Comfort

“Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.”

“Half our fears arise from neglect of the Bible.”

“Great hearts can only be made by great troubles. The spade of trouble digs the reservoir of comfort deeper.”

“It is good for me to have been afflicted, that I might know how to speak a word in season to one that is weary.”

“Say not my soul, 'From whence can God relieve my care?' Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere.”

“We, the called and faithful and chosen, will drive away our griefs, and set up our banners of confidence in the name of God.”

“A brother's sympathy is more precious than an angel's embassy.”

“The bruised Savior is the healing of bruised hearts.”

“Despondency is not a virtue; I believe it is a vice.”

“Noah was so shut in that no evil could reach him. Floods did but lift him heavenward, and winds did but waft him on his way.”

“Communion with Christ is a certain cure for every ill.”

“The lazy Christian has his mouth full of complaints, when the active Christian has his heart full of comforts.”

“In a storm there is no shelter like the wings of God.”

“Communion with God makes bitter things sweet, and massive things light.”

“One drop of the sweetness of heaven is enough to take away all the sourness and bitterness of all the afflictions in the world.”

“Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks.”

“God doth never more graciously appear to his people, than when there is the greatest matter for their discouragement.”

“God hath provided promises of comfort, succour and relief, suitable to all conditions: I dare boldly challenge all men, to shew me any one condition, which God hath not provided a promise of comfort, mercy and succour suitable unto it.”

“Thus doth God, with whom are reserves of mercies, reserve his sweetest consolations, for the time of our sourest afflictions, and doth temper the one with the other in most fit proportion.”

“never lay your comforts upon your condition, nor be in love with any condition for itself; let not your condition itself be the cause or bottom of your encouragements.”

“It is my duty, and I have reason to be humbled for my sin, although it be never so small; but I have no reason to be discouraged under my sin, though it be never so great.”

“Discouragement itself is a sin, another sin, a Gospel sin; now my sin against the Law, is not just cause why I should sin against the Gospel.”

“In Christ crucified, you may see a full answer . . . to all your needs, to all your fears, to all your doubts.”

“The Comforter gives a sweet and plentiful evidence and persuasion of the love of God to us, such as the soul is taken, delighted, satiated withal.”

“Though an host of men should encompass me, 'my heart shall not fear; though war rise against me, in this I will be confident.' Here is great courage for the time to come.”

“When the soul is alone in holy meditation and prayer, then not an angel—but God's own Spirit does come to comfort him.”

“He is a gracious Father, and he hath taken this sweet relation on him for this purpose, that we may have comfort in all conditions.”

“He may discover some probabilities of pardon; he may indulge some flickering hopes—but these occasional flashes from the dark sky do not soothe his fears.”

“You yet live, and your wounds, though many, may all be healed; and your foes, though many, may all be driven, like vanishing smoke, before you.”

“But, in the kingdom of heaven, sorrow and sighing shall fly away.”

“This is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.”

“His perfections are revealed to us as the highest knowledge; they are all pledged for our protection, blessedness, and glory.”

“Whether I have a race to run, or some work to do, I see not; but I think Christ seemeth to leave heaven (to say so), and His court, and come down to laugh, and play, and sport with a daft bairn.”

“This is the death in the pot of the Roman religion, that they confound the two covenants, and it deadens the comfort of drooping ones that they cannot distinguish them.”

“If you are not so much as smoking flax, then why do you not renounce your interest in Christ, and disclaim the covenant of grace?”

“Here is relief commensurate with all the need of all poor sin-sick souls.”

“He does not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax.”

“All your pains and trials, all that befalls you in your own person, or that affects you upon the account of others—shall in the end prove to your advantage.”

“Not that he means fathers and mothers use to do so, but though they should, or even when they forsake us by death, yet God doth wonderfully save and protect their posterity.”

“The Vanity of the World appears in this, THAT IT CAN STAND US IN NO STEAD, THEN WHEN WE HAVE THE GREATEST NEED OF SUPPORT AND COMFORT .”

“But, for their comfort, here is abundance, abundance of grace, a river, a deep river of the water of life, for them to drink of.”

“Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." But it is to heaven we look for the soul's perfect and changeless happiness.”

“His mercy to his own soon comforted them for all their toils and conflicts, in a land flowing with milk and honey—a type of that inheritance awaiting his saints now, after conflict is over.”

