COUNSELS AND COMFORTS FOR Troubled Consciences Contain'd in a LETTER lately written to a FRIEND By HENRY WILKINSON D. D. late Principal of Magdalen-Hall in OXFORD Prov. 18. 14. The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity but a wounded spirit who can bear Aug de interiore Domo C. 1. Nunquam ille dimittit nisi prius illum dimiserit LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1679. A PREFACE TO THE READER I Am neither ignorant nor forgetful that there are several choice Treatises which at large insist upon some of those Proofs and Arguments which I endeavour to prosecute in my ensuing Discourse intitled Counsels and Comforts for troubled Consciences One of those Treatises bears this Title The Souls Conflict The * Dr. Sibs Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridg Isa 50. 4. Author was a profound and experienced Divine and had as the Prophet Isaiah makes mention the Tongue of the Learned for he well knew how to speak a word in season to him that is weary And as his heart was frequently and seriously busied in inditing a good matter Psal 45. 10. so his tongue was the pen of a ready writer That whole Book may well be compared to a string of pearls and precious stones whose price is far above rubies That learned and experimental Writer plainly shews himself as another Barnabas a Son of Consolation Another Treatise resembles the former being good old gold of the same piece as to the choice matter therein handled though in a loftier stile the Title of this Book is Instructions for a right comforting of afflicted Consciences Mr. Bolton The learned Author whose excellent works praise him in the gate was for a long time together exercised with the violent assaults and buffettings of Satan and was under great horrour of spirit but at last through the riches of divine mercy he return'd with a glorious victory over Satan Wherefore he as a valiant conquerour having won the field and as an experienced Soldier he incourageth his fellow Soldiers to fight Christs battels He communicated his experiences to others and himself being converted he makes it his grand design and business to convert strengthen and comfort his brethren It was our Saviours counsel to Luk. 22. 32. Peter When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren A third Treatise to mention no more is call'd The deserted souls case and Mr. Symonds of Ironmonger-Lane cure The experienced Author and faithful and diligent Preacher of the Gospel hath took elaborate diligence in what he wrote His good name is like precious ointment poured forth And though that learned Writer be dead yet he speaks and lives in that choice Book Although those worthy Authors have gone before me not only in time but much more as I judg in estimation and value and though I account my self as the common saying is unworthy to carry their Books after them yet I know that there may be room left for additions to and for farther clearing up former attempts and labours of those who went before me And sometimes it comes to pass however I think meanliest of my self that a Pigmy standing upon a Giants shoulder may have a farther prospect Wherefore I am not at all discouraged from offering my mite though small to their rich Treasury hoping and desiring that my willing mind and cordial design of endeavouring all the good I can whilst I yet remain in the Land of the living may obtain acceptance with God and Man For saith the Apostle if there be first a willing mind it is accepted 2 Cor. 8. 12 according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not I use to make honourable mention of Dr. Sybbs Mr. Bolton and Mr. Symonds forenamed and I acknowledg my self very much their debtor for what I have read in their Excellent Labours yet I am so far from being a Plagiarius or a Filcher which Reproaches I utterly abhor that I have not at all to use the words of that Hebrew Proverb Ploughed with their Heifer As for the subject treated on a correspondence and harmony I acknowledg between them and my self for I vary not from their Principles but as to the manner and method of handling of them a variation easily may appear to any unprejudiced Reader * Vtile est plures libros a pluribus fieri diverso stylo non diversa fide etiam de questionibus eisdem ut ad plurimos res ipsa perveniat Aug. lib. 1. c. 3. De Triniâ—ate I am not ashamed to confess that what I here make publick is the same for substance which I have formerly inlarged in a publick Congregation and what I have preach't and wrote of To God alone be the praise ascribed which I have found to be experimentally true to my exceeding great and abundant consolation Both in preaching and writing it is and hath been the desire of my soul to speak and write first to my own heart and then to others that so I may comfort others with those comforts wherewith I my self have been comforted in particular Not willing to stay long in the entrance Two things I shall only praemise viz. The particular occasion of this Publication and the matter therein contained 1. For the Occasion An ancient 1. The Occasion and worthy Friend of mine of more than thirty years acquaintance desired me to have conference with one a good Christian as I am perswaded who was much assaulted with the sufferings and temptations of Satan who was much perplexed with variety of doubts and fears who was too apt to believe Satans Objections as imagining the present condition much worse than it was and more ready to urge many Scriptures against that particular condition than any one that might seem for relief and comfort Wherefore to what I said in private discourse I wrote a Letter to that person and have now much inlarged it hoping that what was spoken or written either one or other may leave such a deep impression upon the heart of this Christian Friend as to administer some grounds of settlement and consolation amidst many doubts and perplexities And because upon mature and deliberate thoughts I present the following Letter now form'd into a small Treatise unto publick view My aim and end is if my heart deceive me not not only to consult the good of that particular person whom I much respect to whom my Letter was directed but also to impart something by way of advice and comfort for the good of many others who either are or may be in the same condition For the self-same spiritual Remedies applied to the like sores may through Gods blessing be instrumental for a spiritual cure 2. I shall make some mention of the 2. The subject treated on subject or matter treated on in the ensuing discourse The sum whereof partly prescribes Counsels and partly insists on Comforts The Order propoundeâ— is first to
