A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

So Paul comes with a Benedictus in his mouth (and ¹surely it was in his heart before it was in his mouth) 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God, even the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort. Verse 4. Who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God. Verse 5. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation aboundeth by Christ. The Apostle begins here with thanksgiving, according to his accustomed man ner in all his Epistles; but contrary to his custom doth he apply this thanksgiving wholly to himself. The reason was (saith Beza) because the Corinthians did begin to despise him for his afflictions. (It being the common course of the world to despise the People of God when they are under sufferings) Therefore he answered confidently for himself, that though he had been much afflicted, yet he had been much comforted, and rejoiced the more in his comforts, because God had comforted him for that very cause, that he might be able and willing to comfort others. God is the God of all sorts and degrees of comfort, who hath all comforts at his dispose. This phrase, The God of all comforts, intimates to us, 1. That no comfort can be found any where else, he hath the sole gift of comfort. 2. Not only some, but all comfort; no imaginable comfort is wanting in him, nor to be found out of him: Look as the air lights not without the Sun, and as fuel heats not without fire, so neither can any thing soundly comfort us without God. 3. All ⟨p. 84⟩degrees of comfort are to be found in him in our greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers. The lower the ebb, the higher the tide; the deeper the distress, the greater the comforts; though the Apostle was greatly afflicted, yet his comforts did exceed his afflictions. 2 Cor. 7. 6. Nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus. ²When the Corinthians were in a very low condition, when they were even spent with grief, and swallowed up in sorrows, when they were destitute of all relief and comfort, then the God of all comforts did comfort them. No tribulations, no persecutions, no grievances, no prison doors. no bolts, no bars can keep out the consolations of God, from flowing in upon his People.