“So all the promises that God hath made to any of his people, though never so long ago, faith fetches out the comfort of them, as if they were made now to us.”

“O what a blessed, happy, comfortable state has he now brought my soul into!”

“He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.”

“Now it hath pleased Him to renew His love to my soul, and to dawt His poor prisoner.”

“Is there no spiritual dwelling-place to which we may continually repair in this desolate world, and, repairing to it, find rest and peace?”

“And thus it is with the broken-hearted; he needs, and God has prepared for him plenty of the comforts and cordials of heaven, to succour and relieve his sinking soul.”

“Trust in God does not destroy feelings of alarm, though they restrain them from overwhelming force.”

“However, I know that you are in safe and merciful hands, and that the Lord loves you better than we can do.”

“He rose again for me, he is now in heaven for me, as carrying me in his breast.”

“If kept from uniting with his people in public worship, God himself can be to us—a little sanctuary.”

“Look, as the bleeding of a vein cools, eases, and refreshes a feverish body; so the opening of the soul by acts of communion with God, gives sensible ease to a burdened soul: griefs are eased by groans heavenward.”

“Is afflicting and forsaking all one with you? must God needs hate, because he scourgeth you?”

“In the law, he who could not bring a lamb for an offering, if he brought but two turtledoves, it sufficed.”

“So when the feathered mother spreads her sheltering wings, the hawk may soar above—the gathering clouds may menace—but the downy refuge covers.”

“When a father bids his child lift a heavy object—and the child is not able—but tries, and does his best, the father accepts it as if he had done it.”

“Sometimes we are afraid God is departed from us, and it is merely because we are afflicted.”

“Therefore sue out the will of Christ, sue out that last legacy of his.”

“The ministers of God are stewards, as it were, to distribute comfort and reproof to whom it belongs.”

“Where the judge appoints a counsel, it is a sign he favoureth the cause.”

“Light and joy are sown for the mourners in Zion, and the harvest (which is of God s making, for time and manner) is near.”

“From this subject, you may observe the following DOCTRINE, Our Lord Jesus is appointed of his Father, to be the Physician of broken-hearted sinners, to bind them up, and heal them.”

“The most frightful thing in any affliction, is the mark or character of God's wrath which it seems to bear: take away that, and the affliction is nothing.”

“As the tree in winter, though it has lost its leaves and fruit—yet there is sap in the root; so in the winter of desertion there is the sap of grace in the root of the heart.”

“In the morning, we often see clouds gather about the sun, as if they would hide it, but the sun overcomes them little by little, till it comes to its full strength.”

“There is never a holy sigh, never a tear we shed, which is lost.”

“His sympathy is theirs, that He may have a fellow-feeling in all their infirmities, and a brother's pity in all their griefs.”

“Lastly, This is a comfortable consideration, that he that waited upon you so long, and won your hearts at last; that hath gained you at the expence of so much pains and patience, will not now forsake you.”

“You say, 'Do what I can, yet I cannot keep my heart with God.' Soul, if you do what you can, you have the blessing of an upright, though God sees good to exercise you under the affliction of a discomposed heart.”

“When we have this done, then we have discharged our duty in mourning, and may turn to other occasions as God doth require of us; for when we have mourned and wept, then we must look upon causes of rejoicing and thanksgiving.”

“Mark how God brings the deliverance of his people from the fear of his wrath, as an argument to strengthen them against all other fears.”

“I called upon the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place.”

“Death itself can only part us for a little space, as the pier of a bridge divides the stream for a few moments—but cannot make a real separation.”

“But the riches of Christ do both keep off calamities, and make up the lack of all mercies that the soul craves or needs.”

“A beautiful face is at all times pleasing to the eye—but then especially when there is joy manifested in the countenance.”

“Secondly, There is comfort concerning such infirmities, in that your very sins move him to pity more than to anger.”

“Where no light comes, there is an influence, though not discerned; and much more can there be influence of strength and power and hidden comfort, though there be no sight.”

“Is the seeming denial of your prayers, an occasion of despondency?”

“Oh, keep the truth, and truth will make you safe and happy forever.”

“There is no room for melancholy and depression where eternal realities form the sources of enjoyment.”

“He has as much love in his heart to pity us—and as much strength in his arm to help us!”

