if they do not live easily and pleasantly, it is their | he made peace for us with God; but as he preached own fault. I. The God whom they serve, has, in general, taken care for their comfort, and has done enough to convince them, that it is his will they should be comforted; that he not only gives them leave to be cheerful, but would have them to be so: for what could have been done more to the satisfaction of his family, than he has done in it? 1. There is a purchase made of peace and pleasure for them, so that they come to it fairly, and by a good title. He that purchased them a peculiar people to himself, took care that they should be a pleasant people, that their comforts might be a credit to his cause, and the joy of his servants in his work might be a reputation to his family. We have not only peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (Rom. v. 1, 2, 3.) but peace in our own consciences too: not only peace above, but peace within; and nothing less will pacify an offended conscience, than that which satisfied an offended God. Yet this is not all, we have not only inward peace, but we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, and triumph over, nay, we triumph in, tribulation. Think what a vast expense (if I may so say) God was at, of blood and treasure, to lay up for this, and secure to us, not only a future bliss, but present pleasure, and the felicities not only of our home but of our way. Christ had trouble, that we might have peace; pain, that we might have pleasure; sorrow, that we might have joy. He wore the crown of thorns, that he might crown us with roses, and a lasting joy might be upon our heads. He put on the spirit of heaviness, that we might be arrayed with the garments of praise. The garden was the place of his agony, that it might be to us a garden of Eden, and there it was that he covenanted with his prosecutors for the disciples, (upon his surrendering himself,) saying in effect to all agonies, as he did to them, If ye seek me let these go their way, (John xviii. 8.) If I be resigned to trouble, let them depart in peace. This was that which made Wisdom's ways pleasantness; the everlasting righteousness which Christ, by dying, wrought out, and brought in. This is the foundation of the treaty of peace, and consequently the fountain of all those consolations which believers are happy in. Then it is, that all the seed of Israel glory, when they can each of them say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength; (Isa. xlv. 24, 25.) and then Israel shall dwell safely, in a holy security, when they have learned to call Christ by this name, The Lord our Righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6. If Christ had not gone to the Father, as our High | Priest, with the blood of sprinkling in his hand, we could never have rejoiced, but must have been always trembling. Christ is our peace, (Eph. ii. 14, 17.) not only as R to them that were afar off, and to them that were nigh, and has engaged that his people, whenever they may have trouble in the world, shall have peace in him ; (John xvi. 33.) upon the assurance of which they may be of good cheer, whatever happens. It is observable, that in the close of that ordinance which Christ instituted in the night wherein he was betrayed, (to be a memorial of his sufferings,) he both sung a hymn of joy, and preached a sermon of comfort; to intimate, that that which he designed in dying for us, was to give us everlasting consolation, and good hope through grace, (2 Thess. ii. 16.) and that we should aim at in all our commemorations of his death. Peace and comfort are bought and paid for; if any of those who were designed to have the benefit of this purchase, deprive themselves of it, let them bear the blame, but let him have the praise who intended them the kindness; and who will take care, that though his kindness be deferred, it shall not be defeated; for though his disciples may be sorrowful for a time, their sorrow shall be turned into joy, John xvi. 20. 2. There are promises made to believers of peace and pleasure. The benefits Christ bought for them, are conveyed to them and settled upon them in the covenant of grace; which is well-ordered in all things, (2 Sam. xxiii. 5.) for the comfort and satisfaction of those, who have made that covenant all their salvation and all their desire. There it is that light is sown for the righteous, and it will come up again in due time; the promises of that covenant are the wells of salvation out of which they draw water with joy; the breasts of consolation, out of which, by faith, they suck and are satisfied, Isa. xii. 3. and lxvii. 