An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

3. God doth by his grace prevent and keep us from sin, he daily preserveth us from many sad falls, which if plunged into, we should presently chase away all our comfort. When David was left, and fell into those gross sins, all his joy was immediately lost; therefore he complaineth of his broken bones, and prayeth for joy to be restored to him; what horror, what hell would quickly be raised in thy soul every day, every night, upon every temptation? Did not the grace of God preserve thee? Spira lost all comfort by Apostasy? And thus many Christians did in times of persecution, in a great measure by their revolt, though they recovered again. Therefore little doest thou know, how much God worketh for thy comfort by preventing such sins, which would make horrible wounds and gashes in thy soul.

3. God doth by his grace prevent and keep us from sinne, he daily preserveth us from many sad falls, which if plunged into, we should presently chase away all our comfort. When David was left, and fell into those gross sins, all his joy was immediately lost; therefore he complaineth of his broken bones, and prayeth for joy to be restored to him; what horrour, what hell would quickly be raised in thy soul every day, every night, upon every temptation? Did not the grace of God preserve thee? Spira lost all comfort by Apostasie? And thus many Christians did in times of persecution, in a great measure by their revolt, though they recovered again. Therefore little doest thou know, how much God worketh for thy comfort by preventing such sins, which would make horrible wounds and gashes in thy soul.

Lastly, God comforts thee by delivering thee from all such Doctrines, though taught by many of great and eminent learning, which yet in their own nature tend to make the heart uncomfortable. How wonderfully did God work for the comfort of Luther, who professed the unspeakable tremblings and fears of soul he was in, and being in captivity by the Doctrine of works, as then taught in Popery, he could have no comfort, but often wished he had never been a man, till God comforted him by delivering him from those false Doctrines? Thus the Doctrine of the Apostasy of true Saints doth utterly dash all comfort from the believer; he must necessarily be in miserable tormenting fears all the day long. And so have we done with that immediate way of Gods comforting.