The celestial comforter...

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Preface

THE present collection of Scripture Promises, is a most appropriate supplement to the " Rights of God," and the best vindication of the impartiality of the great Jehovah. The numerous instances wherein they have been fulfilled, has a tendency to remove the doubts of the philosophical unbeliever ; and their application to the true believer's heart, is a reviving cordial, while travelling through this miserable world ; they are in short, his choicest riches and highest hopes, this side heaven. To those who know the benefit of a suitable promise in the hour and power of darkness and temptation, this collection will be a celestial treasure ; and will be a most pleasurable and profitable companion for the merchant in his countinghouse, the lady in her parlour, or the sick man in his chamber ; where, with a glance of an eye, they may derive heavenly refreshment, and may participate the joy of angels. By neglecting the promises of God, many a sincere Christian has been filled with solicitude and anxiety, both about the concerns of this life, and the apprehensions of death ; and thus have been, by their own inattention, deprived of the best comforts of religion through life, and at the hour of death. «The gracious promises of God were given for our comfort and support, in the hour of trouble and temptation. Why should we then, rob our souls of promises so sweet, so pleasant, so precious ? and which " should be written on the table of our hearts !*' Many serious people, while on their sick and dying beds, are deprived of the most divine consolation, for want of reading or having the promises of God applicable to their condition, read to them, by some social and sympathetic friend. The reason is obvious : viz. A? most people are not Scriptarians, they might search the Bible for an hour before they would find one appropriate promise. Hence, out of one hundred who depart this life, scarcely one has the consolatory promises of God applied to his disconsolate mind, at the awful hour of death ; although calculated to be a balm for every wound, a cordial for every fear. I do therefore from the purest motives, most fcumblv entreat thee O reader f - who may be the owner of thi book, and was I in thy presence, I would on my bended knees implore the same favour, namely ; that yot would be so kind as to read the following promises of «• support in death and happiness after death," to any of your relatives, friends, or acquaintances, or even neighbours who may be on the borders of eternity. This act of kindness may be the source oi supreme happiness to yoursehf as well as them. And I wouid also most humbly entreat the respectable members of that excellent and benevolent institution, called '• The Philadelphia Society for alleviating the miseries of indigent sick persons," to grant n*e, or rather to grant the indigent sick under their compassionate notice, and whom they periodical--' ly visit and relieve, the same favour,

DIRECTIONS

To ascertain and experience the sterling value of the subsequent Precious Promises.

IT would be as great an absurdity for me to direct the reader to A. Clarke, who is the greatest commentator in the world, or S. Clari-.e, who was perhaps the greatest Scriptarian, (and with whose assistance I have compiled the Scripture promises) for directions to know their value, as it would be for me to direct a traveller who found a wedge of gold, to a plowman, to ascertain its intrinsic worth: yet this is the conduct of many divines, who too often direct their hearers and readers to the commentaries of man, instead of the spirit of God, for direction in controverted points of doctrine. Alas ! how many millions of people are continually listening to the oratorial voices of men, entitled parsons, bishops, archbishops, cardinals, and the pope, in superb churches, and pulpits fringed with flowers of gold, while ihe voice of the true shepherd in their hearts (which only can lead to true happiness here and hereafter) is heard with total disregard. Truly in the present age, gross darkness rests upon the minds of the people, and tradition is substituted in the room of truth. Wherefore, dear reader, if you wish to know the true value of this cabinet of celestial Jewels, I would earnestly recommend you to the Spirit of truth, which will give you to feel, as well as see their infinite value. Take your eyes and thoughts from men who •' preach for pay, and divine for money " although their names may be embellished with the pompous and pedantic words, Rev, Right Rev. or Most Rev. or the letters D, U,

L. L. Y>. or A. M. and look to the meek and lowly- Jesus with simplicity and godly sincerity, and he will by his spirit give you to see the gulf of delusion into which almost the whole Christian world is fallen.

