Chapter XLVIII.

There Is No Affliction For Which God Has Not Provided Appropriate Consolation. The Consolation Which He Affords Is Always Greater Than Our Misery; This Consideration Should Sustain And Confirm Our Patience.

The holy Apostle St. Paul, when meditating upon the tender mercies and compassions of our Heavenly Father to all afflicted and contrite sinners, breaks out into these words, full of the praise of God: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ—knowing that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.” 2 Cor. 1:3-7.

2. In these words, so full of grace, the holy Apostle gives thanks to God for heavenly consolation; which is indeed the only remedy against all the troubles and adversities that oppress us in this life; teaching, at the same time, that no adversity befalls us, how great soever, but God supports us under it by his divine comfort, which is more abundant than our sufferings. This he confirms by seven weighty arguments, which he repeats in regular order.

3. The first is, because God is the Father of mercies, which is the most cheering appellation that can be conceived: for he shows himself a Father, not only in name, but in sincerity and truth to all afflicted souls. Consider what are the properties of a father; for they all belong to God our Heavenly Father. It is the part of a father, 1. To love his children. 2. To take care of them. 3. To feed them. 4. To defend them. 5. To correct and instruct them. 6. To pity their infirmities. 7. To be tender of them. 8. To give them an inheritance. If a man will but thoroughly consider these particulars, he must acknowledge that the very name of a father carries in it such a treasure of comfort, as abundantly outweighs all the miseries of human life. And to illustrate this 333 yet more perfectly, St. Paul, by a most significant epithet, calls him, the Father of mercies; that is, the eternal fountain of all that tenderness and affection that is diffused through the hearts of so many thousands of fathers. Hence it follows, that no cross can befall the children of God so great, as is the comfort that arises from the Father of mercies.

4. The second argument is contained in this expression, the God of all comfort; that is, he overflows with eternal and infinite comforts. For as God is the eternal, infinite, and chief Good; and on the other hand, our crosses are finite and temporal; what can proceed from that eternal and chief Good, but perpetual comfort, not only equal, but superior to our greatest affliction? For as our miseries are finite, and the consolations of God are infinite, it clearly follows that the latter must be superior to the former.

5. The third argument is, the example of St. Paul, and all the saints. “God,” saith he, “comforteth us in all our tribulation.” If we but read the histories of holy men of former times, and compare their trials and afflictions with the divine consolations wherewith they were supported under them, we shall easily perceive that our afflictions are but light in comparison with their torments; and that no cross can befall us so great, as to exceed those divine comforts and supports which the holy martyrs enjoyed. Who will presume to compare his crosses with those of Job? Who can say he has been afflicted like Jeremiah (Jer. 20:7, etc.)? or tried like David? Ps. 88. And what is our cross compared with that of Christ? or are our sufferings, compared with the torments of the holy martyrs? Their examples, as they were the children of God, our Heavenly Father has set before our eyes, to teach us, 1. That the cross is the sanctuary of the true Christian. 2. His heavenly and spiritual glory. 3. His victory over the world and the devil. 4. His preparation for the kingdom of heaven. 5. That without the cross no man can enter into the kingdom of God. 6. That the cross is the image of Christ. 7. That it is an exalted and sublime mystery, in which lies hid the highest wisdom of God. But flesh and blood cannot comprehend this, neither taste the heavenly manna hidden in the word of God, except by the cross. Hence, the divine comforts are greater than any human sufferings.

6. The fourth is expressed in these words, “That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.” Now, how did God comfort the apostles? And how do they comfort us again? Certainly, by the gracious promises in his holy Word. Hence it is said, “Whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.” Rom. 15:4. Now, whosoever reads the Word of God as he ought, must needs observe how kindly God vouchsafes to treat with us, what abundance of grace, what spiritual and eternal blessings he promises to bestow upon us; so that we must needs confess that such comfort outweighs all the sufferings of human life. For though it is said of this troublesome world, “that all the sons of Adam, from the day of their birth, find it full of trouble and unquietness, fear, anger, and strife;” yet, if to this state of trouble and misery we oppose the glories of the eternal kingdom 334 (2 Cor. 4:17), it will appear that the joys of the next life, promised in the Word of God, are vastly superior to the miseries of this. It is, indeed, true, that sin is a very great and dreadful evil, daily encompassing us about, and involving us in innumerable miseries. Yet, if we but call to mind, that Christ is our righteousness, it will thence follow that the burden of sin which lies upon us is much less than our spiritual consolation which is in Christ Jesus. For greater is the righteousness which is in Christ than the sin which is in us. In short, the Word of God so abounds and overflows with heavenly consolations, that the heart of man is too narrow to receive them. It is like the poor widow's pot of oil (2 Kings 4:6), which, by the blessing of Elisha, produced more oil than there were vessels to receive. Yea, it often happens that a word of Holy Scripture can comfort a man more than the whole world, yea, than the devil himself can distress him. “The river of God is full of water,” saith David (Ps. 65:9), so full that no man can empty it. Therefore, God calls himself “The fountain of living waters.” Jer. 2:13. And so in Ps. 36:9, “With thee is the fountain of life; in thy light shall we see light.” Who, then, can think that the fountain of sin and death more abounds with affliction than the fountain of life with comforts?

