By REV. JOHN COLQUHOUN, D.D.,
Minister of the Gospel, Leith, 1813.
(Continued from page 184.)
11. The properties of spiritual consolation, by which, it is distinguished from the joy of the hypocrite, are these:—
True comfort cometh by the word of God, and that rightly understood (I John, i, 4); but delusive joy comes, either by impressions without the word, or by a misunderstanding of the word. True consolation is real and solid. The sadness of the believer is, as it were, but as seeming sadness; whereas his joy is real. “As sorrowful,” saith Paul, “yet always rejoicing” (II Cor., vi, 10). The hypocrite, on the contrary, is only in appearance joyful; whilst he is in reality gloomy and sorrowful (Prov., xiv, 13). Spiritual comfort goes to the heart, and inspires it with holy delight: it is solid, and dwells more in the heart, than in the countenance. But delusive joy floats on the surface, makes a loud noise, and is, therefore, compared to “the crackling of thorns under a pot” (Eccles., vii, 6). True comfort, with regard to its object, is a rejoicing more in the amiableness and excellence of Christ, manifested, than in the manifestation of them (Phil., iii, 3); but counterfeit joy, is a rejoicing more in the manifestation itself, than in the excellence of the Divine object, manifested. The true Christian, rejoices most in the holy, and amiable nature of the things of Christ: the formalist, delights most in his own pretended interest in those things. That which delights him, is not so much the beauty of the Lord, as the beauty of his own experience. The delight, which the believer taketh in the Lord, and in his word, is his chief delight, his exceeding joy (Ps., xlii, 4, and iv, 6, 7, and xix, 10). The dearest delights of nature, are, in his estimation, infinitely below Christ, and God in Him. The presence and enjoyment of Christ will, in his esteem, supply the want of all other comforts. But, the chief delight of the hypocrite, is not in the Lord, but in some other object. True consolation usually accompanies, or follows, godly sorrow for sin (Matth., v, 4; Isa, lvii, 15; John, xvi, 20); but the joy of the empty formalist, springs up quickly, and without contrition of heart (Matth., xiii, 20, with Jer., iv, 3). If the hypocrite but offer to mourn for sin, it will effectually hinder his rejoicing in God. The godly sorrow of the believer, will be matter of joy to him: he rejoices more, when his heart is melting for sin, than he would do, though he had all the carnal delights in the world. On the contrary, the delusive joy of the formalist, will, either in time or in eternity, be matter of sorrow to him (Prov., xiv, 13). True comfort is hidden from unregenerate men (Prov., xiv, 10). It is as far out of the reach of worldly men, to discern the spiritual joy of a saint; as it is out of their power, to prevent, or to remove it. The consolation of the sincere Christian, is unspeakable (I Pet., i, 3); and no wonder; for the matter, and the importance of it, are incomprehensible; but the greatest joy of the hypocrite and the worldling, can easily be told: it can, without difficulty, be expressed to the utmost of its value. True consolation, is glorified or glorious joy (I Pet., i, 8); it has the highest and most glorious object; and it is the beginning as well as the earnest, of glory in the soul; counterfeit joy, on the contrary, is base and inglorious. The consolation of the believer is holy: it hath a holy, a sanctifying influence upon his soul (II Cor., iii, 18; Phil., iii, 3). It disposes him to practise willingly and cheerfully, universal holiness. It strengthens, encourages, and enlivens his heart, in holy obedience (Neh., viii, 10). It invigorates him for it: it excites him to it. But the joy of the hypocrite is unholy: it leaves his heart, as carnal, and his life, as unholy as ever; nay, it strengthens his lusts, and encourages him in sloth, and in the practise of some secret iniquity (Luke, xi, 21). True comfort humbles the sincere Christian, and lays him in the dust at the footstool of a God of infinite holiness, and sovereign grace (Job, xlii, 5, 6; I Cor., xv, 10); but counterfeit joy, puffs up the empty formalist, with pride and self conceit (Isa. lviii, 2, 3). Pure consolation, is accompanied with a constant fear of displeasing the Lord (Gen., xxxix, 9; Matth., xxviii, 8); but delusive joy, is connected with no fear, except that of suffering from him. Spiritual comfort cannot be maintained, without a holy tenderness of conscience, and a constant struggle against all manner of sin (I John, iii, 3); but carnal and hypocritical joy is preserved, without either the one or the other. True consolation, renders every sin more and more hateful (Rom., vii, 22, 24; Ps., cxix, 128); but counterfeit joy, leaves the hypocrite under the reigning love of all iniquity, and especially, of some darling sin. Holy comfort, disposes the believer to the frequent exercise of impartial self-examination (Ps., xxvi, 1-3); but delusive joy, inclines and encourages the hypocrite to neglect that exercise (John, iii, 20, 21). In a word, True consolation is permanent (I John, iv, 19). It is by the Holy Spirit so fixed in the heart, that it can never be wholly removed; and it is so strong, that it swallows up almost, all matter of unwarrantable fear and grief. Indeed, when the believer hath lost all sight of his personal interest in the Saviour, he cannot, as formerly, exercise his joy in God, and cannot, in such a case, but lose the sense of that joy, even while the principle and habit of it still remain. But, though the hypocrite’s persuasion of his pretended interest in the Divine favour, continues; yet his joy ceases: his sense of that interest, becomes insipid to him (Job, xx, 5).
