A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES.lOlagain to fear,' whicli shows that once they did receive it,namely, in the very lirst preparation unto conversion ; thatthen the Spirit of God in the law did so bear witness untotheni of their bondage and miserable slavery, that it madethem to tremble. ISow there, under the person of the Romans,the apostle speaks to all believers, and so shows thatit is eveiy Christian's common case*."" The law hath its use to work neraiseXeiav, peniteidiam ;the gospel its force to work /jLeravo'iav, resipiscentiam ; andboth are needful for Christians even at this present, as formerlythey have ever beent."" God's mercy may not be such whereby his truth in anysort should be impeached, as it should if it be prostitutedindifferently and promiscuously to all, as well the insolentand impenitent, as the poor, humble, and broken-heartedsinner. For unto these latter only is the promise of mercymade. And if to others the gate of mercy should be setopen, God's mercies (as Solomon saith of the wicked's, thatthey are cruel mercies) should be false and unjust mercies.But God never yet learned so to be merciful as to makehimself false and unfaithful. The first thing that drawsunto Christ is to consider our miserable estate without him.Therefore we see that the law drives men to Christ ; andthe law doth it by showing a man his sin, and the cursedue unto the same. We must know, that nothing performedof us can give satisfaction in this matter of humiliation.Yet it is a thing without which we cannot cometo Christ : it is as much as if a man should say, the physicianis ready to heal thee, but then it is required that thoumust have a sense of the disease, &c. No man will cometo Christ except he be hungry. Only those that are troubledreceive the Gospel." No man will take Christ for his husband, till he cometo know and feel the weight of Satan's yoke. Till that timehe will never come to take upon him the yoke of Christ."To all you 1 speak that are humbled. Others, thatmind not this doctrine, regard not the things of this nature ;but you that mourn in Zion, that are broken-hearted youthat know the bitterness of sin, to you is;this salvationsent J."" Under the causes I comprehend all that work of Godwhereby he worketh faith in any, which standeth especiallyin these three things :—* Ibid, chap, ii.i Hinde, of the Office and Use of the Moral Law of God in tiie Daysof the Tjospel.X Dike, of the Deceitfulnesi of Man's Heart, chap. xv.K 3