The Comfort of Christian Friends (1)

It is a course that will have a blessing attending it, for friends to join in league, one to watch over another, and observe each other's ways. It is a usual course for Christians to join together in other holy duties, as hearing the word, receiving of the ordinances, and prayer; but this fruit of holy fellowship which arises from a mutual observing of one another is much lacking. This is why so many believers droop and are so uncheerful in the ways of God, and are groaning under the burden of many cares, and are battered with so many temptations, because they are left alone to their own spirits. What an unworthy thing it is that we should pity a beast overladen, and yet take no pity of a brother! There is no living member of Christ who does not have divine spiritual love infused into him and some ability to comfort others. Dead stones in an arch uphold one another, and will not the living stones? (1 Pet. 2:5). It is the office of the Holy Spirit to be the Comforter, not only immediately, but by breathing comfort into our hearts through the comforting words of others. There is a sweet sight of God in the face of a friend. God has promised a blessing to the functioning of the communion of saints performed by one private man towards another. Mercy shown to the souls of men is the greatest mercy, and wisdom in winning of souls is the greatest wisdom in the world, because the soul is the essence of the man, and upon the goodness of the soul the happiness of the whole man depends. What shining and flourishing Christians would we have if these duties were performed! As we have a portion in the communion of saints, so we should labour to have humility to take good from one another, and the wisdom and love to do good to one another. A Christian should have feeding lips and a healing tongue. The very words of the righteous have a curing virtue in them.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
The Soul's Conflict with Itself, Works, vol. 1, pp. 191-92
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