A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 227gives up the flower and prime of all his abilities, loves, joys,endeavours, performances of every kind, to the HighestMajesty ; and consecrates all the powers and possibilities ofbody and soul to do him the best and utmost service he canany way devise, until his dying day, and still grieves andwalks more humbly because he can do no better. For whenhe casts his eyes upon God the Father's free love, andChrist's dear passion, he thinks with himself (and so hewell may), that if he were able to do him as much serviceas all the saints do, both in this and the church above, withaddition of all the angelical obedience, it were all infinitelyless than nothing towards the discharge of his debt andincomprehensible everlasting obligation.7. And being thus incorporated into Christ, he presentlyassociates himself to the brotherhood, to the " sect that iseverywhere spoken against ": for so is profession accounted(Acts xxviii, 22). After that Peter's hearers " were prickedin their hearts," they were counselled to repent, believe, bebaptized, &c. and to " save themselves from that untowardgeneration" (Acts ii, 40). He now begins to delight himselfin them whom he heartily hated before; 1 mean, thepeople of God, professors of the truth and power of religion,and that as the most " excellent of the earth," the only truenoble worthies of the world, worthy for ever of the flower,fervency, and dearness of his most melting aff'ections andintimate love. And he labours also might and main to ingratiatehimself into their blessed communion, by ail engagementsand obligations of a comfortable, fruitful, and constant'• fellowship in the gospel ;" by a humble mutual intercourseand communication of holy conference, heavenlycounsel, spiritual encouragements, consideration one of another,confirmation in grace, and in assurance of meeting inheaven ; resolved to live and die with these neglected happyones, in all fair and faithful correspondence, sweetest officesof Christianity, and constant cleaving to the Lord Jesus andhis glorious cause ; nay, assured to reign with them hereaftereverlastingly in fulness and height of all glory, joy,and bliss ; for if once this divine flame of brotherly love bekindled by the Holy Ghost in the hearts of true-heartedChristians one towards another, it hath this property andprivilege above all other loves, that it is never after put outor quenched, but burns in their breasts with much affectionatefervour, with mutual warmth of dearest sweetnesshere upon earth, and shall blaze eternally with seraphicalheat in the highest heavens hereafter. In the mean time,he makes conscience of sympathizing both with their felicitiesand miseries. His heart is enlarged with lightsomeness.