The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience, Dialogue 13
XIII. Dialogue. Foure wholsome counsells, for a wounded Conscience to practice.
Tim.
PErforme your promise, which is the first counsell you commend unto me?
Phil.
Take heed of ever renounceing thy filiall interest in God, though thy sinnes deserve that he should disclaime his Paternall relation to thee. The Prodigall *Luk. 15. 21returning to his Father did not say, I am not thy sonne, but, I am no more worthy to be called thy sonne. Beware of bastardizing thy selfe, being as much as Satan desires, and more then he hopes to obtaine. Otherwise thy folly would give him more then his fury could get.
Tim.
I conceive this a need full c…tion.
Phil.
It will appeare so if we consider, what the*Ephes 6. 12. Apostle saith, that we wrestle with principalities and powers. Now wrestlers in the Olympian games were naked, and anointed with oile to make them slick, and glibbery, so to afford no hold-fast to such as strove with them. Let us not gratifie the Devill with this advantage against our selves, at any time to disclaime our Sonneship in God: If the Devill catcheth us at this lock, he will throw us flat, and hazard the breaking of our necks with finall despair. Oh no! Still keep this point; a Prodigal sonne I am, but a sonne, no bastard: A lost sheepe, but a sheepe, no goate: An unprofitable servant, but Gods servant, and not absolute slave to Sathan.
Tim.
Proceed to your second counsell.
Phil.
Give credit to what grave and godly persons conceive of thy condition, rather then what thy own fear, (an incompetent Judge) may suggest unto thee. A seared Conscience thinks better of it selfe, a wounded worse, then it ought: The former may account all sinne a sport, the latter all sport a sin: Melancholy men, when sick, are ready to conceit any cold to be the cough of the Lungs, and an ordinary Pustle, no lesse then the plague sore. So wounded consciences conceive sinnes of infirmity to be of presumption, sins of ignorance to be of knowledge, apprehending their case more dangerous then it is indeed.
Tim.
But it seemeth unreasonable that I should rather trust anothers saying, then my own sense of my selfe.
Phil.
Every man is best judge of his own selfe, if he be his own selfe, but during the swound of a wounded conscience, I deny thee to be come to thy own selfe: whilst thine eyes are blubbering, and a teare hangs before thy sight, thou canst not see things clearely and truly, because looking through a double medium of aire and water; so whilst this cloud of pensivenes is pendent before the eyes of thy soule, thy estate is erroneously represented unto thee.
Tim.
What is your third counsell?
Phil.
In thy agony of a troubled conscience alwayes look upwards unto a gracious God to keep thy soule steady, for looking downward on thy selfe, thou shalt find nothing but what will encrease thy feare, infinite sinnes, good deeds few, and imperfect: It is not thy Faith, but Gods faithfulnesse thou must relie upon; casting thine eyes downwards on thy selfe to behold the great distance betwixt what thou deservest, and what thou desirest, is enough to make thee giddy, stagger and reel into despaire: Ever therefore Lift up thine eyes unto the *Psal. 121 1.hils, from whence commeth thy helpe, never viewing the deepe Dale of thy own unworthines, but to abate thy pride when tempted to presumption.
Tim.
Sir, your fourth and last counsell.
Phil.
Be not disheartned as if comfort would not come at all, because it comes not all at once, but patiently attend Gods leisure: they are not styled the swift, but the*Isa. 55. 3. & 58. 8. Sure mercies of David: And the same Prophet saith,*1 Kings 18. 43. The glory of the Lord shall be thy Rereward, this we know comes up last to secure and make good all the rest: Be assured, where grace patiently leads the Front, glory at last will be in the Reare. Remember the prodigious patience of Eliahs servant.
Tim.
Wherein was it remarkeable?
Phil.
In obedience to his master: He went severall times to the Sea; it is tedious for me to tell what was not troublesome for him to doe, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. times sent down steepe Carmel, with danger, and up it again with difficulty, and all to bring newes of nothing, till his last journey, which made recompence for all the rest, with the tydings of a cloud arising. So thy thirsty soule, long parched with drowth for want of cōfort, though late, at last, shall be plentifully refreshed with the dew of consolation.
Tim.
I shall be happy if I find it so.
Phil.
Consider the causes why a broken Leg is incureable in a Horse, and easily cureable in a man: The Horse is incapable of counsell to submit himselfe to the Farrier, & therefore in case his Leg be set, he flings, flounces, and flies out, unjoynting it again by his mis-imployed mettle, counting all binding to be shackles & fetters unto him; whereas a man willingly resigneth himselfe to be ordered by the Chyrurgeon, preferring rather to be a prisoner for some dayes, then a Cripple all his life. Be not like a *Psal. 32. 9.Horse or Mule, which have no understanding; but let patience have its perfect worke. In thee▪ When God goeth about to bind up the *James 1. 3. Isa. 61. 1.broken hearted, tarry his time, though ease come not at an instant, yea though it be painfull for the present, in due time thou shalt certainly receive comfort.