thing to give then to receive God blessed for evermore gives And we could not be ever asking but that God is never weary of giving Many more particulars might be given of the different kinds of our thoughts from Gods but these are enough to enlarge our meditation 8. When we turne about our thoughts to understand the incomparable thoughts of God towards us our thoughts are at a distance fall infinitely short of comprehending them as we should Therefore God saith in the Text My thoughts are above your thoughts And Jerem. 29.11 I know my own thoughts though you doe not as you ought I doe that they are thoughts of peace As Gods thoughts are in regard of matter namely mercy goodnesse pardonings so in measure 1. Infinite Psal 92.5 O Lord how great are thy workes thy thoughts are very deepe Answerable to 1 Cor. 2.10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The deep things of God whereby to shelter us from the depths of Satan Revel 2.24 that is sinne sinfull temptations stratagems c. Gods understanding is infinite Psal 147.5 The Apostle makes an heavenly exclamation Rom. 11.33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledge of God how unsearchable are his judgements discernings or determinations and his wayes past finding out God hath thoughts of mercy for millions of sinners therefore sure enough for all the sinnes of one sinner 2. Continuall continued without interruption so that as they have no beginning nor ending so no breakin gs off in the middle Ephes 1. Psal 89. 3. Certaine firme established so before the Text The sure mercies of David That is promised to David that is made over to us in Christ the sonne of David That as sure as Christ is in our nature so wee are one with him by faith Christ is the great pledge or witnesse in verse 4th before the Text of Gods mercifull thoughts towards us poore sinners So that if we be unlovely in our selves yet we are acceptable and well-pleasing to God in Christ Mat. 3. last Ephes 1.3 4. Immutable both in kinde and degree They cannot be otherwise or lesse then ever they have been 2 Tim. 2.19 And James saith With him is no shadow of change Yea God in Christ the same for ever Heb. 13. 5. Intuitive God thinks all his thoughts at once As a mans eye sees all it sees at that looke in one twinkling of an eye so God sees all absolutely that ever were are or shall be at once He needs not any rationall intellectuall discourse to goe from one thing to another in his thoughts but he can doth comprehend all at once Now upon these and the like properties of Gods thoughts wee fall very short of and below a due apprehension of Gods thoughts and fall to doubting because in opposition 1. To the infinitnesse of God thoughts our thoughts are finite 〈◊〉 eye nor the Sonne it selfe can behold all the world in its compleat roundnesse much lesse can our finite thoughts reach Gods infinite thoughts 2. To the continuitie of Gods thoughts ours are interrupted broken off oft-times in the middle Many by-thoughts intervene between our most serious thoughts whiles they are rising up to any considerable height of apprehension of Gods thoughts or of any thing that is good and so they disturbe and dissipate our conceipts of minde 3. To the certainty of his thoughts our thoughts are most uncertain thoughts Sometimes they are rather conjectures then resolves rather opinions then judgements rather disputings then determinations And so as the weaknesse of our eye to behold the fixed starres at such a distance makes us thinke they twinckle when as it is the quavering of our weake eye our uncertainty in thinking makes us think Gods thoughts are uncertaine when as it is the uncertaintie and variablenesse of our thoughts 4. To the immutabilitie of Gods thoughts stands in opposition the mutabilitie of our thoughts Sometimes they are on God sometimes off and on the creature And when on God sometimes stronger sometimes weaker sometimes almost nothing Sometimes they catch one thing and let that goe and then catch another and so lose the series method and dependance of things to finde out the excellency of Gods thoughts 5. To the intuitivenesse of Gods thoughts stands opposit the discursivenesse of our thoughts For being we are faine to know by discourse from one thing to another in a rationall way as from the effect to the cause c. And our reason is imperfect and our knowledge is but in part wee must needs oft-times fall very low in apprehending ordinary things much more in diving into extraordinary things Wee cannot alwayes by the utmost compasse of reason reach to the formes of some naturall things how then can our discurive reach Gods intuitive thoughts Now therefore saith