The Souls Conflict With Itself, Chapter 6
CAP. VI.
Other Observations of the same nature.
MOreover we see that a godly man Obser. 3.can cast a restraint upon himselfe, as David here staies himselfe in falling. There is a principle of grace, that stops the heart, and puls in the reines againe when the affections are loose. A carnall man, when he begins to be cast down, sinkes lower and lower, untill he sinks into despaire, as leade sinkes into the bottome of the sea. They sunke, they Exod. 15. 5sunke, like leade in the mighty waters. A carnall man sinkes as a heavy body to the center of the earth, and staies not, if it be not stopped: There is nothing in him to stay him in falling, as we see in Achitophel, and Saul: who (wanting 2 Sam. 17. 23.a support) found no other stay, but the swords point. And the greater their parts and places are, the more they intangle themselves; and no wonder, for they are to encounter with God and his deputy conscience, who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords When Cain was cast out of his fathe… house, his heart and countenance w… alwaies cast downe, for, he had nothing in him to lift it upwards. But a godly man, though he may give a little w… to passion, yet (as David) he recover himselfe. Therefore as we would have any good evidence, that we have a … ter spirit in us then our owne, greate then the flesh or the world, Let us (… all troubles we meet with) gather … our selves, that the streame of our … affections cary us not away too farre.
There is an art or skill of bear… There is an art of bearing troubles.troubles, (If we could learne it) with out overmuch troubling of our selves. As in bearing of a burden there is a way so to poize it, that it weigheth … over heavy: If it hanges all in one side it poizes the body downe. The greater part of our troubles we pull upo… our selves; by not parting our care … as to take upon us onelyonly the care … duty, and leave the rest to God; a… by mingling our passions with o… crosses; & (like a foolish patient) ch… ing the pills which we should swallow downe. We dwell too much upon the griefe, when wee should remove the soule higher. Wee are nearest neighbours unto our selves; when we suffer griefe (like a canker) to eate into the soule; and (like a fire in the bones) to consume the marrow and drink up the spirits: we are accessary to the wrong done both to our bodies and soules: we wast our owne candle, and put out our light.
We see here againe, that a godly man Obser. 4.can make a good use of Privacy. When he is forced to be alone, he can talke with his God and himselfe; one reason whereof is, that his heart is a treasury and storehouse of divine truthes, whence he can speake to himselfe, by way of checke, or incouragement of himselfe: he hath a spirit over his own spirit, to teach him to make use of that store he hath laid up in his heart, the spirit is never neerer him then when by The cause why vvicked men cannot endure solitarinesse.way of witnesse to his spirit he is thus comforted; wherein the childe of God differs from another man, who cannot endure solitarinesse, because his heart is empty; he was a stranger to God before, and God is a stranger to him now. So that hee cannot goe to God as a friend; And for his conscience, that is ready to speake to him, that which he is loath to heare: and therefore, hee counts himselfe a torment to himselfe, especially in privacy.
We read of great Princes who after As Charles the ninth after the Mas…cre in France. Thuanus li. 57. Somn… post casum San…tholomaeum nocturni horrores plerumque interrumpebant & rursus adhibiti sympl oniaci expergefacto conciliabant.some bloody designes, were as terrible to themselves as they were formerly to others, and therefore could never endure to be awaked in the night, without Musique, or some like diversion. It may bee, wee may bee cast into such a condition, (where we have none in the world to comfort us) as in contagio… sicknesse, when none may come neare us, we may be in such an estate wherein no friend will owne us. And therefore let us labour now to bee acquainted with God and our owne hearts; an… acquaint our hearts with the comfor… of the holy Ghost, then, though wee have not so much as a booke to looke on, or a friend to talke with, yet we… may looke with comfort into the book of our own heart, and reade what God hath written there by the finger of his Ideo scribantur omnes libri ut emendetur unus.spirit: all bookes are written to amend this one booke of our heart and conscience; by this meanes we shall neverwant a Divine to comfort us, a Physitian to cure us, a Counseller to direct us, a Musitian to cheare us, a Controller to check us, because (by help of the word and spirit) we can be all these to our selves.
Another thing we see here, that God hath made every man a Governour over Obser. 5.himselfe. The poore man that hath none to governe him, yet may bee a King in himselfe. It is the naturall ambition of mans heart to desire governement, as we see in the Braemble; Well Iudges 9.then, let us make use of this disposition, to rule our selves. Absolom had high thoughts; O, If I were a King, I would doe so and so. So our hearts are ready to promise, if I were as such and such a man, in such and such a place, I would doe this and that.
