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Sect. 2. Comfort against inward terrours, reproaches of men, and outward afflictions.
2. AGainst inward fears and terrours of conscience, arising from sense of guilt and liableness to Gods displeasure. Even the Lords redeemed may have shrewd re∣mainders of the spirit of bondage upon them; their spirits are sometimes startled and terrified with the fear or feeling of Di∣vine wrath. God lets Satan loose against them, to bring their old sins to remem∣brance, or to roar upon them as a Lion, for new miscarriages. And when he meets with a timorous unbeleeving heart, he plies it so long with his fiery darts, till at length he be∣reaves the sinner of all comfort. Sometimes he is dejected, and laid low in the sight of his own vileness: Sometimes he is tossed and disquieted as the Sea with storms and tem∣pests: Sometimes he is even swallowed up with waves of soul-trouble, as a ship ready to sink, so that Satan seems to have his will of him, and he saith, My strength, and my hope is perished from the Lord. A sad and un∣welcome business, I confess, yet many of Gods dear servants have been thus put to it, as both Scripture and experience do testifie. Job complains that God held him for his enemy, and made him to possess the iniqui∣ties of his youth, Job 13.24, 26. and there∣fore