A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 71negotiate by their plausible agents, ease, pleasures, prosperity; and conclude some kind of concord and compositionfor a time with Satan, sin, and their own consciences. Butto tell you the truth, it is no true peace, but a politic truce.For these implacable, desperate spiritual enemies of theirsare ever in tiie mean time preparing arms, ordnance, andmany fiery darts • still levying of fresh force^;, whole armiesof fiery scorpions and flaming terrors, with which as soon asthe truce is ended they will set upon them with more violence,fury, and fierceness than ever before.[3.J Nor others, by reason of an insensible hardness grownover, and a desperate searedness impressed upon their consciencesby extraordinary villany and variety in sin. Suchas those, Isa. v, 18, by " drawing iniquity a long time withcords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope ;" bywaving the glorious light of the word under which they sitand which shines in their faces, as a " foolish thing ;" byvillanousiy trampling under foot the power of it v.ith despiteand scorn many times against that light, which standsin their consciences like an armed man ; nay, and by treadingout through custom in sin the very notions that naturehath engraven in their hearts, as men do the engravings oftomb-stones which they walk upon with foul shoes : 1 saythus, at length, their con^,ciences become so utterly remorselessand past all feeling ; so hardened, so seared, sosealed up with a reprobate sense, that with an audaciousand giantlike insoleacy they challenge even God Almightyhimself to draw his swoid of vengeance against them." Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity,and sin as it were with a cart rope : that say, Let him makespeed, and hasten his work, that we may see it : and letthe counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come,that we may know it"! These roarers and swaggeringBelials in this respect have consciences worse than the devilhimself j for he "believes and trembles." Eve i thosealready desperate and damned spirits, tremble at the forethoughtof that fuller wrath which is to come, and yetfurther deserved damnation.[4.] Noi- others, who, when it begins ever and anon togrumble, mutter, and make a noise, lull it asleep again withsongs of pleasure, and still the cries of it with outwardmirth, as Saul was wont to lay the evil spirit with music.These men's consciences are quiet, not because they aresavingly appeased ; but because they are sensually pleased :not because they want matter to trouble and terrify ; butbecause they will give them no leisure to set their sins inorder before them. For this purpose, and to keep these