The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

I would desire no more for the comfort of such a soul then to see such a sight, and feel such a feeling as the poor penitent Prodigal did, when he found himself in the arms of his Father, and felt the kisses of his mouth, and was surprised so unexpectedly with such a torrent of Love. The soul that hath once seen and felt this, would never sure have such hard and doubtful thoughts of God, except through ignorance they knew not whose arms they were that thus ⟨p. 251⟩embraced them, or whose voice it was that thus bespoke them; or unless the remembrance of it were gone out of their minds. You see then what is Gods own language to humbled Penitents, and what is the method of his dealings with them: And such must be the language and dealing of his Ministers: They must not wound when Christ would heal; nor make sad the heart that Christ would comfort, and would not have made sad, Ezek. 13.22.

I would desire no more for the comfort of such a soul then to see such a sight, and feel such a feeling as the poor penitent Prodigal did, when he found himself in the arms of his Father, and felt the kisses of his mouth, and was surprized so unexpectedly with such a torrent of Love. The soul that hath once seen and felt this, would never sure have such hard and doubtfull thoughts of God, except through ignorance they knew not whose arms they were that thus ⟨p. 251⟩embraced them, or whose voice it was that thus bespoke them; or unless the remembrance of it were gone out of their mindes. You see then what is Gods own language to humbled Penitents, and what is the method of his dealings with them: And such must be the language and dealing of his Ministers: They must not wound when Christ would heal; nor make sad the heart that Christ would comfort, and would not have made sad, Ezek. 13.22.