A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 23who having a price in their hands to get wisdom, yet wanthearts to lay it out for spiritual provision beforehand.They enjoy by God's rare and extraordinary indulgence andfavour, life, strength, wit, health, and many other outwardblessings, nay the most glorious day of a gracious visitationthat did ever shine upon earth, many solden and goodlyopportunities, many blessed seasons and sermons to enrichtheir souls abundantly with ail heavenly treasures ; andyet they are so far from spending their abilities, entertainingthose merciful offers, and apprehending such happyadvantages for their true and eternal go^d, that they mostunworthily and unthankfully abuse, mispend, and misemployall their means, time, and manifold mercies to serve theirown turns, attain their sensual ends, and possess the presentwith all the carnal contentment they can possibly devise.These vassals of self-love, and slaves of lust, are solulled upon the lap of pleasure by the syren songs of Satan'ssolicitors, and so drunk with worldly prosperity by swimmingdown the current of these corrupt times with full sailof sensuality and ease, that they fall asleep all the time ofthe happy harvest in this life for bringing grace into thesoul under the sunshine of the gospel, wasting their precioustime of gathering spiritual manna in grasping gold, claspingabout the arm of flesh, screwing themselves by all waysand means into high rooms, " crowning themselves withrosebuds," and tumbling voluptuously in the pleasures andglory of this false and flattering world. But alas ! poorsouls, what will they do in the evil day? When after thehot gleam of earthly glory, and a short calm and cut overthe sea of this world, they are come into the port of death,to which all winds drive them ; and having there let fallthat last anchor which can never be weighed again, shallbe set in the land of darkness, the dust whereof is brimstone,and the rivers burning pitch , where they shall meetwith whole armies of tempestuous and fiery plagues ; andthe envenomed arrows of God's unquenchable anger shallstick fast for ever in their soul and flesh ; wheie they shallnever more see the light nor the land of the living, but bedrowned in everlasting perdition in the lake, even a boilingsea of fire and brimstone, where they can see no bank, norfeel no bottom. What will these " sleepers in harvest"say when they shall be awakened at that dreadful hour outof their golden dreams, and in their hands shall find nothingbut the judgment of God growing upon their thoughts asan impetuous storm, death standing befoie them irresistiblelike an armed man, sin lying nt the door like a bloodhound,and a guilty conscience gnav.'i-\g at the heart like a vulture 'i