April 29

APRIL 29.—“Who comforteth us in all our tribulation.”—2 Cor. 1. 4.

THIS reminds us of the nature of the Christian life. It is “neither clear nor dark.” It partakes both of tribulation and comfort. The tribulation endears the comfort; and the comfort relieves and gilds the tribulation.

Paul does not say he comforts us by keeping us out of all tribulation. He could do this; but it accords not with the wisdom of his mercy. Therefore many are the afflictions of the righteous, and through much tribulation they must enter the kingdom. But while in the world they have tribulation, in him they have peace—and he comforts them IN ALL THEIR TRIBULATION. And he does this four ways. First, by deliverance. This is perhaps the most pleasing way to our natural feelings: and these feelings are in a measure allowable. For tribulation is not to be preferred for its own sake; neither are we to consider ourselves unsubmissive, though we are led to say, “Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;” provided we can add, “nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.” And the Lord knoweth how to deliver. If he does not find a way, he can make a way for our escape. Of old he appeared for his servants; and often constrained even their enemies to acknowledge the finger of God. Observe Joseph in Egypt, Jonah in the whale’s belly, Daniel in the lions’ den, and Peter in prison. “But these were miracles.” They were. “And miracles are not to be expected now.” They are not. But he who performed them is not far from any one of us—He is a very present help in trouble—and able to make good the word upon which he has caused us to hope; or miracles would be seen again. Nothing is too hard for the Lord; all hearts are in his hand; all events are at his control; and even now “he turneth the shadow of death into the morning.” He does not always deliver us according to our wishes and expectation; and hope deferred maketh the heart sick; and the eagerness and despondency of impatience may lead us to complain, “O when wilt thou comfort me?” But the vision is only for an appointed time; at the end it shall speak; neither will it tarry a moment beyond the season our welfare requires—“For the Lord is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for him.”

Secondly, by compensation. Philosophers have remarked how all through the natural world there are indications of a system of counter-balancings; so that a deficiency in one thing is remedied by some advantage in another. We see this also in human life; so that persons in their trouble are, so to say, recompensed by something which lessens the impression of their trials, and after which if they are wise they will look, for the purpose of submission and thankfulness. Hannah was barren, and reproached by her fruitful rival; but she was consoled by the greater love of her husband, and who “was better to her than ten sons.” Mephibosheth while an infant was lamed on both his feet; but owing to this accident his life was preserved when the other princes of the house were destroyed. Thus bodily deformity is sometimes relieved by superior endowments of mind. Thus a man is compelled to labour: but this gives soundness to his sleep, and appetite to his food, and vigour to his health,

to which the easy and indulged are strangers. Paul suffered unto bonds, but the word of God, which was dearer to him than life, was not bound; and his confinement turned out rather to the furtherance of the gospel. The thorn in the flesh was continued; but instead of the removal he had the assurance of all-sufficient grace under it; and he was more than satisfied with the compensation—yea, be gloried in it; and said, "When I am weak then I am strong." Ah! I dreaded, says the Christian, as I entered the affliction, and was laid on a bed of languishing: but prayer was made for me; a force and a tenderness of friendship were displayed of which I was not aware before—and O! how kind was that "Friend who sticketh closer than a brother"—"Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst unto me, fear not."

Thirdly, by sanctification. A man may be saved in his affliction when he is not saved out of it. Affliction is a scene of great moral danger, and the enemy of souls will endeavour to turn to account what it yields in a way of temptation. It is mentioned with wonder that in all the evil that had come upon him, "Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly." A Christian is sometimes "afraid of all his sorrows"—afraid lest he should sink—afraid lest he should sin in the day of adversity—afraid lest he should not suffer well, and glorify the Lord in the fires; but dishonour his religion by unbelief, and discontent, and murmuring. This leads him to pray; and the Lord hears him, and keeps him in the evil day. He affords him also the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, which confirms his faith, and strengthens his patience, and enables him to bear the rod. Some in their distresses have cursed God and died. Others have spoken unadvisedly with their lips; or they have been vengeful towards the instruments of their sufferings, or they have employed unlawful means to obtain relief, or they have attempted self-destruction. Have you been preserved? Has the furnace only severed the dross from the gold? Has the pruning-knife only lopped off the suckers that robbed the vine? Can you say with David, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept thy word"—Has the Lord forgotten to be gracious to you?

Fourthly, he does it by discovery. "The word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying: Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not." This is no more than he does to other sufferers; it is in the hour of trouble he peculiarly fulfils the promise, "I will manifest myself unto him." "I will allure her," says he, "and bring her into the wilderness, and there will I speak comfortably unto her"—or as it is in the margin, speak to her heart—so speak to her as to "give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope, and she shall sing there as in the days of her youth, and in the days when she came up out of the land of Egypt." Oh! if he says to the soul, "I am thy salvation;" if he "shows you his covenant;" if he convinces you that none of your trials are casual or penal; if he assures your consciences that you are redeemed from the curse, and that you only feel the rod of a father who uses it in kindness and tender mercy; if heaven be opened to the eye of the mind, and