A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

;116 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGSpirit of promise, as surely as any writing is made sure bysealing of it. Then he believes the word of God, andrests and casts himself upon it. And thus he finds himselfdischarged of all woe, made partaker of all good, at peacein himself, and fitted and in tune to do God service. Thisis to some sooner, to some later, according to the helpsand means they have, and wise handling they meet withal,aiid as God gives power. It is hard to say at what instantfaith is wrought, whether not till a man feels that he apprehendstire promises, or even in his earnest desires, hungeringand diirsting ; for even these are pronounced blessed."But here (for 1 desire and endeavour as much as I canpossibly in every passage to prevent all matter both ofscruple in the upright-hearted, and of cavil in the contraryminded) let no truly humbled sinner be discouraged, becausehe cannot find in himself these several workings, or othergraces, in that degree and height, which he desires and hathperhaps seen, heard, or read of in some others. If he havethem in truth, and truly thirsts and labours for their increase,he may go on with comfort. Neither let any be disheartened,though he did not observe so distinctly the order ofthe precedent acts, nor could discern so punctually theirseveral operations in his soul ;yet, if in substance and effectthey have been wrought in him, and made way forJesus Christ, he need not complain.As this man of God in experimental divinity, so our renownedand invincible champions in their polemical discoursesupon other occasions speak to the same purpose,telling us also of some antecedent acts humbling and preparingthe soul for conversion. " There are," say they," certain internal effects going before conversion or regeneration,which by virtue of the word and Spirit are wroughtin the hearts of tliose which are not yet justified ; such as,illumination of the mind and conscience with the knowledgeof the word and will of God for that purpose ; sense ofsin ; fear of punishment, or legal terror ; advising and castingabout for enlargement from such a miserable estatesome hope of pardon*," &c. Let me but add one other,and he also of excellent learning, and then I have done." Such is the nature of man," saith het, " that before hecan receive a true justifying faith, he must, as it were, bebroken in pieces by the law (Jer. xxiii, 29). We are to beled from the fear of slaves through the fear of penitents tothe fear of sons ; and indeed one of these makes way for* Sutfrag. Colleg. Tlieologoruiii Magna' lUitamiiie.+ Yates, in his Model of L>iviuity, book ii, chap. xxvi.