A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

!;382 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGaway with himself 1 For the rule of charity, whereby welove one another, is proportioned by that charity whereby aman loves himself. If the devil be able to dissolve aiiddisannul the most absolute, perfect, and just law of theMost High, who though all other things besides may besomething in possibility which as yet they are not in actyet himself is actually and everlastingly whatsoever he maybe, and cannot hereafter be that which now he is not ; andso by consequence is without all " variableness or shadowof turning:" I say, if the "prince of darkness" canreverse this law of the "Father of lights," "Thou shaltnot murder " ; thou mayest well say thou wilt then think ofanother answer. But till that be, which is more thaninfinitely impossible ever to come to pass, thou wilt ratherlie in the miseries of hell upon earth (which indeed wereincomparably better), than breaking God's blessed law, godown into the grave in a bloody coffin made by thy ownhands only at the devil's bidding. Can this madness everbe matched] for a man, besides self-severing the soul fromhis body before the time, by a more heinous and unnaturalvillany than murdering of his own father (for every man isnaturally next unto himself), and sending it suddenlycovered with blood, by becoming his own butcher and hangman,unto the dreadful tribunal of the all-powerful God,the most certain and severe revenger of all bloodshed ; tobring also abundance of unnecessary shame, grief, andhopeless mourning upon friends, kindred, husband, children,parents ; a reproachful stain and brand upon house, name,burial, posterity, &c. ; and that merely at the instance, andupon the most absurd, ridiculous, and senseless suggestionof the arch-murderer, thy mortal and immortal enemyagainst sense, reason, nature, religion, scripture, God'sdirect command to the contrary, even heathen philosophy,heaven and earthCHAP. XXI.Three other things which men must be counselled to practise for theCure of the former Malady.3. Avoid idleness, solitariness, and too much secrecythree main advantages for the adversary, which he watchfullyapprehending, and plying industriously, works a worldof mischief upon afflicted souls, ia their spiritual miseries.Idleness lays a man oi>en to all hellish snares and tempta-