11. The promises of the Old Testament, that point at gospel times, speak mostly of this as the blessing reserved for those times, that there should be great joy and rejoicing; (Isa. xxxv. 1. and Ix. 1.) The desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; Arise, shine, for the light is come. The design of the gospel was to make religion a more pleasant thing than it had been, by freeing it, both from the burthensome services which the Jews were under, and from the superstitious fears which the heathen kept themselves and one another in awe with; by enlarging the privileges of God's people, and making them easier to come at. Every particular believer is interested in the promises made to the church, and may put them in suit, and fetch in the comfort contained in them, as every citizen has the benefit of the charter, even the meanest. What a pleasure may one take in applying such a promise as that, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee? Or that, All things shall work for good to them that love God? These, and such as these, guide our feet in the ways of peace; and as they are a firm foundation on which to build our hopes, so they are a full fountain from which to draw our joys, By the exceeding great and precious promises, we par- | xiv. 16.) he is, ò πapákλŋrog, the Comforter. As the take of a divine nature, (2 Pet. i. 4.) in this instance Son of God was sent to be the Consolation of Israel, of it as much as any, a comfortable enjoyment of (Luke ii. 25.) to provide matter for comfort; so the ourselves and by all the other promises that pro- Spirit of God was sent to be the Comforter, to apply mise is fulfilled, Isa. lxv. 13, 14. My servants shall the consolation which the Lord Jesus has provided. eat, but ye shall be hungry; my servants shall drink, Christ came to make peace, and the Spirit to speak but ye shall be thirsty; my servants shall rejoice, but peace, and to make us to hear joy and gladness, even ye shall be ashamed; my servants shall sing for joy of such as will cause broken bones themselves to rejoice, heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart: and the Ps. li. 8. Christ having wrought out the salvation encouragement given to all the church's faithful for us, the work of the Spirit is to give us the comfriends, is made good, Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and fort of it; hence the joy of the saints is said to be be glad with her all ye that love her; Isa. Ixvi. 10. the joy of the Holy Ghost, (1 Thess. i. 6.) because 3. There is provision made for the application of it is his office to administer such comforts as tend that which is purchased and promised to the saints. to the filling of us with joy. What will it avail that there is wine in the vessel, if it be not drawn out? that there is a cordial made up, if it be not administered? Care is therefore taken, that the people of God be assisted in making use of the comforts treasured up for them in the everlasting covenant. A religious life, one may well expect, should be a very comfortable life; for Infinite Wisdom has devised all the means that could be to make it so; What could have been done more for God's vineyard, (Isa. v. 4.) to make it flourishing as well as fruitful, than what he has done in it? There is not only an overflowing fulness of oil in the Good Olive, but golden pipes, (as in the prophet's vision, Zech. iv. 12.) for the conveyance of that oil to the lamps, to keep them burning. When God would himself furnish a paradise for a beloved creature, there was nothing wanting that might contribute to the comfort of it; in it was planted every tree that was pleasant to the sight, and good for food, (Gen. ii. 9.) so in the gospel there is a paradise planted for all the faithful offspring of the second Adam: a Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey, a pleasant land, a rest for all the spiritual seed of Abraham. Now, as God put Adam into paradise, and brought Israel into Canaan, so he has provided for the giving of possession to all believers, of all that comfort and pleasure that is laid up for them. As in the garden of Eden, innocency and pleasure were twisted together; so, in the gospel of Christ, grace and peace, righteousness and peace have kissed each other, (Ps. lxxxv. 