the Lord in the Text when yee heare mee speake of such high things as are here mentioned As I will abundantly pardon c. you wonder at them but doe not notwithstanding doubt of them or dispute against them For my thoughts are known to mee Jer. 29.11 they are not so meane and â—ow as yours but farre above as in this 55. of Isaiah and therefore admire but not despaire They are above your thoughts or high as the Heavens are above the Earth But I can tell the altitude of mine own thoughts I think of mercy and of multiplying pardons These two places the Text and Jer. 29.11 hold forth these particulars 1. As if the Lord should say nor you nor any man else no nor Angels which are enquirers into the Gospel 1 Pet. 1.12 can tell my thoughts so well as I my selfe Flesh and bloud could not reveale to Peter the things of Christ Mat. 16.17 And in 1 Cor. 2. The naturall man receiveth not the things of God because spiritually discerned No nor can your spirituall minds comprehend the full of things for yee know in part 1 Cor. 13. As the Nations Mich. 4.12 know not my thoughts nor understand my counsell concerning you so you may labour to know them but still they will passe your knowledge Ephes 3.19 The loving thoughts of my heart are rather felt then understood Rom. 5. I shed my love into your hearts 2. That I even I my selfe doe know all mine own thoughts perfectly how high soever they be I comprehend them all They are all distinctly and fairly written in my heart and I can read and compute and scan every one of them to a tittle and settle them in an unalterable way by an unchangeable decree 3. That I acknowledge my thoughts to be high thoughts of love mercy c. so as I cannot keepe them to my selfe but doe utter them and in order of times and of your necessities do explaine them to you though you cannot reach to the utmost height of them I make them legible to your eyes in my booke and I make them frequently to sound in your eares in the ministrie of my Word and I give you a representation
they be not most just good holy c. they are not mine But you may object you think your thoughts are so Therefore take this for another generall rule That whatsoever thoughts doe not tend to your salvation tend to bring you towards mee according to the designe of this Text and word of mine those thoughts are not my thoughts Ezek. 18. Ezek. 33. If you object secondly that yee cannot imagine how I can have such thoughts of mercy to such sinners as you are The answer is As the Heavens are distant and different from the Earth so are my thoughts above yours The Heavens are so above the Earth that the Earth with all its Cedars mists clouds fiery meteors cannot reach it so nor can your thoughts in a rationall way reach mine And as the Heavens are greater so my thoughts Ephes 3.17 And as the Heavens are bigger then the Earth so my thoughts are like my selfe infinite And as the Heavens are more glorious then the Earth so are my thoughts then yours And as the Heavens give light so doe my thoughts to yours And as the Heavens shine on the bad as well as good Mat. 5.45 so doe my thoughts on sinners as well as on Saints If you object thirdly that though these are effectuall expressions in themselves able to doe much yet they do not take affect your soules The answer is that as the operations of the Heavens in drawing up mists and powring them downe in raine doe the worke the raine returnes not in vaine so shall my word be that expresseth my thoughts If the heavens do not shine raine rowle raise the Sunne c. in vaine but cause spring harvest c. then sure my thoughts shining and dropping in my words shall not be in vaine If as the earth waites on the heavens so you waite seed-time spring-time harvest-time will come My thoughts shall take hold of your thoughts and overcome them and transforme them into mine your thoughts shall trust in my thoughts of truth your thoughts shall hope in my thoughts of mercy your thoughts shall rejoyce in my thoughts of love your thoughts shall rest quietly in my thoughts of peace that all your sins are pardoned and so your judgements shall be done away at least as judgements Vsefull is this 1. To put us upon the consideration of Gods thoughts so farre as we are able by enlightened reason 1. How different in kinde our thoughts are from Gods thoughts 2. How distant and short in degree our thoughts are below Gods thoughts when we set about to apprehend them Both these are in the Text and Doctrine as we said compare Jerem. 