The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 15
CAP. XV.
Of flying to God in disquiets of soule. Eight observations out of the text.
WHat if neither the speech of others Quest.to us, nor the rebuke of our owne hearts will quiet the soule; Is there no other remedy left?
Yes, then looke up to God, the Father and fountaine of comfort, as David doth here; For the more speciall meanes whereby he sought to recover himselfe, was by laying a charge upon his soule to trust in God; for having let his soule runne out too much, hee begins to recollect himselfe againe; and resigne up all to God.
§. 1.
But, how came David to have the command of his owne soule, so, as to Quest.take it off from griefe, and to place it upon God, could hee dispose of his owne heart himselfe?
The child of God hath something Answ.in him above a man, hee hath the Spirit of God to guide his spirit: this command of David to his soule was under the command of the Great Commander: God commands David to trust in him, and at the same time infuseth strength into his soule by thinking of Gods command, and trusting to Gods power, to command it selfe to trust in God: so that this command is not onelyonly by authoritie, but by vertue likewise of Gods command: As the inferiour orbes move as they are moved by a higher; So Davids spirit here, moves as it is moved by Gods Spirit, which inwardly spake to him to speake to himselfe.
David in speaking thus to his owne soule, was, as every true Christian is, a Prophet, and an instructer to himselfe: It is but as if inferiour officers should charge in the name and power of the King. Gods children have a principle of life in them from the Spirit of God, by which they command themselves. To give charge belongs to a Superiour; David had a double Superiour above him, his owne spirit as sanctified, and Gods Spirit guiding that. Our spirits are the Spirits agents, and the Holy Spirit is Gods agent, maintaining his right in us. As God hath made man a free agent, So he guides him, and preserves that free manner of working which is agreeable to mans nature.
By this it appeares, that Davids moving of himselfe, did not hinder the Spirits moving of him, neither did the Spirits moving of him, hinder him from moving himselfe in a free manner; for the Spirit of God moveth according to our principles, it openeth our understandings to see that it is best to trust in God; It moveth so sweetly, as if it were an inbred principle, and all one with our owne spirits; If wee should hold our will to move it selfe, and not to be moved by the Spirit, we should make a God of it, whose property is to move other things, and not to be moved by any.
We are in some sort Lords over our Ergone it a liberi esse volunt, ut nec Deum volunt habere Dominum? Aug. de Spir. & Lit.owne speeches and actions, but yet, under a higher Lord. David was willing to trust in God, but God wrought that will in him: he first makes our will good, and then works by it. It is a sacrilegious liberty that will acknowledge no dependance upon God. Wee are wise in his wisedome, and strong in his strength, who saith, without me yee can doe nothing. Both the budde of a Iohn 15.good desire, and the blossome of a good resolution, and the fruit of a good action, all comes from GOD. Indeed the understanding is ours whereby wee know what to doe, and the will is ours whereby wee make choice of what is Certum est, nos velle cū volumus, sed ille facit ut velimus. Aug.best to be done; but the light whereby wee know, and the guidance whereby wee choose, that is from a higher agent, which is ready to flow into us with present fresh supply, when by vertue of former strength wee put our selves forward in obedience to God. Let but David say to his soule being charged of God to trust, I charge thee my soule to trust in him, and hee findes a present Duties.strength inabling to it. Therefore we must both depend upon God as the 1.first Mover, and withall set all the inferiour wheeles of our soules a going 2.according as the Spirit of God ministers motion unto us. So shall wee bee free from selfe-confidence, and likewise from neglecting that order of working which God hath established. David hearkened what the Lord said, before he said any thing to himselfe, so should wee. Gods Commands tend to this, that wee should command our selves. God, and the Minister under God, bid us trust in him, but all is to no purpose till grace bee wrought in the soule, whereby it bids it selfe; Our speaking to others doth no good, till they by entertaining what we say, speake the same to their owne soules.
In this charge of David upon his owne soule, we may see diverse passages and priviledges of a gracious heart in trouble.
§. 2.
