A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

288 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGment, that we should believe on the name of his Son JesusChrist" ( 1 John iii, 23). This command alone of the AllpowerfulGod should infinitely outweigh and prevail againstall other countermands of heaven or earth, flesh and blood,Satan, nature, reason, sense, the whole creation, all theworld. It should swallow up all scruples, doubts, fears,despairs. Coming to Jesus Christ with broken hearts accordingto this commandment, it will bear us out againstall oppositions, accusations, weaknesses of faith, in the eviltimes, in the hour of temptation, upon our beds of death, atthe last and greatest day. It will be a plea at such timesutterly above all exception, against all allegations, terrors,and temptations to the contrary, to say, i was humbledunder the burthen of sin and sense of my spiritual misery.God in mercy offered me his Son Jesus Christ freely in themystery of the gospel by the ministry of the word. I thereuponthirsted infinitely for his person and precious blood,that I might thereby obtain pardon and power against mysins. He called upon me and commanded me to drink myfill of the water of life freely. I accepted his gracious offer,and according to his commandment cast myself upon theLord Christ against all the contradictions of carnal reasonand sophistry of Satan ; and since that time he hath givenme power to serve him in sincerity of heart. This is myground and warrant, even the commandment of my blessedGod, thus to drink when 1 was thirsty ; against which thegates of hell can never possibly prevail. In thy case then,who thirstest extremely, and upon free ofter yet refusest todrink, consider how unworthily thou dishonourest God andwrongest thine own soul ; by suffering the devil's cavils andthe groundless exceptions of thine own distrustful heart toprevail with thee against the direct command of AlmightyGod, which thou oughtest to obey against all reason, sense,fears, doubts, despairs, and hellish suggestions. Abraham,the father of the faithful, did readily and willingly submitto God's commandment, even to kill his own only dear sonwith his own hand, naturally, matter of a great grief ascould possibly pierce the heart of a mortal man. And wiltthou, being broken-hearted, stand off from believing, andrefuse when he commands thee to take his own only dearSon ; especially since thou takest with him the excellencyand variety of all blessings both of heaven and earth ; adischarge from every moment of the everlasting pains ofhell ; deeds sealed with his own blood, of thy right to theglorious inheritance of the saints in light 1 In a word, evenall things, the most glorious Deity itself blessed for ever, tobe enjoyed through him, with unspeakable and endless