10.) and all is done that could be wished, in order to our entering into this rest, this blessed sabbath, (Heb. iv. 3, 9.) So that if we have not the benefit of it, we may thank ourselves: God would have comforted us, and we would not be comforted, our souls refused it. Four things are done with this view, that those who live a godly life, may live a comfortable and pleasant life; and it is a pity they should receive the grace of God herein in vain. God, by his Spirit moving on the face of the waters, made the world according to the word of his power; and by his Spirit moving on the souls of his people, even when they are a perfect chaos, he creates the fruit of the lips, Peace, (Isa. Ivii. 19.) the product of the word of his promise; and if he did not create it, it would never be and we must not only attend to the word of God speaking to us, but submit to the Spirit of God working upon us with the word. The Spirit, as a Comforter, was given not only for the relief of the saints in the suffering ages of the church, but to continue with the church alway to the end, for the comfort of believers, in reference to their constant sorrows, both temporal and spiritual; and what a favour is this to the church, no less needful, no less advantageous, than the sending of the Son of God to save us, and for which, therefore, we should be no less thankful. Let this article never be left out of our songs of praise, but let us always give thanks to him, who not only sent his Son to make satisfaction for us, for his mercy endureth for ever, but sent his Spirit to give satisfaction for us, for his mercy endureth for ever; sent his Spirit not only to work in us the disposition of children towards him, but also to witness to our adoption, and seal us to the day of redemption. The Spirit is given to be our Teacher, and to lead us into all truth, and as such he is a Comforter; for by rectifying our mistakes, and setting things in a true light, he silences our doubts and fears, and sets things in a pleasant light. The Spirit is our Remembrancer, to put us in mind of that which we do know, and as such he is a Comforter; for, like the disciples, we distrust Christ in every exigence, because we forget the miracles of the loaves, Mat. xvi. 9. The Spirit is our Sanctifier; by him sin is mortified, and grace wrought and strengthened, and as such he is our Comforter; for nothing tends so much to make us easy, as that which tends to make us holy. The Spirit is our Guide, and we are said to be led by the Spirit, and as such he is our Comforter; for under his conduct we cannot but be led into ways of pleasantness, to the green pastures, and (1.) The Blessed Spirit is sent to be the Comforter; he does also enlighten, convince, and sanctify, but he has his name from this part of his office, (John I still waters. (3.) Holy ordinances were instituted for the furtherance of our comfort, and to make our religion pleasant unto us. The conversation of friends with each other, is reckoned one of the greatest delights of this world; now ordinances are instituted for the keeping up of our communion with God, which is the greatest delight of the soul that is allied to the other world. God appointed to the Jewish church a great many feasts in the year (and but one fast, and that but for one day) for this end, that they might rejoice before the Lord their God, they and their families, Deut. xvi. 11. (2.) The Scriptures are written, that our joy may | for our learning, that we through patience and comfort be full; (1 John i. 4.) that we may have that joy of the Scriptures, might have hope, Rom. xv. 4. which alone is filling, and has that in it which will fill up the vacancies of other joys, and make up their deficiencies; and that we may be full of that joy, may have more and more of it, may be wholly taken up with it, and may come, at length, to the full perfection of it in the kingdom of glory: these things are written to you, not only that you may receive the word with joy, at first, when it is a new thing to you, but that your joy may be full, and constant. The word of God is the chief conveyance, by which comfort is communicated from Christ, the fountain of life, to all the saints. That book, which the Lamb, that was slain, took out of the right hand of him that sat on the throne, is that which we are by faith to feed upon and digest, and to fill our souls with; and we shall find that it will, like Ezekiel's roll, (Ezek. iii. 3.) be in our mouths as honey for sweetness, and the opening of its seals will put a new song into our mouth, Rev. v. 9. Scripture light is pleasant, much more sweet, more pleasant, than for the eyes to behold the sun; the manner of its conveyance is such, as makes it abundantly more so, for God speaks to us after the manner of men, in our own language. The comforts which the Scripture speaks to us are the sure mercies of David, such as we may depend upon, and it is continually speaking. The Scriptures we may have always with us, and whenever we will, we may have recourse to them; so that we need not be to seek for cordials at any time. The word is nigh thee, (Rom. x. 8.) in thy house, and in thy hand, and it is thine own fault if it be not in thy mouth, and in thy heart. Nor is it a spring shut up, nor a fountain sealed: those that compare spiritual things with spiritual, will find the Scripture its own interpreter; and spiritual pleasure to flow from it as easily, as plentifully, to all that have spiritual senses exercised, as the honey from the comb. Prayer is an ordinance of