A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan
A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan
—;188 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe same sense is to be found in Mr. Perkins *, a greatmaster in the deep mystery of dealing with afflicted consciences.For we must know, that too inuch is by no meansto be meant of any ways restraining or confining the infinitenessof God's mercy. It were execrable blasphemy to disrobeGod's most glorious attribute of its immensity ; but inrespect of not mingling some cautions to keep from presumption,as will appear in the ensuing counsels 1 shall commendfor that purpose.Upon this ground, I reason thus :—A man may press and apply God's justice and the terrorsof the law loo much ; therefore also mercy and the comfortsof the gospel too much : the consequence is clear ; for asthe former may plunge into the gulf of despair, so the othermay cast upon the rock of presumption. Nay, it is morethan unanswerably strong, because we are far readier toapprehend and apply unto ourselves mercy than judgmentand thousands are endlessly overthrown through presumptionfor one by despair. And the antecedent who will deny 1It is rather so preposterously applauded and pressed, thatmost, if a minister, even with his best discretion, reveal thewhole counsel of God, and tell them that none shall berefreshed by Christ, but only those who " labour and areheavy laden" (Matt, xi, 28); that they must "humblethemselves in the sight of the Lord," if they would havehim "to lift them up " (James iv, 10); that none "shallhave mercy " but such as " confess and"forsake their sins(^Prov. xxviii, 13) ; that the mere civil man and lukewarmformal professor without holiness and zeal can never besaved (Heb. xii, 14; Revel, iii, 19) ; that all "the wickedshall be turned into hell," &c. (Psalm ix, 17) ; in a word,if he take the to bring men " from darkness toright courselight, from Satan to the living God;" by first woundingwith the law before he heal with the gospel ; — I say, themost in this case are ready to cry out and complain that hethrows wildfire, brimstone, and gunpowder into the consciencesof men.Conceive, therefore, I pray you,That there is in God, first, his justice ; and secondly, hismercy, both infinite and equal. Only in regard of manthere is an inequality, for God may be said to be more mercifulunto them that are saved, than just to them that aredamned. For of damnation, the just cause is in man ; butof salvation, it is wholly from grace. In himself, and origi-* Cases of Conscience, book i, chap, vii, ject. 6; and chap, xi,sect. 1.
";AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 189nally, they are both equal, and so are all his attributesbut in respect of the exercise and expression upon his creatures,and abroad in the world, there is some difference.But for my purpose and our ministerial employment andcommission, take notice,That as the revealed effects of God's mercy are love,tender-heartedness, compassions, his own dear Son's preciousheart-blood, pardon of sins, peace of conscience, unspeakableand glorious joy thereupon, evangelical pleasures, comfortablepresence of the Spirit even in this life, and in theother world pleasures infinitely more than the stars of thefirmament in number, even for ever and ever ; and allthese upon all true penitents —:So the revealed effects of his justice are " indignation andwrath, tribulation and anguish ;" that sword, " which willdevour flesh ;" those arrows, that " drink blood ;" thatfiery anger, " which will burn unto the lowest hell, and seton fire the foundations of the mountains " ; that comingagainst, which is " with fire and chariots like a whirlwind,to render anger with fury, and rebuke with flames of fire ;that meeting, which is as of a " bear bereaved of herwhelps, to rend the caul of the heart, and devour like alion," 6cc. ; all plagues, with the extremity, temporal,spiritual, eternal ; all the curses in this book of his ;allthe torments of hell, to the utmost spark of those infernalflames ; and all these upon all impenitent sinners. NowGod will be glorified both ways and by them both.Give us leave, then, to give them both their due.We are most willing and ready, as our great Master inheaven would have us (Isa. xl, 1, 2), and our blessedSaviour by his example doth teach us (Luke iv, II), toconvey by our ministry into every truly broken heart andbleeding soul the warmest blood that ever heated Christ'stender heart, and to keep back from the true penitent notany one grain of that immeasurable mine of all the richmercies purchased Avith that precious blood.Be content therefore on the other side that we open thearmoury of God's justice, and " reveal his wrath from heavenagainst all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ; thatindignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, shall beupon every soul of man that doth evil," &c. As we are everready to bind up the bruised spirit with the softest oil ofGod's sweetest mercy ;so let us, 1 pray you, have leave, inthe equity of a just and holy proportion, to wound with thehammer of the law the hairy scalp of every one that goeson in his sin.Let us deal faithfully even with wicked men, lest we
- Page 190 and 191: 138 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGbody
- Page 192 and 193: 140 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFOI.TINGJer
- Page 194 and 195: 'and:14-2 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTI
- Page 196 and 197: 144 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING(tho
- Page 198 and 199: 146 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGtish
- Page 200 and 201: 148 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGand
- Page 202 and 203: —;150 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING
- Page 204 and 205: 152 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGI co
- Page 206 and 207: ;154 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe
- Page 208 and 209: From;156 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTIN
