A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

30 INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMFORTINGCHAP. VIII.The second sort of people to be reproved, which are sensualists. Thefirst consideration to reform tliem.II. A second sort, worse than the former, are such as are sofar from treasuring up in this time of light and mercifulvisitation, soundness of knowledge, strength of faith, purityof heart, clearness of conscience, holiness of life, assuranceof God's favour, contempt of the world, many sanctifiedsabbaths, fervent prayers, holy conferences, heavenly meditations,days of humiliation, righteous dealings with theirbrethren, compassionate contributions to the necessities ofthe saints, works of justice, mercy, and truth, a sincere respectto all God's commandments, a careful performanceof all spiritual duties, a conscientious partaking of allGod's ordinances, a seasonable exercise of every grace,hatred of all false ways, a hearty and invincible love untoGod and all things that he loves, or that belong unto him,his word, sacraments, sabbaths, ministers, services, children,presence, corrections, comings, &c. which are the ordinaryprovisions of God's people against the evil day ;—I say, they are so far from prizing and preparing such spiritualstore, that they hoard up stings, scourges, and scorpionsfor their naked souls and guilty consciences againstthe day of the Lord's visitation ; 1 mean lies, oaths, blasplemies,adulteries, whoredoms, self-pollutions, variety ofstrange fashions, gamings, revellings, drunken matches,good -i'ellow meetings, wanton dancings, usuries, falsehoods,hypocrisies ;plurality of ill-gotten goods, benefices, offices,honours ; filthy jests, much idle talk, slanderous tales,scoffs, railings, oppositions to the holy way, &c. and thatwith greediness and delight. For they cry one unto anotherout of a boisterous combination of good-fellowship, withmuch eagerness and roaring, '* Come on, therefore, let usfill ourselves with costly wine and ointments, and let noflower of the spring pass by us. Let us crown ourselveswith rose-buds before they be withered. Let none of us gowithout his part of our voluptuousness. Let us leavetokens of our pleasure in every place , for this is our portion,and our lot is this. Let us lie in wait for the righteous,because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary toour doings, &c." But alas ! what will be the conclusionof all this, or rather the horrible confusion 1 Even all theirjovial revellings, roarings, outrages, and sinful pleasures,which are so sweet in their mouths, and they swallow