As, 1. That a Christian when hee is beaten out of all other comforts, yet hath a Obser. 1.God to runne unto. A wicked man beaten out of earthly comforts, is as a naked man in a storme, and an unarmed-man in the field, or as a ship tossed in the Sea without an anchor, which presently dashes upon rockes, or falleth upon quicksands; but a Christian when he is driven out of all comforts below, nay, when God seemes to bee angry with him, hee can appeale from God angry to God appeased, hee can wrastle and strive with God by Gods owne strength, fight with him with his own weapons, and plead with God by his owne arguments. What a happy estate is this? who would not be a Christian, if it were but for this, to have something to relie on when all things else faile? The confusion and unquietnesse which troubles raise in the soule, may drive it from resting in it selfe, but there can never be any true peace setled, untill it sees and resolves what to stay upon.
§. 3.
2. We see here, that there is a sanctified use of all troubles to Gods children; 2.first they drive them out of themselves, and then draw them neerer to GOD. Crosses indeed of themselves estrange us more from God, but by an over-ruling worke of the spirit they bring … neerer to him; The soule of it selfe is ready to misgive, as if God had too many controversies with it, to shew any favour towards it; and Sathan helped…; because hee knowes nothing can stand and prevaile against God, or a soule that relyeth on him, therefore hee labours to breed and encrease an everlasting divisi… betwixt God and the soule; but let not Christians muse so much upon their trouble, but see whether it carries them, whether it brings them neerer unto God, or not; It is a never failing rule of discerning a man to be in the state of grace, when he findes every condition draw him neerer to God; for thus it appeares that such love God, and are called of him, unto whom all things worke together for Rom. 8. 28.the best.
§. 4.
3. Againe, hence wee see, that the spirit of God by these inward speeches 3.doth awake the soule, and keepe it in a holy exercise, by stirring up the grace of faith to its proper function. It is not so much the having of grace, as grace in exercise, that p…eserves the soule; therefore wee should by this and the like meanes stirre up the grace of God in us, that so it may bee kept a working …nd in vigour and strength. It was Davids manner to awake himselfe, by bidding both heart and harpe to awake. It is the waking Christian (that ha…h his wit and his grace ready about him) who is the safe Christian; grace dormant without the exercise doth not secure us. It is almost all one (in regard of present exigence) for grace not to be and not to worke. The soule without action, is like an instrument not played upon, or like a ship alwayes in the Haven. Motion is a preservative of the purity of things. Even life it selfe is made more lively by action. The spirit of GOD whereby his children are led, is compared to things of the quickest and strongest actions, as fire and winde, &c. God himselfe is a pure act, alwayes in acting; and every thing the nearer it comes to God, the more it hath its perfection in working. The happinesse of man consists chiefly in a gracious frame of spirit, and actions sutable sweetly issuing there-from: the very rest of heavenly bodies is in motion in their proper places. By this stirring up the grace of God in us, sparkles come to be flames, and all graces are kept bright. Troubles stirre up David, and David being stirred stirres up himselfe.
§. 5.
4. We see likewise here a further use of Soliloquies or speeches to our own hearts; 4.when the soule by entring into it selfe sees it selfe put out of order, then it injoynes this duty of trusting in God upon it: if wee looke onelyonly on our selves and not turne to God, the worke of the soule is imperfect: then the soule worketh as it should, when as by reflecting on it selfe, it gathers some profitable conclusion, and leaveth it selfe with God. David upon reflecting on himselfe found nothing but discouragement, but when he lookes upward to GOD, there hee findes rest. This is one end, why God suffers the soule to tire and beat it selfe, that finding no rest in it selfe, it might seeke to him. David yeelds not so much to his passion as that it should keepe him from God. Therefore let no man truly religious pretend (for an excuse) his temper or provoking occasions, &c. for grace doth raise the soule above nature; Grace doth not only stop the soule in an evill way, but carries it to a contrary good, and raiseth it up to God. Though holy men be subject to like passions with others (as it is said Iam. 5. 17.of Elias) yet they are not so inthralled to them, as that they carry them wholly away from their God, but they heare a voice of the spirit within them, calling them backe againe to their former communion with God; and so grace takes occasion, (even from sinne) to exercise it selfe.
§. 6.
5. Observe further, that distrust is the cause of all disquiet: the soule suffers 5.it selfe by something here below to be drawne away from God, but can finde no rest till it returne to him againe. As Noahs Dove had no place to set her Gen. 8. 11.foote upon, till it was received into the Arke from whence it came. And it is Gods mercy to us, that when we have let goe our hold of God, wee should finde nothing but trouble and unquietnesse in any thing else, that so we might remember from whence wee are fallen and returne home againe. That is a good trouble which frees us from the greatest trouble, and brings with it the most comfortable rest; It is but an unquiet quiet, and a restlesse rest which is out of God. It is a deepe spirituall judgement for a man to finde too much rest in the creature: The soule that hath had a saving worke upon it, will be alwayes impatient untill it recovers its former sweetnesse in God: After Gods spirit hath once touched the soule, it will never be quiet untill it stands pointed God-ward.
