444 The Spirit ofCbriff, a (Witt:us Comfort. have a multitude of thoughts, in the midi+of all, thefe fpiritual coat. forts cati comfort and tercel the foul : Oh labour after a greater. fhare of this comfort. , God bath ca(} us upon fad times , wherein we (hall have need of more thanordinary comfort : we are like to have trouble,; without, if we have not peace within , it will be very fad ; we are like to lofe much of Chrias bodily prefence , I mean in his Ordinances how many of thole Meffengers that reprefent the perfon of Chria , and (land in his head ? if we fhould not enjoy the other Comforter our, elates would bedoleful ; if we have darknefs without, and darknefs within, how fad will that darknefs be ! 3. Labour to get more communion from the Spirit of God. This will raife and rublimate your natural comforts , and turn them into fpiritual comforts. Aman neverrelifheth thefe outward comforts, till he come to utile the ravillitent and fweetnefs ofthe holy Choi+, till he tatle the love of God; thefe give them a higher Itiare than the men of the world ; though they enjoy muchcomfort, yet theydo not enjoy half that a Child of God doth; the little that the righteous bath, is better than the great revenues of the wicked ; to a Child of God a Dinner of green hearbs is more favory and pleafant to him than the flailed Oxe, becaufe a Child of God path better fauce with it. Worldly men they raid( to their flowers, it is the only godly man that fucks out the honey; that all.thingsare given t-o him in love, °tit of this he fucks comfort : A gracious heart fees all thefe outward comforts , that they are purchafed with the _blood of Chrift , ard therefore thefe fhoutd do him good , ancl. he may take comfort that he hopes for what he bath not , as well as for what he may have; ard he may take comfort in his condition , be it what it will , he fees all is for his good ; fuch a one believeth what he readeth not : So he believeth Gods wayes are wayes of truth, though come more fvvecrs and fome gore bitter. 4. Labour after communion with the Spirit in his comfortirg work, is another. This is the belt prefervative againh all intangle- meats of fin whatfoever : It is a great hour of temptation, and ifour comforts do not lye above the world, we (hall be greatly enfnared by the world. If a man eat fweet meats, he cannot relifhordinary food ; fo while thefe fweec comforts lye upon the foul , he cannot relifh thefe ordinary things in the world : What, do you tempt me with thefe things,fayes a Child of God ? what are thefe to the com- forts:of the Holy Ghoft ? Theheart of man will feek comfort one way or another; and ifhe bath it not 'from the Sp4it ofGod, he will feek
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