A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 357nie from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."He may hide his face from thee for a while ;but thou hasthis own sure and inviolable word from his own mouth, thathe will return and with "everlasting kindness have mercyon thee." He may frown upon thee, I confess, for a season,and so fright thee with his terrors as though in thy presentapprehension thou wert a lost man ; but he never will, hecannot possibly forsake thee finally. " 1 have sworn onceby my holiness that 1 will not fail David" (Psalm Ixxxix,35). And in the mean time thy former feelings of themotions of the Spirit and grace do give clear evidence andassurance that spiritual life is still resident in thy soul,though run as it were into the root, and though its morelively operations and effects be suspended for a time. Thewoman that hath once felt the child stir in her womb, ismost assured that she is with child, that an immortal souland natural life is infused into it by the omnipotent handof God, though at other times she perceive no motion at all.It is so in the present point ; and thy grieving also, groaning,and panting after Christ, is an unanswerable argumentthat thou art alive spiritually. Lay the weight of the wholeworld upon a man that is stark dead, and he can neitherstir, cry, nor complain.CHAP, XVI.Two other Helps for the Curing of the former Malady.Consider that some graces are more substantial in themselves,more profitable to us, and of greater necessity forsalvation ; as faith, repentance, love, new obedience activeand passive, self-denial, vileness in our own eyes, humblewalking with God, &c. Others are not so, or absolutely,necessary, but accompany a saving state as separable accidents; as joy and peace in believing, sensible comfort inthe Holy Cihost, comfortable feelings of God's favour, rejoicingin hope, a lively freedom in prayer, assurance ofevidence, &c. And from hence mayest thou take comfortin two respects — 1. Desertion deprives thee only ot the^e:comfortable accessories ; but thou ait still possessed of theprincipal, of the substantial of salvation ;of which not theutmost concurrence of all hellish and earthly rage can possiblyrob thee ; and therefore thou art well enough in themean time, and as safe as safety itself can make thee.