[ 661] No true comfort but in God.
WHen a man walketh in the Sun, if his face be towards it, he hath nothing before him but bright shining light, and comfortable heat; but let him once turn his back to the Sun,* 1.1 what hath he before him then but a shadow? And what is a shadow, but the privation of light, and heat of the Sun? yea, it is but to behold his own shadow, defrauding himself of the other. Thus there is no true wisdom, no true happiness, no real comfort but in beholding the countenance of God;* 1.2 look from that, and we lose these blessings; and what shall we gain? a shadow, an empty Image; instead of a substantial, to gain an empty Image of our selves, and lose the solid Image of God; yet this is the common folly of the world, men prefer this shadow before that substance, whereas there is not the least appearance of any true comfort but in God onely.