Chapter Nine
We must first receive the comforts of the gospel e must first receive the consolations of the gospel, so that we may sincerely fulfill the obligations of the law.
When mankind fell from obedience to God, which they were originally enabled and inclined to perform through the consolations of their blissful state in Paradise, God could have justifiably chosen never to bestow any consolations upon them again, as an incentive to their duties. Thus, with fear, grief, and despair hindering their path to holiness, they would have remained unable to escape the sentence of death pronounced for their initial transgression. The justice of God is evident in the framework of the legal covenant, in which He promises us no life, comfort, or happiness until we have fully accomplished His law. This can be seen in the proclamation on Mount Sinai, expounded throughout Leviticus 26. By nature, we are so strongly inclined towards this legal approach to salvation that it is difficult to dissuade those living under the light of the gospel from prioritising the duties of the law over the consolations of the gospel. Even if they cannot secure salvation itself through their works, they ensure that all the comforts of salvation are contingent upon their own efforts. They consider it as unreasonable to expect comfort before duty as it is to receive wages before work or the fruits of the earth before the labour of the farmer (2 Timothy
2:6). They believe that the most effective way to secure obedience to God's law is by anchoring all our consolations to its fulfillment. They argue that the contrary doctrine strengthens the hands of the wicked by falsely prophesying peace to them where there is no peace (Ezekiel 13:16, 22), and it opens the floodgates to all kinds of licentiousness. Therefore, some preachers advise people not to be overly concerned or hasty in seeking comfort, but rather to diligently focus on performing their duties. They tell them that by doing so, their ultimate condition will be safe and happy, even if they never experience the comfort of their salvation in this world.
To properly understand what I have stated in opposition to common misconceptions, it is important to note that I do not claim that the sole place for gospel comfort is before the duties of the law. I acknowledge that God provides comfort to His people at every stage, both before and after the performance of their duties. The greatest consolations often come after the fulfillment of these duties. However, God does grant some comforts to His people in advance, as a kind of advance payment, to equip them for His service, even though the majority of the reward is received later on. By stating this, I am not promoting peace for those who persist in their sinful natural state. The comforts I speak of cannot be experienced without renouncing the false confidences that enable unregenerate individuals to persist in sin. They also require the effective work of the Spirit, which transforms us into good trees capable of bearing good fruit. While these comforts are granted before the sincere practice of the law, they are not bestowed upon us in our corrupt sinful nature. Instead, they are given within and alongside the new holy nature that immediately produces a holy practice. They are, in essence, comforts derived from the spiritual benefits through which our new state and nature are formed and constituted.
Examples of these benefits include redemption, justification, adoption, and the gift of the Spirit. It is important to clarify that I do not refer to an ecstatic or overwhelming joy, but rather a comforting experience that reasonably provides some measure of strength against the weight of fear, grief, and despair, which are inherent in our sinful and miserable state.
This explanation of my assertion should sufficiently address common objections. I trust that the truth of it will be further demonstrated through the following arguments.
1. This truth logically follows from the principles of holiness that have already been established. I have demonstrated that we need to have a firm belief in our reconciliation with God, our eternal happiness in heaven, and our sufficient strength to desire and accomplish what pleases God through Jesus Christ. These qualities are necessary to incline us towards the practice of holiness. We can attain these attributes by receiving Christ Himself, along with His Spirit and all
His abundance, by placing our trust in Him for our complete salvation, as freely promised to us in the gospel. Through faith, we truly receive Christ, just as we physically receive nourishment by eating and drinking. Now, let sound reason judge: can we truly believe in the love of God, our everlasting joy, and our ability to serve Him, and yet be devoid of any comfort? Can we accept the good news of the gospel, receive Christ and His Spirit into our hearts, without any relief from the burdensome weight of fear, grief, and despair? Can the salvation of Christ be devoid of comfort, or can the bread and water of life lack a delightful taste for those who partake in hunger and thirst? God will not bestow such benefits upon those who do not desire and value them above worldly possessions. And surely, the very act of receiving these benefits will bring comfort to such individuals, unless they receive them blindly, which they cannot do, as the act of giving and bestowing them opens the eyes of a sinner, turning them from darkness to light, allowing them to spiritually perceive the things that pertain to their present and future peace. They thereby gain some encouraging and strengthening comfort, enabling them to pursue holiness.
2. Peace, joy, and hope are encouraged in Scripture as the sources of other holy duties, while fear and overwhelming grief are discouraged as hindrances to true religion. "The peace of God will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).
"Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah
8:10). "Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure" (1 John 3:3). "Fear involves punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" (1 John 4:18). This is why the apostle emphasizes the exhortation to "rejoice in the Lord always," as it is a duty of utmost importance and necessity (Philippians 4:4).
What are these duties but comfort itself? And can we believe that these duties are necessary for the continuation of a holy practice, but not for its initiation, when the work is most challenging and encouragement is most needed? Therefore, if we truly desire to keep
God's holy commandments, we must first strive to attain a state of comfort in our spirits and not delay in doing so.