29.11 1. For the difference in kinde 1. Our thoughts cannot be first towards God in the businesse of our salvation our thoughts cannot be the first-mover For naturally our thoughts and imaginations are onely evill continually Gen. 6.5 Wee are borne wild Asses Colis Job 11.12 Wee goe astray as soone as wee are borne but Gods thoughts are first in our salvation He saith the Psalmist understandeth our thoughts afarre off or long before Therefore his thoughts are precedent to ours He here in the 6 and 7th verses before the Text makes the first motion about our salvation and as it is in 1 Job 4.19 We love him because he loved us first and therefore his thoughts first move ours His love first sounds forth then our love is as the Eccho He first allureth then we are drawn A mighty Comfort that his thoughts being first towards us their graciousnesse must needs be free Though wee cannot glory in our thoughts as preventing or perswasive of Gods thoughts yet we may glory in this greater thing that Gods thoughts anticipate prevent and perswade our thoughts Acti agimus wee in every thought and deed act not but as we are acted by God Gods thoughts are the Originall ours but the Copy 2. Our thoughts are not kinde thoughts sweet thoughts to others we are selfe-lovers the originall sin of the world See Adam Doe wee thinke thoughts of love to our enemies Especially unsought unto Much lesse would we prompt them to seeke unto us that we might shew them kindnesse Would their misery be our pitie Would it not be our joy rather So uncharitable is nature that we rejoyce in iniquitie But God hath all the contrary thoughts to these 3. Our thoughts are limited thoughts we cannot pitie or pardon if we doe either much or many Wee say how oft Mat. 18.21 Wee are ready to study an end afore wee begin But Gods thoughts of mercy are abounding thoughts and multiplying thoughts thoughts of abounding mercy and multiplying mercies and pardons He shews mercy to thousands of generations Exod. 20. and therefore to thousands of sinnes of one soule He heales backslidings Hos 14. Observe the indefinite expression And the Psalmist speaks of a multitude of mercies Psal 5.7 Psal 100.7 Isaiah speakes of multitudes of loving kindnesses Isa 63.7 And Jeremy saith There is no failing of his mercy so we are not confirmed How much and how many evills did he pardon in Manasseh Magdalen Saul How many backslidings in Peter and much more in Solomon I may say to a true beleever as he doth not make an end of sinning so God cannot make an end of pardoning But then as his pardoning takes off our feare of sinne so it takes off our love of sinne His good will takes off our ill wills Rom. 7. 4. Our thoughts at best have much reluctation against good and ordinarily much evill in them Rom. 7. But Gods thoughts are all good altogether good purely and perfectly good and concerning our good to cure us of our evill and to fill us with good Jer. 29.11 So it is said Psal 119. God is good and doth good 5. Our thoughts when not vile are vaine Jer. 4.14 But Gods thoughts are great and maine thoughts touching the great things of our salvation 6. Our thoughts are of contentions with men and of transgression against God Isa 55.7 But Gods are of peace and reconciliation So argued in Text and Jer. 29.11 He is the God of all peace and sutable are his thoughts 7. Our thoughts are craving begging thoughts we are all upon the getting hand of man by intreating of God by praying wee are more in prayer then in praise But Gods thoughts are giving thoughts bountifull thoughts thoughts of giving afore our asking and more then many times we dare aske so before and in the Text. And Jer. 29.11 when they are despairing he would be giving I am found of them that sought me not Isai 65.1 God gave more to Paul then he thought on Acts 9. and compare 1 Tim. 1. Yea Solomon had more then he asked So the promise is Seeke first the kingdome of God We aske oft to beleeve he gives more Phil. 1.29 We aske oft to overcome such or such a thing such a sinne but in that God gives us to overcome many other sinnes Thus is it most true that it is a more blessed
of them in the Sacraments to many of your senses But though you cannot comprehend them fully as they are in their infinitenesse every way yet by that you apprehend yee may admire the rest as perfectly infinite and incomprehensible As the Heavens and Earth will be seene of us but in the Hemisphere yet you conclude they are round 4. That though your thoughts have many objections against my thoughts yet I know my thoughts will answer all the objections of your thoughts Dispute and try 1. It may be you poore sinners will say you have had such deep apprehensions of your sinnes and such long inward conflicts about them that you say in your hearts and thinke you shall nesee good day more But my thoughts answer you out of these Texts that my