The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience, Dialogue 20
XX. Dialogue. Whether one cured of a wounded Conscience, be subject to a relapse.
Tim.
MAy a man, once perfectly healed of a wounded con…cience, and for some yeares in peaceable possession of comfort, afterwards fall back into his former disease?
Phil.
Nothing appeares in Scripture or reason to the contrary, though examples of reall relapses are very rare, because Gods servants are carefull to avoid sinne, the cause thereof, and being once burnt therewith, ever after dread the fire of a wounded conscience.
Tim.
Why call you it a relapse?
Phil.
To distinguish it from those relapses more usuall and obvious, whereby such, who have snatcht comfort, before God gave it them, on serious consideration, that they had usurped that, to which they had no right, fall back again into the former pit of despaire: this is improperly termed a relapse, as not being a renewing, but a continuing of their former malady, from which, though seemingly, they w…re never soundly recovered.
Tim.
Is there any intimation in Scripture of the possibility of such a reall relapse in Gods servants?
Phil.
There is, when David saith, Psal. 85. 8. I will heare what God the Lord will speake, for he will speake peace unto his people, and to his Sain…s, but let them not turn again to folly: this importeth, that if his Saints turn again to folly, which by wofull experience, we find too frequently done, God may change his voice, and turn his peace, formerly spoken, into a warlike defiance to their importeth.
Tim.
But this me thinkes is a diminution to the majesty of God, that a man, once compleatly cured of a wounded conscience, should again be pained therewith: Let …ountebanks palliat cures break out aga…n, being never soundly, but superficially healed: He that is all …n all, never doth his worke by halves, so that it shall be undone afterward.
Phil.
It is not the same individuall wound in number, but the same in kind, and perchance a deeper in degree: Nor is it any ignorance, or falshood in the Surgeon, but folly, and fury in the Patient, who by committing fresh sins, causeth a new pain in the old place.
Tim.
In such relapses men are only troubled for such sins, which they have run on score since their last recovery from a wounded conscience.
Phil.
Not those alone, but all the sinnes which they have committed, both before, and since their conversion, may be started up afresh in their minds and memories, and anguish and perplex them, with the guiltinesse thereof.
Tim.
But those sinnes were formerly fully forgiven, and the pardon thereof solemnly sealed, and assured unto them, and can the guilt of the same recoile again upon their consciences?
Phil.
I will not dispute what God may do in the strictnes of his justice: Such Seales, though still standing firm & fast in themselves, may notwithstanding breake off, and fly open in the feeling of the sick soule: He will be ready to conceive with himselfe, that as *1. Kin▪ 2. 44.Shimei, though once forgiven his railing on David, was afterwards executed for the same offence, though upon his committing of a new transgression, following his servants to Gath, against the flat command of the King: So God, upon his committing of new trespasses, may justly take occasion to punish all former offences; yea in his apprehension, the very foundation of his faith may be shaken, all his former title to heaven brought into question, and he tormented with the consideration that he was never a true child of God.
Tim.
What remedies doe you commend to such soules in relapses?
Phil.
Even the selfe-same receipts which I first prescribed to wounded consciences, the very same Promises, Precepts, Comforts, Counsels, Cautions. OnelyOnly as Jacob the second time that his sonnes went downe into *Gen. 43. 12.Egypt, commanded them to carry double money in their hands; so I would advise such to apply the former remedies with double diligence, double watchfulnes, double industrie, because the malignity of a disease is riveted firmer and deeper in a relapse.