A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

—;AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 57and vexes his very vexations with refusing to be comforted.Not only crosses, afflictions, temptations, and all matter ofdiscontentment ; but even the most desirable things also inthis life, and those which minister most outward comfortwife, children, friends; gold, goods, great men's favours jpreferments, honours, otiices, even pleasures themselves,every thing: whatsoever is within him, or without him, orabout him ; whatsoever he thinks upon, remembers, hears,sees, turn all to his torment. No marvel, then, though theterror of a wounded conscience be so intolerable.3. As the exultations of the soul and spiritual refreshmentsdo incomparably surpass both in excellency of object andsweetness of apprehension all pleasures of sense and bodilydelighis, so atHictions of the soul and spiritual pangs do infinitelyexceed both in bitterness of sense and intenseness of sorrowthe most exquisite tortures that can possibly be inflictedupon the body. Fur the soul is a spirit, very subtle, quick,active, stirring ; all life, motion, sense, feeling, and thereforefar more capable and apprehensive of all kinds of impressions,whether passions of pleasure or inflictions of pain.4. This extremest of miseries, " a wounded spirit," istempered with such strong and strange ingredients of extraordinaryfears, that it makes a man a terror to himselfand to all his friends ( Jer. xx, 4) ; to flee when none pursues,at the sound of a shaken leaf (Prov. xxviii, 1 ; Levit.xxvi, 37); to tremble at his own shadow ; to be in greatfear where no fear is (Psalm liii, 5): Besides the insupportableburthen of too many true and causeful terrors, itfills his dark and dreadful fancy with a world of feignedhorrois, ghastly apparitions, and imaginary hells, whichnotwithstanding have real stings, and impress tme torturesupon his trembling and woful heart. It is poisoned withsuch restless anguish and desperate pain, that though lifebe most sweet and hell most horrible, yet it makes a manwilfully to abandon the one and willingly to embrace theother that he may be rid of its rage. Hence it was thatJudas preferred a halter and hell before his present horrorthat Spira said often (what heart quakes not to hear it ?)that he envied Cain, Saul, and Judas ;wishing rather anyof their rooms in the dungeon of the damned than to havehis poor heart so rent in pieces with such raging terrors andfiery desperations upon his bed of death. Whereupon atanother time, being asked whether he feared more fearfultorments after this life ! -'Yes," said he ;"but 1 desirenothing more than to be in that place, where I shall expectno more." Expectation as it seems of future did infinitelyaggravate and enrage his already intolerable torture.5. The heathens, who had no fuller sight of the foulness of