The Christian in Complete Armour

To prevent which thou shouldest do well; First, to look that thou measurest not thy grace by thy comfort, lest so thou beest led into a false opinion, that thy grace is strong, because thy comforts are so. Satan will be ready to help forward such thoughts as a fit medium to life thee up, and slacken thy care in duty for the future. Such discoveries ⟨p. 304⟩do indeed bear witness to the truth of thy grace, but not to the decree and measure of it; the weak child may be, yea, is oftener in the lap then the strong. Secondly, do not so much applaud thy self in thy present comfort, as labour to improve it for the glory of God. Up and eat, saith the Angel to the Prophet, because the journey is too great for thee. The manifestations of Gods love are to fit us for our work. It is one thing to rejoice in the light of our comfort, and another to go forth in the power of the Spirit comforting us (as Giants refreshed with this wine) to run our race of duty and obedience with more strength and alacrity. He shows his pride, that spends his time in telling his money merely to see how rich he is; but he his wisdom, that lays out his money and trades with it. The boaster of his comforts will lose what he hath, when he that improves his comforts in a fuller trade of duty shall add more to what he hath. Thirdly, remember thou dependest on God for the continuance of thy comfort. They are not the smiles thou hadst yesterday can make thee joyous to day, any more then the bread thou didst then eat can make thee strong without more; thou needest new discoveries for new comforts: let God hide his face, and thou wilt soon lose the sight, and forget the taste of what thou even now hadst. It is beyond our skill or power to preserve those impressions of joy, and comfortable apprehensions of Gods favour on our spirits, which sometimes we find; as Gods presence brings those, so when he goes he carries them away with him, as the setting-Sun doth the day. We would laugh heartily at him, who when the Sun shines in at his window, should think by shutting that to imprison the Sun-beams in his chamber; and doest thou not show as much folly, who thinkest because thou now hast comfort, thou therefore shalt never be in darkness of Spirit more? The believers comfort is like Israels Manna: 'tis not like our ordinary bread and provision;

To prevent which thou shouldest do well; First, to look that thou measurest not thy grace by thy comfort, lest so thou beest led into a false opinion, that thy grace is strong, because thy comforts are so. Satan will be ready to help forward such thoughts as a fit medium to life thee up, and slacken thy care in duty for the future. Such discoveries