thoughts are thoughts of mercy of multiplying pardons and that above your comprehension Thoughts of peace I think peace towards you as I am the God of peace And I have many thoughts about it and great thoughts like my selfe For they are my thoughts And though little man doth assay to imagine great things yet your thoughts are not like my thoughts 2. It may be you will object againe That your thoughts thinke my thoughts are not such thoughts of mercy Because my hand hath been upon you to afflict you and perhaps the affliction or its smart is not yet off from you and therefore that I still intend to have severe thoughts towards you But my thoughts are as in these Texts and the Contexts that lead to and follow them that is That whereas you can be alwayes angry and irreconcileably angry with men flesh and bloud is prone to be unmercifull and implacable my thoughts are not such for my thoughts cannot be like yours they must be better and above yours or they cannot be my thoughts I tell you plainly in these Texts Isai 55. Let him that hath nothing come and buy ver 1. That there is a time when I will be found ver 6. And the present time when I offer grace and favour is the accepted time 2 Cor. 6.2 Even as he did heare Christ Jesus that was made sinne for us so he heares sinners And as there is a time when I spake to thee sinner to cause thee to leave sin so then do I intend to lay aside my wrath ver 7. before the Text. So that my thoughts of anger are but for a time but my thoughts of mercy are everlasting Psal 30.5 Psal 89.28 c. He hath regard to his Oath there He hath not sworn to be angry with sinners for ever but hath sworn to have mercy And accordingly he doth affirme Isai 54.7 the next Chapter afore the Text. You the sonnes of men cannot tell when to lay aside your thoughts of anger till they degenerate into malice but I can see my time Yea though I afflict my people so yours yet I can have thoughts of peace to them at last Jer. 29.11 Yea all that while resolve on them Yea whiles I am afflicting I have thoughts of love Heb. 12. And therefore saith the Lord My sonne be not weary of the Lords chastisement Pro. 3.11 12. But doe as Isai 8.17 3. It may be you poore sinners will object that your thoughts are not able to beare the lying upon you of your sorrowes of sinnes and afflictions Therefore you would have them removed Therefore also my thoughts answer you thus I have as in this Text all manner and measure of mercies to take away the perplexity of your spirits And besides I have entailed on my pardoning mercy affliction removing mercy So ver 12. after the Text. 4. It may be your thoughts will object But our perplexities and miseries have been so many and long that wee are exceeding thirsty our appetites are enlarged wee thinke wee can have never enough of God and his presence and comfort My thoughts exprest in the Text and elswhere answer this sufficiently that I have abundance of mercy for you multiplyed mercy Yea so much as your thoughts cannot reach unto And it shall satiate you as the raine doth the earth and not onely you shall joy but the world shall seeme before you to sing and to be full of joy so from the Text to vers 13. 5. But yet may be your thoughts object that some of you have waited a long while for a good houre and have not yet attained it The Lords thoughts answer this too His thoughts are not as our thoughts that is they shall not stay too long as we think ere they send comfort But as the Heavens are above the Earth yet in due time water it So c. And Jer. 29.11 you shall have your expectation Rom. 5. Hope is not ashamed at last yea not ashamed whiles it waites because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts Hab. 2 3 4. Thus farre of the first use of putting us upon the consideration of Gods incomparable thoughts to see how farre they prevent all objections 2. Is to put us upon the exercise of our faith about the unparalleld thoughts of God That where our best thoughts fall short there the faith that Christ hath given us may ascend And indeed if Gods thoughts are farre above our thoughts then it is the proper worke of faith to take the transcendency of them into the view of it As thus 1. To beleeve the originall and inuate conception of these thoughts of grace and favour to poore sinners They spring meerly from the sweet good and unspeakable excellency of Gods nature described Exod. 34. Compare Isai 43.25 Psal 119. Thou art good and thou doest good Therefore it supposeth he is good and thinketh good So notably Ephes 1.5 His thoughts doe arise from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his most gracious disposition As out of the evill nature of