A29368:97
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference…
The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridge ...The freeness of the grace and love of God to believers discovered in reference to 1. their services and suffering, 2. their consolations, and 3. their salvation and eternal glory : together with the excellency of the fear of God, the goodness and pleasantness of brotherly love, the wisdom of hearing the voice of the rod, repentance the only way to prevent judgements / delivered in several sermons by the late reverend and faithful minister of Christ, Mr. William Bridg ...
London: printed for Nath. Crouch, 1671
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lastly, This is that grace that will give a beauty and lustre to your profession. The comforted Christian is the truly beautiful Christian. If a man have never so much beauty in his face, yet if his face be wrinkled with grief, and blubbered with tears, the beauty of his face is not seen; but when joy and comfort comes, that wipes off all, and his beauty then is seen. So here, comfort doth not only take away reproach from your profession, but it gives a lustre, a beauty to your profession; the comforted Christian I say is the truly beautiful Christian; and if so, surely it is a great mercy to be truly comforted.
That is the first thing in general, that it is a great mercy to be truly comforted.
2. As it is a great mercy to be truly comforted, so it is possible for Gods own servants and dearest children, to live a long time without any considerable ⟨p. 32⟩comfort, any fundamental comfort, their hearts may faint; My heart and my soul fainteth saith the Psalmist: and you know how it was with Daniel, Dan. 10.17. You may see how he was bowed down, he complains there was no strength remained in him, till there came one and touched him, and set him upon his legs again: a good man may faint and want comfort, and all the former comforts that he hath had may be Eclipsed. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation, Psalm 51.12. saith David; his glory and comfort was eclipsed: yea possibly a gracious soul may live a long time without comfort; How long wilt thou forget, yea forget me O Lord, what for ever?