God, appointed for the fetching in of that peace and pleasure which is provided for us. It is intended to be not only the ease of our hearts, by casting our burthen upon God, as it was to Hannah, (1 Sam. i. 18.) who, when she had prayed, went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad; but to be the joy of our hearts, by putting the promises in suit, and improving our acquaintance with heaven: Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full, John xvi. 24. There is a throne of grace erected for us to come to; a Mediator of grace appointed, in whose name to come; the Spirit of grace given to help our infirmities, and an answer of peace promised to every prayer of faith: and all this, that we might fetch in, not only sanctifying, but comforting, grace in every time of need, Heb. iv. 16. God's house, in which wisdom's children dwell, is called a house of prayer, and thither God brings them, on purpose to make them joyful, Isa. lvi. 7. Singing of psalms is a gospel ordinance, that is designed to contribute to the pleasantness of our religion; not only to express, but to excite, and to increase, our holy joy. In singing to the Lord, we make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation, Ps. xcv. 1. When the apostle had warned all ChrisThe saints have found pleasure in the word of tians to take heed of drunkenness, Be not drunk with God, and all those who have given up themselves to wine, wherein is excess, lest they should think, that be led and ruled by it. It was such a comfort to thereby he restrained them from any mirth, that David in his distress, that if he had not had that for would do them good, he directs them, instead of the delight, he would have perished in his affliction, (Ps. song of the drunkard, when the heart is merry with cxix. 92.) nay, he had the joy of God's word to be wine, to entertain themselves with the songs of his continual entertainment, (Ps. cxix. 54.) Thy angels; (Eph. v. 18, 19.) Speaking to yourselves statutes have been my songs in the house of my pil- (when you are disposed to please yourselves) in grimage:- Thy words were found, (says Jeremiah,) psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and and I did eat them, feast upon them with as much making melody in your hearts to the Lord. There is pleasure, as ever any hungry man did upon his no substance in this ordinance, but the word and necessary food, or epicure upon his dainties; I per- prayer put together; but the circumstance of the fectly regaled myself with them; and thy word was voice and tune being a natural means of affecting unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart:" (Jer. our hearts, both with the one and with the other, xv. 16.) and we not only come short of their expe- God, in condescension to our state, has been pleased riences, but frustrate God's gracious intentions, if to make a particular ordinance of it, to show how we do not find pleasure in the word of God; for much it is his will, that we should be cheerful: whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written | (Jâm. v. 13.) Is any merry, let him sing psalms. Is any vainly merry? let him suppress the vanity, and | covenant of grace they are secured to them, which turn the mirth into a right channel; he need not speaks them unalienable. banish nor abjure the mirth, but let it be holy, heavenly mirth, and in that mirth let him sing psalms. Nay, Is any afflicted, and merry in his affliction, let him show it by singing psalms, as Paul and Silas did, in the stocks, Acts xvi. 25. The Lord's day is appointed to be a pleasant day, a day of holy rest, nay, and a day too of holy joy; a thanksgiving day: (Ps. 118. 24.) This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice, and be glad | in it. The Psalm or Song for the Sabbath-day | begins thus, It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, Ps. xcii. 1. So far were the primitive Christians carried in this notion, that the Lord's day was designed for holy triumph and exultation, that they thought it improper to kneel in any act of worship on that day. 1. Those who walk in Wisdom's ways are discharged from the debts of sin, and that is pleasant. They are privileged from arrests, (Rom. viii. 33.) Who shall lay any thing to their charge? while it is God that justifies them, and will stand by his own act, against hell and earth: and he is always near that justifies them, Isa. 1. 