A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

what296 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGof his will ; " of his readiness to forgive, otherwise thedeath of Christ should be of none effect, his blood shed invain, the greatest work lost that ever was done ; of his"delight in mercy," Micah vii, 18 (Mercya quality, in God it is his nature and essence.in man isNow whatwe do naturally we do willingly, readily, unweariedly. Asthe eye is not weary of seeing, the ear with hearing, &;c.A bee gives honey naturally, never stings but when provoked.When God is angry, it is but as it were by accident,upon occasion, drawn unto it by the violent importunityof our multiplied provocations ; but he delights inmercy, ficc.)—I say, to say nothing of these, this one considerationmay convince us of extreme folly in refusing mercyin such a case, notwithstanding the heinousness or numberof our sins ; to wit, that no sins, either for number or notoriousness,in a truly broken heart, can make so much resistanceto God's infinite mercies, as the least spark of firecould make to the whole sea, and that is little enough. Nay,as infinitely less as an infinite thing exceeds a finite ; betweenwhich there is no proportion.3d. His power. For thou art very likely thus or in thelike manner to reason with thyself, and cavil cruelly againstthine own soul. Alas ! talk you of taking Christ, thepromises of life, and heavenly lightsomeness ; my poor heartis as dark as the very middle of hell ; much harder than arock of adamant ; as cold and dead as the senseless centreof the earth ; as uncomfortable and restless almost as desperationitself. It is more than infinitely impossible thatsuch a dark, hard, dead, comfortless thing should ever beenlightened, softened, quickened, and established withjoy, 6lC.But mark how herein thou unadvisedly undervaluest andunworthily settest bounds to the unlimited power of God.Whereas thou shouldest imitate Abraham, the father of allthem that believe, who " staggered not at the promise ofGod through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving gloryto God ; and being fully persuaded that what he had promisedhe was able also to perform " (Rom. iv, 20, 21).Be advised in this case :[1.] To compare these two things together :" the makingof the seven stars and Orion, and turning the shadowof death into the morning " ; and the infusion of heavenlylight into thy dark and heavy heart. And dost thou notthink that the second is as easy as the first to the same omnipotenthand 1 Nay, it is easier in our own apprehension(to the Divine Majesty nothing is difficult or uneasy). Forthose glorious shining constellations were created of nothingj