The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 5
CAP. V.
Remedies of casting downe: To cite the soule: and presse it to give an account.
BUt to come to some helpes.
First, in that hee expostulates with himselfe, wee may observe, that, One way to raise a dejected soule is, to cite it before it selfe, and as it were to reason Obser. 1.the case. God hath set up a court in mans heart, wherein, the conscience hath the office, both of Informer, accuser, witnesse, and judge; And if matters The court of conscience in man.were well caryed within our selves, this prejudging would be a prevention of future judging. It is a great mercy of God, that the credit and comfort of man are so provided for, that hee may take up matters in himselfe, and so prevent publike disgrace. But if there be not a faire dispatch and transaction in this inferiour court within us, there will bee a review in a higher court. Therefore by slubbering over our matters, Iudgement must passe first or last without or within upon us.we put God and our selves to more trouble then needs. For a judgement must passe first, or last, either within us or without us, upon all unwarrantable distempers. We must not onelyonly be ready to give an account of our faith, upon what Grounds we beleeve, but of all our actions, upon what grounds wee doe what wee doe, and of our Passions, upon what ground we are passionate, as in a well governed state, uprore and sedition is never stirred, but account must be given. Now in a mutiny the presence and speech of a venerable man, composeth the mindes of the disordered multitude, so likewise in a mutiny of the spirit, the authority that God hath put into reason (as a beame of himselfe) commands silence, and puts all in order againe.
And there is good reason for it, for man is an understanding creature, and Reasonhath a rule given him to live by, and therefore is to be countable of every thought, word, action, passion. Therefore the first way to quiet the soule, is, to Distempers fall downe, when they are arraigned before Reason.aske a reason of the tumult raised, and then many of our distempers for shame will not appeare, because (though they rage in silent darknesse) yet they can say nothing for themselves, being summoned before strength of judgement and reason. Which is the reason why passionate men are loath that any court should be kept within them; but labour to stop judgement all they can. If men would but give themselves leave to Want of consideration, raises and maintaines our distempersconsider better of it, they would never yeeld to such unreasonable motions of the soule: If they could but gaine so much of their unruly passions, as to reason the matter within themselves, to heare what their consciences can tell them in secret, there would not be such offensive breakings out. And therefore, if we be ashamed to heare others upbraidingus, let us for shame heare our selves; And if no reason can be given, what an unreasonable thing is it for a man endowed with reason to contrary his owne principles? and to be caried as a beast without reason; or if there be In discouragement, we crosse our own principles.any reason to be given, then, this is the way to scanne it, see whether it will hold water or not. We shall finde some reasons (if they may be so called) to be so corrupt and foule, that (if the judgement be not corrupted by them) they dare not bee brought to light, but alwaies appeare under some colour and pretext, for sin (like the devill) is affraid to appeare in its owne likenesse, and men seek out faire glosses, for foule intentions. The hidden secret reason is one, the open is another: the heart being corrupt sets the wit a worke, to Corruption of the heart sets the wit a worke. 1 King. 22satisfie corrupt will; such kinde of men are afraid of their owne consciences (as Ahab of Michaiah) because they feare it would deale truly with them: and therefore they take either present order for their consciences, or else (as Felix put off Paul) they adjorne the Acts 24. 25court for another time. Such men are strangers at home, afraid of nothing more then of themselves, and therefore in a fearefull condition, because they are reserved for the judgement of the great day, if God doth not before that set upon them in this world. If men caried away with their own lusts, would give but a little check, and stop themselves in their posting to hell, and aske, What have I done? What am I now The soules expostulation.about? Whither will this course tend? How will it end? &c. Undoubtedly men would begin to be wise; Would the blasphemer give away his soule for nothing (for there is no engagement of profit or pleasure in this, as in other sins, but it issues meerly out of irreverence, Blaspheming vvhence.and a superfluity of prophanesse;) would he (I say) draw so heavy a guilt upon himselfe for nothing, if he would but make use of his reason? Would an old man (when he is very neare his journies end) make longer provision for a short way if he would aske himselfe a Reason? But indeed Covetousnesse is an unreasonable vice.
If those also of the younger sort, woul… aske of themselves, Why God should … A lesson for young men.have the flower and marrow of their age… and why they should give their strength t… the devill? It might a little take them off from the devils service. But sin… is a worke of darknesse, and therefore shunnes not onelyonly the light of grace, b… even the light of reason. Yet sinne s… dome wants a seeming reason, Men wi… not goe to hell without a shew of reason. B… Sin is unreasonable so much the more, as without reason, it pretends reasons.such be sophisticall fallacies, not reasons; and therefore sinners are said to play the sophisters with themselv… Satan could not deceive us, unlesse wee deceived our selves first, and are willingly deceived: wilfull sinners are blinde, because they put out the light of reason and so thinke God (like themselves) blinde too; and therefore they are deservedly Psal. 50.termed mad men and fooles for, did they but make use of that spa… of reason, it would teach them to reason thus; I cannot give an account of … wayes to my selfe: what account shall I, … can I give then, to the judge of all flesh … it be long?
And as it is a ground of repentance in stopping our course to ask what have I done? So likewise of faith and new obedience, to aske what shall I doe for the time to come? and then upon setling, the soule in way of thankes, will be ready to aske of it selfe, What shall I returne to the Lord? &c. So that the soule by this dealing with it selfe promoteth it selfe to all holy duties till it come to heaven.
