 for confirming his assurance of faith, and for con. 
 
 y Kom. viii. 16. l Epli. W. 30. a Dan. ix. 27- 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 401 
 
 firming his assurance of personal interest, in the 
 everlasting covenant. He ought for these purposes, 
 to improve it at all times, but especially when he is 
 called, either to present a child for baptism, or to 
 witness the dispensation of baptism, to the child of 
 another. Seeing baptism, in the room of circumci- 
 sion, is a seal especially " of the righteousness of 
 faith b ;" he should, in witnessing the dispensation 
 of it, renew his cordial application of the spotless 
 righteousness of Jesus Christ, which, in the gospel, 
 " is revealed from faith to faith." Since the water 
 in baptism, represents the cleansing virtue of the 
 blood and the Spirit of Christ c ; he ought, when 
 he sees the baptismal water applied to the body, to 
 seize the precious opportunity afforded him, of ap- 
 plying the justifying blood of Christ, to his con- 
 science, for cleansing it from the guilt and pollution, 
 and the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, to his heart, 
 for cleansing it from the power, of sin. And, rely- 
 ing on the righteousness or blood of Jesus, for a 
 complete title to deliverance from the guilt, the 
 power, and the pollution of sin, and trusting in the 
 Lord Jesus himself, for all his salvation ; he should 
 then within himself say, ' As certainly as I have 
 now seen the baptismal water, sprinkled upon the 
 body of that infant, the blood and the Spirit of 
 Christ are mine, not only in offer, but in posses- 
 sion ; and while they are mine, to justify, sanctify^ 
 and comfort me, Christ himself is mine, as my Co- 
 venant-head, and God is mine, as my Covenant- 
 God, from henceforth and for ever.' And seeing 
 
 b Rom. iv. 11. « Rev. i. 5. Tit. Hi. 5. 
 
402 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 that the child is, in its baptism, solemnly dedicated 
 to the Lord, he ought further to say, t O Lord, I 
 devote myself, and all that I am, to thee, to be 
 thine wholly, only, and for ever, to be saved by thy 
 grace, and to be employed for thy glory.' 
 
 That the exercised Christian, may attain esta- 
 blishment in true consolation, he must likewise im- 
 prove the holy sacrament of the Supper : he must, 
 with increasing diligence, improve it for the confir- 
 mation, both of his assurance of faith, and of his 
 assurance of union and communion with his great 
 Redeemer. When, after due preparation, he hath 
 sat down at the Communion-table, he ought, with 
 suitable affections, not only to remember and medi- 
 tate on, the amazing love of Christ, in serving and 
 suffering for him ; but, upon seeing the sacramen- 
 tal bread given him, to say, ' As certainly as the 
 sacred bread is now given me, with a command to 
 take, and to eat of it, Jesus my gracious, my cruci- 
 fied Redeemer, is now given me in offer ; and the 
 offer, together with the commandment to believe on 
 his name, affords me a warrant to accept of, and to 
 trust in, Him.' And, when he is taking and eating 
 of the bread, he should from his heart say, < O 
 Lord Jesus, I, upon the warrant of thy offer and 
 command, now accept of thee as my only Saviour, 
 and trust with firm confidence, in thee, for all my 
 salvation.' Upon seeing the cup of blessing pre- 
 sented to him, he should not forget to say, ' As 
 certainly as this cup is now given me, with my Re- 
 deemer's express command to drink of it, his right- 
 eousness, and all the promises and blessings of the 
 new testament in his blood, are given me in offer ; 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 408 
 and the offer, together with the commandment to 
 believe on his name, affords me a full right to re- 
 ceive and rely on them.' And, when he is taking 
 and drinking of the cup, he ought to say, e O my 
 adorable Redeemer, I now, upon the warrant of 
 thy free offer, and authoritative command, accept 
 of thy consummate righteousness, and rely upon it 
 only, for all my title to the inestimable blessings, 
 promised and bequeathed in the new testament, ra- 
 tified by thy death ; and believing that thy righte- 
 ousness, and all the benefits merited by it, are 
 given me in offer, I upon the warrant of thy au- 
 thentic offer and command, trust cordially, that 
 thou givest them to me also in possession? Ap- 
 propriating, and feeding thus upon, the body and 
 blood of the incarnate Redeemer, the believer's 
 faith is confirmed, and all his other graces are pro- 
 portionably strengthened ; for it is unto him, ac- 
 cording to his faith . 
 
