A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan
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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

digitalpuritan.net
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13.07.2015 Views

214 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGout of the word, and promise peace to their troubled heartsfrom the promises of life. But herein they tail and fearfullydeceive themsslves, in that they co'jceive the first fits andquHim

AFFLICTED COJ^J SCIENCES. 215their giossand damnable self-deceili that howsoever a di^adfaith, according to its n;ime and nature, enters (if it hathany being at all) into the understanding without any remarkablemotion, sense, and alteration ;yet that faithwhich truly justities, pacilies, purities, mortifies, sanctifies,and saves, is evidently discernible by — First, many stirringpreparatives ; sight and sense of a man's miserable state bynature, of his siniuluess and cursedness, humbling himselfin the sight of the Lord," fearful apprehensions wrought bythe spirit of bondage ; illumination, conviction, legal terrors,ixc. Secondly, violent affections about the infusing of it,which are wont to be rai>:ed in the humbled heart by theHoly Ghost; extreme thust, infiamed desires, vehementlongings, unutterable groanings of spirit, prizing and preferringthe person and passion of Christ before the possessionof infinite worlds; willingness to "sell all," to part withany thing for him, though never so dear or so much doatedupon heretofore ; with pleasure, riches, preferments, " aright hand, aright eye," liberty, life, 6cc. Nay, in sucha case, if even hell itself should stand between Jesus Christand a poor soul, he would most willingly pass through thevery flames thereof to embrace his blessed crucified Lord inthe arms of a lively faith. Thirdly, inseparable consequentsand companions : 1. A hearty and everlasting falling outwith all sin. 2. Sanctification throughout in body, souLspirit, and calling, and in every power, part, and passagethereof, though not in peifection of degrees, yet in truth andeffectually. 3. A set and solemn course of new obedience,spent principally in self- sobriety, righteousness towards ourbrethren, and holiness towards (jod.Many unfaithful men in the m.inislry, both in their publicteaching, and private visitations of the sick, have much toanswer for in this point ; who for want of skill in thathighest art of saving souls : of familiarity with God, andsecret working of his Spirit ; of experience in their ownchange, and of the spiritof discerning, &c. many times concurwith such miserable men to mar all, in stifling the very firststirrings of legal remorse, by healing the wounds of theirconscience with sweet words before they be searched andsounded to the bottom ; and by an unseasonable and indiscreetheaping a great deal of comfort there, where as yet agood ground-work of true humiliation is not soundly laid.Many and lamentable are the spiritual miseries in thoseplaces where such daubers with untempered mortar havethe direction, who never passed through the pangs of thenew birth themselves, were never feelingly acquainted withthe wonderful dealings of God in that great miracle of a

214 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGout of the word, and promise peace to their troubled heartsfrom the promises of life. But herein they tail and fearfullydeceive themsslves, in that they co'jceive the first fits andquHim

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