Hindr. 2 Are desperate discouragements, when a poor sinner is plunged in the apprehension of all the evil which he hath committed, and in the aggravation of all those sins whereby God hath been dishonoured; when the soul observes this, he thinks and says, This proud heart will never be humbled, this unregenerate heart will never be sanctified, the Lord never intends good to my soul, it is impossible that so many corrections, so long continued, should ever be pardoned, here the soul sinks down in desperate discouragements; now there is none but the Spirit of God ⟨p. 91⟩that can let a light into the soul, there is none but the hand of the Lord, that can rend, and pluck, and pull a poor fainting, despairing, dying, sinking heart, under the burden of his manifold abominations, none but the Almighty hand of an Almighty God can do this; when it is night, all the candles in the world cannot take away the darkness; so all the means of grace and salvation, all the candle-light of the Ministry, they are all good helps; but the darkness of the night will not be gone, before the Sun of Righteousness arise in our hearts. Hence it comes to pass, that it is a very difficult matter to give comfort to a poor distressed soul, Psal. 40.1. Mark what a co•le there is to give comfort, all the world cannot comfort them, and persuade them: I shall one day perish, say they, I shall one day go down to hell, let all the Ministers under heaven say what they will; Comfort ye, comfort ye, saith the Lord, as who should say, they will not be comforted, they will not think, nor be resolved of it. I mercy? and I comfort? it is a likely matter, it will never be, it never can be, I shall never see that day: will the Lord pardon me? I do not think it, I cannot believe it, God is a just God, and a righteous God, and I am a vile wicked wretch, it is mercy that I have despised and trampled under my feet, and I mercy? no certainly, there is no such matter; this makes the Lord have such a doe, Comfort ye, comfort ye, the third time, and yet they will receive none.
Hindr. 2 Are desperate discouragements, when a poore sinner is plunged in the apprehension of all the evill which he hath committed, and in the aggravation of all those sins whereby God hath beene dishonoured; when the soule observes this, hee thinkes and sayes, This proud heart will never be humbled, this unregenerate heart will never be sanctified, the Lord never intends good to my soule, it is impossible that so many corrections, so long continued, should ever be pardoned, here the soule sinkes downe in desperate discouragements; now there is none but the Spirit of God ⟨p. 91⟩that can let a light into the soule, there is none but the hand of the Lord, that can rend, and pluck, and pull a poore fainting, despairing, dying, sinking heart, under the burthen of his manifold abominations, none but the Almighty hand of an Almighty God can doe this; when it is night, all the candles in the world cannot take away the darknesse; so all the meanes of grace and salvation, all the candle-light of the Ministery, they are all good helps; but the darknesse of the night will not be gone, before the Sun of Righteousnesse arise in our hearts. Hence it comes to passe, that it is a very difficult matter to give comfort to a poore distressed soule, Psal. 40.1. Marke what a co•le there is to give comfort, all the world cannot comfort them, and perswade them: I shall one day perish, say they, I shall one day goe downe to hell, let all the Ministers under heaven say what they will; Comfort yee, comfort yee, saith the Lord, as who should say, they will not be comforted, they will not thinke, nor be resolved of it. I mercy? and I comfort? it is a likely matter, it will never be, it never can be, I shall never see that day: will the Lord pardon me? I doe not thinke it, I cannot beleeve it, God is a just God, and a righteous God, and I am a vile wicked wretch, it is mercy that I have despised and trampled under my feet, and I mercy? no certainly, there is no such matter; this makes the Lord have such a doe, Comfort yee, comfort yee, the third time, and yet they will receive none.
