A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 361is through abundance of spiritual delight, lifted up andexalted above measure. Better is it sometimes to go downinto the pit with him, who, beholding daikness and bewailingthe loss of inward joy and consolation, ciieth from thebottom of the lowest heJl, "My God, my God, why hastthou forsaken \ne1" than continually to walk arm inarmwith angels ; to sit, as it were, in Abraham's bosom ; andto have no thought or cogitation, but of peace and blessinghimself in the singularity of assurance above othermen ; to say, I desire no other bliss, but only duration ofmy present comfortable feelings and fruition of God, 1want nothing but even thrusting into heaven, and the like.For in the height of spiritual ravishments thou art in greathazard of being exalted above measure, and so may bejustly exposed to a thorn in the flesh, the messenger ofSatan to bufi'et thee, which is a very heavy case. But nowon the other side, the lowest degree of humiliation underGod's mighty hand is the nearest step to rising and extraordinaryexultation of spirit. The extremest darknessof spiritual desertion is wont to go immediately before theglorious sun-rise of heavenly light, and unutterable lightsomenessin the soul. David securely pleasing and applaudinghimself inhis present stability and strong conceitof the continuance of his peace, brake out thus : "I shallnever be moved. Lord, by thy favour thou hast made mymountain to stand strong " (Psalm xxxvi, 7). But he wasquickly thrown down from the top of his supposed immoveablehill ; taken oft' from the height of his confidence,and lay trembling in the dust. " Thou didst hide thy face,and I was troubled." But now that sweetest rapture ofincredible joy (for so he spake, "The joy which 1 feel inmy conscience is incredible ") did arise in Mr Peacock'sheart when he was newly come as it were out of the mouthof hell. Mrs. Brettergh's wonderful rejoicing followed immediatelyupon her return out of a "roaring wilderness,"as she called it. What large effusions of the Spirit andoverflowing rivers of heavenly peace were plentifullyshowered down upon Robert Glover's troubled spirit, afterthe heaviest night, in all likelihood, that ever he had inthis world, by reason of a grievous desertion !2 I