But conscience may object, upon any Object.offence God is offended, and therefore not to be trusted.
It is true, where faith is not above naturall conscience; but a conscience Answ. Trust in God, tho an offended God.sprinkled with the blood of Christ, is not scared from God by its infirmities and failiags, but as David here, is rather stirred up to runne unto God by his distemper; and it had beene a greater sinne then his distemper not to have gone unto God. Those that have the spirit of sonnes in their hearts, runne not further from God after they have a little strayed from him, but though it be the nature of sinfull passions to breed griefe and shame, yet they will repaire to God againe, and their confidence overcomes their guilt; So well are they acquainted with Gods gracious disposition.
Yet we see here, David thinkes not of trusting in God, till first he had done justice upon his owne soule, in rebuking the unruly motions thereof; Censure for sinne goeth before favour in pardoning sinne, or boldnesse to aske pardon of God; those that love God must hate ill: If our consciences condemne Psal. 97. 10us of allowing any sinne, we cannot have boldnesse with God who is (light and can abide no darknesse and) greater then our consciences.
§. 7.
6. Moreover, hence wee see it is no 6.easie thing to bring God and the heart together: David here as he often checkes his heart, so hee doth often charge his heart; Doubts and troubles are still gathering upon him, and his faith still gathering upon them. As one striving to get the haven, is driven back by the waves, but recovering himselfe againe, gets forward still, and after often beating back, at length obtaines the wished haven, and then is at rest. So much adoe there is to bring the soule unto God, the harbour of true comfort. It were an easie thing to be a Christian, if Religion stood onelyonly in a few outward works and duties, but to take the soule to taske, and to deale roundly with our owne hearts, and to let conscience have its full work, and to bring the soule into spirituall subjection unto God; this is not so easie a matter, because the soule out of selfe-love is loath to enter into it selfe, least it should have other thoughts of it selfe then it would have; David must bid his soule trust and trust, and trust againe before it will yeeld. One maine ground of this difficulty, is that contrariety which is in the soule by reason of contrary principles: The soule so farre as it is gracious commands, so farre as it is rebellious, resists; which drew holy Austen to Vnde hoc montrum, & quare istud? Aug. Confess.a kinde of astonishment; The soule commands the body and it yeelds (saith he) it commands it selfe, and is resisted by it selfe; it commands the hand to move and it moveth with such an unperceiveable quicknesse that you can discerne no distance betwixt the command and the motion: Whence comes this? but because the soule perfectly wills not and perfectly injoynes not that which is good, and so Non ex toto vult non ex toto imperat, in tantum non sit quod imperat, in quantum non vult.farre forth as it fully wills not, so far it holds backe. There should bee no need of commanding the soule if it were perfect, for then it would bee of it selfe, what it now commandeth. If David had gotten his soule at perfect freedome at the first, hee needed not have repeated his charge so often upon it. But the soule naturally sinks downward, and therfore had need often to be wound up.
§. 8.
7. Wee should therefore labour to bring our soules (as David doth here) 7.to a firme and peremptory resolution, and not stand wavering and as it were equally ballanced betwixt God and other things; but enforce our soules, we shall get little ground of infidelity else; drive your soules therefore to this issue, either to rely upon God, or else to yeeld up it selfe to the present grievance; if by yeelding it resolves to be miserable theres an end, but if it desires rest, then let it resolve upon this onelyonly way to trust in God; and well may the soule so resolve, because in God there are grounds of quieting the soule, above all that may unsettle it; In him there is both worth to satisfie, and strength to support the soule. The best way to maintaine inward peace, is to settle and fixe our thoughts upon that which will make us better till wee finde our hearts warmed and wrought upon thereby, and then (as the Prophet speaks) God will keepe us in peace, peace, Esay 26. 3.that is, in perfect and abundant peace. This resolution stayed Iob, that though God should kill him yet hee resolved to trust in him; Answerable to our resolution is our peace: the more resolution the more peace; Irresolution of it selfe without any grievance is full of disquiet; It is an unsafe thing alwayes to begin to live; to bee alwayes cheapning and paltering with God: Come to this point once, Trust God I ought, therefore trust God I will, come what may or will.