 Moreover, conscious that his heart is accepting, 
 and trusting in, the Lord Jesus, for all the bless- 
 ings bequeathed in his testament ; the believer 
 ought, upon hearing these cheering words, " This 
 is my body broken for you? and " This cup is the 
 new testament in my blood, which is shed Jbr 
 you d ," to assure himself, that Christ with his 
 righteousness and salvation, is his, not only in offer, 
 but in possession. And he should regard the bread 
 and the cup, now given him, as visible tokens and 
 pledges, of his union and communion with his dear 
 Redeemer, and, of his personal interest in all the 
 
 d Luke xxii. 20. 
 
404 DIRECTIONS FOR ATTAINING 
 
 promises and blessings of the new covenant ; or, in 
 other words, having, in the exercise of trusting in 
 Jesus Christ, for salvation to himself in particular, 
 received the bread and the cup, he ought to con- 
 sider them as visible signs and pledges, that the 
 body of Christ was broken for him, and that the 
 blood of Christ was shed^or him. And if, through 
 infirmity, he, when sitting at the Table of the 
 Lord, forget this, or any other part of the exercise 
 of communicating, let him not be discouraged ; but 
 let him attend to it, after he rises from the Table, 
 and when he sees others communicating. Thus, 
 by the blessing of Christ, he shall find this holy 
 ordinance to be, not only an instrument of convey- 
 ing more grace to him ; but a seal and a pledge, 
 to confirm, both his assurance of faith, and his as- 
 surance of interest in Christ and the covenant of 
 grace. And in proportion as these are confirmed, 
 his holy tranquillity of mind, is established, and his 
 cordial resolution of heart, to devote himself wholly 
 to the service and glory of Christ, is strengthened. 
 9. Lastly, If the believer would attain establish- 
 ed consolation, he should endeavour diligently, ac- 
 cording to the opportunities afforded him, to pro- 
 mote the extension, and establishment, of the Re- 
 deemer's spiritual kingdom. This is a sure mean 
 of his arriving at solid, and durable comfort 
 " Pray for the peace of Jerusalem : they shall 
 prosper that love thee e ." " Let them shout for 
 joy and be glad, that favour my righteous cause ; 
 yea, let them say continually, Let the Lord be 
 
 * Psal. cxxii. 6. 
 
 
ESTABLISHED COMFORT. 405 
 
 magnified, who hath pleasure in the prosperity of 
 his servant f ." " I will make thee an eternal ex- 
 cellency, a joy of many generations s." " Rejoice 
 ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye 
 that love her : rejoice for joy with her, all ye that 
 mourn for her ; that ye may suck, and be satisfied 
 with the breasts of her consolations ; that ye may 
 milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of 
 her glory *.? When the apostle Paul, had review- 
 ed the success of his ministrations among the Corin- 
 thians, he addressed them thus ; " Great is my 
 glorying of you : I am filled with comfort, I am 
 exceeding joyful in all our tribulation 1 .'" The 
 constant and earnest endeavours of the saints, to 
 promote and extend, according to the law of 
 Christ's kingdom, the interests of his Church mili- 
 tant, do not indeed entitle them to stable comfort ; 
 but they are usually connected with it. The glo- 
 rious King of Zion hath decreed, that they who, 
 by his grace, are habitually disposed to contribute, 
 by their prayers, their labours, and their substance, 
 to promote so great and so glorious a design ; shall, 
 even in this valley of tears, participate with him of 
 that ineffable joy, wherewith he always rejoiceth 
 over his church k . If a Christian, instead of being 
 of a liberal and a public spirit, is contracted in his 
 views, and concerned mainly, for his own welfare, 
 and that of a particular party ; he is not qualified 
 for strong and durable consolation. Established 
 comfort, like fame, will elude the grasp of him, 
 who pursues it merely or chiefly, for himself, and 
 
 f Psal. xxxv. 27. * Isa. lx. 15. h Isa. lxvi. 10, 11. 
 1 2 Cor. vii. 4. * Zeph. iii. 17. 
 
406 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 for its own sake. One reason, perhaps, why some 
 believers at this day, have little spiritual and lasting 
 comfort, is, that in comparison of it, they care little 
 for any thing else. If they were more employed 
 in seeking the glory of Christ, the success of his 
 blessed gospel, and the extension of his spiritual 
 kingdom, both at home and abroad, than in seeking 
 ease and comfort for themselves ; they should find 
 that, holy and lasting consolation would come, as it 
 were, of its own accord, and flow freely into their 
 souls. Were they to " seek first, the kingdom of 
 God, and his righteousness," they should experi- 
 ence, more frequently, and in a higher degree, that 
 righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, 
 of which, his kingdom consisteth ! . 
 