Each of the following sections is a bundle of notes on the Bank of Heaven. Whenever you are in distress or straits, take one. and go to bank and present it, nothing doubting, and the President will not deny his hand writing, nor the Cashier refuse you the heavenly coin. Come and be determined not to leave the bank till you get the money ; for this confidence will please both the President and Cashier, alias, the " Son and Spirit." But remember when you receive the heavenly coin, (grace) you must not spend it in idleness, vanity, or sensuality, but husband it well, or you will be severely reprimanded when you call to bank again, and perhaps sent away empty and in disgrace- But above all things, doubt not for a moment the currency of these bank notes; for when you doubt, you obliterate the President's signature. Leave controverted divinity, like a bundle of court calenders, to ecclesiastical doctors and lawyers ; but for your part, choose this better part, the divine Spirit, which will be a touchstone to discriminate between this heavenly treasure and the counterfeit coin with which Christendom is unfortunately filled. The present compilation of scripture promises is different from any thing of the kind (to my knowledge) ever before published ; and that it may be a blessing to many readers, in this, and future generations, is the earnest prayer of your humble servant for Christ's sake.

THOMAS BRANAGAN.

PRELIMINARY ADDRESS.

IT appears necessary briefly to shew, the great blessedness of the following promises of Scripture, and to whom they are most calculated to be rendered beneficial. The cry of thousands of Christians is, "What good thing shall I do to inherit eternal life." To such the subsequent promises will appear of little value. Butto the poor, humble, heart-broken penitent, whose language is, "Lord be merciful to me a sinner," they will be a holy, sacred treasure in life ; and particularly so at the hour of death. As I feel the most cogent < esire to be useful to such poor sinners, especially in their dying moments, I would entreat such to believe in the blessed Jesus, with an humble, loving, grateful heart: then " their faith will be counted for righteousness." Should Satan then accuse, only point to Je. bus, w ho bore your sins upon the tree. Should he say, " no unclean thing can enter heaven ;" the answer is ready *: " The blood of Christ eleanseth from all iniquity." But where is your wedding garment ? I answer, the perfect righteousness of Christ, in whom I have believed : as my sins were imputed to him, most assuredly his righteousness is imputed to all who sincerely believe in his name. "He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." But Oh ! this is a hateful doctrine to thepharisee, who wishes to purchase heaven by his sincere obedience ; and cannot bear the idea of receiving it without money and without price, as a beggar receives an alms.

If antinomianism has slain its thousauds, phariseeism has slain its tens of thousands : because the first appears mostly in its native deformity ; but the last appears as an angel of light, and deceives and impregnates with pride and vain glory, thousands who once ran well ; and thieves and harlots will enter heaven before .such : and I am sorry to have it to say, that our elegant churches are crouded with such. The Lord will most assuredly exalt the humble, believing penitent, and bring the proud pharisee full low. O then let me exhort you, who hate sin because God hates it, who daily abhor yourselves, and repent as in dust and ashes ; who have no confidence in the flesh, but place your whole hope and trust in the lord our righteousness ! Read, or get read to your comfort, the subsequent precious promises, not of false man, but of the true and faithful God. They will be to you, no doubt, like apples of gold, in pictures of silver. They will make your death-beds, beds of roses, and your graves the gates of paradise. I would also recommend to your serious consideration, my "Pleasures of Death, contrasted with the miseries of Human Life ;" as also my "Heavenly Antidote; or, the Plain and Pleasant way to Holiness here, and Glory hereafter." But, perhaps you will say, " Alas ! my sins are too great to be pardoned, for I am the chief of sinners." I answer, if you really think so, I have far more hope for you, than he who thinks himself the chief of saints. In order that the poor heart-broken penitent may have his doubts hushed to eternal silence, let him hear what a holy man saith on this subject.