But how dost thou manage thine owne affections? how dost thou rule in thine owne house? in thy selfe? doe not passions get the upper hand, and keepe reason under foot? When wee have learned to rule over our ow… spirits well, then we may be fit to rule over others. He that is faithfull in a little, Mat. 25. 21shall be set over more. Hee that c… governe himselfe (In the Wise-man judgement) is better then he that can governe Pro. 16. 32.a City. Hee that cannot, is like a Citie without a wall, where those that are in may goe out, and the enemies without, may come in at their pleasure. So where there is not a governme… set up, there finne breaks out, and Setan breaks in without controule.
See againe, the excellency of the soule, that can reflect upon it selfe, … Obser. 6.judge of whatsoever comes from it: … godly mans care and trouble is especially about his soule, as David he… looks principally to that, because … All outward troubles are for to helpe the soule.outward troubles are for to helpe th… when God touches our bodies, our estates, or our friends, hee aimes at … soule in all. God will never remove … hand, till something be wrought upon the soule, as Davids moisture was as the drought in Summer, so that hee roared, Psalm. 32.and carried himselfe unseemely (for so great and holy a man) till his heart was subdued to deale without all guile with God in confessing his sinne, and then GOD forgave him the iniquitie thereof, and healed his body too. In sicknesse, or in any other trouble, It is best the Divine should bee before the Physician: and that men begin where God begins. In great fires men looke first to their Jewels, and then to their lumber; so our soule is our best Jewel: A carnall worldly man, is called, (and well called) a fleshly man, because his very soule is flesh, and there is nothing but the world in him. And therefore, when all is not well within, hee cries out, My Body is troubled, my state is broken, my friends faile me, &c. but all this while, there is no care for the poor soule to settle a peace in that.
The possession of the soule is the richest possession, no jewell so precious; the account for our owne soules, and the soules of others, is the greatest account, and therefore the care of soules should bee the greatest care: What an indignity is it that we should forget such soules to satisfie our lusts? to have our wils? to bee vexed with any, who by their judgement, example, or authority, stopp as we suppose our courses. Is it not the greatest pl… of the world; First to have their lu… satisfied: Secondly, to remove either by fraud or violence whatsoever standeth in their way: And thirdly, to put colours and pretences upon this to delude the world & themselves, imploying all their carnall wit and worldly strength for their carnall aimes, and fighting for that which-fights against their owne soules? For what will be… the issue of this but certaine destruction?
Of this minde are not onelyonly t… dregs of people, but many of the m… refined sort, who desire to be emine… in the world; And to have their ow… desires herein, give up the liberty o… their owne judgements and consciences, to the desires and lusts of others; to bee above others they will bee beneath themselves; having those mens persons in admiration for hope of advantage, whom otherwise they despise, and so substituting in their spirits, man in the place of GOD, lose heaven for earth, and bury that divine sparke (their soules) capable of the Divine nature, and fitter to be a sanctuary and temple for God to dwell in, then by clozing with baser things to become base it selfe. We need not wonder that others seeme base to carnall men, who are base both in and to themselves. It is no wonder they should bee cruell to the soules of others, who are cruell to their owne soules, that they should neglect and starve others, that give away their owne soules in a manner for nothing. Alas upon what poore termes do they hazard that, the nature and worth whereof is beyond mans reach to comprehend. Many are so carelesse in this kinde, that if they were throughly perswaded that they had soules that should live for ever, (either in blisse or torment) wee might the more easily work upon them. But as they live by sense, as beasts, so they have no mo… thoughts of future times then …, except at such times as conscience is awaked by some suddaine judgement, whereby Gods wrath is revealed fro… heaven against them. But happy were it for them, if they might die like beasts, whose miserie dies with them.
To such an estate hath sinne brought the soule, that it willingly drowneth it selfe in the senses, and becomes in some sort incarna…e with the flesh.
Wee should therefore set our sel… to have most care of that, which Go… cares most for: which he breathed i… to us at first, set his owne image upon, gave so great a price for, and values above all the world besides. Shall all our study bee to satisfie the desires … the flesh, and neglect this?
