A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

ut254 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTING6. In thoughts of our unworthiness.David commanded Joab and the other captains " to entreatthe young man Absalom gently for his sake " (2 Sam.xviii, 5). A rebellious, traitorous son up in arms against hisown father, gracelessly and unnaturally thirsting, out of afurious ambitious humour, to wring the regal sceptre out ofhis hand, and to set the imperial crown upon his own head.How dearly and tenderly then will the Father of merciesdeal with a poor humbled soul that sighs and seeks for hisfavour infinitely more than any earthly treasure, or theglory of a thousand worlds !7. I will suppose thou hast broke some special vow(which were a grievous thing) made before the sacramentupon some day of humiliation, or such other occasion, andso forfeited thyself, as it were, and thy soul into the handsof God's justice, to be disposed of to the dungeon of utterdarkness, if thou wert served as thy sin hath deserved.And thereupon thou art much afflicted and sore troubled inmind, to have suffered thyself to be so sottishly ensnaredagain in such a disavowed sin, against so strong a purpose.But here consider whether thou, being a father, wouldsttake the forfeiture of a bond, and advantage of breakingday, especially full sore against his will, from thy dearestchild, entreatmg thee to regard him kindly. Much, nayinfinitely less will thy heavenly Father deal hardly withthee in such a case, if thou complain at the throne of gracewith a grieved spirit, renew thy covenant, and tell him trulythat thou wilt, by the help of the Holy Ghost, guard thyheart with a narrower v/atch and stronger resolution for thetime to come. " If we confess our sins, he is faithful andjust to forgive us our sins" (1 John i, 9) ; and in such acase we have ever a blessed " advocate with the Father,Jesus Christ the righteous" (1 John ii, 1).A father sometimes threatens and offers to throw his littleone out of his arms •,upon purpose only to make himcling closer unto him. Our heavenly Father may seem tocast oflf his child, and leave him for a while in the handsof Satan for inward temptation, or to the rage of his bloodthirstyagents for outward persecution : but it is only todraw him nearer to himself by more serious seeking andsure dependence in the time of trouble, and that with the handof his faith he may lay surer hold upon his all-sufficiency.And the child, especially if of riper age and wiserthoughts, laughs perhaps in the father's face, dreads nodanger, dreams not of being hurt : and what is the reason,think yel Only because he knows he that holds him is hisfather. So thy heavenly Father holds thee as it were over