" This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief. * He came not to save sinners only, but the very chief of sinners. And he is able to save them to the very uttermost. — But our sins are heinous, they have been often repeated, and long continued in. — What says the apostle ? The blood of J esus Christ cleanseth from all sin. Another apostle declares, by him, by the divinely excellent Redeemer, all that believe are justified from all things, from all accusations, be they ever so numerous ; from all iniquity, be they ever so enormous. Nay, so wonderfully efficacious is the power of his death, that through

Ills great atonement, sins which are as crimson, are made white, white as snow.* — But will Christ vouchsafe this great salvation to us? Hear his own words, He that cometh to me for pardon and salvation, I will in no wise cast out. Be his guilt ever so great, this shall be no bar. I will not on any consideration reject or deny his suit. Only let him come as a poor undone creature, and he shall find me willing and mighty to save ; nay, he invites you to come. These are his gracious words, Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, heavy laden with sin and misery, and I will give you rest.f I will deliver you from going down into the pit, I will deliver you from the vengeance of eternal fire. All your sins shall be upon me, and all my righteousness shall be upon you. — Go to a great man on earth, beg of him to use his interest in your behalf; he would scorn to take notice of you. But your dear, tender, compassionate, most con-*

• Isa, i. 18, f Matt. xi. 28.

descending Saviour, invites you to come to him, and assures you he will not abhor or cast you out. — 4*o to your earthly judge, entreat him on your bonded knees, to pardon you.— He, perhaps cannot, must not : the laws forbid him. But it is not so with Jesus Christ, he has made a full satisfaction for sin ; he has made an infinite atonement for sin ; and were your sins ten thousand thousand times greater than they are, before the power of his death they would all vanish away ; by the washing of his blood, they would all be as though they had never been.

" This then should be the one desire of your souls, your incessant prayer to God, that you may come to Christ, that you may believe in Christ, that you may be found in Christ : then you will not perish, though you deserve it, but have everlasting Kfe^ through hhu name," \

THE CELESTIAL COMFORTER.

SECTFON I.

Comfort in Death.

YE who love the Lord, remember through life, and when you lay upon your dying beds, the great happiness you will enjoy immediately after death, which is herein promised to you, by him who cannot lie. Therefore read these promises, or get them repeatedly read to your comfort ; and ! thank with supreme gratitude, the God who promised, and the compassionate Redeemer, who purchased by his precious blood, so many blessings for the chief of sinners. The serious reader will find these promises and meditations full of consoling reflections. They will be more precious and profitable to the sick and dying penitent, than a mountain of gold or a valley of diamonds. Therefore , O reader! as you would wish your neighbour or friend to comfort you in the hour of death, do you even so to them, and you will find to your consolation ; the blessing of Christ verified B

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in you; viz. a Blessed are the merciful \ t for they shall find mercy."

JPs. Ixxxiii. 24. Thou'shalt guide ine with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Job iii. 17- There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest. Ver. 18. There the prisoners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppressor. Isa. lvii. 2. He shall enter into peace ; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness. Luke xvi. 25. Abraham said, Son, remember, that thou in thy life-time, receivedsfc thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things ; but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. LnJce xxiii. 43. Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, This day shalt thou be with me in paradise. Phil. i. 81. For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain, Ver. 23. Having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is far better. 2 Cor. v. 8. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with id the Lord. Ileb. xii. 23. And to the spirits of just men made perfect. Rei\ xiv. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth : yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works do follow them. Ps. xlix. 15. God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave ; for he shall receive me, 1 Cor. ii. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Heb. xi. 16. They desire a better country, that is, an heavenly : wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he hath prepared for them a city. John xiv. 2. In my Father's house are many mansions : if it were not so, I would have told you : 1 go to prepare a place for you. Ver. 3. And if I go and prepare a place, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. 2 Tim. iv. 8. There is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day ; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Pet. iii. 13. We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Rev. ii. 10. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. Rev. vii. 15. They are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple : and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Ver. 16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. Ver. 17. For the L^mb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Rev. xxi. 22. I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb, are the temple of it. Ver. 23. The city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it ; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Rev. xxii. 5. There shall be no night there, and f

they need no candle, neither light of the sun ; for the Lord God giveth them light, and they shall reign for ever and ever. Is. Ix. 19, 20. t John III. 2. Now are we the sons of God : and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know, that when he shall appear, we shall he like him, for we shall see him as he is. John xvii. 22. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, that they may be one, even a9 we are one. Ver. 24. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me. Rev. xxi. 4. God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain : for the for&er things are passed away. Is. Ix. 20. The Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Fs. xvi. 11. Thou wilt shew me the path of life : in thy presence is fulness of joy, at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore* b %

