A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

340 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGand self-love (ver. 2). Her well-beloved knocks and callsupon her ; nay, bespeaks and entreats upon all the terms ofdearest love, and for his painful sufferings' sake, to rise andopen unto him. But she most unworthily puts him off withsome slight excuses and delays of sloth (ver. 3) whereupon;he drops into her heart some taste of his " sweetest ointrnents,"to set her aflections on edge and eagerness afterhim (ver 4, 5), and so departs and leaves her in sad and solitarygrief for driving away her dearest, by such intolerableunkindness and shameful neglect (ver. 6) ; which perplexityand trouble of spirit for his departure begets in her a greatdeal of zeal, fervency, and patience to follow after him(ver. 7, 8), an extraordinary admiration of his amiableexcellencies and heavenly fairness (ver, 10, &c.), and nodoubt a far nearer embracement and dearest esteem of himupon his return, and enjoyment of a more full, blessed communionwith him again (chap, vi, 3).Sixthly, The graces of salvation are the most preciousand costly things that ever issued out of the hands of Godby creation. The dearest of his infinite mercies, the heart'sblood of his Son, the noblest work of his blessed Spirit, doall sweetly concur movingly, meritoriously, efficiently tothe production of them. No marvel then though it be rightpleasing unto God that such rare and inestimable jewelsshould be rightly prized and holden in highest esteem bythose that have them ; that they should still appear andpresent themselves to those souls wherein they shine intheir true excellency, orient fairness, and native beauty.Now privation of excellent things hath special power toraise our imaginations to a higher strain of estimation ofthem, and to cause us at their return to enteitain them withmuch more longing, far dearer apprehensions and embracement.Absence and intermission of the most desirablecomforts add a great deal of life to the love of them, andweight of preciousness to their valuation. The goodness ofwhatsoever we enjoy is better perceived by vicissitude ofwant than continual fruition. Sleep is more sweet after thetediousness of some wakeful and wearisome nights ; libertyand enjoyment of the free air and faces of men after restraintand imprisonment ; the glory and fairness of the sunafter a black day or boisterous storm, &c. So God's favourableaspect is much more acceptable after an angry tempestand hiding his face for a season, and the graces of salvationfar more amiable and admirable to the eye of his humbledchild, after the darkness of a spiritual desertion. Whereforeour gracious God doth many times in great mercy andwisdom deprive his dearest servants for a time of the pre-