8. And so is their Advocate, that pleads for them, nearer than their accuser, though he stand at their right hand to resist them; and is able to cast him out, and all his accusations. Surely, they put a force upon themselves, that are merry and pleasant under the guilt of sin: for if conscience be awake, it cannot but have a fearful looking for of wrath; but if sin be done away, the burthen is removed, the wound is healed, and all is well: "Son, be of good cheer, (Mat., ix. 2.) Though The Lord's supper is a spiritual feast; and a sick of a palsy, yet be cheerful, for thy sins are forfeast (Solomon says, Eccl. x. 19.) was made for given thee; and therefore, not only they shall not laughter, and so was this for holy joy. We cele- hurt thee, but God is reconciled to thee, and will do brate the memorials of his death, that we may re- thee good. Thou mayst enjoy the comforts of this joice in the victories that he obtained, and the pur-life, and fear no snare in them; mayst bear the chases he made, by his death; and may apply to ourselves the privileges and comforts, which by the covenant of grace are made ours. There we cannot but be glad, and rejoice in him, where we remember his love more than wine, Cant. i. 4. (4.) The ministry is appointed for the comfort of the saints, and their guides in the ways of wisdom are instructed, by all means possible, to make them ways of pleasantness, and to encourage them to go on pleasantly in those ways. The priests of old were ordained for men, (Heb. v. 1, 2.) and were therefore taken from among men, that they might have compassion upon the mourners. And the prophets had this particularly in their commission, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, Isa. xl. 1. Gospel-ministers, in a special manner, are appointed to be the helpers of the joy of the Lord's people; to be Barnabases, Sons of consolation; to strengthen the weak hands, and feeble knees, and to say to them who are of a fearful heart, Be strong, Isa. xxxv. 3, 5. The tabernacles of the Lord of hosts being amiable, the care of all that serve in those tabernacles, must be to make them appear so; that they who compass the altars of God, may find him their exceeding joy. Thus has God taken care for the comfort of his people, so that he is not to be blamed if they be not comforted. But that is not all: II. There are many particular benefits and privileges which they are entitled to, who walk in the ways of religion, that contribute very much to the pleasantness of those ways. By the blood of Christ those benefits and privileges are procured for them, which speaks them highly valuable, and by the crosses of this life, and feel no sting in them; and mayst look forward to another life without terror or amazement." The pain which true penitents experience in their reflections upon their sins, makes the pleasure and satisfaction they have in the assurance of the pardon of them doubly sweet; as the sorrow of a woman in travail is not an allay, but rather a foil to the joy, that a child is born into the world. No pain is more acute than that of broken bones, to which the sorrows of a penitent sinner are compared; but when they are well set, and well knit again, they are not only made easy, but they are made to rejoice, to which the comforts of a pardoned sinner are compared: Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice, Ps. li. 8. All our bones, when kept, that not one of them was broken, must say, Lord, who is like unto thee? But there is a more sensible joy for one displaced bone reduced, than for the multitude of the bones that were never hurt; for one lost sheep brought home, than for ninety and nine that went not astray. Such is the pleasure which they have, that know their sins are pardoned. When God's prophets must speak comfortably to Jerusalem, they must tell her that her iniquity is pardoned, Isa. xl. 2. Such a pleasure there is in the sense of the forgiveness of sins, that it enables us to make a light matter of temporal afflictions, particularly that of sickness, (Isa. xxxiii. 24.) The inhabitants shall not say, I am sick, for the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. And to make a great matter of temporal mercies, when they are thus sweetened and secured, particularly that of recovery from sickness; (Isa. xxxviii. 17.) Thou hast, in love to my soul, cured my body, and delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back. If our sins be pardoned, and we know it, we may go out, and come in, in peace, nothing can come amiss to us; we may lic down and rise up with pleasure, for all is clear between us and heaven: thus blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven. 2. They have the Spirit of God witnessing with their spirits, that they are the children of God, Rom. viii. 16. and that is pleasant. Adoption accompanies justification, and if we have an assurance of the forgiveness of our sins according to the riches of God's grace, (Eph. i. 5, 7.) we have an assurance of this further comfort, that we were predestinated unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ. The same evidence, the same testimony that is given of our being pardoned, serves as an evidence and testimony of our being preferred, our