A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 91shall fall, aflei the perusal of them would pause awhile,that he may more solemnly vow and resolve that ever hereafter,when he shall be set upon and assaulted by allurementto any sin, he will first have recourse unto thesetwenty considerations, which I have here recommendedunto him to help in such cases ; and with a punctual seriousnesslet them sink into his heart before he pioceed andpollute himself. I could be content, if it were pleasing untoGod, that these lines which thou now readest were writwith the warmest blood in mine heart, to represent untothine eye the dear aflectionateness of my soul for thy spiritualand eternal good, so that thou wouldst be thoroughlypersuaded, and now, before thou pass any further, sincerelypromised so to do.Thirdly. The point inay serve to set out the excellency ofthat high and heavenly art of comfoiting afflicted consciences.The more dangerous and desperate the woundis, the more doth it magnify and make admirable the mysteryand method of the cure and recovery ; which, were itwell known and wisely practised, what a world of unnecessaryslavish torture in troubled minds would it prevent '?So many thousands of poor, abused, deluded souls shouldnot perish by the damning flatteries and cruel mercies ofunskilful daubers. \\ hat a heaven of spiritual lightsomenessand joy might shine in the hearts and show itself inthe faces of God's people ! Until it please the Lord tomove the hearts of my learned and holy brethren in populouscities and great congregations, who must needs havemuch employment and variety of experience this way ; orsome special men extraordinarily endov/ed and exercisedherein, to put to their helping hands and furnish the churchwith more large and exact discourses in this kind 3 — lake ingood part this essay of mine.