The reason why wee are thus backward Reas. 1. Why wee are so backward to keepe court in our selves. Proverbsto the keeping of this court in our selves, is selfelove: we love to flatter our owne affections, but this selfelove, is but selfe-hatred in the end; (as the wiseman saies) he that regards not this part of wisdome, hates his owne soule, and shall eate the fruits of his owne wayes.
2. As likewise it issues from an irksomnesse 2. Irksomenesse of labour.of labour, which makes us rather willing to seeme base and vile to our selves and others, then to take paines with our owne hearts to be better, as those that are weary of holding the reines, give them up unto the horse necke, and so are driven whither the rage of the horse caryeth them: sparing a little trouble at first, doubles it in the end, as he who will not take the paines to cast up his bookes, his bookes will cast up him in the end. It is a blessed trouble that brings sound and long peace: Th… 1 Cor. 11. 31.labour saves God a labour, for therefore he judgeth us, because wee would not take paines with our selves befor.
3. And Pride also, with a desire of liberty, makes men thinke it to be a diminishing 3. Pride.of greatnesse and freedome, either to be curbed, or to curbe o… selves: We love to be absolute, and independant; but this, as it brought rui… upon our nature in Adam; so it will upon our persons. Men (as Luther w… wont to say) are borne with a Pope i… their belly, they are loath to give … account, although it be to themselves their wils are instead of a kingdome … Mens mihi pro regne.them.
Let us therefore (when any lawle… passions begin to stir) deale with o… soules as God did with Ionah; Doest th… well to be angry? to fret thus? This w… Jonah 4.be a meanes to make us quiet. For, al… what weake reasons have we often of strong motions; such a man gave mee no respect, such another lookt more kindly upon another man then upon me, &c. You have some of Hamans spirit, Esther 5.that for a little neglect, would ruine a whole nation. Passion presents Fa…it ira nocentes.men that are innocent as guilty to us, and because we will not seeme to bee mad without reason, Pride commands the wit, to justifie anger, and so one Passion maintaines and feeds another.
Neither is it sufficient to cite the soule Obser. 2.before it selfe; but, it must be pressed to give an account, as we see here, David doubles, and trebles the expostulation; as oft as any distemper did arise, so oft did he labour to keep it downe. If passions grow too insolent, Elies mildnesse will doe no good. It would prevent 1 Sam. 2. 24.much trouble in this kinde, to subdue betimes (in our selves and others) the first beginnings of any unruly passions and affections; which (if they be not well tutord and disciplined at the first) prove as headstrong, unruly and ill nurtured, children, who (being not chastened in time) take such a head, th… it is (oft) above the power of paren… to bring them in order. A childe set … liberty (saith Salomon) breeds shame (… length) to his parents. Adonizeths example Pro. 29. 15.shewes this. The like may be sa… of the affections set at liberty; It is dangerous to redeeme a little quiet by yeelding to our affections which is never safely gotten but by mortificatio… of them.
Those that are in great place, … most in danger, by yeelding to themselves, to loose themselves; for they … so taken up with the person for a ti… put upon them, that they, both in lo… and speech, and cariage, often sh… that they forget both their natu… condition as men, and much more th… supernaturall as Christians; and the… fore are scarce counsellable by oth… or themselves, in those things that co… cerne their severed condition that co… cerneth another world. Whereas i… were most wisdome so to think of th… place they beare, whereby they are … led gods, as not to forget they must … Psal. 82. 6, 7.their person aside, and die like men: David himselfe that in this afflicted condition 2 Sam. 24. 4.could advise with himselfe, and checke himselfe, yet in his free and flourishing estate neglected the counsell of his friends. Agur was in jealousie of a full condition, and lest instead of saying, what have I done; why am I thus cast downe, &c? he should say, Who is the Lord?Prov. 30. 9.
Meaner men in their lesser sphaere, often shew what their spirits would be, if their compasse were inlarged.
It is a great fault in breeding youth, for feard of taking downe of their spirits, not to take downe their pride, and get victory of their affections; whereas a proud unbroken heart raiseth us more trouble often then all the world beside. Of all troubles; the trouble of a proud heart is the greatest; It was a great trouble to Haman to lead Mordecaies horse, which another man would Esther 6. 1.not have thought so; the moving of a straw is troublesome to proud flesh. And therefore it is good to heare the yoake from our youth, It is better to bee Lam. 3. 27.taken downe in youth, then to be broken in pieces by great crosses in age. First or last, selfe-deniall and victory over our selves is absolutely necessary; otherwise faith which is a grace that requireth selfe-deniall, will never b… brought into the soule, and beare ru… there.
But, what if pressing upon our soul… will not help?Quest.
Then speake to God, to Jesus Chri… Answ.by prayer, that as hee rebuked the windes and the waves, and went up… the Sea, so hee would walke upon o… soules and command a calme there. … is no lesse power to settle a peace in th… soule, then to command the seas to … quiet. It is Gods prerogative to rule … the heart, as likewise to give it up to… selfe, which (next to hell) is the great… judgement; which should draw us … Domine libera me a male homine meipso.the greater reverence and feare of … pleasing God. It was no ill wish of hi… that desired God, to free him from … ill man, himselfe.