A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

!50 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGheartedness they seem still to be in heart, and to representto the beholders a great deal of undauntedness and neglectof danger in their carriage and countenances. Oh the prodigiousrock into whicli the stone in a graceless heart maygrow, both in respect of desperateness in sinning and senselessnessin ?.uft'ering4. In others, from an enraged thirst after human praiseand immortal fame, as it is called ; which may be so prevalentin them, and transport them vvith such a vain-gloriousambition this way, that it may carry them with much seeminginsensibility, affected patience, and artificial courage,through the terrors and tortures of a very violent and martyr-likedeath. Hear what Austin saith to this point;" Think ye there never were any catholics, or that nowthere may not be some, that would suffer only for the praiseof men 1 If there were not such kind of men, the apostlewould not have said, Though ' 1 give my body to be burnedand have not charity, I am nothing.' He did know rightwell that there might be some which would do it out ofvain-glory and self-love, not for Divine love and the gloryof God." Oh the bottomless depths of hellish hypocrisy,which lie hid in our corrupt hearts ! Oh the blind and perversethoughts of foolish men ! Oh the murderous malice ofthat. old red dragon, which exerciseth such horrible crueltyboth upon our bodies and souls !5. In some, from false grounds of a supposed good estateto God-ward, from an unsound persuasion of their presentspiritual well-being and future welfare. Such Pharisees,foolish virgins, and forma! professois are to be found in a!iages of the church, especially in the fairest and mostflourishing days thereof, and when the gospel hath the freestpassage, who thus many times in the greatest of all earthlyextremities, even upon their beds of death, represent to allabout them, from a groundless presumption of being reconciledunto God, a great deal of confidence, resolution,and many glorious expectations. Upon a partial surveyand perusal of their time past, not stained perhaps with anygreat enormities, notoriousness, or infamous sin ; out of avain-glorious consciousness to themselves of their many goodparts, general graces, good deeds and plausibleuess with themost, by reason of a former obstinate distaste and prejudiceagainst sincerity and the power of godliness, as though itv/ere unnecessary singularity and peevishness ; and it maybe confirmed also unhappily in their spiritual self-cozenage,by the unskilful and unseasonable palliations, I mean misapplicationsof some abused promises unto their unhumbledsouls from some daubing ministers, a generation of vilest