 From what has been here advanced, the follow- 
 ing reflections are obvious : 
 
 If any of my readers be destitute of true reli- 
 gion and spiritual consolation, he may hence see 
 that, he is yet an entire stranger to true happiness. 
 It is impossible for a man to be happy, if his soul 
 be miserable ; but the soul of a sinner cannot but 
 be miserable, so long as he continues destitute of 
 evangelical holiness, and of pure consolation. The 
 greatest variety, and the highest degree of sinful 
 pleasures, leave the soul as miserable as they found 
 it ; but the lowest degree of holy comfort, renders 
 it happy. Be persuaded, then, O unregenerate 
 man, that, so long as thou continuest under the 
 guilt and dominion of sin, " thou art wretched, and 
 
 1 Rom. xiv. 17. 
 
 7 
 
REFLECTIONS. 407 
 
 miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked." Thou 
 art a sinner against the infinitely holy and righte- 
 ous Jehovah ; a sinner in Adam ; a sinner by na- 
 ture and by practice. Thy transgressions are in- 
 numerable, for thou hast been a transgressor from 
 the womb. And as the smallest sin, that ever 
 thou hast committed, deserves the infinite wrath of 
 the great and terrible God ; thou art at this mo- 
 ment, under the tremendous curse of his violated 
 law : thou art " condemned already, and the wrath 
 of God abideth on thee.'' 1 Death is already on its 
 way to thee, and perhaps is so near, that thou hast 
 not a day, or even an hour to live. If it should 
 surprise thee in thy present state, the condemning 
 sentence of the broken law, must be executed upon 
 thee, without intermission and without end. The 
 faithfulness, as well as the holiness and justice of 
 that God, whose eternal indignation thou hast de- 
 served, renders it necessary, if thou die under the 
 guilt but of a single sin, that the dreadful curse be 
 eternally executed upon thee. Ah ! if thou die 
 impenitent, and without union with the great Re- 
 deemer, thou must " go away into everlasting 
 punishment :" thou must be punished with endless 
 torment, " with everlasting destruction," with 
 " the vengeance of eternal fire ;" punished in " the 
 lake which burnetii with fire and brimstone," till 
 that Divine justice, which thou hast insulted, be 
 fully satisfied, and till that terrible wrath, which 
 thou hast incensed, be to the uttermost endured. 
 Oh, how inexpressibly miserable, must thou at 
 length be, if thou shalt be condemned to sink, 
 through all eternity, in the bottomless abyss of in- 
 
408 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 finite wrath ! How can thy heart endure, or thy 
 hands be strong, in the days that God almighty 
 will thus deal with thee ? How shalt thou be able 
 " to dwell with the devouring fire, to dwell with 
 everlasting burnings ?" The day is coming, when, 
 if thou die in thy sins, the omniscient Judge of 
 quick and dead, will say to thee, " Depart from 
 me, thou cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for 
 the devil and his angels." Thou now takest plea- 
 sure in committing some secret, some darling sin ; 
 and this is a sure evidence, that thou art an entire 
 stranger to Christ, and to holy consolation from 
 him. Now, thou lovest and enjoyest the pleasures 
 of sin; but hereafter, if sovereign mercy prevent 
 it not, thou shalt feel the pains of it. It " will 
 bite like a serpent, and sting like an adder." The 
 gnawing worm will never die ; the consuming fire 
 will never be quenched. Thou art now surround- 
 ed by a multiplicity of objects, with which, thou 
 gratifiest thy depraved desires ; but, in the place of 
 torment, while these desires will continue, and 
 even increase, thou shalt have no opportunities of 
 gratifying them. Now, thou art so desirous of the 
 delights of sense and of sin, that thou continuest 
 to reject the compassionate Saviour, and that ever- 
 lasting consolation, which is enjoyed in him, for 
 fear that thou lose those base and sordid delights. 
 But yet a very little while, and these pleasures 
 shall not only be irretrievably lost, but shall be fol- 
 lowed by the dismal sorrows of eternal death, and 
 be expiated with everlasting pain. For thus it is 
 written, " The wicked shall be turned into hell." 
 " Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, lire and 
 1 
 