man proceeds all evill thoughts Adulteries murthers thefts c. So contrary This well applyed by faith answers the objection of our unworthinesse For as there was no good in us when God first thought of us to move him to thinke on us for either he looked on us as nothing or as a most sinfull something to no unworthinesse either of our nothingnesse or sinfulnesse could hinder him from his gracious thoughts towards us As it is said He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy so he will thinke what be will thinke of grace and favour to poore sinners nothing can helpe nothing shall hinder him As God cannot be otherwise in his nature then he is so he cannot be otherwise in his gracious thoughts then what he will thinke Object But God hath a pure nature and a just nature c. And therefore from thence by the same proportion must arise thoughts of hating impure sinne and of punishing unrighteous sinne with which by nature we abound Answ 1. This doth not contradict Gods thoughts of grace and favour to grievous sinners because God was pure and just when from all eternitie foreseeing all things he
of bowels doth import that as a father is not a naturall father if he loose his bowels so God must keep his bowells of mercie as he will keep his relation of Father to his And as a fathers bowells of mercies descend to the children of his Naturall bowells so Gods compassion is to his You see by how many titles our tenure of mercies hold good One while as we are servants to God or Christ our master Truly I am thy servant saith David I am thine save me Another while as a Wife to Christ Hos 2. Another while as Children to God and brethren to Christ and so this Text And adde to all that if we should faile so as to undeserve that God should be called the Father of us as his children yet this must stand firme God is the Father of mercies Namely to pitty us as a Father doth the childe as it is Psal 103. And to spare us and beare with us as a Father doth a weak childe that serveth him as he can though as a weak childe as Malachy speaks chap. 3. vers 18. And he is the Father of Mercies in the plurall Numerosa proles Store of mercies As God cannot be the Father of Christ as Christ alone All beleevers are included in him and so is well pleased It is not said with but in him Matth. 3. So he cannot be the Father of one mercy only but of many to have some for all yea many for every One yet he that is rich in mercies cannot leave his children poor 4. Engagement It is his stile title description that hee is The God of all comfort It is here spoken as the definition of what hee is to us therefore as essentiall to him And the like is said of him Exod 34. by way of a Royall Title or Kingly stile The Lord the Lord God Iehovah mercifull gracious long suffering aboundant in goodnesse c. So that this of Gods comforting us is one of the flowers in his crowne and God must maintaine his soveraigne stile How shall he be said to be God that is as we shewed afore infinite good if not full with comfort abounding towards us And how a God of all comfort if his people shall have none 2. For the method of these engagements in a word The God of this comfort 1. removes impediments that might hinder us their minds from God are not contented with glory And the Saints beleeving in Christ whiles they have sought what was in the creature and not God through the creature have found nothing in any thing or all things conjunctim or divisim severally or conjunctively Eccles 2.1 to the 12. verse King Solomon the great in making the utmost of all creature comforts could find nothing but vanitie and vexation Reading is an high and intellectuall delight is a while a pleasure to the mind but unlesse God comes in it furfets the understanding and is a wearinesse to the flesh Eccles 12.12 Musick is pleasant to the eare but unlesse God comes in to cheere the heart it is nauseous to a man Psal 137. And as experience tels us being too long in the hearing may surfet the phantasie with too oft playing the same lesson Odours are pleasant to the smell and some say the food of the Spirits of the Braine but unlesse God come in with health they suffocate that sence and cause faintings and swownings Food is pleasant to the tast but unlesse God give in his blessing it surfeits the stomacke In the midst of laughter in all creature injoyments saith Solomon the heart is sad Yea creature-joyes with out God are mischiefes Apparrel makes more proud then warme Authority brings forth more tyrannicalnesse than reformation Honour becomes more arrogant then usefull Wine more making mad than merry The table is become a snare As it is said of wisdome that all the creatures