A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

—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