L 392 ] of COMMUNION with a fenfe of the love of God all the while flied abroad in his heart, a clear witnefs within, that he is a child of God, acceptedwithhim, that he is fealed and marked ofGod for his own, that he isan heir of all the promi- fes of God, and the like, it is impoffible that man, thould not triumph in all his tribulations: From this rife of all our confolation, are thofe defcriptions which we have of it in the fcripture, from its properties and adjunfts : as, (I.) It is abiding: thence it is call'd everlafling confolation; 2 Thee God our Father, which lrath loved us, and given w everlafling confolation; that is, comfort, that, vanilheth not ; and that becaufe it rifeth from ever lafting things. There may be force perithing comfort given for a little feafon, by perilhing things: but abiding confolation, which we have by the Holy Ghoft, is from things everlafting. Everlafiing love, eternal re- demption, an everlafiing inheritance. (2.) Strong, Heb. vi. t8: That the heirs of the promife ßiould receive flrong confolation. As throng oppofition lyes fometimes againft us, and trouble, whofe bands are throng, fo is our confolation flrong ; it abounds, and is unconquerable ; i sa aTane : it is fuch, as will make its way through all oppofition, it confirms, corroborates, and ftrengthens the heart under any evil, it fortifies the foul, and makes it able cheerfully toundergo any thing that it is called unto, and that becaufe it is from him who is ftrong. (3.) It is precious , hence the apoftle makes it the great motive unto obe- dience, which he exhorts the Philippians unto, chap. ii. t. If there he any confolation in Chrifi if you fet any efteem and valuation upon this pre- cious mercyof confolation in Clarift ; by there comforts, let it be fo with you. And this is the firft general confequent in the hearts ofbelievers, of thofe great effefts ofthe Holy Ghoft before-mentioned : now this is fo large and comprehenfive, comerizing fo many of our concernments in our walking with God, that the Holy Ghoft receives his denomination, as to the whole work he hath to perform for us, from hence; he is the Comforter, as Jefus Chrift, from the work of redemption and falvation, is the Redeemer and Saviour of his church. Now, as we have no confolation but from the Holy Ghoft : fo all lais effefts towards us, have certainly this confequent, more or lefs in us. Yea, I dare fay, whatever we have in the kinds of the things before-mentioned, that brings not confolationwith it, in the root at leali, ifnot in the ripe fruit, is not of the Holy Ghoft. The way whereby comfort fillies out from thofe works of his, belongs toparticular cafes. The fellowfhip we have with him, confifts, in no fmall portion of it, in the confolation we receive from him. This gives us a valuation of his love; teacheth whither to make applications in bur diftrefs; whbmto pray for, to pray to, whom to wait upon in perplexities. 2. Peace arifeth hence alfo, Rom. xv. r3. The God of hope fill youwith all peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, through thepower of the Holy Ghofi. The power of the Holy Ohoft is not only extended to hope, but to our peace alfo in believing. So is it in the conneftion of thofe promifes, Joh. xiv. 26, 27. /willdive you the Comforter andwhar then? what follows that grant? Peace, faith he, I leave withyou, my peace Igive unto you. Nor doth Chrift otherwife leave his peace, or give his peace unto them, but by bellowing theComforter on them. The peace of Chriff conifls in the foul's fenfe of its acceptation witch God in friendlhip. So is Chrift Paid to be our peace, Eph. ii. 54. by flaying the enmity between God andus, and in taking away the hand -writing, that was againftus; Rem. y. 1. Being
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