A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 7covereth and muffleth up the face of the whole world. Itobscureth and hidelh the hue and the fashion of all creatures; It bindeth up all hands and breaketh off all employments.The night cometh, saith our Saviour, wherein wecannot work. It arresteth and keepeth captive all livingcreatures, men and beasts, that they must be still and restwhere it arresteth them;yea it maketh them fearful andfaint-hearted, full of fancies, and much subject to frights.It is of all others such a powerful and unconquerable tyrantas no man is able to witlistand ; and yet nevertheless it isnot of that might that it is able to overwhelm or to quenchthe least light in the world. For we see the darker thenight is, the clearer the stars shine ;yea the least candle'slight that is lighted withstandeth the whole night, and notonly suffereth not the darkness to cover, or to smother andoppress it, but it giveih light also, even in the midst of thedarkness, and beateth it back for some space and distanceon every side of it ; so that which way soever it is borne, orwheresoever it cometh, there must darkness depart and giveplace unto the light ; all the power and dreadfulness of itcannot help or prevail aught against it. And though thelight be so weak that it cannot cast light far about, or drivethe darkness far from it, as in the spark of a hot coal, yetcannot the darkness cover or conceal, and much less quenchIt, but it giveth light to itself alone at least, so that it maybe seen afar off in the dark, and it remaineth unconqueredot the dark, though it cannot help other things nor give lightunto them. Yea, that which is yet more wonderful, arotten shining piece of wood, which hath the faintest lightthat can be found, yet remaineth invincible of all the powerof darkness, and the more it is compassed about withdarkness the clearer light it giveth. So little is darknessable to overcome or keep down any light, but that it rulethand vanquisheth and expelleth the darkness, which elseoverwhelmeth and snareth, and fettereth, and putteth allthings in fear. Now if this natural light be so powerfuland so able to prevail against the darkness of the night,why should not that spiritual light that God's Spirit dothkindle and set up in the hearts of God's children be able toafford them light in darkness, and to minister sound joy andsweet comfort unto them in the very midst of their heaviestand most hideous afflictions." Assuredly it must needs beunconquerably able, with far greater power and in anhigher proportion. For our visible light doth spring butfrom a finite and material fountain, the sun, itself a creature;but the spiritual light I speak of, flows immediatelyfrom the glorious face of the only true, incomprehensible