A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

;300 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGsound humiliation, contrition, spiritual thirsting, resolutionto sell all, iScc, required by the reverend Author quotedbefore*: but only hath passed over them overtly, notsoundly ; superficially, not sincerely ; and then no marvelthough no true and real comfort come. Inform thyself furtherin this point, that thou mayest more fully knovv^ mymeaning in it, and be guided aright in a matter of so greatweight t.2. Or it may be, how^soever he protest otherwise, and forall his partial legal terror and trouble of mind, his deceitfulheart may still secretly harbour and hanker after somesweet sin, as pride, revenge, strange fashions, worldliness,lust, plays, gaming, good-fellowship, as it is called, &c.from which it doth not heartily yield, resolve, and endeavourto make an utter and final cessation and divorce. Andassuredly that false heart which regards and allows anywickedness in itself, howsoever it may be deluded withsome Anabaptistical flashes, yet shallfreshed with " joy in the Holy Ghost."never be truly re-3. It may be, though there were some probable andplausible shows that the party was principally cast downand affected with the heavy weight of sin and horror ofGod's wrath for it ;yet the true predominant cause of hisheaviness, heart's grief, and bitterest complaint, was somesecret earthly discontentment, the restless biting of someworldly sting : and in such cases, remove this, and youremove his pains ;comfort him about his cross, and you sethim were he was ; and therefore, as in all this he continuesa mere stranger in affection to the sweetness, amiableness,and excellency of Jesus Christ, so it is impossible that heshould be acquainted with any sound spiritual comfort.But I will suppose all to be sincere and as it should belet me advise thee then to take notice;of thine own unadvisedness.(1.) Thou art perhaps so full of the want of feeling,such a stranger to so much expected and desired joy andpeace in believing, and by consequence so drowned in theunnecessary distractions and distempers of a sad heart,that thou utterly forgettest to give thanks and magnify God'ssingular and incomprehensible mercy for enlightening,convincing, and territying thy conscience, offering his Son,raising in thine heart an insatiable thirst after him, andgiving thee spiritual ability to rest thy weary soul uponhim ; and who knows not that unthankfulness keeps manygood things from us, and is an unhappy block in the way to* Rogers of Dedham, on Faith. t Ibid. cap. ii, and v.