being thus preferred. Can the children of princes and great men please themselves with the thoughts of the honours and expectations that attend that relationship? And may not the children of God think with pleasure on the adoption they have received, (Gal. iv. 6.) the Spirit of adoption, and that Spirit is witness to their adoption? And the pleasure must be the greater, and make the stronger impression of joy, when they remember, that they were by nature not only strangers and foreigners, but children of wrath, and yet are thus highly favoured. The comfort of relations is none of the least of the delights of this life; but what comfort of relations is comparable to this, of being related to God, as our Father; and to Christ, as our elder Brother; and to all the saints and angels too, as belonging to the same family; which we are happily brought into relation to? The pleasure of claiming and owning this relation, is plainly intimated in our being taught to cry, Abba, Father, (Rom. viii. 15.) why should it be thus doubled, and in two languages? but to intimate to us, the unaccountable pleasure and satisfaction with which good Christians call God Father; it is the string they harp upon, Abba, Father. With what pleasure does David's own spirit witness to this! O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, thou art my Lord; (Ps. xvi. 2.) and it is more to me that God is mine, than if all the world were mine. But when with our spirits the Spirit of God witnesses this too, saying to thy soul, "Yea, he is thy God, and he owns thee as one of his family; witness what he has wrought both in thee, and for thee, by my hand;" what joy does this fill the soul with, joy unspeakable; especially considering that, as the prophet speaks in the place, in the same heart and conscience, where it was said, (and by the Spirit too, when he convinced as a Spirit of bondage,) Ye are not my people, even there | | it shall be said unto them, by the Spirit, (when he comforts as a Spirit of adoption,) Ye are the sons of the living God, Hos. i. 10. 3. They have access with boldness to the throne of grace, and that is pleasant. Prayer not only fetches in peace and pleasure, but it is itself a great privilege, and not only an honour, but a comfort; one of the greatest comforts of our lives, that we have a God to go to at all times, so that we need not fear coming unseasonably, or coming too often: and in all places, though as Jonah in the fish's belly, or as David in the depths, or in the ends of the earth, Ps. cxxx. 1. and lxi. 2. It is a pleasure to one that is full of care and grief to unbosom himself; and we are welcome to pour out our complaint before God, and to show before him our trouble, (Ps. cxlii. 2.) and to one that wants, or fears wanting, to petition one that is able and willing to supply the wants. And we have great encouragement to make our requests known to God; we have access with confidence, (Eph. iii. 12.) not access with difficulty, (as we have to great men,) nor access with uncertainty of acceptance, as the Ninevites, Who can tell if God will return to us? But we have access with assurance, whatsoever we ask in faith, according to his will, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him, 1 John v. 15. It is a pleasure to talk to one that we love, and that we know loves us, and though far above us, yet takes notice of what we say, and is tenderly concerned for us: what a pleasure is it then to speak to God! to have not only a liberty of access, but a liberty of speech, πappŋoía, freedom to utter all our mind, humbly, and in faith; boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, Heb. x. 19, 20. (and not with fear and trembling, as the high priest under the law, entered into the holiest,) and boldness to pour out our hearts before God, (Ps. Ixii. 8.) as one (though he knows our case better than we ourselves) who will give us the satisfaction of knowing it from us, according to our own showing. Beggars that have good benefactors, live as pleasantly as any other people; it is the case of God's people, they are beggars, but they are beggars to a bountiful Benefactor, that is rich in mercy to all that call upon him: Blessed are they that wait daily at the posts of wisdom's doors, Prov. viii. 34. If the prayer of the upright be God's delight, it cannot but be theirs, Cant. ii. 14. 4. They have a sanctified use of all their creaturecomforts, and that is pleasant. The Lord knows the way of the righteous, and takes cognizance of all their concerns; (Ps. xxxvii. 23.) The steps, yea, and the stops too, of a good man are ordered by the Lord; both his successes when he goes forward, and his disappointments when he goes backward; he blesses the work of their hands, and his blessing makes rich, and adds no sorrow with it, Prov. x. 22. More is im |