were inquired of a generall counsell of all the world was called the creation met in consultation to give in their answer every creature for himselfe whither wisdome was in this or that or the other they all answered no. Job 28.12 c. And so it may be said of comfort if all the world be called to its Answer it cannot say conjunctively or divisively that comfort is there without God The Sea answers that it is not in mee I am a devourer and doe make many a Merchant sad The heavens answer it is not in mee For unlesse God helpe mee I cause barrennesse Hos 2. And the sonnes of men confesse if they will speake the truth that they are as Jobs friends without God miserable comforters They can see one miserable and say this and that but without the incomes of God cannot comfort One man is contented with a little why God is there Another is not contented with much Why God is not there A little that a righteous man hath saith Solomon is better than great revenues of the wicked For God is the comfort in every creature comfort and God makes every creature to give down his comfort 1. God is the comfort in every creature It is the word command or institution of God that makes bread to be meanes of life to us Mat. 4. 2. Hee makes the creature to give downe his comfort that is in him Hos 2.21 c. I will saith the Lord in that day heare the heavens and they shall heare the earth and earth shall heare the corne and the wine and the oyle and they shall hear Jezreel And all this God will do for his because hee will make a covenant with them and betreth them to himselfe ver 18. All shall be paid downe as part of their dowrie as part of that all which is theirs in Christ Jesus 1 Cor. 3.21 Therefore why doe we travell over creature comforts without God our convoy Yea why do wee travell to creature comforts to find them without God Can the Bee finde any thing in the flower without beames and drops of heaven first fall upon them So vaine is our endeavour to presse out and distill any spirits of comfort out of creatures without Gods influence or impressions first falling upon them We thinke because God comming in with creatures they sometime comfort that therefore the creatures themselves do comfort But if a divine ordinance doth not alwayes quicken but onely when God comes in as experience tells us much lesse can earthly creatures comfort without God giving in himselfe in and through them Againe we lament the losse of such and such a creature as conceiving that we have much losse of comfort thereby But I should rather thinke that God taking them away that if they were present they should not comfort nor would God come in through them to make them comfort but that God is now upon another designe namely to give in more comfort some other way as either by and in providentiall dispensations of afflictions or in instituted ordinances of Word and Sacraments or immediately by himselfe in communication of
be father of mercyes Hee had not suffered his to have been miserable but to the intent to bee more glorious in his mercy Hee concluded all saith the Apostle in unbeleife that he might have mercy upon all And then it s presently added O the depth of the riches both of the wisdome and knowledg of God! Rom. 11.32.33 And hee is the God of all consolation therefore of some to some And he comforteth us It is his antient wont to comfort and hee will not loose his wont With God is no shadow of change no eclipsing of his beames and he so inlightens beleevers as starres that they shine upon things below He will give comfort to them and for a witnesse of it they shall be able to comfort others They shall see their own comfort was good in that it takes with others Yea so comforted that they shall indite a praise to God for it Blessed be God that comforteth us Therefore O ye that have seen your claime to this comfort take it to you grasp it doe not let every distemper melancholy c. baffle you of your comfort Doe as David Psal 42. ult Psal 43. ult Why the soule and Wherefore the soule examine it upon interrogatories convince it with Quaeries Why art thou cast down O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God As long as we have God the God of all comfort to be ours by as good interest as others had him on earth that are now in heaven why should we be cast down What can ill us wherein God cannot or will not comfort us who is the God of all comfort that comforteth in all tribulation The consideration of this Text and Doctrine and our interest in it is enough to resolve and cleare all doubts As whether we may cry to him in prayer in times of misery Answ He is the Father of mercies Whether we may approach near him after