REFLECTIONS. 409 
 
 brimstone, and an horrible tempest : this shall be 
 the portion of their cup." " God will render to 
 every man according to his deeds : — To them that 
 are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but 
 obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, tri- 
 bulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that 
 doeth evil." Ah ! secure sinner, " Eternal destruc- 
 tion is ready at thy side/' " God is angry with 
 thee every day," and to him vengeance belongeth. 
 His sword is drawn ; his bow is bent ; and his ar- 
 rows are set to destroy thee. — But why, O why 
 wilt thou die ? Why wilt thou continue a moment 
 longer, to prefer sin which is infinitely detestable, 
 before holiness which is infinitely amiable; and 
 the base pleasures of sin, before the exalted, the 
 ennobling, the everlasting, joys of God's salvation ? 
 The God of all grace and consolation, now offer- 
 eth Jesus Christ, with his righteousness and salva- 
 tion, to thee a lost sinner of mankind. He offers 
 him wholly and freely, presently and particularly. 
 Jesus the faithful and true witness, saith, " God 
 so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten 
 Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not 
 perish, but have everlasting life." " My Father 
 giveth you the true bread from heaven." '" Him 
 that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." 
 And the apostle John, " This is the record, that 
 God hath given to us eternal life ; and this life is 
 in his Son." The compassionate Saviour, with in- 
 finite earnestness and tenderness, invites and en- 
 treats all, even the chief of sinners, to accept of the 
 gracious offer. He now saith to thee, " Come, 
 eat of my bread, and drink of the wine," the Wine 
 s 
 
410 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 of spiritual consolation, " which I have mingled : 
 forsake the foolish and live." " Come, yea, come, 
 buy wine and milk without money, and without 
 price." " Whosoever will, let him take the water 
 of life freely." Sinner, " now is the accepted time ; 
 now is the day of salvation. 1 ' O comply now with 
 the gracious, the endearing invitation ; and look- 
 ing to Jesus for the Spirit of faith, comply, because 
 it is thy first, thy principal duty, without which, 
 no other duty can be so performed as to please God. 
 I beseech thee, to accept the authentic offer of a 
 gracious Saviour, and of a free salvation. I ear- 
 nestly entreat thee, by all the transcendent glory, 
 and incomparable excellence of the only begotten 
 of the Father, by all his saving offices and endear- 
 ing relations, by all his service and suffering for 
 thy redemption, by all his love and tears and blood, 
 by all the exquisite torments of his body, and all 
 the doleful anguish of his soul, by his glorious 
 triumphs and unbounded fulness, by his mercies 
 and judgments, by all the ordinances of his grace 
 and all the necessities of thy soul, by all the con- 
 solations of the blessed gospel, and all the terrors 
 of the fiery law, by all the ineffable joys of heaven 
 and all the direful torments of hell, — to believe 
 with application to thyself, the record of God con- 
 cerning his Son. Whether thou hast hitherto 
 been a profligate sinner, or a formal hypocrite, 
 come noiv to Christ. Come, because thou art war- 
 ranted by the unlimited offers and calls of the gos- 
 pel, and because thou art peremptorily commanded 
 in the law, and trust in him for all his salvation. 
 The moment that, thou beginnest to trust cordial- 
 
REFLECTIONS. 411 
 
 ly in him for salvation, not only from the guilt, but 
 from the love, the dominion, and the practice of all 
 sin ; thou wilt pass from death to life, from sin to 
 holiness, and from a slavish fear of endless punish- 
 ment, to a reviving hope of eternal life. Forsake 
 without delay, those sordid pleasures of sin, which 
 the sinner shall soon lose, and by faith receive that 
 holy consolation, which every true believer will 
 eternally enjoy. 
 
 Ought sincere believers to endeavour, with all 
 diligence, to attain establishment in the assurance 
 of faith, as a primary mean of attaining established 
 comfort ? It follows, that every believer should 
 constantly strive to attain a strong Jaith. With- 
 out a strong and a lively faith, the Christian may 
 have comfort, but he cannot have settled comfort ; 
 he cannot be habitually cheerful ; he cannot " re- 
 joice evermore;" he cannot cleave resolutely to 
 the promise, when providence without, or sense 
 within, seems to contradict the promise. It is on- 
 ly by a strong faith, that the believer can live, as 
 a child in the family lives, — without anxious care 
 or fear m . As often as Christ removes the burden 
 of contracted guilt, from the conscience, the weak 
 believer lays it on again, and then sinks under it ; 
 but the strong believer takes the Saviour at his 
 word, and relies with firm confidence on Him, 
 for pardon and eternal life. Thus, being strong 
 in faith, he glorifies God, and God, according to 
 his faith, comforteth him. If his heavenly Father 
 do at any time, frown upon him and smite him ; 
 
 m Dan. iii. 16, 17. Psal. xxiii. 4, 6. 
 
