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…

A second Scripture-cordial, by which God comforts his people in all tribulations, is from Christ, with all the fullness that is in him. Certainly Christ received by faith, and improved Evangelically, is able to make us gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles: He that hath this Sun cannot be in the dark night: What makes Paul, Rom. 8. so triumph and boast in all manner of tribulations, challenging (as it were) every one of them to do their worse? Is not the foundation of all this, Christ dead, and Christ risen again? And if he hath given us Christ, how shall he not with him give us all things? Thus the presence of Christ, the spiritual influence of Christ into the soul, taketh away the bitterness of all troubles. Thus it was with the Martyrs: Thus it is with Gods children, while by faith they lay hold on Christ. As the light of the Sun puts out the light of the fire: Thus the presence of Christ, putteth out all other comforts, yea and all troubles also. Hence Isa. 9. Christ is promised to the godly by way of comfort to them, when the outward condition of the Nation was like to be very miserable. Micah also Chap. 5. 5. promiseth, that Christ should be the peace, when the Assyrian should come into the Land. But what Peace was Christ, he did not bring temporal peace, neither was he to have a temporal Kingdom? But to the godly, who looked for a spiritual Messiah, this was the comfort of comforts, to have a Christ as a spiritual Saviour. If then thy tribulations be heavy, and irksome; Oh desire more knowledge and enjoyment of Christ, for he will be in stead of all things to thee; he is Wisdom, he is Righteousness, he is wealth, he is honours, he is husband, friend: So that he who hath fellowship and communion with Christ, finds him to be, as those three Worthies cast into the fiery furnace, having the company of one, who is said to be in form like the ⟨p. 173⟩Son of God; a defence against the rage of the fire, so that the very garments did not so much as smell of any burning. Thus the presence of Christ hath so wonderfully ravished and refreshed the heart of an afflicted afflicted Saint, that he hath almost forgot his affliction, and discovereth not the least soil from it.

A second Scripture-cordial, by which God comforts his people in all tribulations, is from Christ, with all the fulness that is in him. Certainly Christ received by faith, and improved Evangelically, is able to make us gather grapes of thorns, and figs of thistles: He that hath this Sunne cannot be in the dark night: What makes Paul,