Again, it is the nature of many peevish people amongst us, that they will not be comforted; when news was brought to Jacob that Joseph was slain and lost, it is said, All his sons and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning; Gen. 37.35. They have a kind of pettishness and peevishness, and wilfulness; they will not be comforted, and it may be there is some kind of pride in it too; they would perhaps be thought to be the only mourners of Israel, of the Kingdom. As Rachel mourned for her children, and would not be comforted; they shut up their eyes against all comforts; God commands them to be comforted, and they will not; it is no marvel then that they eat the fruit of their own hands; it is a part of our office to bring comfort, we have an injunction to it; Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith the Lord; we bring the tidings of peace, and our feet should be beautiful, Rom. 10. we bring good news, all is w•ll; as Noah's Dove coming with an Olive branch in her mouth. Comfort ye, comfort ye, cry aloud, spare not. If you stop your ears, who can help it? the Lord is gracious and chargeth us to comfort you: and can there be any better news, than to say, All is peace, all your sins are done away. I have blotted as a thick cloud thy transgressions: as who should say, ⟨p. 443⟩it is the tidings of such good things, as all within thee is too little to praise the Lord, and therefore it is not a thing to be slighted over; blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, Psal. 32. which is no Noun Adjective, nor of the singular number neither; it signifieth blessedness, as it were an heap of blessings. They commonly call it the eight beatitudes, it is but varied upon divers subjects; were there eighty-eight, that were all one: To have thy sins forgiven thee, is the comprising of all happiness.
Again, it is the nature of many peevish people amongst us, that they will not be comforted; when news was brought to Jacob that Joseph was slain and lost, it is said, All his sonnes and daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning; Gen. 37.35. They have a kinde of pettishnesse and peevishnesse, and wilfulnesse; they will not be comforted, and it may be there is some kinde of pride in it too; they would perhaps be thought to be the only mourners of Israel, of the Kingdome. As Rachel mourned for her children, and would not be comforted; they shut up their eyes against all comforts; God commands them to be comforted, and they will not; it is no marvaile then that they eat the fruit of their own hands; it is a part of our office to bring comfort, we have an injunction to it; Comfort ye, Comfort ye my people, saith the Lord; we bring the tydings of peace, and our feet should be beautiful, Rom. 10. we bring good news, all is w•ll; as Noahs Dove coming with an Olive branch in her mouth. Comfort ye, comfort ye, cry aloud, spare not. If you stop your ears, who can help it? the Lord is gracious and chargeth us to comfort you: and can there be any better news, than to say, All is peace, all your sins are done away. I have blotted as a thick cloud thy transgressions: as who should say, ⟨p. 443⟩it is the tydings of such good things, as all within thee is too little to praise the Lord, and therefore it is not a thing to be slighted over; blessed is the man whose sins are forgiven, Psal. 32. which is no Noun Adjective, nor of the singular number neither; it signifieth blessedness, as it were an heap of blessings. They commonly call it the eight beatitudes, it is but varied upon divers subjects; were there eighty-eight, that were all one: To have thy sinnes forgiven thee, is the comprizing of all happinesse.