3. The usual approach of gospel teaching, as it is presented in the Holy
Scriptures, is to first comfort our hearts and thereby establish us in every good word and work (2 Thessalonians 2:17). This method is clearly demonstrated in various Epistles written by the apostles.
They first inform the churches of the abundant grace of God towards them in Christ and the spiritual blessings they partake in for their strong consolation. Then they exhort them to live a holy life that aligns with such privileges. This method is not only observed in entire Epistles but also in numerous specific exhortations to duty, where the comforting benefits of God's grace in Christ are used as arguments and motives to stir up the saints towards a holy practice.
However, these comforting benefits must first be believed and their comfort applied to our own souls; otherwise, they will not have the power to engage us in the intended practice.
To provide a few examples, among the multitude that could be cited, we are urged to engage in holy duties because we are dead to sin and alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11), and because sin will not have dominion over us, for we are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). We are encouraged because we are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, and God will give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit dwelling in us (Romans 8:9, 11). We are motivated because our bodies are the members of Christ and the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
6:15, 19), and because God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians
5:21). We are inspired because God has promised to dwell in us, walk with us, be our Father, and make us His sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18; 7:1). We are uplifted because God has forgiven us for Christ's sake, considers us His beloved children, and Christ has loved us and given
Himself for us; we who were once in darkness are now light in the Lord (Ephesians 4:32; 5:1, 2, 8). We are motivated because we have been raised with Christ and, when Christ, who is our life, appears, we will also appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:1, 4). We find assurance because God has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5), and because of the many promises made to us (2 Corinthians 7:1). Explore the Scriptures, and you will delightfully observe that this is the consistent approach found in gospel exhortations. Likewise, you will find a similar vein of comfort running through the prophetic exhortations in the Old
Testament.
Some may argue that the apostles used this method in their writings to saints who had already practised holiness, in order for them to continue and grow in it. But I can easily respond to that by saying, "If this method is necessary for mature saints, it is even more necessary for beginners who find the task of obedience most difficult and are in greatest need of strong consolation." And I hope to demonstrate how we can grasp these consolations by faith right from the very beginning of a holy life.
Furthermore, the gospel offers peace and comfort freely to those who have not yet embraced holiness so that, if they are willing to receive it, they may be converted from sin to righteousness. When the apostles entered a house, their first words were, "Peace be to this house" (Luke 10:5). In their initial preaching to sinners, they acquainted them with the good news of salvation through Christ, available to all who would receive it as a free gift through faith (Acts 3:26; 13:26, 32, 38; 16:30, 31). They assured them that if they wholeheartedly trusted in Christ for all His salvation, they would receive it, even though they were currently the chief of sinners. This was sufficient comfort for all who truly valued spiritual comfort and earnestly desired it. Such an approach aligns with the purpose of the gospel, which is to magnify the richness of God's grace in all our spiritual experiences. God will grant us His consolations before and after our good works, so that we may understand that He bestows upon us eternal comfort and a good hope through His grace, not as a result of our works (2 Thessalonians 2:16).
1. The nature of the duties prescribed by the law necessitates a state of comfort in the soul for their sincere performance. I have already sufficiently demonstrated that these duties require a conviction of our reconciliation with God, a confidence in our future happiness, and the strength to walk in holy obedience. Just as Joshua needed to be strong and courageous to faithfully follow the law commanded by the servant of the Lord, Moses (Joshua 1:7), I will briefly mention the comforts without which several significant duties cannot be sincerely carried out. Can we truly love God and take delight in Him above all else while considering Him as our eternal enemy, perceiving no love and mercy in Him towards us that would make Him a suitable and beloved object in our eyes?
What a mournful tune will the heart produce in the act of praise if we believe that all the perfections for which we praise God will only amplify our misery rather than bring us happiness? How devoid of heart will it be to pray to Him and offer ourselves in His service if we have no comforting hope that He will accept us? Can we truly rid ourselves of anxious worries by casting our cares upon the Lord if we do not perceive that He cares for us? Will we be able to endure affliction with patience and cheerfulness, and remain steadfast under persecution, unless we have peace with God and rejoice in the hope of His glory? (Romans 5:1-3). What reason could persuade us to willingly submit, as our duty demands, to the stroke of impending death if God were to lay it upon us, when we have no comforts to alleviate the dreadful fear of eternal torment in hell?
If we were to be called upon to suffer martyrdom for the Protestant faith, as our ancestors in this nation have done, we would find it necessary to forsake the recent novel ideas that have arisen in times of ease and embrace the comforting doctrine of past Protestants, which, by the grace of God, empowered countless courageous and joyful martyrs.