412 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 he believes His love, rather than his own feelino-. 
 
 o 
 
 Weak faith says, e The Lord Jesus can save me if 
 he will ;' but strong faith says, « He both can and 
 will save me. 1 The strong believer lives, not so 
 much upon the comforts of God, as upon " the 
 God of all comfort." He draws his consolation 
 from the higher springs, even while the waters of 
 the lower springs, are running. And were all his 
 earthly comforts to fail him, he knows that he hath 
 still one comfort, which is of infinitely more value 
 than them all :— " This God is my God for ever 
 and ever"." He trusts firmly, for all necessary 
 consolation, in his God and Saviour who change 
 not ; and therefore, no outward changes which 
 befall, can effect any considerable change in his 
 spirit. He knows that he cannot be poor, so long 
 as his Covenant-God is rich ; for all the riches of 
 God are his. O believer, strive diligently to at- 
 tain a strong, a vigorous, and an operative faith. 
 Watch, and resist, the very first appearances of 
 declension in the life of faith. Hold fast the truth, 
 in opposition to errors of every kind. Hold it fast, 
 in thy understanding and judgment, in thy will 
 and affections, and in thy confession and whole 
 conversation. " Hold fast the faithful word, as 
 thou hast been taught p. 11 Keep the truth, and the 
 truth will keep thee comfortable and happy. Seek 
 for an established judgment, and a firm faith, in all 
 the truths of the glorious gospel. 
 
 Should the Christian, in order to arrive at stable 
 comfort, endeavour to be " rooted and grounded 
 
 a Psal. xlviii. 14. ° Tit. i. Q. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 413 
 
 in love?" Then, he must study, in the faith of 
 God's redeeming love to him, so to love God in 
 Christ, as to be at all times pleased with Him. In 
 proportion as he loves his God and Father, he will 
 be pleased with him, with all his perfections, and 
 with all his will : and if he be always pleased or 
 delighted with God, he will in the same propor- 
 tion, be always comfortable, always delighted in 
 his own soul. To be constantly pleased with God 
 in Christ, and with all the will of God, is, indeed, 
 a difficult and high attainment ; but the believer 
 cannot otherwise, become so rooted and grounded 
 in love to him, as to attain settled consolation. 
 To love God supremely, and to be so pleased with 
 him, as to be constantly disposed, in all things, to 
 please him, are in effect the same. If, then, a 
 good man would attain established consolation, he 
 must, by grace, become firmly fixed in a holy and 
 habitual endeavour, always to be pleased with God, 
 and always to please him. One happy consequence 
 would be, that trusting and praying, only for such 
 things as are agreeable to the holy will of God, he 
 could not be disappointed ; and another would be, 
 that loving the providential will of the Lord, he 
 would frequently observe providence, and would 
 perceive such traces of love to him, in providential 
 dispensations, as would greatly establish him in 
 spiritual consolation. 
 
 Whilst unfeigned love to the brethren is, as has 
 been remarked above, an evidence of union and 
 communion with Christ ; it appears at the same 
 time, to be an instituted mean of establishment in 
 spiritual comfort. By the exercise of sincere love 
 
414 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 to the brethren, a holy man enjoys communion with 
 them ; which heightens his enjoyment of com- 
 munion with Christ. The more he loves them, 
 the more is he disposed, to " cover a multitude of 
 sins in them p ," and to " think no evil of them *.** 
 It is want of love to the saints, that usually dis- 
 poses a man, so to quarrel and contend with them, 
 as to mar his own comfort in fellowship with them. 
 Hence, the apostle Paul exhorted the believers at 
 Corinth, to " be of one mind," and to " live in 
 peace," in order that they might be of good com- 
 fort 1 . He urged brotherly love and unanimity, 
 upon those at Philippi, by an argument drawn from 
 the comfort of love 8 . The more a believer loves 
 the brethren, the more pleasure does he take in 
 them ; and the more pleasure he takes in them, 
 and in their company, the more pleasant will he be 
 to them ; and the more disposed will he be, to 
 " be of one accord, of one mind with them," and 
 t; in lowliness of mind, to esteem them better than 
 himself." His love of them, and his delight in 
 their company, will render him very unwilling to 
 deprive himself of the comfort of their society, by 
 differing without necessity, in opinion from them. 
 The diversity of opinions in religion, among Chris- 
 tians at this day, and the divisions which ensue, 
 are, I believe, as much owing to the want of per- 
 fect love to the brethren, as of perfect knowledge. 
 
 Ought the believer to be always firm in his re- 
 solution, to avoid such company, as appears to 
 have a tendency to draw him into sin ? then, he 
 
 p 1 Pet. iv. 8. i 1 Cor. xiii. 5. 
 
 r 2 Cor. xiii. 11. 9 Philip, ii. 1—3. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 415 
 
 must learn never to feel uncomfortable, far less to 
 murmur, when men of the world, appear not to 
 esteem him. The exercised Christian is always a 
 fool in the account of worldly men ; and he will 
 not a little, mar his own comfort, if he look for 
 respect from them. He ought never to expect, 
 that they will esteem him as a holy man, so long 
 as they do not regard holiness itself. Indeed, it 
 would discover both ignorance and pride in him, 
 to murmur when they slight him. He is unknown 
 to worldly and wicked men ; and therefore he 
 should not for a moment, be uneasy, if he find 
 himself disregarded by them. Nay, if he would 
 attain establishment in heavenly consolation, he 
 must not suffer himself to be in the least, disquiet- 
 ed ; though he should find that, even some of the 
 saints themselves, appear to disregard him. He 
 should remember, that even the holiest of men, can 
 in no higher degree be attentive to him, than the 
 Lord is pleased at the time, to make them. 
 