7. The fifth ground of comfort is that the apostle calls the cross of the faithful, “the sufferings of Christ.” And that 1. Because all the faithful are the spiritual members of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as the head feels all the pains of every member of the body, by a certain sympathy arising from its union with them; so Christ, who is our Head, feels all the crosses and sufferings of every member. 2. Because Christ dwells in his faithful servants, and is vitally united to them; therefore, also, he suffers in his members, sharing in all their sufferings, banishments, and persecutions, as he witnessed by a voice from heaven, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?” Acts 9:4. 3. Because we are born anew of Christ, and he is our “everlasting Father.” Isa. 9:6. Now we know, that the heart of a father has a very tender sense of the sufferings of his child. Therefore, the sufferings of all believers are the sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ. And if it be so, canst thou think any affliction so great that it cannot be made easy and tolerable by this consideration, that Christ is thy Head, and thou art his member; that he is united to thee, dwells in thee, and suffers in thee, regarding all thy sufferings as his own; that he is thy Father, and feels in himself all the crosses, pains, and afflictions that are laid upon thee?

8. The sixth ground of consolation, the Apostle deduces from Jesus Christ, the spring and foundation of all comfort, in these words: “Our consolation aboundeth by Christ.” As sin is the fountain of all misery; so is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the spring and fountain of all joy and comfort. Now as the power of Christ is greater than the power of sin; so is the comfort that proceedeth from him greater and more powerful than any misery that can arise from sin; according to the words of St. Paul, “Where sin abounded grace did much more abound.” Rom. 5:20. “For it pleased the Father, that in Christ should all fulness dwell.” Col. 1:19. Him, therefore, the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 61:1) describes as sent from God to comfort all that mourn. Whence it follows, that the comforts 335 flowing from Christ, are greater than any crosses and sorrows which we endure.

9. The seventh comfort which the Apostle mentions, is the glory of Christ: hence he says, “As ye are partakers of his sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.” This glory we know to be so great, that he is glorious, not only with respect to his own Person, in a manner incommunicable to his body, which is the Church; but also that he, as the Head of the Church, was exalted to glory for that very end, that all the members of his body might be partakers with him. Hence St. Paul calls him, “The head of the church which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” Ephes. 1:22, 23. And now, what calamity, what cross, what affliction can be so bitter, as not to be sweetened by the consolation arising from such future glory? Wherefore St. Paul does not “reckon the sufferings of this present time to be worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us.” Rom. 8:18.

10. It now remains that we speak of the five means, by which we may be partakers of these comforts.

11. The first is, true repentance and knowledge of sin. Without this, the soul is not capable of comfort; according to that saying of Christ, “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” Matt. 9:12. On the other hand, a soul that has a true sense of sin, understands that sin has cast it into so many miseries and calamities, and therefore murmurs not against God, but abhors itself and its own iniquities (Lam. 3:39); and confesses that God is just in all that he has brought upon it. For as sin, like a general contagion, has infected the whole mass of mankind; so also the sentence of misery and affliction in this moral state, has passed upon all, for that all have sinned. And whoever, like the prophet Daniel (Dan. 9:7, 16), confesses his sin, shall find consolation descending upon him from heaven like an angel, as in the case of Daniel, ch. 9:21.

12. The second means, is faith, which hangs upon Jesus Christ, as the infant upon the mother's bosom. It rests entirely in the paternal affection of the God of all consolation. It holds fast by Jesus Christ, as Jacob did by the angel, saying, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” Gen. 32:26. It is faith which in Christ Jesus overcometh sin, death, the world, the devil, and all misery. For “all things are possible to him that believeth.” Mark 9:23. And he that believeth shall see the glory of God. John 11:40.

13. The third means, is prayer, which is a conversation with God. As it is a relief and a refreshment to an afflicted soul, to communicate its sorrows and troubles to a faithful friend: so are our hearts refreshed and comforted, by conversing with God in prayer. “When I cried, thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.” Psalm 138:3. Prayer offered up in the name of Jesus Christ, is like Jacob's ladder (Gen. 28:12), on which the soul ascends from earth to heaven; as soon as the prayer ascends, an angel, that is, divine consolation, descends upon it. Thus it was in the agony of our blessed Lord; for when he prayed more earnestly, lo! an angel descended from heaven to strengthen him. Luke 22:43. And we may assure ourselves, that whensoever we pray according to His will, we shall be strengthened according to His promise.

14. The fourth means of obtaining 336 divine consolation is, praising God, which is always attended with comfort and spiritual joy. He that is daily employed in the praises of God, lives the life of an angel; for they, we know, continually “behold the face of the Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 18:10), and sing his praises. This is their highest joy, this is the bread of angels. Whence it appears, that praising and glorifying God must afford the most exalted joy and comfort to a devout soul. Hence David says, “I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.” Psalm 34:1, 2. In this place David joins the praise of God and spiritual joy together; teaching us thereby, that the one is the fruit of the other, because they are most intimately connected.

15. The last sure and certain means of receiving divine consolation, is a diligent reading, hearing, and meditating on the Word of God. “For whatsoever things were written, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15:4.

16. From the Word of God as the true fountain of consolation, are to be drawn all the above-mentioned arguments and grounds of comfort; namely, joy and quiet of mind under all kinds of crosses and afflictions. Hence also we must learn how these comforts are to be obtained, namely, by true repentance, a living faith, ardent prayer, and continually praising God.