A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

160 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe book of Iheir own conscience and of his own holy law.In one of which they find now at length all their innumerableiniquities, transgressions, and sins engraven with thepoint of a diamond, enraged with God's implacable wrath,aggravated with the utmost malice of Satan, and never tobe razed out or remitted but by the blood of the Son ofGod, in which they peremptorily profess themselves to haveno part. In the other they see the fierceness and fulness ofall the curses, plagues, and torments denounced there, anddue unto all impenitent sinners, ready to be poured upontheir bodies and souls for ever; and no possibility to preventthem, no way to decline them, but by God's infinitebounty through Jesus Christ, in which they also utterlydisc) am all right and interest ; and therefore they are nowfinally and desperately resolved to look for no mercy ; butin their own judgment and by their own confession standreprobates from God's covenant, and void of all hope ofhis inheritance, expecting with unspeakable terror andamazement of spirit the consummation of their misery andfearful sentence of eternal damnation. They are commonlysuch as have been gross hypocrites like Judas, and lie insome secret abomination against the knowledge of theirhearts all their life long ; that have followed still their ownsensual ways and course oi the world against the light ofthe ministry, standing like an armed man in their consciencesto the contrary ; who have been scorners and persecutorsof the power of godliness and the good way ; whohave abjured the gospel of Jesus Christ and forsaken thetruth for honour, wealth, or worldly happiness; to whomthe Lord in their lifetime vouchsafed many mercies, muchprosperity, great means of salvation, long forbearance, &c.And yet they stood out still, they still hated to be reformed," set at nought all his counsel, and would none of his reproof."Wherefore the day of gracious visitation being onceexpired, a thousand worlds will not purchase it again :heaven and earth cannot recal it. No mercy, no comfort, noblessing can then be had, though they seek it with tears andyelling. They shall never more be heard, though with muchviolence they throw their shrieks into the air, they cry withsighs and groans as piercing as a sword. Not but that thegates of heaven and arms of mercy may stand wide openuntil their last breath. But, alas ! ihey have already sohardened their hearts that they cannot repent. " Afterthine hardness, saith Paul (Rom. ii, 5), and heart that cannotrepent." They now but howl upon their beds, they donot cry unto God vvith their hearts, as the prophet speaks(Hos.vii, 14). Tlieir earnest and early crying in this last