 Is establishment in humility of mind, requisite 
 to a saint's establishment in pure and spiritual com- 
 fort ? the believer may hence learn that, the more 
 deep and abiding, his sense of weakness is, the 
 stronger he is. The strongest believer has, in one 
 sense, no more strength inherent in himself, than 
 the weakest. He is as incapable of resisting mo- 
 tions of sin, and of performing spiritual obedience, 
 by his own strength, as he was, when he first began 
 to know the Lord. In another sense, however, he 
 is more strong, and more firmly settled in holy 
 tranquillity of soul ; because he has a more deep 
 and feeling sense of his own weakness, and un- 
 
416 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 worthiness, and a more constant dependance on 
 Christ, for continued supplies of grace. Thus he is 
 strong, not in himself, but " in the Lord, and in 
 the power of His might :" and the stronger he is, 
 " in the grace that is in Christ Jesus," the stronger 
 will his consolation be. 
 
 It is also evident from what has been said, that, 
 as the peace which believers have in Christ, doth 
 not exempt them from outward affliction in the 
 world : so they ought to take heed, that outward 
 affliction do at no time, deprive them of, or even 
 lessen, their inward peace and consolation in Him. 
 Outward and even inward trouble, are dispensed to 
 saints, in order not to destroy, but to increase and 
 establish, their holy tranquillity and joy in the 
 Lord Jesus K Afflictions are sent, that they may 
 be means of preparing them, for deriving increas- 
 ing degrees of spiritual and strong consolation, 
 from his fulness. When the sufferings of Christ, 
 or any calamities whatever, abound in them ; it is 
 not, in order that their consolation may diminish, 
 but that it may abound by Christ u . If afflictions 
 are dispensed, it is, to take smaller comforts out of 
 the way, or to make them cease to be any longer, 
 comforts, in order to make room for greater. Be- 
 lievers, therefore, when they are under affliction of 
 any kind, should never suffer their grief, or their 
 fear, to hinder them for a moment, from trusting 
 and rejoicing in Christ Jesus, who is a brother 
 born for adversity. On the contrary, while they 
 are under trouble, as well as after they are deliver- 
 ed from it, they ought to fall in so entirely, with 
 * John xvi. 33. u 2 Cor. i. 5. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 417 
 
 the gracious design of God in dispensing it, as re- 
 solutely to endeavour to confide, and to rejoice, in 
 the great Redeemer. Thus, " their hearts will be 
 fixed, trusting in the Lord ;" and they will enjoy 
 a peaceful and a stable tranquillity, in the midst of 
 a changing and a troublesome world. Thus, de- 
 siring above all things, and trusting, that the in- 
 finitely sovereign, wise, and holy will of God, may 
 be accomplished in them ; they will rejoice in the 
 cheering thought that, in subservience to the glory 
 of Christ in their salvation, " all things work to- 
 gether for good to them w ." Afflicted believer, 
 thy grief, arising from what thou feelest, either 
 of the plague of thy heart, or of the pressure of 
 thy calamity, should never be suffered to rob thee 
 of the comfort and joy, which the blessed gospel 
 designs for thee, in what is there recorded of the 
 person, righteousness, and fulness, of the glorious 
 Redeemer. O trust Him, delight in him, wait for 
 him, and all shall be well. Consider that, to thee, 
 he takes the curse out of every affliction, and turns 
 it into a real blessing. Give up therefore all thy 
 concerns, into the hands of thy faithful Redeemer; 
 and trust that, by his infinite love, and his mani- 
 fold wisdom, he will conduct them all for thy good. 
 Judge not of the love of God, by providences, but 
 by promises. As no temporal comfort is good 
 enough, to be an evidence of his love to thee ; so 
 no temporal calamity is afflictive enough, to be a 
 sign of his hatred of thee. 
 
 Has a believer attained established consolation, 
 
 w Rom. viii. 28. 
 
