A01898:247
A child of light walking in darknessA childe of light vvalking in darknesse
A child of light walking in darkness: or A treatise showing the causes, by which God leaves his children to distress of conscience. The cases, wherein [God leaves his children to distress of conscience.] The ends, for which [God leaves his children to distress of conscience.] Together with directions how to come forth of such a condition: with other observations upon Isaiah 50. 10, and 11. verses. By Tho: Goodwin B.D.A childe of light vvalking in darknesse: or A treatise shewing the causes, by which God leaves his children to distresse of conscience. The cases, wherein [God leaves his children to distresse of conscience.] The ends, for which [God leaves his children to distresse of conscience.] Together vvith directions how to come forth of such a condition: vvith other observations upon Esay 50. 10, and 11. verses. By Tho: Goodwin B.D.
London: printed by Miles for R. Dawlman and L. Fawne, 1636
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
So for the second particular,1 in case a sin be not throughly humbled for, and confessed; or if when we committed it, we had shifts to keep us from thinking it to be sin, or not so heinous; or were doubtful whether it were a sin or no, and so were loath to acknowledge it to be a sin; and to burden our selves with it in our confessions, but our hearts stood out rather to clear our selves in it: as it is likely David did in the case of his murder of Uriah; he had done it so cunningly, as he thought he could clear himself and wash his hands of it, for it was but the chance of war, (says he,) that did cut him off; The sword devoureth one as well as another; And so he excuseth it, 2 Sam. 11. 25. God in this case brings him to the rack, Psal. 32. (It is thought that Psalm was made, as well as the 51. Psalm upon that occasion of his murder; and indeed it may seem so, they are tuned so near together, as might be shown in many particulars,) These sins being known and become scandalous, ⟨p. 135⟩David was to confess publicly; as in the end he did, when in making the 51. Psalm. he stood to do penance in a white sheet, that I may so speak. Now David was loath to come to this, that murder being done so cunningly, he could hardly be brought to confess it, so much as in secret, much less publicly, God in this case lays his hand so sorely on him, that his natural moisture was dried up, as that Psalm tells us, (for in men troubled in conscience, their trouble of mind casts their bodies often into as great heats, as men that are in burning fevers, so Psal. 102. 3. in the like fit, he says his bones were burnt like an hearth;) and this was without intermission day and night; and thus he lay roaring, so he expresseth his carriage in his torture, like a malefactor on the rack, though happily he cried out for mercy to God, yet because not with a broken heart, God therefore accounted it but as roaring, that is, the voice of a beast as it were, rather then the voice of a man humbled for his sin. And why was David put to the rack thus? he would not confess, and humble himself for his sin; I was silent, and yet roared, ver. 3. a still broken hearted confession might have saved all this torment. But when in the end I said I would confess my sin, ver. 5.