A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan
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A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

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13.07.2015 Views

132 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGwast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinessany more, till I have caused my fury to rest uponthee" (Ezek, xxiv, 13). " If the righteous scarcely be saved,where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear V (1 Pet.iv, 18.) " Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin"(1 John iii, 9). " Love the brotherhood" (1 Pet. ii, 17)." Without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (lleb.xii, 14). " The devils also believe and tremble " (Jamesii, 19). " Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many,I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able "(I^uke xiii, 24). " And whosoever shall not receive you,&c. Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable forthe land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgmentthan for that ciiy " (Matt, x, 14, 15). " And from the daysof John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of heaven sufferethviolence, and the violent take it by force " (Matt,xi, 12). " And if ye salute your brethren only, what do yemore than others 1 " (Matt, v, 47.) " 1 say unto you, thatexcept your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness ofthe scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into thekingdom of heaven" (Matt, v, 20). These fellows representedto the eye of the world a goodly and glorious showof freedom from gross sins ": I am not," saith the pharisee,Luke xviii, 11, "as other men are, extortioners, unjust,adulterers," 6cc ;of works; first, of righteousness," 1 give tithes of all that I possess." Secondly, of piety," He went up to pray." Thirdly, of mercy, besides fastingand prayer, they gave alms (Matt, vi); and yet Christspeaks thus peremptorily to his hearers: " Except yourrighteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes andpharisees, &c. ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom ofheaven." He saith not simply, ye shall not enter ; but yeshall " in no case" enter. And yet how many who comeshort of these will be very angry, if the ministers tell themthat they shall certainly come short of the kingdom ofheaven.I have done with daubing and plaistering over rottenhearts with plausible persuasions, that they shall not bedamned: I mean that most cruel and accursed trade of" strengthening with lies the hands of the wicked, that heshould not return from his wicked way, by promising himlife" (Ezek. xiii, 22), whereby thousands are sent hoodwinkedto hell (more is the pity!) even in this blessedtime of the gospel : and I come now to another error aboutcomforting afflicted consciences.

—AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 133CHAP. V.The Second Error is tlie indiscreet applying of Comfort to thcni thatare not jicrieved aright. Two Cases wherein Men grieved are not tobe presently comforted.VVhkn the spiritual physician promiseth comfort, appliesthe promises, assures of mercy, acceptation, and pardon,1. When the ground of grief is not in truth trouble forsin, but some outward trouble. Some in such a case maycast out by the way some faint and formal complaints oftheir sins, and seem to seek direction and satisfaction aboutthe state of their souls, while the true root arid principalspring of their present heaviness and heart's grief, is somesecret earthly discontentment, the biting and bitterness ofsome worldly sting. It may be the loss or desperate courseof some overioved child ; decay and going backward intheir estate ; fear of falling into beggary ; some unexpecteddiscontents and disappointments after marriage ; some greatdisgrace and shame fallen upon them in the eye of theworld ; some long and tedious sickness, pinching them extremely,for want of peace with God, and patience to passthrough it, or the like.In this case, after the man of God by his best wisdomand searching, experimental trials and interrogatories fittedfor that purpose, whereby he may give a strong conjecture,if not a peremptory censure, hath discovered the imposture,let his desire and endeavour be to turn the torrent of worldlytears, and grief for transitory things, upon sin. When avein is broken and bleeds inward, or a man bleeds excessivelyat the nose, the physician is wont to open a vein inthe arm, so to divert the current of the blood, that it maybe carried the right way, for the safety and preservation ofthe party. Do proportionably in this point.Let such know :— First, that " sorrow of the world workethdeath " (2 Cor. vii, 10). It dries the bones, consumesthe marrow, chills the blood, wastes the spirits, eats up theheart, shorteneth life, and cutteth off too soon from theday of gracious visitation. It is a base thing for an immortalsoul to be put thus out of tune and temper with mortalthings, and most unworthy its heavenly birth, breeding underthe ministry, and everlasting abode. Secondly, thatsorrow spent upon the world is like a perfumed preciouswater thrown into the channel or sink-hole, which wouldmake a sweet scent in a humbled soul, and help excellentlyagainst the noisome savour of sin. Fire put into the thatchM'ould turn all into combustion ; dung placed in your par-N

132 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGwast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthinessany more, till I have caused my fury to rest up<strong>on</strong>thee" (Ezek, xxiv, 13). " If the righteous scarcely be saved,where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear V (1 Pet.iv, 18.) " Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin"(1 John iii, 9). " Love the brotherhood" (1 Pet. ii, 17)." Without holiness no man shall see the Lord" (lleb.xii, 14). " <strong>The</strong> devils also believe and tremble " (Jamesii, 19). " Strive to enter in at the strait gate ; for many,I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able "(I^uke xiii, 24). " And whosoever shall not receive you,&c. Verily, I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable forthe land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgmentthan for that ciiy " (Matt, x, 14, 15). " And from the daysof John the Baptist, until now, the kingdom of heaven sufferethviolence, and the violent take it by force " (Matt,xi, 12). " And if ye salute your brethren <strong>on</strong>ly, what do yemore than others 1 " (Matt, v, 47.) " 1 say unto you, thatexcept your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness ofthe scribes and pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into thekingdom of heaven" (Matt, v, 20). <strong>The</strong>se fellows representedto the eye of the world a goodly and glorious showof freedom from gross sins ": I am not," saith the pharisee,Luke xviii, 11, "as other men are, extorti<strong>on</strong>ers, unjust,adulterers," 6cc ;of works; first, of righteousness," 1 give tithes of all that I possess." Sec<strong>on</strong>dly, of piety," He went up to pray." Thirdly, of mercy, besides fastingand prayer, they gave alms (Matt, vi); and yet Christspeaks thus peremptorily to his hearers: " Except yourrighteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes andpharisees, &c. ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom ofheaven." He saith not simply, ye shall not enter ; but yeshall " in no case" enter. And yet how many who comeshort of these will be very angry, if the ministers tell themthat they shall certainly come short of the kingdom ofheaven.I have d<strong>on</strong>e with daubing and plaistering over rottenhearts with plausible persuasi<strong>on</strong>s, that they shall not bedamned: I mean that most cruel and accursed trade of" strengthening with lies the hands of the wicked, that heshould not return from his wicked way, by promising himlife" (Ezek. xiii, 22), whereby thousands are sent hoodwinkedto hell (more is the pity!) even in this blessedtime of the gospel : and I come now to another error about<strong>comforting</strong> <strong>afflicted</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sciences.

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