Instructions for a right comforting afflicted consciences with special antidotes against some grievous temptationsInstructions for a right comforting afflicted consciences with speciall antidotes against some grievous temptations

and command the poison of his arrows to drink up their spirit; ⟨p. 15⟩as Job complains: It is no strange thing, neither should it much move, but only make us walk more watchfully, to hear men of the world, and drunken Belialls to belch out from their rotten hearts upon the Alebench such base slanders as these. These Professors for all their fair shows, are certainly all of them notorious Hypocrites. Tho they look never so demurely, they are not the men they are taken for, &c. But to have a Mans nearest, familiar, understanding Christian friends to charge Him with Hypocrisy, is a most cruel cut to a troubled conscience: And this was ^oJob. case. So thus as •ob was singular in the universality of His afflictions, so there was a singularity of bitterness above ordinary in e•very particular affliction. And what of all this? And yet for all this, this holy man, by the help of that precious ^phoard of grace, which his heavenly heart had treasured up in the time of prosperity; out of that spiritual strength, which He had gotten into His soul by his former humble acquaintance, and conversation with His God, and knowing full well, that tho all was gone, yet He still possessed Jesus Christ as fully, if not more feelingly as ever before; He becomes hereupon as rare and admirable a Pattern of Patience to all posterity; as He was an extraordinary astonishing spectacle of adversity and woe. Consciousness of His fore-spent righteous life, which he peruseth Chap. 31. The clearness of a good conscience Chap. 16 19 Behold my witness […] in heaven, and my record is on high: And his invincible faith, Chap. 19.23, 24, 25 Oh that m• words were now written, Oh that they were printed in a hunk! That they were graven with an Iron pen and lead▪ in the rock for ever. For I know that my Redeemer liveth &c. chap. 13. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; did so strengthen and stay his spirit ⟨image 22⟩with a divine might, that he bore valiantly, and stood upright under the heaviest weight, and greatest variety of extreme afflictions, that ever were laid upon any mere man.