1. The state of those who are to be converted from sin to godliness necessitates that, once they are convinced of the futility of their former false confidences and their spiritual deadness due to original sin, as well as their exposure to God's wrath, they should be provided with a fresh supply of gospel comforts to embolden their fainting souls for holy practices. How little do many soul physicians consider the condition of their unconverted patients who are entirely devoid of spiritual life and strength, and must be made aware of it?
One who prescribes physical exercise to a person bedridden by severe paralysis, without first employing effective means to restore their strength, deserves to be called a merciless and taunting tormentor rather than a wise and compassionate physician. How unreasonable it is to prescribe immediate acts of love towards God and universal obedience out of love as the cure for those who perceive nothing but wrath and enmity from God in their present state? It is akin to demanding that a person work without strength, promising them strength only once their work is done. For comfort or joy is called so because it strengthens (Nehemiah 8:10).
Indeed, it is true that the law, which brings condemnation, obliges individuals to obedience. However, our merciful God does not expect sincere obedience to His law from these feeble and miserable individuals, for the sake of their salvation through Christ, until He has first delivered them, to some extent, from the distress, enslaving fears, and despair that keep them captive under the law of sin and death. We may demand that a strong and healthy person work first, and then expect to provide them with food, drink, and wages. But a person who is weak and famished must first receive food or a reviving tonic to strengthen their heart before they can work.
1. Both Scripture and experience demonstrate that this is the method by which God leads His people from sin to holiness. Although some may experience terrors for a while to make sin more bitter and the salvation of Christ more precious and acceptable to them, they are once again delivered from their terrors through the comforts of God's salvation, so that they may be prepared for holiness.
Generally, a holy life begins with comfort and is sustained by it.
At the time of Adam's first creation, God bestowed upon him the comfort of His love, favour, and the bliss of Paradise to encourage obedience. When Adam lost these comforts through the Fall, he was no longer able to obey until he was restored through the new comfort of the promised seed. Christ, the second Adam, always set God before Him and knew that because God was by His side, He would not be shaken. Therefore, His heart was glad, and His glory rejoiced (Psalm 16:8-9). This willingness enabled Him to endure His agony and bloody sweat and to be obedient unto death, even death on a cross. God drew the Israelites to obedience with the cords of kindness, with the bands of love, by removing the yoke from their jaws and setting food before them (Hosea 11:4). David, for our instruction, reveals how he was led to a holy way of life: "Your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness" (Psalm 26:3); "I hope for your salvation, O Lord, and I do your commandments" (Psalm 119:166).
We find various examples in the New Testament of sinners experiencing joy upon receiving Christ (Acts 2:41). When the gospel reached the Thessalonians, they received the word with much affliction yet with joy in the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 1:4, 5, 6). Upon hearing the word of God, the Gentiles were glad, and those appointed to eternal life believed (Acts
13:48). The apostle Paul, moved by the love of Christ, surrendered himself to live for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:14, 15).
I dare to appeal to the experience of anyone who obeys God out of genuine love. Let them examine themselves and consider whether they were led to devote themselves to God's service in love without a comforting sense of God's love towards them. I can confidently say that such extraordinary cases do not occur in the process of being born again.
1. What a comfortless religion it is when people are not allowed any comfort beforehand to strengthen them for the challenging acts of devotion that go against their natural inclinations, such as plucking out a right eye or cutting off a right hand. Instead, they are expected to perform such actions with love and delight, amidst their present fears, despondency, and corrupt desires, and hope that by doing the work thoroughly and sincerely, they will eventually attain a more comfortable state. If true spiritual comfort, as well as salvation, is conditional upon our good works, then it is completely absent from the world. This has already been demonstrated as the condition of the law, which brings no comfort but wrath (Romans 4:14, 15).
Many find the path of godliness detestable. They believe that they will never experience a pleasant moment in this world if they walk in it, and they would rather find solace in sinful pleasures than have no comfort at all.
Others toil for a while in such a joyless religion, inwardly fretting and resenting the burden of it, and eventually grow weary and abandon all religion because they know no better. Those who impose such heavy and burdensome obligations on people may claim that they are not to be blamed because they are preaching the gospel of God and Christ. However, in reality, they are preaching a gospel of their own making, contrary to the true nature of the gospel of Christ, which is good news of great joy for all people (Luke 2:10). An uncomfortable gospel cannot originate from God the Father, who is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2
Corinthians 1:3), nor from Christ, who is the consolation of Israel (Luke
2:25), nor from the Spirit, who is the Comforter (John 14:16, 17).
God meets those who rejoice and do righteousness (Isaiah 64:5). He desires to be worshipped with gladness and singing, as exemplified in the temple through various musical expressions and numerous musicians.
Christ speaks to us through His gospel so that His joy may abide in us and our joy may be complete (John 15:11). God approves of no sorrow except godly sorrow, which can never exist in us without some comfort from God's love towards us. Those who are disheartened by the lack of comfort in a religious life have not yet understood the true path of religion; otherwise, they would discover that the ways of wisdom are pleasant and all her paths are peaceful (Proverbs 3:17).