A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

"276 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGsuch desires, so qualified as before, shall be fulfilled, satisfied,accomplished, possessed of the well of life ; and thatis abundant to put the thirsting party into a comfortableand saving state. The words of Scripture are punctual anddownright for this. " Blessed are they which do hungerand thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled(Matt. V, 6). "If any man thirst, let him come unto meand drink" (John vii, 37). "The Loid heareth the desireof the humble" (Psalm x, 17). " He will fulfil the desireof them that fear him" (Psalm cxlv, 19). "The Lordfilleth the hungry with good things" (Luke i, 53). "Lethim that is athirst. come. And whosoever will, let himtake the water of life freely" (Rev. xxii, 17). " Ho ! everyone that ihiisteth, come ye to the waters" &c. (Isa. Iv, 1)." I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods uponthe dry ground" (Isa. xliv, 3). These longings and desires,this hunger and thirst, before a sensible apprehensionand enjoyment of Christ, arise from a sense of the necessityand want of his blessed person and precious bloodshed,which the afflicted soul now prizeth before ten thousandworlds : and for whose sake is most willing to sell all, andto abandon wholly the devil's service for ever. Those, aftera full entrance into the holy path, and joyful grasping ofthe Lord Jesus in the arms of our faith, arise partly fromthe former state of unutterable sweetness we found in him ;partly from the want of a more full and farther fruition ofhiu), especially when he is departed, in respect of presentfeeling ; as in times of desertion, extraordinary temptation,&c. In the passage that is past 1 understand the former ;in those that follow, the latter.2. Concerning desertions, I intend a larger anvl moieparticular discourse ; and therefore 1 pass by them here.CHAP. XI.Two other especial Times wherein use is to be made of the formerPrinciple.3. We may have recourse for comfort to this precious pointin some special temptations of doubtfulness and fear aboutour spiritual state. When spiritual life is run, as it were,into the root in some particulars, and actual abilities toexercise some graces and discharge some duties aie returned