A01898:386
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.
When at any time therefore, thy sins and Gods wrath meeting in thy conscience, make thee deadly sick, as Isay speaks, then pour forth thy soul, lay open and confess thy sin; and as it will ease thee, (as vomiting useth to do) so also it will move God to pity, and to give thee cordials, & comforts to restore thee again. Thus David, Psal. 38. ver. 18. being in great distress, ver. 2, 3, 4, 5. I will declare mine iniquity, and be sorry for my sin: and he makes it an argument to God to pardon him, When his bones were broken, Psal. 51. Cleanse me from my sin, ver. 2. for I acknowledge my transgressions, ver. 3. and when he had confessed, ver. 4, 5, 6. then he cries, Make me to hear of joy and gladness, ver. 8. and restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, ver. 12. and what was the chief ingredient, the main and principal motive, which wrought most kindly with him to confess, and mourn, and brought up all? Against thee: thee only, he puts in twice, as much of the consideration thereof, as of any other ingredient, to make his heart mourn: that chiefly if not only, melted, dissolved him. And in these thy confessions, let the same also mainly work with thee. Against thee, thee, have I sinned, thus oft, thus grievously, thus presumptuously, Against thee, a God so great, and yet withal so good, so kind, so willing to receive and pardon, if my heart (say) ⟨p. 57⟩were but as willing to turn unto thee; and when thy case is as Jobs was, Job 10. 15, 16, 17. That thou art full of confusion (as he speaks there;) so full as thou thinkest thy heart could hold no more; and yet it increaseth (as it is there,) & he fills thee fuller yet; then do thou pour out thy complaints to him, as he pours in confusion into thee; and when he hunts thee, as Job there complains, like a fierce Lion, fall thou down and humble thy self like a poor and silly Lamb; if thou dyest, dye at his feet, mourning, bleeding out thy soul in tears: and when he hunts thee up and down, and pursues thee with blow after blow, follow thou hard after him where ever he goes,1 with complaint after complaint: And when yet he leaves thee not, but again and again returns, (as some read it) after some intermission, and shows himself terrible to thee day after day, night after night, yet do thou look in like manner again and again towards his holy Temple,