- Page 210 and 211: 158 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGhe w
- Page 212 and 213: 160 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe
- Page 214 and 215: 162 INSTRUCTIOxNTS FOR COMFORTINGno
- Page 216 and 217: 164 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGflat
- Page 218 and 219: —;166 INSTllUCTIONS FOR COMFORTIN
- Page 220 and 221: 168 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGagai
- Page 222 and 223: 170 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGrise
- Page 224 and 225: 172 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGa ti
- Page 226 and 227: 174 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGcase
- Page 228 and 229: 176 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGravi
- Page 230 and 231: 170 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGwill
- Page 232 and 233: 180 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING^hea
- Page 234 and 235: 182 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGout
- Page 236 and 237: 184 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGGod,
- Page 238 and 239: :laeINSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGfor
- Page 242 and 243: 190 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGansw
- Page 244 and 245: —192 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGi
- Page 246 and 247: 194 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGview
- Page 248 and 249: —196 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGC
- Page 250 and 251: 198 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGOthe
- Page 252 and 253: 200 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGand
- Page 254 and 255: 202 INSTRUCTIOxXS FOR COMFORTINGCHA
- Page 256 and 257: 204 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe
- Page 258 and 259: 206 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGzeal
- Page 260 and 261: 208 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGcons
- Page 262 and 263: —;210 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING
- Page 264 and 265: ;212 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGwea
- Page 266 and 267: 214 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGout
- Page 268 and 269: 216 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGman'
- Page 270 and 271: 218 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGwhic
- Page 272 and 273: 220 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGof t
- Page 274 and 275: 222 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGsion
- Page 276 and 277: nay,224 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING
- Page 278 and 279: 226 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGCHAP
- Page 280 and 281: "228 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGor
- Page 282 and 283: SECT. Ill, PART I.CHAP. T.Three Pri
- Page 284 and 285: 232 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGtrea
- Page 286 and 287: 234 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGa. p
- Page 288 and 289: Oh236 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGan
—;188 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGthe same sense is to be found in Mr. Perkins *, a greatmaster in the deep mystery of dealing with <strong>afflicted</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sciences.For we must know, that too inuch is by no meansto be meant of any ways restraining or c<strong>on</strong>fining the infinitenessof God's mercy. It were execrable blasphemy to disrobeGod's most glorious attribute of its immensity ; but inrespect of not mingling some cauti<strong>on</strong>s to keep from presumpti<strong>on</strong>,as will appear in the ensuing counsels 1 shall commendfor that purpose.Up<strong>on</strong> this ground, I reas<strong>on</strong> thus :—A man may press and apply God's justice and the terrorsof the law loo much ; therefore also mercy and the comfortsof the gospel too much : the c<strong>on</strong>sequence is clear ; for asthe former may plunge into the gulf of despair, so the othermay cast up<strong>on</strong> the rock of presumpti<strong>on</strong>. Nay, it is morethan unanswerably str<strong>on</strong>g, because we are far readier toapprehend and apply unto ourselves mercy than judgmentand thousands are endlessly overthrown through presumpti<strong>on</strong>for <strong>on</strong>e by despair. And the antecedent who will deny 1It is rather so preposterously applauded and pressed, thatmost, if a minister, even with his best discreti<strong>on</strong>, reveal thewhole counsel of God, and tell them that n<strong>on</strong>e shall berefreshed by Christ, but <strong>on</strong>ly those who " labour and areheavy laden" (Matt, xi, 28); that they must "humblethemselves in the sight of the Lord," if they would havehim "to lift them up " (James iv, 10); that n<strong>on</strong>e "shallhave mercy " but such as " c<strong>on</strong>fess and"forsake their sins(^Prov. xxviii, 13) ; that the mere civil man and lukewarmformal professor without holiness and zeal can never besaved (Heb. xii, 14; Revel, iii, 19) ; that all "the wickedshall be turned into hell," &c. (Psalm ix, 17) ; in a word,if he take the to bring men " from darkness toright courselight, from Satan to the living God;" by first woundingwith the law before he heal with the gospel ; — I say, themost in this case are ready to cry out and complain that hethrows wildfire, brimst<strong>on</strong>e, and gunpowder into the c<strong>on</strong>sciencesof men.C<strong>on</strong>ceive, therefore, I pray you,That there is in God, first, his justice ; and sec<strong>on</strong>dly, hismercy, both infinite and equal. Only in regard of manthere is an inequality, for God may be said to be more mercifulunto them that are saved, than just to them that aredamned. For of damnati<strong>on</strong>, the just cause is in man ; butof salvati<strong>on</strong>, it is wholly from grace. In himself, and origi-* Cases of C<strong>on</strong>science, book i, chap, vii, ject. 6; and chap, xi,sect. 1.