regard your general calling as a Christian I am not ignorant that every thing is beautiful in its season sometimes retiredness and sometimes conversing with others have their peculiar season As for retiredness there is an allowable separation in some cases as the wise man informs us Through desire a man having separated Prov. 18. 1. himself seeketh and intermedleth with all wisdom For the gaining of Wisdom and improvement thereof when so gain'd we must sequester our selves from Company and hide our selves for a time in our Closets that so we may have better conveniencies for the exercise of Prayer and Meditation There is a time when God calls for retiredness for so we read Come my people enter thou into sa 26. 26 thy Chambers and shut thy dores about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast Such a retiredness as this is both necessary and comfortable For a Christian to pour out his Soul in Prayer to God when no eye of man seeth him nor any ear of man heareth him and so meditate on the Word of God by such a retiredness he gains a sacred communion and acquaintance with God such a one as Eliphaz exhorts Job 22. 21. Job to get But as for any retiredness and reservedness to nourish a melancholly and dumpish humour and to sequester your self from profitable soul-friends that kind of retiredness I advise you against altogether Likewise there 's a fit season for spiritual conference This was much practised by the ancient Servants of God for we read * Propheta non tantum dicitquemque privatim tactum fuisque resipiscentia sed inter se loquutos quò significat debere studium nostrum extendi ad fratres nostros Calv. Then they that Mal. 3. 16. feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his name God sometimes manifests himself in one Ordinance and sometimes he manifests himself in another though we are tyed and bound to wait on God in every Ordinance yet he is a most free Agent and as the Wind blows where it listeth so he works where he pleaseth Sometimes we may not get comfort by the Word or by Prayer or by receiving of the Lords Supper yet we may receive abundant comfort by godly conference Therefore be sure that you neglect not the Society of such who are able and willing to build you up in your holy faith and to speak a word of comfort in due season unto your Soul Sect. 14. 3d. Head In the third place in pursuance of my method I shall make it my business to exhort you to the practice of some particular Duties and they are these six especially Be frequent and serious in reading Duty 1. Be frequent and serious in reading of the Scriptures 2 Tim. 3. 5 of the holy Scriptures for they alone can make you wise unto salvation The Scriptures in some places are so plain as some observe that a Lamb may wade and in other places so deep that an Elephant may swim The Scriptures * Quae nullis non convenit annis Lacte rigans pueros pane cibans validos Prosper Psal 119. 24. Vers 50. suit all ages and all sexes and all conditions as is observed Tertullian an ancient Father saith I adore the fulness of the Scriptures The Psalmist declares Thy Testimonies also are my delight and my Counsellors And when he would raise to himself a ground of comfort he fastned upon the Word of God and there stay'd This saith he is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened me And unless he had received comfort from the Word he was sensible that he had been utterly undone Vnless thy Law had been my Vers 92. delights I should then have perished in mine affliction Questionless all Scripture is precious and the Lord would let none of Samuel's words much less would he let any of his own words fall to the ground and every part and parcel of the Holy Scripture is of the same piece of pure Gold and more to be valued than the gold of Ophir or the gold of Parvaim yet considering your present condition I advise you to the serious perusal of these ensuing Scriptures as most suitable unto your particular case One Scripture is mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah Who is among you Isa 50. 10. that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Another Scripture is Light is sown for the Psal 97. 11. righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Between Seed-time and Harvest there is a considerable interval of time yet what hath been sown will come up in the appointed season Add hereunto a third Scripture homogeneous to the former Vnto the upright there ariseth light in Psal 112. 4. darkness To these Scriptures I shall add some others which have abundantly supported the afflicted Servants of God One is Return Psal 116. 7. unto thy rest O my soul for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee A second is of the Prophet Isaiah For Isa 57. 15. thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones A third Scripture is I came not to call the righteous Matt. 9. 13 but sinners to repentance A fourth is Come unto me all ye that labour Matt. 11. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 25. and are heavy laden and I will give you rest A fifth is This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief A sixth only which I shall mention is in the Revelations And Rev. 22. 17 the Spirit and the Bride say come And let him that is a thirst come And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely There are peculiar Psalms which I commend to your frequent and deliberate perusal and meditation viz. Psal 16. 18. 23. 25. 27. 32. 34. 42. 61. 62 and 63. Any one of these Psalms if you ponder them in your heart and pray that God would write them in your heart O! how abundantly may you profit thereby Read frequently and to reading add prayer and meditation Christ's incomparable Sermon Preached in the mount Matt. 5 6 7. and likewise Christs farewell-Sermon contain'd in Joh. 14. 15 16 17. Add hereunto a serious reading and meditating on Rom. 8. Though I exclude not other Scriptures for all are precious yet considering that many Christians have gain'd so much good by reading of those Scriptures I commend them to your reading
