A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

SECT. Ill, PART I.CHAP. T.Three Principles of Comfort from without us, to be applied to AfHictedConsciences.Thus much of the theory, I come now to the practical part,to a particular application of some special sovereign anti^dotes to the most grievous ordinary maladies incident to thesouls of the saints.But first give me leave to premise some general well-heads,out of which do spring abundance of comfort, and overflowingrivers of refreshing for all intents and effects in pointof temptation and trouble of mind.And first take a fruitful cluster and heavenly heap of themtogether; those twelve heads of extraordinary, immeasurable,comfortable matter for spiritual medicines, vi'hich Ihave heretofore erected as so many invincible bulwarksagainst all assaults of despair, oppositions of Satan, exceptionsof distrust.1. The infiniteness of God's mercy, sweetly intimated inIsa. Iv, 6, 7, 8. The mercy of God is like himself, infinite.All our sins are finite, both in number and nature. Nowbetween finite and infinite there is no proportion, and so nopossibility of resistance. And therefore be thy sins neverso notorious and numberless, yet a truly broken heart,thirsting for and throwing itself upon Christ, unfeignedlyresolving upon new obedience and his glorious service forthe time to come, can no more withstand or stand beforeGod's mercies, than a little spark can withstand the boundlessand mighty ocean, thrown into the midst of it ; nay,infinitely less. If all the sins that all the sons and daughtersof Adam have committed since the creation to this timewere all upon one soul, yet so affected as 1 have said, andput into such a new penitent gracious temper, it should bemost certainly upon good ground and everlastingly safe. Ispeak not thus to make any secure ; for any one sin, pleasing