Jude 24. He is able to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy. Mat. xiii. 43. The righteous shall shine forth as the sun, in the kingdom of their Father. Dan. xii. 3. They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever. Rom. viii. 18. The sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 2 Cor. iv. 17- Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Col. iii. 4. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. 2 Pet. i. 11. An entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 2 Tim. iv. 18. The Lord will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. Luke xxii. 30. That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging, the twelve tribes of Israel. 1 Thess. iv. 17. So shall we be ever with the Lord. Rev. xxfl. 3. The throne of God arid the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him. Ver. 4. And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads.

In order to prove the truth of the above promises of support in death, we subjoin an account of the resignation of several dying individuals, in whom they were literally fulfilled.

" Joseph, when he was a-dying, spoke lovingly to his brethren, who had dealt cruelly with him ; and assured them of the Lord's faithfulness in keeping his promise to their fathers, Gen. 1. 20. ' I die, and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land,'

" David, when his end was near, assembled the people, and solemnly charged them, as in the audience of God, to keep his commandments, 1 Chron. xxviii. 8, 9. And particularly, he charged his son and successor Solomon, to ' know the God of his father, so and to serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind/

u That old disciple, Polycarp, when he came to the stake at which he was burnt, desired to stand untied, saying, 'Let me alone, for he that gave me strength to come to the lire, will give me patience to endure the flame without your tying/

" So holy Cyprian triumphed over death, saying, 'Let him only fear death, who must pass from this death to the second death/ When he heard the sentence of death pronounced against him, he said, ' I thank God for freeing me from the prison of this body/

"Basil, when the emperor Valens sent his officers to tempt him with great preferments to turn him from the faith, he rejected them with scorn, saying, 'You may offer these things to children/ And when they threatened him with sufferings he said, ' threaten your purple gallants with these things, that give themselves to their pleasures/*

H Ignatius being led from Syria to Rome to be torn to pieces of wild beasts, be expressed bis fear lest it should happen to him as to. some others, that the lions out of a kind of reverence, would not dare to touch him. And therefore he oft wished, ' that their -appetites might be whetted to dispatch him. For, said he, the lions' teeth are but Jike a mill, which though it bruisreth, yet wasteth not the good wheat, only prepares and fits it to be made pure bread. Let me be broken by them, so that I may be made pure inanchet for heaven/

"Mrs. Jean Askew, who was a martyr in king Henry's reign, to her confession in Newgate, she thus subscribed ; ' Written by me Jean Askew, that neither wisheth death, nor feareth its might, and as merry as one bound towards heaven.' When the chancellor sent her letters at the stake, offering her the king's pardon, if she would recant ; she refusing to look upon them, gave this answer, • That she came not hither to deny her Lord and Master/

"Mr. James Bainham, when he was at the stake, in the midst of the burning fire, which half consumed his legs and arras, he spake these words : 4 O ye papists ! behold ye look for miracles, and here now ye may see a miracle ; for in this fire I feel no more pain, than if I were in a bed of down ; % it is to me as a bed of roses/

" John Lambert, as be was burning in Smithfield, and his legs were quite consumed by fire, he lifted up his hands, his fingers flaming like torches, but his heart abounding with comfort, crying out, 'None but Christ, none but Christ/

"Mr. Robert Glover, a little before his death, had lost the sense of God's favour, for which he was in great hea~ viness and sorrow ; but when he came within sight of the stake at which he was to suffer, he was on a sudden so filled with divine comfort, that -clapping his hands together, he cried out to his servant, ' he is come f and so died most cheerfully.

