A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

344 INSTia;CTIONS FOR COMFORTINGdealing with afflicted spirits. Let us take an instance inthose experimental abilities which David gained for such apurpose by his passing through that most grievous spiritualdesertion recorded in Psalm Ixxvii. The case of that Christianwere most rueful, both in his own fearful apprehension,and to ihe injudicious eye of the beholders, who havingspent a long time in a ?ealous profession of the truth, walkingwith God, and secret communion with Jesus Christ,should come to that pass, and fall into those woful straitsof spiritual trouble, — First, That he should fear, not withoutextraordinary horror, lest the mercies of God were departedfrom him for ever, and that the Lord would nevermore be entreated, or ever shine again with his favourablecountenance upon his confounded soul. Secondly, Thatthe very remembrance of God, which was wont to crownhis heart with a confluence of all desirable contentments,should even rend it asunder and make it fall to pieces inhis bosom like drops of water. Thirdly, That the pouringout of his soul with pitiful groans and complaints in secretunto his God, which heretofore did set wide open unto himheavenly flood-gates of gracious refreshing, should nowquite overwhelm his spirit with much distracted amazementand fear. Fourthly, That that heart of his, which had formerlyso sweetly tasted those holy pleasures which far passthe comprehension of any carnal apprehension, should nowbe so brimfull and dammed up with excess of grief, that novent or passage should be left unto his speech. Fifthly,And which methinks is the perfection of his misery in thiskind, that amidst all these heavy discomforts his soul shouldrefuse to be comforted ; that though the ministers and menof God stand round about him, bring into his mind andpress upon him the pregnant evidences and testimonies ofhis own godly life, the unchangeableness of God's neverfailingmercies to his people, the sweetness of his gloriousname, the sovereign power and mighty price of his Son'sblood, the infallible and inviolable preciousness and truthof the promises of life, &ic. ;yet in the agony and anguishof his grieved spirit he puts them all away from him asnone of his, nor as properly beloriging to his present state.He is readier out of his spiritual distemper to spill, as waterupon the ground, the golden vials of the water of life, andsovereign oils of evangelical joy tendered unto him by thephysician of his soul, than to receive them with wontedthirst and thankfulness into the bruised bosom of his bleedingconscience. Though they assure him in the word of lifeand truth, having had (for that 1 must suppose) true andsound experience of his conversion and former sanctified