“So when temptations assault thee, and the devil with all his black legions besets thee round, thou art not in a worse condition than at the first, when all thy sins did not only besiege thee, but possess thee.”

“A blessing God—a blessing Savior—a blessing Spirit are at hand.”

“Children are owned in the house, are missed if they are out of the way, and have their daily provision constantly made for them.”

“My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?”

“Happy is the state of a believer; to such, all things are for good.”

“There is no condition that a godly man or woman can be in, but there is some promise or other in the Scripture to help him in that condition.”

“Now grief is as it were a cloud from whence the shower of tears comes, and weeping is but a distillation of that vapour.”

“You may say, “But while I wait for the riches of Heaven and the promises, in the meantime I don’t have very much riches at all.” If you are under age, God is your guardian, and God will be accountable to you for everything.”

“He hath watered with His sweet comforts an oppressed prisoner.”

“Hence we learn that we must not pass too harsh judgment upon ourselves or others when God exercises us with bruising upon bruising.”

“He gives us something to sweeten our pilgrimage here—some tastes of his love— these are the pledge and first-fruits.”

“My soul, if you are poor, it is not because God's blessings fail.”

“Each sigh which rends the bosom; each frown which ploughs the brow; each pain which racks the limbs—are cradled in its arms.”

“All our springs of life, strength, peace, and comfort, are in him; and without him we can do nothing.”

“There is no attribute of God that is but continually working good to every saint of God.”

“The raging waves beat sorely against Noah's ark—but they touched not him.”

“And like as he cured diseases, by taking them on himself by sympathy, it is said of him, when his healing of them is recorded, himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses.”

“It is Christ, in whom the soul rests and hath comfort in, and not in its grace; so that the sight of a man’s grace is but a back-door to let faith in at, to converse with Christ, whom the soul loves.”

“But if we take the apostle’s words in the sense which hath been given, there is full and abundant consolation against all fear of death.”

“It is 'drink indeed.' It calms, it revives, it refreshes, it soothes; it is like cold water to the thirsty lips under a scorching sun.”

“The only way to keep sweet contentment and comfort in Christian societies is to make the best interpretations of things we can.”

“Oh come with hungerings after Christ and be assured of satisfaction!”

“And does he not still invite me to cast my care upon him, and assure me that he cares for me?”

“Thus, you see that contentment brings comfort to a man’s life [and] fills it full of comfort in this world; the truth is, it is even a heaven on earth .”

“When guilt lies boiling in the conscience, confession gives ease.”

“If God be ours, then the soul resteth in it; for God filleth the soul, and quiets the soul, and hath always fresh comforts for the soul, infinite still to all eternity.”

“This cloudy and stormy morning will wind up in a serene and pleasant evening.”

“The moon and the stars are seen best when the sun is absent.”

“He is the fountain of life, strength, grace and comfort—and of his fullness his children receive according to their needs.”

“Whatsoever is comfortable cometh from this spring, that God in Christ is our God, our reconciled God; that God's nature and ours now are in good terms.”

“What was the cordial God prepared to revive the hearts of his poor captives groaning under hard and grievous bondage, both in Egypt and in Babylon?”

“That mariner hath sailed long enough that hath gained his port; and that soldier fought long enough that hath won the victory; and that child lived long enough that hath won heaven, how early soever he died.”

“Many, so far as in us lies, are lost for want of encouragement.”

“He is our head, husband, friend, father, brother, and whatsoever can convey comfort to us.* And the truth of it is, he is these things more truly than any relation is made true on earth.”

“And therefore Christ addeth comfort to comfort: ‘Go, tell my brethren, I ascend to my Father, and their Father; to my God, and their God.’ The message itself is Christ’s ascension.”

“Now, sir, I have no comfort earthly, but to know that I have espoused, and shall present a bride to Christ in that congregation.”

“Wait for the time when His own holy hand shall hold them to your nose; and if ye would have present comfort under the cross, be much in prayer, for at that time your faith kisseth Christ and He kisseth the soul.”

“But may we not take the comfort of those blessings that God gives us.”

“Let us therefore, with the prodigal, return unto him, and we shall find ease and rest.”

“He has the Father's heart, which beats with tenderness, incapable of diminution or of change.”

“But be not discouraged; the Lord only afflicts for our good .”