418 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 and would he continue to enjoy it ? then let him 
 take heed, that he do not look intensely and exces- 
 sively upon his evidences of grace. No sooner does 
 a good man, arrive at some degree of settled com- 
 fort, than Satan, if permitted, will tempt him to 
 look with great intenseness, upon his evidences for 
 heaven. That enemy of his holy comfort, will of- 
 ten suggest to him, That he cannot be sure enough, 
 that he is not deceiving himself; in order that, by 
 occupying him continually, with laying the foun- 
 dation and trying it, he may keep him from dili- 
 gence, in the exercise of grace and performance of 
 duty. Were the believer to be as diligent, in u exer- 
 cising himself, to have always a conscience void of 
 offence toward God, and toward men x ," as in try- 
 ing his evidences ; he would advance more speedily 
 than he does, in the assurance of sense. It is, in- 
 deed, the duty of Christians, often to examine their 
 state and their frame, and to see that they are not 
 deceiving themselves ; but, not to be doing it only 
 and incessantly ; not to be occupying themselves 
 with that, when they are called to faith and love, 
 to patience and holy activity for God. Were those 
 of the saints, who are favoured with comfortable 
 discoveries of their evidences of inherent holiness, 
 to take frequent occasion from those evidences, to 
 think of Christ, and to set their hearts the more, 
 on his consummate righteousness, as the only 
 ground of their title to holiness and comfort ; they 
 would thereby, attain more assurance of their per- 
 sonal interest in him, and more establishment in 
 
 x Acts xxiv. 16. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 419 
 
 pure consolation. When the apostle Paul was as- 
 sured, that Christ already lived in him, he took 
 occasion from that, to live the more by faith on 
 the righteousness and fulness of Christ. " I live,'" 
 says he; " yet not I, but Christ liveth in me : and 
 the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the 
 faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave 
 himself for me V At the very time in which, the 
 same Apostle had his eye fixed, upon his having 
 the excellent knowledge of Christ Jesus ; he had 
 his heart taken up with the righteousness of Christ 8 . 
 If the believer, then, would maintain solid and 
 stable comfort, let him think more of the Lord 
 Jesus, and delight more in Him, and in his righte- 
 ousness and fulness, than in his own evidences of 
 grace. To pore upon his inherent holiness, more 
 than upon his imputed righteousness, would soon 
 interrupt and lessen his tranquillity of mind. Evi- 
 dences are, indeed, delightful to an exercised Chris- 
 tian ; but Christ ought to be far more delightful 
 to him. 
 
 Such of the saints, as are favoured with strong 
 and stable consolation, may hence learn, to ex- 
 press their gratitude for this inestimable blessing, 
 by the frequent exercise of holy joy. They should 
 abound much, in the lively exercise of joy and 
 praise. When their souls are satisfied as with mar- 
 row and fatness, their mouths ought daily to praise 
 the Lord with joyful lips. Their " lips should 
 greatly rejoice, when they sing unto him, and their 
 souls, which he hath redeemed." Every stream of 
 
 y Gal. ii. 20. * Philip, iii. 8, 9. 
 
420 REFLECTIONS. 
 
 Divine consolation, which flows in, ought to lead 
 them up to the uncreated fountain of joy, and to 
 excite them to the exercise of rejoicing always in 
 the Lord. They should place their happiness and 
 their delight, more in that which is in Christ, and 
 in the promise, than in any thing which they find 
 in themselves. Rejoice, O believer, in the Lord 
 Jesus. Make Him the consolation of thy soul. 
 Try how much of Christ, may be enjoyed by thee 
 upon earth, to prepare thee for the full, and endless 
 enjoyment of him in heaven. Let it be thy con- 
 tinual study, to enjoy as much of heaven upon 
 earth, as possible. To be in Christ, and to rejoice 
 in Him, are heaven below ; and to be with Him, 
 to behold his glory, is heaven above. Trusting in 
 thy gracious Redeemer, who " rejoiceth over thee 
 to do thee good ;" ask thyself, every morning, — 
 6 What have I to expect from my dear Redeemer, 
 this day, to afford me joy P 1 This question will, 
 under the consoling influences of the holy Comfort- 
 er, tend to make thee cheerful and thankful, at the 
 commencement of the day. How exhilarating will 
 it be to thy soul, when thou canst answer ; — ' My 
 gracious Redeemer will to-day, according to his 
 promise, be with me, to strengthen, to help, and 
 to uphold me; to work in me by his holy Spirit, 
 both to will and to do, of his good pleasure ; to 
 fulfil in me, all the good pleasure of his goodness, 
 and the work of faith with power; to guide me 
 continually with his counsel ; and to grant me all 
 the inward and outward comforts, which he sees I 
 need. He will this day, afford me communion 
 with himself, in his grace, in his word, and in his 
 
REFLECTIONS. 421 
 
 providence. Perhaps he will cheer my soul, even 
 with the sweetness of sensible communion, and of 
 ineffable joy. He will at least, this day, bring me 
 nearer than formerly, to the perfection of holiness, 
 to the end of my faith, even the complete salvation 
 of my soul."' Rejoice then, O believer, every day, 
 and all the day : Rejoice in hope. " Hold fast 
 the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope, firm 
 unto the end a ;" and let thy whole life, be a con- 
 tinued expression of grateful praise to the Lord 
 Jesus, for all that he hath done, is doing, and will 
 do, for thy soul. 
 
