Consolation Proportionate to Spiritual Sufferings

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2 Corinthians 1:5

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ.

I. THE SUFFERINGS TO BE EXPECTED.

1. Before we buckle on the Christian armour we ought to know what that service is which is expected of us. A recruiting sergeant often slips a shilling into the hand of some ignorant youth, and tells him that Her Majesty's service is a fine thing, that he has nothing to do but walk about in his flaming colours, and go straight on to glory. But the Christian sergeant never deceives like that. Christ Himself said, "Count the cost." He wished to have no disciple who was not prepared "to bear hardness as a good soldier."

2. But why must the Christian expect trouble?

(1) Look upward. Thinkest thou it will be an easy thing for thy heart to become as pure as God is? Ask those bright spirits clad in white whence their victory came. Some of them will tell you they swam through seas of blood.

(2) Turn thine eyes downward. Satan will always be at thee, for thine enemy, "like a roaring lion, goeth about seeking whom he may devour."(3) Look around thee. Thou art in an enemy's country.

(4) Look within thee. There is a little world in here, which is quite enough to give us trouble. Sin is there and self and unbelief.

II. THE DISTINCTION TO BE NOTICED. Our sufferings are said to be the sufferings of Christ. Now, suffering itself is not an evidence of Christianity. There are many people who have troubles who are not children of God. A man is dishonest, and is put in jail for it; a man is a coward, and men hiss at him for it; a man is insincere, and therefore persons avoid him. Yet he says he is persecuted. Not at all; it serves him right. Take heed that your sufferings are the sufferings of Christ. It is only then that we may take comfort. What is meant by this? As Christ, the head, had a certain amount of suffering to endure, so the body must also have a certain weight laid upon it. Ours are the sufferings of Christ if we suffer for Christ's sake. If you are called to endure hardness for the sake of the truth, then those are the sufferings of Christ. And this ennobles us and makes us happy. It must have been some honour to the old soldier who stood by the Iron Duke in his battles to be able to say, "We fight under the good old Duke, who has won so many battles, and when he wins, part of the honour will be ours." I remember a story of a great commander who led his troops into a defile, and when there a large body of the enemy entirely surrounded him. He knew a battle was inevitable on the morning, he therefore went round to hear in what condition his soldiers' minds were. He came to one tent, and as he listened he heard a man say, "Our general is very brave, but he is very unwise this time; he has led us into a place where we are sure to be beaten; there are so many of the enemy and only so many of us." Then the commander drew aside a part of the tent and said, "How many do you count me for?" Now, Christian, how many do you count Christ for? He is all in all.

III. A PROPORTION TO BE EXPERIENCED. As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so the consolations of Christ abound. God always keeps a pair of scales — in this side He puts His people's trials, and in that He puts their consolations. When the scale of trial is nearly empty, you will always find the scale of consolation in nearly the same condition, and vice versa. Because —

1. Trials make more room for consolation. There is nothing makes a man have a big heart like a great trial.

2. Trouble exercises our graces, and the very exercise of our graces tends to make us more comfortable and happy. Where showers fall most, there the grass is greenest.

3. Then we have the closest dealings with God. When the barn is full, man can live without God. But once take your gourds away, you want your God. Some people call troubles weights. Verily they are so. A ship that has large sails and a fair wind needs ballast. A gentleman once asked a friend concerning a beautiful horse of his feeding shout in the pasture with a clog on its foot, "Why do you clog such a noble animal?" "Sir," said he, "I would a great deal sooner clog him than lose him; he is given to leap hedges." That is why God clogs His people.

IV. A PERSON TO BE HONOURED. Christians can rejoice in deep distress, but to whom shall the glory be given? Oh, to Jesus, for the text says it is all by Him. The Christian can rejoice, since Christ will never forsake him.

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