resurrexerit c. Pareus in loc I was in the spirit on the Lords day This day is the souls market-day the souls harvest-day the souls rejoiâ—ing-day Prepare for this day before it comes meditate of the duties of the day and sanctifie your souls for the sanctification of the Lords own day The word Remember necessarily implys prepartion and a previous consideration of performing the works of the day in its own day This day ought seriously to be remembred before it comes and the heart ought to be prepar'd and sequestred from all worldly intanglements On this day we should rise earlier in a morning than other days Mary rose early that day and had a joyful sight of the Lord Jesus Shake off sloth and drowsiness and beware of idleness for spiritual idleness on this day is as bad as bodily labour give unto God his own day a whole day and imploy your soul in the works of the day and the works are works of piety mercy and necessity and beg of God a Sabbath-frame and temper of spirit As for such works as concern our secular calling though they are lawful and necessary on other days of the week yet on this day they are neither necessary nor lawful much less are corporal-recreations as games or sports c. to be allowed on this day On this day double diligence ought to be used for the performing of double duties to hearing of the Word in publick add reading in private and to reading add secret prayer and to prayer add meditation and to meditation add conference as next is to be mentioned Sect. 20. Duty 5. Communicate your Doubts to experienced Christians Mal. 2. 7. Isa 50. 4. A fifth Duty is to communicate your Doubts and perplexities to such experienced Ministers or people who are able and willing to administer spiritual comfort unto you The Prophet tells us For the Priests lips should keep knowledg and they should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts Impart your case to faithful Ministers to whom God hath given the tongue of the Learned and to other experienced Christians who through the Grace of God may speak both by way of counsel and comfort something for the settlement and establishment of your spirit Frequent the society of such who fear God and be a companion to such here on earth whose company you hope to enjoy to all eternity It was the saying of an eminent servant of Jesus Christ upon his Death-bed Mr. Robert Bolton I shall change my place but not my company Be therefore ready and willing to lay hold upon those opportunities which are offered for spiritual conference and be glad of the prayers and counsels of such as are Mnasons and old Disciples and experienced Christians and Practitioners of Religion Spiritual conference is no new practice for it is of great antiquity and I heartily wish that it were more revived and put in practice than it is now-a-days The Prophet Malachy makes mention of such Religious meetings Then they that feared the Lord spake Mal. 3. 16. often to one another and the Lord hearkned and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name Upon perusal of those words it 's evident that the people of God met together and confer'd about each others spiritual estate And there ought to be a great deal of care and conscience in the managing of such meetings for God takes notice of all that 's done or spoken and puts them upon record O! how much and abundant soul-satisfaction may be gain'd by the society of such as are godly to such you ought to unbosom and unburthen your soul they may be instrumental for the good of your soul And as I advise unto conference and correspondence with godly Christians so I advise you to the making choice of godly Writers and to peruse them with diligence and seriousness of spirit Let the holy Scriptures always have the preheminence both in your judgment and affections Next to them I commend unto your frequent reading sound and orthodox Writers such as are Calvins Institutions Greenham Perkins Dod Dyke on the Deceitfulness of the heart Scudder Burroughs gracious spirit and in an especial manner because it 's very suitable to your condition I commend to your reading Dr. Sibs of the souls conflict The precious Author is dead but his memory is blessed and both the Author and his Works are like precious ointment poured forth The sixth and last particular Duty Duty 6. Wait upon God which I advise you unto is to wait silently patiently and submissively upon God Labour therefore to bring your will to Gods will God is infinite in Wisdom and knows what 's better for you than you know for your self and better than you can either ask or think And believe that Gods time is always the best time and therefore wait on God till he be pleased to speak a word of peace to you Let faith and patience hold out and joyn them both together and imitate those who Heb. 6. 12. through faith and patience have inherited the promises The Church of God though under hatches and in a very low condition yet did exercise faith and patience And I Isa 8. 17. will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of Jacob and I will look for him The Church of God was much afflicted and vexed with briers and thorns and was neither quiet at home nor abroad yet notwithstanding we read of an Heroical resolution of the Church Therefore I will look unto the Lord Mic. 7. 7. I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me In this verse Faith Patience and Assurance are all joyn'd together for looking implys that there was an eye of faith and waiting implys the exercise of patience and that God would hear was a strong ground of assurance that the faith and patience there mention'd were successful In Habbakkuks time the Vision was very dark For said Hab. 2. 3. the Prophet the vision is yet for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lye though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Waiting-Christians are exceeding much gainers by all their waiting so saith the Prophet The Lord is good to them that wait Lam. 3. 25 26. for him to the soul that seeketh him It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Wherefore if God speak not comfort so soon as you desire and expect yet know that it is your duty to hold out and continue waiting and not in the least to presume to limit the holy one of Israel to any time or means Let God as an ancient Eligat opportunitatem qui libere dat misericordiam Aug. Father saith chuse the opportunity who freely gives thee mercy