A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 203ciples must " take up their cross and follow him; " for hissake part with any thing, every thing, be it riches, honours,credit, pleasures, &c. And therei'ore wiien once Christ forthe trial of his heart had bid him " go and sell that he had,"&c., he had soon done ; he was quickly gone. Now hadthis young man gone away without this lesson, he had goneaway a disciple as well as any other, and perhaps as jolly aprofessor as the forwardest of them all ; and that both in hisown strong opinion and uncharitable misconceit of the restwho were true of heart : as Judas did a long time ; and thefoolish virgins all their life long. Too many such professorsas he would have proved, are to be found even in this noontideof the gospel abroad in the world ; who being at theirfirst entrance into profession not soundly humbled, nor layinga sure foundation ;not resolved upon an universal selfdenial,nor weighing with due forecast what it will costthem ; do afterward misbehave themselves upon any gainfuloccasion, or greater trial and temptation, or being put to itindeed. They are wont from time to time to discover theirrottenness, open the mouths of the profane, and shame all.They are like unto reeds, which in a calm stand upright andseem stiff and strong; but let the tempest break in uponthem and they bend anyway. While their lemporal stateis untouched, their outward happiness unhazarded, theyseem resolute, thorough, and courageous ; but let a storm ofpersecution be raided against them ; let them be put intoa great fright that if they stand to it they may be undone,&c. and then like cowards they hide their heads, pull in thehorns; and shamefully shrink in the wetting ; unhappilyholding it better to sleep in a whole skin than with a goodconscience. Like the eagle, they soar aloft with many goodreligious shows and representations, but they still keep theireye upon the prey ; and therefore when advantage is offeredthey will basely stoop from forwardness, honesty, generosity,humanity, anything, to seize upon a worldly commodity,office, honour, soine earthly pelf, and transitory nothing.Some of these, after profession for some tin)e, fall quiteaway from it, and turn epicures or worldlings, if not scornersand persecutors. Others hold on in a plodding courseof formal Christianity all their life long ; and at last departthis life like the foolish virgins, and in that formal manner 1told you of before. Neither be thou disheartened with thiscounsel of leaving all for Christ. For thou shalt be no loser,but a great gainer thereby. Besides "eternal life in theworld to come," tliou shalt receive a hundredfold now inthis time," as Christ himself tells thee, ]\lark x, 30. Ifthou part with worldly joys, thou shalt have quiet in