A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

386 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGpardon, whereinsoever thou shalt fail about them, and forpovyer against them, and then possess thy humble soul inpatience and peace.5. Being humbled by them, making a holy use of them,perusing and applying the considerations and counsels inhand for comfort in them, and conquest over them ; do notby any means continue to afflict and torture thy spirit aboutthem. Let them now pass away and be packing ; abandonthem with a holy detestation, contempt, and slighting, withoutany such dismayedness and terror, as most unworthy ofany longer taking to heart, or notice of; much less of thatanxiety and trouble as to terrify, indispose, and disablethee for a cheerful discharge of either of thy callings, particularor general. Divines hold even godly sorrow unseasonablewhen it unfitteth the body or mind to good duties,or to a good and cheerful manner of doing them ; how muchmore would they not have these hellish distractions andintrusions to dishearten thee in this kind 1 But least of allof that pestilent prevailing, as to fill thine heart with extraordinaryastonishment, honor, and doubting, whethersuch monstrous injections be incident to sanctified souls, asaving state, and habitation of the Holy Ghost, and so toput thee into a habit of heavy walking and secret sadness,by reason of continual questioning the soundness of thyconversion, the constancy of God's love unto thee, formerassurance of an immortal crown, and whether it be possiblethat Jesus Christ should dwell in a soul haunted witiisuch horrible thoughts ;procurement of which miseries andmolestations is the adversary's only aim ; for so immeasurablymalicious is he, that if he cannot plunge thee into thepit of hell and everlastmg flames in the world to come, yetwill he labour might and main to keep thee upon the rack,and in as much terror as he can possibly all thy life long inthis vale of tears. Suffer then this advice to sink seriouslyinto thy heart : being enlightened, rightly informed, anddirected about them, let them no longer astonish thy spirit,detain thee in horror, hurt thy heart, or hinder thee in anyduty to God or man, or in a humble, comfortable, and confidentwalking with thy God as thou art wont, or of thyformer sweet communion with Jesus Ciirist. And the rather,because, First, It is the tempter's earnest end onlyout of pure spite to put this imposture and unnecessaryvexing perplexities upon thee. Secondly, The more thouart troubled with them and takest them to heart (for that isit he would have), the more violently and villanously willhe press them upon thee and terrify. Thirdly, They arenot thine, but his fearful sins ; he alone must answer for