A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 99doctrine with such caution, that neither the humble soulsmay be affrighted with the severity of God's judgments,nor the profane and unrepentant grow presumptuous by theabundance of God's mercy. The person that is full despiseththe honeycomb, saith Solomon (Prov. xxvii, 7). Andwhat doth a proud Pharisee, or a churlish Nabal, or a politicGallio, or a scoffing Ishmael, care to hear of ihebreadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love ofGod in his son Jesus 1 (Ephes. iii, 1 8) except it be to settlethem faster upon their lees. Doctrine of that nature isas unfiting such uncircumcised ears (Actsvii, 51) as thesnow the summer, and the rain the harvest. Unto the horsebelongs a whip, to the ass a bridle, and a rod to the fool'sback, &CC (Prov. xxvi, I, 3). He that intendeth to do anygood in this frozen generation, had need rather to be Boanerges,one of the sons of thunder (Mark iii, 17), than Bar-Jonah, the son of a dove."" The word of God," saith Forbes*, " hath three degreesof operation in the hearts of men. For, first, it falleth to men'sears as the sound of many waters, a mighty, great, andconfused sound, and which commonly bringeth neither terrornor joy, but yet a wondering and acknowledgment, ofa strange force, and more than human power. This is thateffect which many felt on hearing Christ, when they wereastonished at his doctrine, as teaching with authority." What manner of doctrine is this " " ? Never man spakelike this man" (Mark i, 22, 27 ; Luke iv, 32 ; John vii, 46).This effect falleth even to the reprobate (Habak. i, 5 ; Actsxiii, 41). The next effect is the voice of thunder ; whichbringeth not only wonder but fear also ; not only filleth theears with sound and the heart with astonishment, but moreovershaketh and terrifieth the conscience. And this secondeff'ect may also befal a reprobate, as Felix (Actsxxiv, 25). The third effect is proper to the elect, the soundof harping, while the word not only ravisheth with admirationand striketh the conscience with terror, but also, lastly,filleth it with sweet peace and joy, &c. Now albeit thefirst two degrees may be without the last ;yet none feelthe last, who have not in some degree felt both the firsttwo."" God healeth none," saith Gouget, " but such as arefirst wounded. The whole need not a physician, but theythat are sick ( Matt, ix, 12)- Christ was anointed to preachthe gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, &c.(Luke iv, 18)."^ In his Commentary upon Rev. xiv. t The whole Armour of God.