A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 229all with the ways of God ; but continue cursedly carelesswhat becomes of the gospel, or God's children, so that theymay rise, grow rich, and sleep in a whole skin.By this time he is become the drunkard's song, table-talkto those that " sit in the gate," music to great men at theirfeasts, a bye-word to the children of fools and the childrenof villains, men viler than the earth, vvhose fathers he wouldhave disdained to have set with the dogs of his flock. Andwhat then 1 Even thus they dealt with David, Job, andJeremiah (Psal. Ixxix, Job xxx, Lam. iii, 63). Nay, theytold the Son of God himself, in whom the Godhead dweltbodily, that he was " a Samaritan, and had a devil" (Johnviii, 48). What thinking man, then, that gives his name toChrist and looks to be saved, will look for exemption 1Especially since all the contumelies and contempts, all thosenicknames of puritan, precisian, hypocrite, humourist, factionist,with which lewd tongues are wont to load the saintsof God, are so many honourable badges of their worthy deportmentin the holy path, and resolute standing on theLord's side. Some noble Romans having done some singularservice to the state, being afterwards troubled and handledviolently in some private cases, were wont to bare their bodies,and to show in open court the scars and impressions ofthose wounds which they had received in their country'scause, as characters of special honour and strongest motivesto commiseration. So many lying imputations, unworthyusages, and persecutions in any kind for profession of godliness,which the faithful Christian shall bring to the judgment-seatof Christ, so many glorious and royal representationsof excellency of spirit and height of courage in theChristian cause shall they be accounted in the sight andjudgment of Almighty God and the blessed angels, andmake him more amiable and admirable in the face of heavenand earth.