“The outward wheel, which turns all, is providence; the wheel within this wheel is God's decree; this believed, would rock the heart quiet.”

“The raging waves beat sorely against Noah's ark —but they touched not him.”

“When a man is stung with guilt, it is his highest wisdom in the world to look up to the brazen serpent, and not to spend his time or create torments to his own soul by perpetual poring upon his guilt.”

“Sin gives a dash in the wine of our comforts; it digs our grave (Rom. 5.12).”

“When the father is father of a child, the father will not cast away the child for breaking out with deformity or lameness.”

“No, you are the helper of the fatherless: that is, you are the helper of the destitute one, who has none to go to but God.”

“Strengthen such, that is, encourage them, by casting in a promise, by casting in your experiences, or by casting in the experiences of other saints, that so they may be supported.”

“There be two seasons especially, in which the soul wants relief and comfort: and they are, in Trouble of Conscience, and at the Hour of Death.”

“When the lions roar, [when] the great lions of the world roar in extremity, he hath inward peace and joy, and comforts of the Holy Ghost.”

“Now, as to the excellency of this joy, it will be found to be the pleasant light of the soul.”

“As far as the full counsel of God is concerned, Scripture reveals as much as we need to know to believe, to live holily, and to be comforted.”

“They soothe no sorrow, they dry up no tears, they knit no broken bonds.”

“God loves that his people should plead his promises; and he who does shall find God near him, though friends should leave him, and the world be in arms against him, etc.”

“Christians! though you may be very near and dear to Christ, yet until you come to see your assurance, you will spend your days in doubting, mourning, and complaining.”

“It makes clear that the man who belongs to Christ need not be the prey of continual remorse.”

“It is the duty of the saints, especially in times of straits, to reflect upon the performances of Providence for them in all the states and through all the stages of their lives.”

“Providence neither does nor can do any thing that is really against the true interest and good of the saints.”

“A wise Spirit sitting in all the wheels of motion, and governing the most eccentric creatures and their most pernicious designs to blessed and happy issues.”

“His heart stands affected towards us, under all sorts of infirmities whatsoever, either of sin or misery.”

“To be above the stroke of passions is a condition equal to angels; to be in a state of sorrow without the sense of sorrow is a disposition beneath beasts; but duly to regulate our sorrows is the wisdom, duty, and excellency of a Christian.”

“Strong affections make strong afflictions. The higher the tide, the lower the ebb.”

“Griefs are eased by groans, and heart pressures relieved by utterance.”

“A Christian may be stripped of anything but his God; he may be stripped of his estate, his friends, his relations, his liberty, his life, but he can never be stripped of his God.”

“He who has God for his portion enjoys all; and he who lacks a saving interest and propriety in God enjoys nothing at all.”

“We are now come to the banquet, and Christ is the founder of it; nay, he is the Feast itself. He is the Author of it, and he it is that we feed upon.”

“There is in Christ enough to satisfy all the hungry souls in the world, he himself being present at this heavenly banquet.”

“If he bring us to heaven through a valley of tears, it is no matter, for in heaven all tears shall be wiped from our eyes.”

“There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us. It is better to go bruised to heaven than sound to hell.”

“Grace is little at the first; things of greatest perfection are longest in coming to their growth.”

“The strongest are readiest to bear with the infirmities of the weak.”

“God enriches by impoverishing; He causes the augmentation of grace by the diminution of an estate.”

“Affliction is a bitter root, but it bears sweet fruit.”

“Learn, ye that would have death pleasant, so to rule and square this life, that it may agree in some measure with the life to come.”

“Seeking of Christ is the soul's duty; but Christ manifesting himself is the soul's comfort.”

“Many times Christ hath his face towards us, when we have our backs upon him; and therefore if thou wouldst find Christ, turn thyself to him.”

“Truths are often delivered to us like wheat in full ears, to the end we should rub them out before we eat them, and take pains about them before we have the comfort of them.”

“God has a long arm, and he can reach a great way further than we can conceive he can.”

“The knowledge of the love of Christ to his church is above all knowledge.”

“Christ vouchsafes his gracious presence to his children, upon their desire of it.”

“Grace is glory in the bud, and glory is grace at the full.”

“To have grace, and to be sure that we have grace, is glory upon the throne, it is heaven on this side heaven.”