A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 347conduct any, * that walks in darkness andhatli no comfort,"out of the like distracted horror of a spiritual desertion?Let him in such a case first cast back his eye upon God'sformer maniibid merciful dealings with himself. If his Godmade his soul, of the darkest nook of hell, as it were, byreason of its sinfulness and curseciness, as fair and beautifulas the brighte.^t sun-beam by that sovereign blood whichgushed out of the heart, and those precious graces whichshine upon it from the face of his Son, that never-settingsun of righteousness, he will undoubtedly in due seasondispel all those mists of spiritual misery which overshadowthe glory and comfort of it for a time. If he upheld himby his merciful hand from sinking into hell when he was ahorrible transgressor of all his laws with greediness and delight,he will most certainly (though perhaps for a smallmoment he hide his face from him) bind up his soul in thebundle of the living for ever ; now especially, when he prefersthe love and light of his countenance before life, andwould not willingly offend him in the least sin for all theworld, ice. Let him yet proceed further in David's footsteps,and strengthen his fainting soul with all that heavenlymanna of richest mercy which he hath heard, read, orknown to have been showered down at any time from thethrone of grace into the heavy, humble, and hungry heartsof his afflicted hidden ones. Let him refiesh iiis memoryAvith consideration of David's deliverance by this meansfrom deeper distress, of that most memorable and triumphantresurrection, as it were, and recovery of those three worthysaints of God, Mr. Glover, Mrs. Brettergh, and Mr. Peacock,from greatest extremity in this kind, into most unutterablejoyful exultations of spirit. And so of others withinthe register of his observation, remembrance, and reading.But principally, and above all, let him live and die, let himrest and recreate himself for ever, with surest holdfast andsweetest thoughts upon that heavenly and healing anti-typeof the Ked Sea, the precious blood of thf^ Lord .Tesus. Andlet him ground upon it, that though Satan with all hishellish hosts and utmost fury pursue his fearful soul like apartridge in the mountains, even to the very brink of despairand mouth of hell, yet even then, when all rescue anddeliverance is nearest to be utterly despaired of (for it isthe crown of God's glorious mercy to save when the caseStems desperate, and there is no hope of human help orpossibility of created power to comfort') ; I say, then thatsoul-saving sea of his Saviour's heart's- blood wall rnost certainlyand seasonably open itself wide unto him, as it did tothose above-named blessed saints, and swallow up into