And it is good to renew our resolutions againe and againe: for every new resolution brings the soule closer to God, and gets further in him, and brings fresh strength from him; which if wee neglect, our corruption joyning with outward hinderances will carry us further and further backward, and this will double yea multiply our trouble and griefe to recover our selves againe; wee have both winde and tide against us: Wee are going up the hill, and therefore had need to arme our selves with resolution. Since the fall, the motion of the soule upward (as of heavy bodies) is violent, in regard of corruption which weighes it downeward, and therefore all enforcement is little enough; Oppose therefore with David an invincible resolution, and then doubt not of prevailing; If wee resolve in Gods power and not our owne, and bee strong in the Lord, and not in our selves, Ephes. 6. 10.then it matters not what our troubles or temptations bee either from within, or without, for trust in God at length will triumph.
Here is a great mercy, that when David had (a little) let goe his hold of God, yet God would not let goe his hold of him, but by a spirit of faith drawes him back againe to himselfe; God turnes us unto him and then wee returne. Turne us againe (saith the Psalmist) cause thy face to shine upon us, Psal. 80. 19and wee shall be saved. When the soule leaves God once, it loses its way, and it selfe; and never returnes till God recalls it againe. If morall principles Animus aeger semper errat.cherished and strengthened by good education, will enable the soule against vicious inclinations, so that though some influence of the heavens worke upon the aire, and the aire upon the spirits, and the spirits upon the humors, and these incline the temper, and that inclines the soule of a man such and such wayes, yet breeding in the refineder sort of civill persons, will much prevaile to draw them another way? What then may wee thinke of this powerfull grace of faith which is altogether supernaturall? Will not this carry the soule above all naturall inclinations whatsoever (though strengthened by outward occasions) if wee resolve to put it to it? David was a King of other men but here hee shewes that hee was a King of himselfe; What benefit is it (for a man) to bee Ruler over all the world, and yet remaine a slave to himselfe?
§. 9.
8. Againe, David here doth not onelyonly resolve, but presently takes up his 8.soule before it strayed too farre from God; the further and the longer the soule wanders from God, the more it intangles it selfe and the thicker darknesse will cover the soule, yea the loather it is to come to God againe, being ashamed to looke God in the face after discontinuing of acquaintance with him; Nay the stronger the league growes betwixt sinne and the soule, and the more there groweth a kinde of sutablenesse betwixt the soule and sinne; Too long giving way to base thoughts and affections, discovers too much complacencie and liking of sinne. If we once give way, a little griefe will turne into bitter sorrow, and that into a setled pensivenesse and heavinesse of spirit; feare will grow into astonishment, and discouragement into despaire; If ever we meane to trust God, Why not now? How many are taken away in their offers and essayes, before they have prepared their hearts to cleave unto God. The sooner wee give up our selves to the Lord, the sooner wee know upon what termes we stand, and the sooner wee provide for our best security, and have not our grounds of comfort to seeke when wee shall stand most in need of them. Time will salve up griefe in the meanest of men, Reason in those that will suffer themselves to bee ruled thereby, will cure (or at least stay the fits of it) sooner: but Faith if we stir it up, will give our soules no rest, untill it hath brought us to our true rest (that is) to God: therefore we should presse the heart forward to God presently that Satan make not the rent greater.
Lastly, here we see, that though the soule be overborne by passion for a time, yet if grace hath once truely seasoned it, it will worke it selfe into freedome againe; grace as oyle will bee above. The eye when any dust falls into it, is not more tender and unquiet, till it be wrought out againe, then a gracious soule is being once troubled: the spirit as a spring will bee cleansing of it selfe more and more. Whereas the heart of a carnall man, is like a standing poole, whatsoever is cast into it, there it rests; trouble and disquietnesse in him are in their proper place; It is proper for the Sea to rage and cast up dirt: God hath set it downe for an eternall rule, that vexation and sinne shall bee inseparable. Happinesse and rest were severed from Jussisti Domine & sic est, ut omnis inordinatus affectus sibi sit poena. Aug.sinne in heaven when the Angels fell, and in Paradise when Adam fell, and will remaine for ever separated, untill the breach be made up by faith in Christ.Gen. 3.