A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

70 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGjudgment, fly in the face of the proudest Nimrod, ready topluck out his very heait, and to torment him with unspeakablehorror ; and yet for all this it is untroubled, senseless,and secure, i his kind ot conscience is to be found, I fear,in the most that hear me this day, and so generally overthe kingdom. It doth not yet trouble and terrify,—[l.J A great number, by reason of their ignorance in thebook of God, and by consequent unacquaintedness withthe sinfulness and cursedness of the spiritual state revealedthereby, ihis is the very case of a world of poor ignorant,besotted souls amongst us, more is the pity, especially nowrwhen the glorious sun of Christ's gospel shines so fair andfully in many places. For want of light in God's law theylook upon their sins as we do upon the stars in a cloudynight, see only the great ones of the hrst magnitude, andhere one -and there one. But if they were further enlightenedand intornied aright, they might behold them asthose infinite orbs in the fairest frosty winter's midnight.A worthy divine sets out excellently the quietness of this ignorantconscience by a very fit resemblance, thus: " Menjudge of their ignorant consciences," saith he, '* as they doof their blind, dumb, and ignorant ministers. Such neitherdo nor can preach, can neither tell men of their sins nor oftheir duties. Ask such a blind-guide's people what theiropinion is of him, and what kind of man their minister is,and you shall have him magnified for a passing honest, harmlessman ; wondrous quiet among his neighbours. Theymay do what they will for him, he is none of those troublesomeI'ellows that will he reproving their faults or complainingof their disorders in the pulpit. Oh, such an one is aquiet good man indeed! Thus judge many of their consciences.1( their consciences be quiet and lie not gratingupon them, and telling them that their courses are sinfuland damnable, and that their persons are in a dangerouscondition: but rather by their silence, ignorance, and vainpretences do justify them, and tell them all will be wellenough ; oh, then what excellent consciences have thesemen ! They make no conscience of family duties ; once inthe year to come to the sacrament serves their turn ;theyare common swearers in their ordinary communication ;make no conscience of sanctifying sabbaths ; and theirconsciences let them alone in all these, do not give themone syllable of ill language. Oh, what gentle and goodnaturedconsciences think these men they have ! But, alas Iwhat"evil consciences have they ![2.] Nor others, by reason of a covenant with death andan agreement with hell. Such as those, Isa. xxviii, 15, who