 Finally, Are some of the heirs of salvation fa- 
 voured, in a good degree, with settled comfort ? let 
 them take occasion from it, to meditate frequently ', 
 on that fulness of inexpressible and endless joy, 
 into which they are soon to enter. O ! the inef- 
 fable, the rapturous joy, into which they shall en- 
 ter, when, in the light of glory, they shall see Je- 
 hovah and the Lamb, and become perfect in holi- 
 ness ! Believer, the greatest consolation, which thou 
 hast enjoyed, or which thou canst enjoy here, is 
 but a small drop, in comparison of that boundless 
 ocean of eternal joy, which will overflow thy soul, 
 in the pure regions of eternal day. O what inex- 
 pressible, what transporting bliss, is prepared for 
 thee ! What a weight, what an eternal weight, 
 what an exceedingly exceeding, and eternal weight 
 of glory, is, by redeeming grace, secured for thee ! 
 Doth not thy heart long ardently for this ? Doth 
 it not rejoice, and even exult, in the cheering pros- 
 
 a Heb. iii. 6. 
 
422 REFLECTIONS, 
 
 pect of endless felicity, of inconceivable joy ? Doth 
 it not look beyond all transitory shadows, " for 
 that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of 
 the great God, even our Saviour Jesus Christ ?" O 
 " set thy affection on things above, where Christ 
 sitteth at the right hand of God," amidst all the 
 splendours of his exalted state, and all those flam- 
 ing ministers who surround his throne. By fre- 
 quent meditation on that glorious rest, " which re- 
 maineth for the people of God," thou now enterest 
 into rest *> ; thou enjoy est more and more of holy 
 tranquillity, of heavenly consolation. To rejoice 
 in hope of the glory of God, is to experience the 
 sweetest and purest joy; joy, which shall enable 
 thee, to rise superior to the inordinate love of life, 
 and to the disquieting fear of death. Consider thy 
 death, as that by which, thou wilt not depart out of 
 life, but rather into life ; and expect from the 
 hands of thy faithful Redeemer, such living com- 
 forts, in thy dying moments, as will raise thee above 
 the terror of death, and cause thee to triumph 
 over the darkness of the grave. Though a be- 
 liever may have fears and conflicts of soul, when he 
 is in the near prospect of death ; yet commonly 
 these are all over, before the solemn moment of 
 death comes. His spiritual enemies, are usually 
 made to be still as a stone, whilst he is passing 
 through the river of death c . Jesus our great High 
 Priest, hath dipped his feet in those waters. The 
 stream therefore is divided to thee, who art by 
 faith united to him. The channel is dry. Thou 
 
 b Heb. iv. 3. e Prov. xir. 32. 
 
REFLECTIONS. 423 
 
 mayest discern the footsteps of thy almighty Re- 
 deemer, in the bottom, and endless felicity on the 
 other side. Having already tasted the sweetness 
 of pure consolation, thou shouldst long, with ar- 
 dent and increasing desire, for " the marriage sup- 
 per of the Lamb. 1 ' He hath by ten thousand thou- 
 sand instances of kindness, so endeared himself to 
 thy heart, that thou shouldst not be fully satisfied, 
 until thou have the full enjoyment of his immense 
 and everlasting love ; until thou see him as he is, 
 enjoy the unclouded light of his countenance, and 
 be crowned with the unfading brightness of eternal 
 glory. Let thy present consolation, then, excite 
 thee often to meditate on, and ardently to long 
 for, that consummate felicity which awaits thee, in 
 the pure regions of everlasting light, and love, and 
 joy. For yet a little, a very little while, and thou, 
 " the ransomed of the Lord shalt return, and come 
 to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon thy 
 head : thou shalt obtain joy and gladness, and sor- 
 row and sighing shall flee away d ." 
 
 d Isa. xxxv. 10. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 Oliver & Boyd, Printers. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 In page 66, first line from bottom, for sufferings, read suf- 
 fering. 
 80, first line from top, for being, read be. 
 131, second line from bottom, for departeth, read 
 
 departed. 
 137, eighth from bottom,Jbr fool, read feel. 
 1 18, seventeeth from top, for way, read away. 
 
i 
 
A 
 
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