A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

152 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGI confess, that commonly true converts at the first touchand turning, and after too, cry out most of, and are extraordinarilytroubled with, some one capital sin, and thatwhich in their days of darkness and vanity wasted theirconscience most, and detained them with strongest enticementsand holdfast in the devil's bondage. Hence it wasthat Zaccheus was so ready and willing to restore fourfold,that so he might be rid of the sting and horror of his formerreigning sin (Luke xix, 8) ; that blessed Paul, as it seems,amongst other dreadful apprehensions of his former unregeneratecourses, was so much vexed and wounded in heartfor that he had been a persecutor ( 1 Tim. i, 13 j 1 Cor. xv, 9).But yet should they lament never so much, howl and roarfor that one sin ; if besides they d^d not by the conduct ofthe blessed Spirit, descend also to a m.ore particular acknowledgment,confession, and repentance of all other knownsins (and they ought by clearing the eye of natural conscience,industrious inspection into the pure crystal of God'slaw, discover as many as they can possibly), all werenothing. " He which is grieved," say divines, " for one sintruly and unfeignedly from his heart, will proportionablybe grieved for all the sins that he knoweth to be in himself."If we favour any one sin in our heart, or life, or calling, wecannot enjoy God's favour. If there be any sensual lust,or secret corruption, which a man purposely labours tocover and conceal from God's pure eye, the search of hisword, and mortifying grace, what hope can he have that itis covered with the blood of Christ from the wrath that isto come, or warranted by any promise of grace from thedamnation of hell ? In a true penitent there ought to be anutter cessation from all gross abominable sins ; and at leastdisallowance, disaffection, and all possible opposition evento unavoidable infirmities and inseparahle frailties of theCHAP. VII.A Fifth Case wherein spiritual Physicians raust take heed of that secondError. The divers kinds of Death iu Godly Men.5. When the physician of the soul promiseth mercy andpardon at random, without that spiritual discretion whichis convenient for a matter of so great consequence, andrequiring such a deal of dexterity in discerning to a manupon his bed of death, who hath formerly been notorious,or only civil, howsoever a mere stranger to the power of