A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

216 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGman's conversion; or*" trained up experimentally in theschool of temptations, painful exercises of mortification andcounterminings against the depths, wiles, devices, andstratagems of the devil. The blessed prophet paints themto the life, and denounces a dreadful woe against suchflattering and foolish prqphets (Ezek. xiii). A ship-master,skilful only in astronomy and other speculative passages ofthe art of navigation, is nobody in conducting men safelyover some dangerous sea, to him that beside sufficienciesof art, is furnished also with experimental skill in thoseparts, by passing formerly that way himself, and havingdiscovered those dangers of ruin and hidden rocks, whichthe other man might easily run upon. Give me a man inwhom variety and profoundness of best learning doth concurin the highest degree of excellency ;yet if his ownheart be not soundly wrought upon and seasoned withsaving grace, himself experimentally seen into the mysteryof Christ and secrets of sanctitication ; as he shall be hardlyable to wound other men's consciences, and pierce them tothe quick, so he will be found very unfit to manage arightthe spiritual miseries of a troubled soul, and to transport itsavingly through the tempestuous terrors and temptationsincident to the new creation, into the port of true peaceand paradise of the blessed brotherhood. A dreadful andtender point it is to deal with distressed consciences ; somany depths of Satan and deceits of man's heart minglethemselves with business of so great consequence. Even awell-meaning man without much heed and good experience,both in the point and the party, may err dangerously and bemuch deceived herein, i have heard from a man of conscienceand credit, besides many and many in the samekind, of a fearful imposture to this purpose. " A man whofor the world was well enough, visited with some trouble ofmind for his sins, sent for a minister to comfort him. He,it seems, not sounding him to the bottom, or searching tothe quick, heaped upon him unseasonably and too soon,mercies and hopes of spiritual safety. Amongst otherthings he asked him, whether formerly he had ever felt testimoniesand refreshings of God's favour and love. Yea,answered the party (and heie take notice of a notoriousdepth of the devil); once riding alone upon the way insucii a place, 1 grew upon the sudden veiy lightsome andlight-hearted, &c. (I'his was but a flash of Satan's angelicalglory, cunningly to lighten and lead him the way to furtherconfusion.) VVhy then, replied the minister, you maybuild upon it. God is constant in his favours ; and whomlie loves once he loves for ever. Hereupon the patient was