" Oecolampadius, that famous divine of Switzerland, when lying on his death-bed, and being asked whether the light did not offend him ? he answered, pointing to his breast, ' Here is abundance of light ;' meaning of comfort and joy. He asked one of his friends, What news ? his friend answered, none. ' Then/ saith he, ' I will tell you some news ; I shall presently be with my Lord Christ/

" David Chitraus, when he lay a dying, lifted up his head from the pillow to hear the discourses of his friends that sat by him, and said ' That he should die with the greater comfort, if he might die learning something/

" The famous Mr. Durham being visisted by a minister in his last sickness, which was long and lingering, who said to him, ' Sir, I hope you have so set all in order, that you have nothing else to do but die/ 'I bless God, (said Mr. Durham) I have not had that to do these many years/

" Mr. Rowland Nevet's dying prayer for his children was, That the Mediator's blessing might be the portion of every one of them. Adding to them, I charge you all, see to it, that you meet me on the right hand of Christ at the great day. When he was sometimes much spent with his labours he would appeal to God, that though he might be wearied in his service, he "would never be weary of it. Being oft distempered in his body, he would say, he was never better than in the pulpit, and that it was the best place that he eould wish to die in.

" Mr. Philip Henry, when a dying, his pains were very sharp, he said to his neighbours who came to see him, ' O make sure work for your souls by getting an interest in Christ, while you are in health ; for if I had that work to do now, what would become of me.' A little before Ids last illness he wrote to a reverend brother, ' Methinks it is strange, that it should be your lot and mine to abide so long on earth by the .-tuff, when so many of our friends are dividing the spoil above ; but God will have it so : and to be willing to live hi obedience to his holy will, is as true an act of grace as to be willing to die when he calls. 9 One asked him how he did, he answered, ' I find the chips fly oft' apace, the tree will be down shortly.' He was sometimes taken with fainting fits, which when he recovered from, he would say, ' Dying is but a little more/ Once he said after recovery, ' Wei!, I thought I had been putting into the harbour, but I find I mustyet to sea again."

" Mr. Matthew Henry's death was somewhat sadden ; he said a little before, to some about him, 6 You have been used to take notice of the sayings of dying men ; this is mine, That a life spent in the service of God, and communion with bim, is the most comfortable and pleasant life that any one can live in this world. '

"John Stewart, provost of Ayr, was a singularly pious man ; yet when he lay a dying, he said to some about him, ' I go the way of all flesh, and it may be some of you doubt nothing of my well-being ; yea, I testify, that except when I slept, or was on business, I was c not these ten years without thoughts of God, so long as I could be in going from my house to the cross ; and yet I doubt myself, and am in great agony, yea, at the brink of despair.' But a day or two before he died, he turned his face to the wall from company for two hours. Then Mr. Furguson the minister coming in, asked w hat he was a doing? upon which he turned himself with these words ; ' I have been fighting and working out my salvation with fear and trembling ; and now I bless God, it is perfected, sealed, confirmed., and all fears are gone.' v

MEDITATION.

O how happy is that man, who feels himself in the divine embrace when sickness seizes and medicine fails him ! How delightful will the experience of the Saviour's love be in that all-impor~ tant moment ! How pleasurable will that smile, which enlightens heaven and enraptures angels, be, to the dying saint, when bidding a long arid last farewell to all earthly things ! With death comes life, liberty, peace and love ; while darkness, discord, tumult, sorrow and grief take their everlasting flight. While the good man is walking over the bridge of death, (for, " Faith builds a bridge across the gulf of death") he hears, or thinks he hears, the harmonious songs of angels, echo from the heavenly shore. Not a murmuring word escapes from the dying saint ; he bears with patience and composure the pains of sickness, till the midwife death delivers him from the womb of time, to view the golden light of eternity. Methinks I hear him, with a smile of tranquillity on his countenance, expressing his raptures in these, or words like these :

"O death, where is thy sting? where is thy boasted victory ? The conquest is mine ; I shall pass in triumph through thy dark dominions ; aud through the grace of the Son of God, my divine leader, I shall appear there, not a captive, but a conqueror.