A treatise on comforting afflicted consciences - The Digital Puritan

AFFLICTED CONSCIENCES. 249ami most methodical petitions of the most learned phaiisee.Nay, his soul extremely loathes the one, and graciouslyaccepts the other in Jesus Christ. As concerning the complaintof coldness ; be assured, that though thy prayers proceedout of thy mouth faint and feeble, cold and uncomfortable,yet springing from a sincere heart, purified byfaith, truly humbled under God's mighty hand for sin,seconded with groans and grief, with a holy anger andself-indignation that they be not more fervent and piercing,and offered in obedience unto God ; they are most certainlyas it were by the way fortified and enlivened with the pacifyingperfections and intercessory spirit of Jesus Chiist,sweetly perfumed with the precious odours of his freshbleeding merits and blessed mediation, so that they strikethe ears of the Almighty with far greater strength and irresistibleimportunity than is ordinarily imagined ;and areas sweet smelling sacrifices in his nostrils ; the very sightof whose crucified Son at his right hand tendering the suitcan calm his most angry countenance, and convert, by asacred meritorious atonement, his displeasures and wrathinto compassions and peace. Now blessed be God that theweak prayers and broken sighs of tempted and troubledspirits have this happy promise and prerogative, that beforethey press, as it were, into the presence of God theFather, they are mingled in the mean lime with the sovereignand satisfactory incense in the " golden censer,"whence evaporating out of the angel's hand (I mean the" Angel of the Covenant," for so the truest interpretersunderstand the place) they ascend into the sight of ourgracious Father, incorporated and enwoven into that preciousand pleasing fume ; and that it pleaseth the blessedSpirit, in the needful time of spiritual extremities, to drawthe petitions of our sometimes speechless, heavy, and distractedhearts ; Jesus Christ the great angel of the covenantto perfect, perfume, and present them : he that by anexcellency and title of the highest honour is styled theHearer of prayers, to receive them into his merciful handand bosom of compassionate acceptation ! Go on then,poor soul ! thou that sorely droopest under the sensibleweight of thy manifold weaknesses and unworthiness thisway ; and thereupon sometimes sinfully drawest back, withsome thoughts of giving over quite, which is that the devildesires, and would utterly undo thee for ever,— press forwardin the name of Christ unto the throne of grace with a lighterheart than thou art wont. Shall the Lord Jesus call andcry for a pardon for those who put him to death, who wereso far from seeking unto liim, that like so many evening