A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 153godliness and the truth of profession, because now in theevil dav he grieves extremely by reason ot his extremitj',cries out of his sins, " O, I am an heinous, horrible, andgrievous sinner ! If I were lo live again what would not ido "! A world for comfort now, and " to die the death ot therighteous "; because he howls upon his bed, as the prophetspeaketh, and breaks out oftentimes into a roaring complaintof sin and cry for pardon, by reason he now begins tofear and feel the revenging hand of God ready to seize uponhim for his former rebellions, 6cc. i tr when he assures him,having been a formal professor only and " foolish virgin,of bliss and glory ; because out of a former habituatedspiritual self-deceit^he cries, " Lord, Lord ;" seems to bystandersverv confident that he shall presently receive acrown of life ; thanks God that nothing troubles him, professesto every one that comes to visit him that he believesand repents with all his heart, forgives all the world, makesno doubt of heaven, &c.Here, by the way, we must take notice, that manyhaving outstood the day of their gracious visitation, having"neglected so great salvation, forsaken their own mercy,and judged themselves unworthy of everlasting hte alltheir life long, by standing out against the ministry ct theword, in respect of any saving work upon their souls ;andnow at length being overtaken, after the short gleam otworldly prosperity, with the boisterous winter-night otdeath and darkness of the evil day, may keep a great stirupon their dying beds, or in some great extremity, withgrievous complaints of their present intolerable misery andformer sinful courses procuring it, with incessant cues torease and deliverance, being now caught like wild bulls in anet, full of the wrath of God, with earnest and eager suingand seeking for pardon and salvation, now when worldlypleasures are past; and yet be not truly penitent, notsoundly and savingly humbled, not rightly fitted for Christand comfort. Consider for this purpose Prov. i, 24, 28. inthe day of visitation God called upon them and stretchedout his hand, but they refused, did not regard set at nought;all his counsel, and would none of his reproof and thereforein the day of vexation, when extremity and anguish;shall come upon them like a thief in the night, a whirlwind,travail upon a woman, suddenly, extremely, unavoidably,he professeth beforehand, that then they shall call uponhim, but^he will not answer ; they shall seek him early, butthey shall not find him. When God's hand was upon them,then they sought him ; and they returned and inquired earlyafter God, 6cc. " Nevertheless, they did fiatter him with