A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

—;48 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGkinds, plagued and justly rewarded as, persecutors of God'speople, and thus let such extremely wicked men be frightenedfrom persecuting in any way those men or means^yhich are appointed and sanctified to furnish us with spiritualstore and strength against the days of evil.111. Obj. But against that which hath been said on thispoint for the singularity and sovereignty of grace and goodconscience to support the spirit of a man in evil times, tokeep it calm in the most tempestuous assaults, and conqueringover all comers, it may be objected, and some maythus cavil :Men who never were or ever did desire to be acquaintedwith God's grace or good men, express sometimes and representto by-standers an invincible stoutness, much boldnessand braveness of mind in times of greatest extremity,and under most exquisite tortures ; and therefore it seemsnot to be peculiar to the saints, and the privilege of God'sfavourites alone to stand unshaken in stormy times, undauntedin distress, and comfortable amidst the most de>perateconfusions.Ans. I answer: such confidence is only in the face, notin the heart; enforced, not kindly; affected, not eflectualnot springing from the sole fountain of all sound and lastingcomfort in human souls, sense of our reconciliation to Godin Christ ; l)ut from some other odd accidental motives ;from weak and unworthy grounds.CHAP. XIV,Five false Grounds of confident enduring Mi?ery.1. In some, from an ambitious desire of admiration andapplause for extraordinary undauntedness of spirit andhigh resolution. It is reported of an Irish traitor, that lyingin horrible anguish upon the wheel, an engine of cruellesttorture, with his body bruised and his bones broken, he askedhis friend standing by, whether he changed countenance atall, or no. Affecting more, as it seems, an opinion of prodigiousmanliness and unconquerableness in torment, thanaffected with the raging pains of a most terrible execution.2. In others, from a strong stirring persuasion and consciousnessof the honesty and honour of some civil causefor which they suffer. But fortitude in this case doth notarise from any inspired religious vigour or heavenly infusions,but from the severer instigations of natural conscience