The Cause and Cure of a Wounded Conscience, Dialogue 3
III. Dialogue. Three solemne seasons when men are surprized with wounded consciences.
Tim.
WHat are those times, wherein men most commonly are assaulted with wounded consciences?
Phil.
So bad a guest may visit a man at any houre of his life: For no season is unseasonable for God to be just, Satan to be mischievous, and sinfull man to be miserable; yet it happeneth especially at three principall times.
Tim.
Of these, which is the first?
Phil.
In the twilight of a mans conversion, in the very conflict and combat betwixt nature and Innitiall grace. For then he that formerly slept in carnall security, is awakened with his fearfull condition: God, as he saith, Psal. 50. 21. setteth his sins in order before his eyes. Inprimis, the sin of his conception. Item, the sinnes of his childhood. Item, of his youth. Item, of his mans estate, &c. Or, Inprimis, sinnes against the first table. Item, sins against the second; so many of ignorance, so many of knowledge, so many of presumption severally sorted by themselves. Hee committed sinnes confusedly, hudling them up in heaps, but God sets them in order, and methodizeth them to his hand.
Tim.
Sins thus set in order must needs be a terrible sight.
Phil.
Yes surely, the rather because the Metaphor may seem taken from setting an Army in Battell array. At this conflict in his first conversion, Behold a troup of sinnes commeth, and when God himself shal marshall them in Rank and File, what guilty conscience is able to endure the furious charge of so great and well order'd an Army?
Tim.
Suppose the party dies before he be compleatly converted in this twilight condition, as you term it, what then becomes of his soule, which may seeme too good to dwell in outer darknesse with devils, and too bad to goe to the God of light?
Phil.
Your supposition is impossible. Remember our discourse onelyonly concerneth the godly. Now God never is Father to abortive children, but to such who according to his appointment shall come to perfection.
Tim.
Can they not therefore die in this interim, before the work of Grace be wrought in them?
Phil.
No verily: Christs bones were in themselves breakable, but could not actually be broken by all the violence in the world, because God hath fore-decreed, A bone of him shall not be broken. So we confesse Gods children mortall, but all the power of devill or man may not, must not, shall not, cannot kill them before their conversion, according to Gods election of them to life, wth must be fully accomplished.
Ti:
What is the 2. solemn time, wherin wounded cōsciēces assault men?
Phil.
After their conve…sion cō pleated, and this either upon the committing of a conscience-wasting sin, such as Tertullian calleth Peccatum devoratorium salutis, or upon the undergoing of some heavy affliction of a bigger standard and proportion, blacker hu… and complexion then what befalleth ordinary men, as in the case of Job.
Tim.
Which is the third, and last time, when wounded Consci…nces commonly walke abroad?
Phil.
When men lie on their death-beds, Sathan must now roare, or else for ever hold his peace: roare he may afterwards with very anger to vex himselfe, not with any hope to hurt us. There is mention in Scripture of an evill day; which is most applyable to the time of our death. We read also of an houre of *Revel. 3. 10.temptation; and the *Isa. 58. 7.Prophet tells us there is a moment, wherein God may seeme to for sake us. Now Sathan being no lesse cunning to finde out, then carefull to make use of his time of advantage, in that moment of that houre of that day, will put hard for our Soules, and we must expect a shrewd parting blow from him.
Tim.
Your dolefull prediction disheartens me, for feare I be foild in my last encounter.
Phil.
Be of good comfort: through Christ we shall be victorious, both in dying and in death it selfe. Remember Gods former favours bestowed upon thee. Indeed wicked men, from premisses of Gods power collect a conclusion of his Weaknesse, Psal. 78. 20. Behold be smot the Rock, that the waters … out, and the streames over-flowed: can he give Bread also? can …e provide Flesh for his people? But Gods children *1 Sam. 17. 36.by better Logick, …rom the prepositions of Gods former preservations, inferre his power2 Cor. 1. 10 and pleasure to protect them for the future. Be assured, that God which hath beene the God of the Mountaines, and made our Mountaines strong in time of our prosperity, will also be the God of the valleys, and lead us safe *Psa. 23. 4through the valley of the shadow of death.