A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 87in heaven already. But when all that time is past, andinfinite millions of years besides, they are no nearer theend than when they began, nor he nearer out than when hecame in. The torments of hell are most horrible ;yet Iknow not whether this incessant, desperate cry in the conscienceof a damned soul, " I must never come out," dothnot outgo them all in horror. What an height of madnessis it then to purchase a moment of fugitive follies and fadingpleasures with extremity of never-ending pains.14. VVhen thou art stepping over the threshold towardsany vile act, lewd house, dissolute company, or to do thedevil service in any kind (which God forbid) ; suppose thouseest Jesus Christ coming towards thee as he lay in thearms of Joseph of Arirnathea, newly taken down from thecross, wofully wounded, wan and pale; his body all gore,the beauty of his blessed and heavenly face darkened anddisfigured by the stroke of death, speaking thus unto thee," Oh ! go not forward upon any terms; commit not this siixby any means. It was this and the like that drew me downout of the arms of my Father, from the fulness of joy andfountain of all bliss, to put on this corruptible and miserableflesh ; to hunger and thirst, to watch and pray, tagroan and sigh, to offer up strong cries and tears to the Fatherin the days of my flesh, to drink off the dregs of thebitter cup of his fierce wrath, to wrestle with all the forcesof infernal powers, to lay down my life in the gates of hellwith intolerable, and, save by myself, unconquerable pain ;and thus now to lie in the arms of this mortal man all tornarid rent in pieces with cruelty and spite, as thou seest."What a heart hast thou, that darest go on against this dearentreaty of Jesus Christ !15. When thou art unhappily moved to break any branchof Cod's blessed law, let the excellency and variety of hisincomparable mercies come presently into thy mind ; amost ingenuous, sweet, and mighty motive to hinder andhold off all gracious hearts from sin. How is it possible buta serious survey of the "riches of God's goodness, forbearance,and long-suffering, leading thee to repentance,"to more forwardness and fruitfulness in the good way ; thepublic miracles of mercy which God hath done in our daysfor the preservation of the gospel, this kingdom, ourselvesand our posterity, especially drowning the Spanish invinciblearmada, discovering and defeating the powder-plot,shielding Queen Elizabeth, the most glorious princess ofthe world, from a world of antichristian cruelties, saving usfrom the papists' bloody expectations at her death, &c. ; theparticular and private catalogue of thine own personal fa-