A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 103Iheie is a sight of our misery, to which we are brought bythe law. Secondly, there is by the gospel a holding forthof Christ, as our redemption from sin and death. Thirdly,there is a working of faith in the heart to rest on Christ asthe ransom from sin and death. Now when a man is comehither, he is truly and really just*."" We teach, that in true conversion a man must bewounded in his conscience by the sense of Lis sins. Hiscontrition must be pungent and vehement, bruising, breaking,rending the heart, and feeling the pains (as a womanlabouring of child) before the new creature be broughtforth, or Christ truly formed in him. It is not done withoutbitterness of the soul, without care, indignation, revenge(2 Cor. vii, 11). But as some infants are born with lesspain to the mother, and some with more ; so may the newman be regenerated in some with more, in some wiih lessanxiety of travail. But surely grace is not infused into theheart of any sinner, except there be at least so great afflictionof spirit for sin foregoing that he cannot but feel it,"&c.t"This bruising is required before conversion. 1. Thatso the Spirit may make way for itself into the heart bylevelling all proud high thoughts, &c. 2. To make us seta high price upon Christ's death.—This is the cause of relapsesand apostasies, because men never smarted for sinat the first. They were not long enough under the lash ofthe law. Hence this inferior work of the Spirit in bringingdown high thoughts is necessary before conversion^."Danbers reprehended.CHAP. II.Faithfulness in preaching and Daubing compared.By this time it doth most clearly and plentifully appearwhat a foul and fearful fault it is, for men, either in themanaging of their public ministry, or in their more privateconferences, visitations of the sick, consultations about agood estate to God-ward, and other occasions of like nature,to apply Jesus Christ and the promises, to promise life andsafety in the evil day, to souls as yet not soundly enlightenedand afflicted with sight of sin and sense of God'swrath ; to consciences never truly wounded and awakened.* Baiue, in his Sermon upon John iii. 16.t Cade, in his Justification of the Church of England, lib. i, cap. vsec. 1.t Sibbs, in his Bruised Reed.