reciduations and backslidings into sin Answ He is the Father of mercies Whether we shall not sinck in any condition for want of comfort enough Answ He is the God of all comfort that comâ—orteth in all tribulation If we fear this affliction or that affliction as one cryes O I do not know how I should indure poverty another moanes O how shall I encounter with the feare of death The answer here is full to all cases God is the God of all comfort Father of mercies in the plurall and comforteth his in all tribulation Ob. But God is just too Answ And this is a comfort to a beleever that layes hold on his free mercy 1. Joh. 1.9 If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousnesse And 2 Thess 1.6 It is a RIGHTEOUS or just thing with God to recompence tribulation to them that trouble you and to you who are troubled rest with us c. So that Gods Justice is a friend to beleevers against sins and afflictions Ob. But God is a God of purity that cannot indure iniquity and of power to crush us for it in our afflictions Answ Gods goodnesse is the Complexion of his nature and the perfection of all his Attributes and therefore as he is prone to comfort so by reason of his purity he is pure in his comfort and by reason of his power he is powerfull in his comforts Yea and he hints to us that it is more sutable to his nature and more answerable to his direct designe to save and comfort then to condemn and destroy his creature Joh. 3.16 17. God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten son that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life For God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved And Jam. 2.13 Mercy rejoyceth against judgement Say thou then as Psal 77.16 My flesh faileth and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever For surely Gods design is to make his child like himself in as much as he is willing to communicate himselfe to make him full of comfort Joh. 15.11 Therefore he bids us so oft to rejoyce Phil. 4 4. 1 Thess 5. c. Therefore whereas we cry out for want of comfort we have just cause rather to cry out against our selves that wee receive not in that comfort God holds out unto us For what by passion and what by indiscretion wee are like Rachel that wept and would not be comforted In quietnesse and confidence is our vest and safety And the joy of the Lord shall be our strength If our faith of adherence doth but work kindly in cleaving to Christ that 's comfort Every thing is in a good estate in its own center If the Lord keeps us from despaire and puts us in hope of comfort that is also a comfort Ob. We say we have no comfort because we feele it not within see it not work outwardly Answ But we may be rich though wee doe not alwayes â—ight or poyse the bagges or make them jingle or see the money powred forth To have them in possession is the richnesse of our condition We have life and reason when we are as we lay dead asleep To misse comfort is a sign we had comfort And Christ saith our joy shall remain Joh. 15.11 though our sight and sense of it doth not alwaies appeare It is a signe there 〈◊〉 some water of joy in the pumpe of our desires while wee â—â—mpe for more Ob But you will say you have no joy and therefore you doubt whether you have Christ Answ But we say a wife is a wife by vertue of her Covenant in marriage even then when she is melancholy And joy may glorifie and beautifie our spirits more but to beleeve in God through Christ when we have no actuall joy doth more glorifie and honour God This shews more pure faith Isa 〈◊〉 .10 to trust God without the pawne of sense and feeling Ob. Thou sayest thou goest mourning from day to day for comfort and canst not attain unto it Answ Wee tell thee such desires of comfort they argue grace as mysts doe quick fountaines where they are thickest Matth. 5. Blessed are they that mourn blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse It 's more actuall comfort to be desirous of a mercy and think we have it not then to know we have it and to be glutted with it or carelesse of it Ob. But thou wilt say thou hast waited long for comfort and yet hast it not to thy content Answ We tell thee it will be double in measure and sweetnesse when it comes A desire fulfilled after a long deferring is saith Solomon a tree of life Qu. But thou queriest what shalt thou doe the while An. Wee tell thee 1 God supports thee the while and that is great comfort 2 Thou shalt have communion with God in sâ—…king and waiting and that also is a great comfort 3 Thou shalt â—ave so much of the oyle of gladnesse as to glib the wheels of thy soule to carry thee on to any heavenly journey till thou arâ—… at glory Amen FINIS