A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

184 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGGod, belong unfo him. Which is then when his troubledheart is soundly humbled under God's mighty hand, andbrought at length to, first, a truly penitent sight, sense, andhatred of all sin ; secondly, a sincere and insatiable thirstafter Jesus Christ and righteousness both imputed and inherent; thirdly, an unfeigned and unreserved resolution ofan universal new obedience for the time to come, Here 1had purposed to have enlaiged ; but I am prevented bythat which hath been said already ; and therefore to avoidrepetition, I must remit you to the consideration of thoselegal and evangelical preparations for the entertainment ofChrist and true comfort which I handled before, which maygive some good direction and satisfaction in the point.See p. 92 to 103.Yet take notice, that in the mean time, before such fitnessbe fully effectuated, I would have the man of God plyhis patient with his best persuasions and proofs, seasonablymingled with motives to humiliation, of the pardonablenessof his sins, possibility of pardon, damnableness of despair,danger of ease by outward mirth, &c. ; and to hold out tothe eye of the troubled conscience as a prize and lure, as itwere, the freenessof God's immeasurable mercy, the generaloffer of Jesus Christ without any exception of persons,tiines, or sins ; the preciousness and infallibility of the promises,in as fair and lovely a fashion, in as orient and alluringforms as he can possibly. But it is one thing to say, Ifthese things be so, 1 can assure you in the word of life ofthe promises of life, and already real right and interest toall the riches of God's free grace and glorious purchase ofChrist's meritorious blood ; another thing to say, if you willsuffer your understandings to be enlightened, your consciencesto be convinced, your hearts to be wounded withsight, sense, and horror of sin ; if you will come in andtake Jesus Christ, his person, his passion, his yoke ; if youwill entertain these, and these affections, longings, andresolutions, then most certainly our merciful Lord willcrown your tjuly humbled souls with his dearest compassionsand freest love.Lastly, be informed that when all is done, I mean whenthe men of God have their desire, that the patient in theirpersuasion is soundly wrought upon, and professeth understandinglyand feelingly, and as they verily think from hisheart; first, that he is "heavy laden" with the grievousburthen of all his sins; secondly, that he is come by hispi esent spiritual terror and trouble of mind to that resolution," to do any thing," which we find in the hearers ofJohn and Peter (Luke iii, Actsii) ; thirdly, that he rac^t