12. In proportion to the degree of holy consolation that is afforded the believer, his duty is his delight.
Being renewed in the spirit of his mind, the more clearly and spiritually, he discerns the loveliness of God in Christ, and the more cordially and firmly, he believes his love to him; the more doth he love God (John xvi, 22), and the more he loveth God, the more he delighteth in Him. In proportion also, as he spiritually discerns the infinite amiableness of the holiness, and the other perfections of God, and believes with application his redeeming love; he, in the same proportion, approves Him, and the manifestations of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ: but the more he approves, or is pleased with God, as gloriously manifested in Christ, the more delight does he take in him. Add to this, that the more he is enabled to trust cordially, that God in Christ loveth him, and that He is not his enemy, but his Friend and his Father; the more of spiritual comfort, he will have; and the more of that holy consolation he has, which is a rejoicing in the Lord, the more will he delight in him, as his own God and Father. Now, in proportion as the believer is enabled to love, to be pleased with, and to rejoice in God, through the Lord Jesus Christ; he is at the same time, enabled to delight in the infinite holiness of God, as his God in Christ, and in all the illustrious displays of it, which, especially in redemption, are afforded him (Ps. cxxxviii, 5). And because the moral law, in the hand of the glorious Mediator, is a fair transcript of God’s holiness, and a declaration of his will, the believer delighteth also in that law, after the inward man (Rom. vii, 22). He loveth it, because it is holy and just (Ps. xix, 7-10, and cxix, 97); and he consents unto it, that it is good (Rom. vii, 10). In the same degree, then, in which a holy man is delighted or comforted, by a spiritual discovery of the transcendent loveliness of Jehovah, and by a firm belief of his infinite love to him; does he delight in his holy commandments: but, the more he delights in the commandments of the Lord, the more pleasure doth he take, in spiritual and universal obedience to them (Ps. xix, 11). His heart is united to the will, and to the glory, of his redeeming God: and, the more he is refreshed by the holy consolations of the gospel, or enabled to rejoice in Christ Jesus and his great salvation; so much the more doth he delight in evangelical obedience to his will, and in holy activity for his glory. The more his heart is comforted, the more will it be a comfort to him, to mortify sin, and to practise holiness; the more uniformly, will he rejoice in all opportunities of doing good, and the more ardently, will he seize them (Prov. iii, 17). Beholding the transcendent beauty of the Lord, and trusting that, in Christ, this God is his God, and that, he loveth him with an everlasting love; the believer delights, to think and speak of Him, to adore and serve Him, and in all things, to resign himself to his blessed will. Anointed with the oil of gladness, and refreshed with the sweetness of redeeming mercy, he delights, in imitation of his great Redeemer, to do the will of God, and accounts no pleasure under the sun, equal to that of doing good. Could he be more holy, and spiritually minded, it would please him better, than though he possessed all the riches, honours, and pleasures of this world. The more his holy soul is invigorated with spiritual consolation, the more active and cheerful he is, in all his duties; for in proportion as he delights in them, they are easy to him (Ps. xxv, 13; Matth. xi, 30). Indeed, holy living usually begins with comfort, and is maintained by it. The method of grace, as revealed by the gospel, is, to comfort our hearts, and thereby, to establish us in every good word and work (II Thess. ii, 17).
13. Finally, the Lord usually dispenseth consolation and affliction alternately, to his people; in order that, they may neither be too much depressed, nor too much elated.
The apostle Paul informs us that, “lest he should be exalted above measure, through the abundance of the revelations,” which had, in an extraordinary manner, been afforded him, “there was given to him, a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet him” (II Cor. xii, 7). In order that he might not, through the vanity and deceitfulness of his heart, be elated with an unbecoming conceit of himself, as if he were better than other apostles, because of the abundance of the revelations, with which he had been favoured, the Lord employed means the most effectual, to keep him humble. He permitted Satan and his instruments, to afflict him, either in his soul or body, or perhaps in both, and that, in a manner very abasing and grievous to him. But, that the holy apostle might not be too much cast down, by this painful affliction, the Redeemer, in answer to his prayer, comforted him with this gracious promise: “My grace is sufficient for thee” (Ver. 9). We read also that, the Lord shewed David, at one time, great and sore troubles, but enabled him to trust, that he would, at another, quicken him, and comfort him on every side (Ps. lxxi, 20, 21). A Prophet, personating the ancient church in her captivity, says, “Thou hast lifted me up and cast me down” (Ps. cii, 10). The believer, then, while he is in this world, has cloudy and clear days, tempestuous and calm seasons. He is at one time, in the valley of tears, and at another, on the mountains of joy. His gifts, his prosperity, and in consequence of these, his danger of carnal security, are sometimes so great, that the Lord, in order to prevent his being intoxicated, seeth it necessary to mingle water with his wine. He sees, it may be, that when the outward path of the Christian is smooth, he is not, in such a case, fit to be trusted with inward consolation, except in a small measure. He, therefore, in his infinite wisdom and love, varies his dispensations to the believer. By a wise interchange of adversity and prosperity, he sets trouble and comfort, for the most part, the one, over against the other (Eccles. vii, 14); that the one may be a foil to the other; that the Christian may find a short, an easy, and a safe passage between them; that in adversity, “he may weep, as though he wept not,” and in prosperity, “rejoice, as though he rejoiced not” (I Cor. vii, 50). Indeed, so long as sin remaineth in the believer, he must, in order to grow in grace, have distress and comfort, either alternately, or both together; to the end that, when he is sorrowful, he may not be cast down too low, and that, when he is rejoicing, he may not be lifted up too high.
(To be continued.)