A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

"228 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGor eclipsed with grief, as he hears of the prosperity or oppressionof God's people. I the rather here mention thismark of the true convert, because it is so much required,nay infinitely exacted at our hands in these heavy times ofthe church ; and therefore may be to every one of us anevident touchstone to try whether our profession be vital orformal. If those terrors which 1 have heretofore many timesthreatened out of God's book against all those pitiless andhard-hearted cannibals who take not the present troubles ofthe church to heart, on purpose to break in pieces thoseflinty rocks which dwell in some men's breasts, and to driveus all to compassionateness, prayer, days of humiliation,and parting from our evil ways ; I say, if they have beenthought by any to have been pressed too precisely and peremptorily,hear what I have since seen in Austin, and whata peremptory censure he doth pass upon those who want afellow-feeling in such a case : "If thou hast this fellowfeeling,thou art of that blessed body and brotherhood ; ifnot, thou art not." And here can I hardly forbear cryingout with " a voice lifted up like a trumpet," against allthose profane Esaus, swinish Gadarenes, senseless earthworms,who all this while that so many noble limbs of thatgreat blessed body of the reformed churches have lain intears and blood, did never take to heart to any purpose, ortrouble themselves at all with their grievous troubles ; buthave sottishly and securely lain " at ease in Zion," liable tothat horrible curse denounced against Meroz: — " Curse yeMeroz (said the angel of the I-ord), curse ye bitterly theinhabitants thereof; because they came not to the help ofthe Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty(Judg. V, 23). They have not helped the people of God somuch as with any hearty fellow-feeling, wrestling with Godin prayer, set days to seek the return of God's face and favour.Men they are of the world, which have their portionin this life ; who feel nothing but worldly losses, know nothingbut earthly sorrows, relish nothing but things of sense.If they be stung with a dear year, rot of cattle, loss by suretyship,shipwreck, robbery, fire, &c. they howl and lamentimmoderately. But let " Joseph be afflicted," God's peoplein disgrace, the ministry hazarded , Christ's spouse " sit inthe dust," the " daughter of Zion" weep bitterly and havenone to comfort her, and these merciless men are no whitmoved. They have not a tear, a groan, or sigh to spend insuch a rueful case; whereby they infallibly demonstrate totheir own consciences, that they are no living members ofChrist's mystical body, have no part of the holy fellowshipof the saints, no spark of spiritual life, no acquaintance at