The consolation of all our possessions and relations is from God: Whosoever would have comfort, must trade to Heaven for it, that's a commodity can be found upon no earthly coast, you may fetch in wealth from many coasts of the earth, but you cannot fetch in comfort, till you address your selves to the God of Heaven. We can procure our own sorrow quickly, but God only makes us to rejoice; our relief from outward affliction or inward grief is the gift of God. He only can comfort us in outward afflictions who can command the creature, and he only can comfort us against our inward griefs, who can convince the conscience. None can do either of these but God; therefore consolations are from God. Luther spake true, It is easier to make a World then to comfort the conscience; the Hebrew phrase to comfort, used in diverse places of the old Testament, is, To speak to the heart: Now God only can speak to the heart; man can speak to the ear, he can speak words, but he can go no further. Therefore the act and art of comforting belongs properly to God; Christ is the true Noah: Lamech saith of Noah, Gen. 5.29. This man shall comfort us, concerning our work and the toil of our hands; it was not in Noah to comfort but as God made him a comfort, and he was said to comfort as a type of Christ, Christ is true comfort, He is comfort clothed in our flesh, he is (as it were) comfort incarnate: Noah sent a Dove out of his Ark, which returned with an Olive branch, Jesus Christ sends the holy Ghost who is called the Comforter with the Olive branch of true peace to our wearied souls; and to show that it is now the highest act of Christs love & care as mediator, to give comfort, he promised to send the holy Ghost, when himself was taking his leave of the Church, in regard of any visible abode or bodily presence: being ready to ascend and step into Heaven; he said, I will send the comforter. When God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, it is said by some of the Ancients, that he sent a Hell out of Heaven: But when he pours the holy Spirit from Heaven upon his Zion, we may say he sends a heaven out of heaven. Heaven above is nothing else but holy comfort, and the comforts of the holy Spirit, are the only Heaven below.
The consolation of all our possessions and relations is from God: Whosoever would have comfort, must trade to Heaven for it, thats a commodity can be found upon no earthly coast, you may fetch in wealth from many coasts of the earth, but you cannot fetch in comfort, till you addresse your selves to the God of Heaven. We can procure our owne sorrow quickly, but God onely makes us to rejoyce; our releife from outward affliction or inward griefe is the gift of God. He onely can comfort us in outward afflictions who can command the creature, and he onely can comfort us against our inward griefes, who can convince the conscience. None can doe either of these but God; therefore consolations are from God. Luther spake true, It is easier to make a World then to comfort the conscience; the Hebrew phrase to comfort, used in diverse places of the old Testament, is, To speake to the heart: Now God onely can speake to the heart; man can speake to the eare, he can speake words, but he can goe no further. Therefore the act and art of comforting belongs properly to God; Christ is the true Noah: Lamech saith of Noah, Gen. 5.29. This man shall comfort us, concerning our worke and the toyle of our hands; it was not in Noah to comfort but as God made him a comfort, and he was said to comfort as a type of Christ, Christ is true comfort, He is comfort cloathed in our flesh, he is (as it were) comfort incarnate: Noah sent a Dove out of his Arke, which returned with an Olive branch, Jesus Christ sends the holy Ghost who is called the Comforter with the Olive branch of true peace to our wearied souls; and to shew that it is now the highest act of Christs love & care as mediator, to give comfort, he promised to send the holy Ghost, when himselfe was taking his leave of the Church, in regard of any visible abode or bodily presence: being ready to ascend and step into Heaven; he sayd, I will send the comforter. When God rained fire and brimstone from Heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah, it is sayd by some of the Ancients, that he sent a Hell out of Heaven: But when he powres the holy Spirit from Heaven upon his Sion, we may say he sends a heaven out of heaven. Heaven above is nothing else but holy comfort, and the comforts of the holy Spirit, are the onely Heaven below.
