A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

138 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGbody, soul, outward slate, or good name : any calamity feltor feared in this life, or the life to come ; and if thou wilt beconverted and counselled, 1 can send thee to some, bothpromise and precedent in this boolc of God, which mayupon good ground lill thine heart as full with sound comfort,as the sun is of light, and the sea of waters. Nay, give mea wounded spirit with all its inexplicable terrois and bitterness,which is the greatest misery and extremest affliction ofwhich an understanding soul is capable in this life ; and letfirst all tlie physiciaiis in the world lay all their heads,skill, and experience together for the cure : let all the highestmonarchs upon earth shine upon it with their imperial favoursfor comfort ; let the depth of all human wisdom andthe height of the most excellent oratory be improved to persuadeit to peace ; let all the creatures in heaven and earthcontribute their several abilities and utmost to still its rage ;and when all these have done, and have done just nothing,I will fetch a cordial out of God's own book which shallmollify the anguish, expel the venom, and bind it up witheverlasting peace which passeth all understanding ; thatthe broken bones may rejoice, and the poor soul groaningmost grievously under the guilty horror of many foul abominations,and ready to sink into the gulph of despair, besweetly bathed and refreshed in the fountain opened by thehand of mercy for sin and foruncleanness, Christ's dearestblood, the glorious well-spring of all lightsomeness and joy.Plear how precisely for this purpose, and how punctuallyagainst such pestdent cavillers, some of the ancient fathersdo puritanize :—" There is no malady," saith Chrysostom *, " either of bodyor soul, but may receive a medicine out of God's book. Onecomes oppressed with sadness and anxiety of business, overwhelmedwith grief ; but presently hearing the prophetsaying, Why ' art thou cast down, O my soul 1 and why artthou so disquieted within me 1 hope thou in God : for I shallyet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, andmy God' (Psalm xlii, 11); he receives abundance ofcomfort, and abandons all heaviness of heart. Another ispinched with extreme poverty ; takes it heavily, and grieves,seeing others flowing in riches, swelling with pride, attendedwith great pomp and state ; but he also hears the same prophetsaying, Cast thy burthen upon the Lord, and he 'shallsustain thee' (Psalm Iv, 22); and again, Be * not thouafraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house isincreased : for when he dieth he shall carry nothing away :* Clirvsost.on Gcii. Hoin.29.