A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

304 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGyet thy spiritual state is not thereby prejudiced, but thysalvation is still most sure ; and thy first taste of thoseeternal joys shall be the sweeter, by how much thy formertemptations and trials have been the sorer : for we mustever hold fast this blessed tiuth, that we are justified bycasting ourselves upon Christ, not by comfort; by faith,not by feeling ; by trusting the sure word of God, not byassurance.CHAP. VI.Two Considerations more against Unadvisedness, for the Cure of theformer Malady.But I desire to come yet nearer to thy conscience, and topress comfort upon thee with such strong and irresistiblearguments, as all the subtlety of the infernal powers willnever be able to dissolve.Thou sayest, and 1 suppose so, that thou art "weary ofall thy sins," dost hunger and thirst after the righteousnessof Christ ;prizest him before all the world ; hast cast thyselfupon his truth and tender-heartedness for everlastingsafety ; and yet thou feelest no special sensible joy in thineheart thereupon. Be it so ;yet upon this occasion take raycounsel, and at my request address thyself again, and haverecourse afresh unto the promises : settle thy soul uponthem seriously, with fixed meditation and fervent prayer :set thyself purposely with earnestness and industry to suckfrom them their heavenly sweetness. And then, how is itpossible that thine humble, upright heart should makeresist ince to those mighty torrents of spiritual joys andrefreshings, which by a natural and necessary consequencespring abundantly from the ensuing comfortable conclusions,grounded upon the sure word of God, and thine ow^n inwardsense and most certain undeniable experience tVVhosoever "hungers and thirsts after righteousness"is blessed from Christ's own mouth. Matt, v, 6. And thisblessedness compriseth an absolute and universal confluenceof all excellencies, perfections, pleasures, and felicities inthis world, and in the world to come ; begun in somemeasure in the kingdom of grace, and made complete inthe kingdom of glory through all eternity.But I, mayest thou say, out of evident feeling andexperience, find myself to " hunger and thirst after righteousness."