A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

"AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 233the tempter, and that for thee and thy sake too. Andtherefore if thy humbled soul do abominate and abandonthem from the heart-root to the pit of hell, they shall neverbe laid to thy charge, but set on Satan's score. Extremelythen do those wrong themselves, and gratify the devil tothe height, who suffer such injections, which they heartilyhate and stand against with all their strength, to hold theirhearts still upon the rack of extraordinary astonishment anddistraction, whereby they are unnecessarily discouragedand disabled for a cheerful discharge of both their callings,which is the thing Satan especially aims at in vexing somany of God's dearest servants with this most fiery dart.(5.) It may be that many years after thy new birth, whenthou thinkest the worst is past, thoumayest be revisited andafflicted afresh with perhaps sorer spiritual pangs and morehorror than at the first. And what then? Hear how David,a man after God's own heart, cries out: " My boneswaxed old, through my roaring all the daylong; for dayand night thy hand was heavy upon me : my moisture isturned into the drought of summer" (Psal. xxxii, 3, 4).And Job, a God fearing man and most upright ": Whereforehidest thou thy face, and boldest me for thine enemy ?Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro ; and wilt thoupursue the dry stubble 1 For thou writest bitter thingsagainst me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of rayyouth. The arrows of the Almighty are within me, thepoison thereof drinketh up my spirit : the terrors of God doset themselves in array against me" (Job xiii, 24, 25, 26 ;vi, 4). Hezekiah, that walked before God in truth and-.\yith a perfect heart I reckoned till morning, that as alion so will he break all my bones : from day even to nightwilt thou make an end of me. Like a crane or a swallow,so did I chatter : I did mourn as a dove. Mine eyes failwith looking upward. O Lord, I am oppressed, undertakefor me" (Isa. xxxviii, 13, 14).(6.) Dost thou day after day pour out thy soul in prayerbefore the throne of grace with all the earnestness thy poor,dead heart (as thou callest it) can possibly ; and dost thoustill rise up dull, heavy-hearted, and uncomfortable, withoutany sensible answer from Cod, or comfortable sense ofhis favour and love shed into thy heart? Be it so : yet forall this, pray still in obedience unto thy God against alldiscouragements and appositions whatsoever. Still presshard unto and ply God's mercy-seat, if it be but with sighsand groanings. Assuredly at length and in the fittest timethou shalt be gloriously refreshed, and registered in theremembrance of God for a Christian of excellent faith. SeeX 3