Is it not a vanity to preferre the casket before the jewel, the shell before the pearle, the gilded potsheard before the treasure? and is it not muc… more vanitie to preferre the outward condition before the inward? The soule is that which Satan and his hath most spite at, for in troubling our bodies or estates, hee aimes at the vexation of our soules. As in Iob, his aime was to abuse that power God had given Job 1.him over His children, body and goods, to make him out of a disquieted spirit blaspheme God. It is an ill method to beginne our care in other things, and neglect the soule, as Achitophel, 2. Sam. 17. 23.who set his house in order, We should set the soul first in order.when hee should have set his soule in order first. Wisedome begins at the right end. If all bee well at home, it comforts a man though he meets with troubles abroad. Oh (saith he) I shall have rest at home, I have a loving wife and dutifull children; so whatsoever we meet withall abroad, if the soule be quiet, thither we can retire with comfort. See that all bee well within, and then all troubles from without cannot much annoy us.
Grace will teach us to reason thus, God hath given mine enemies power over my liberty and condition, but shall they have power and liberty over my spirit? It is that which Satan and they most seeke for, but never yeeld, Oh my soule. And thus a godly man will become more then a conquerer; when in appearance hee is conquered, the cause prevailes, his spirit prevailes and is undaunted. A Christian is not subdued till his spirit be subdued. Th… Iob prevailed over Sathan and all his troubles at length. This tormente… proud persons to see godly men enjoy a calme and resolute frame of mind… in the midst of troubles; when th… enemies are more troubled in troubling them then they are in being troubled by them.
Wee see likewise here, how to fra… our complaints: David complaines n… Obser. 7.of God, nor of his troubles, nor of others, but of his owne soule, hee complaines of himselfe, to himselfe. A… … he should say; Though all things else be out of order, yet O my soule thou shouldst not trouble mee too: thou shouldst not betray thy selfe unto troubles, but rule o… them. A godly man complaines to Go… yet not of God, but of himselfe; a carnall man is ready to justifie himselfe, and complaine of God. He complaines not to God, but of God (at the least) in secret murmuring: hee complaines of others that are but Gods violls; hee complaines of the grievance that lies upon him, but never regards what is amisse in himselfe within: Openly he cries out upon fortune, yet secretly he strike that God, under that Idoll of fortune, by whose guidance all things comes to passe, whilst he quarrells with that which is nothing hee wounds him that is the cause of all things: like a gouty man that complaines of his shooe, and of his bed; or an aguish man, of his drinke, when the cause is from within. So men are disquieted with others, when they should rather bee disquieted and angry with their owne hearts.
We condemne Ionas for contending with God, and justifying his unjust anger, but yet the same risings are in men naturally, if shame would suffer them to give vent to their secret discontent; their heart speakes what Ionas tong… spake. Oh, but here we should lay o… hand upon our mouth and adore God and command silence to our soules.
No man is hurt but by himselfe first Wee are drawen to evill, and allur… from a true good to a false by our ow… lusts, God tempts no man. Satan hath … power over us further then wee willingly Jam 1. 13.lie open to him, Satan wor… upon our affections, and then our affections worke upon our will. Hee do… not worke immediatly upon the wi… wee may thanke our selves in willing yeelding to our owne passions, fo… that ill Satan or his instruments draw us unto; Saul was not vexed with… evill spirit, till he gave way to his ow… 1. Sam. 16.evill spirit of envy first. The devill … tred not into Iudas untill his cove… Matt. 27. 3.heart made way for him. The Apo… strengtheneth his conceit against … and lasting anger from hence, th… this wee give way to the devill. I… dangerous thing to passe from G… Ephes. 4. …government, and come under Sata…
Satan mingleth himselfe with … owne passions, therefore wee should blame our selves first, bee ashamed of our selves most, and judge our selves most severely. But selfe-love teacheth us a contrary method; to translate all upon others; it robs us of a right judgement of our selves. Though we desire to know all diseases of the body by their proper names, yet wee will conceive of sinfull passions of the soule under milder termes; as lust under love, rage under just anger, murmuring under just displeasure, &c. thus whilest wee flatter our griefe, what hope of cure! Thus sinne hath not onelyonly made all the creatures enemies to us, but our selves the greatest enemies to our selves, and therefore wee should begin our complaints against our selves, & discusse our selves throughly; how else shal we judge truly of other things without us, above us, or beneath us? The Sun when it rises enlightens first the nearest places, and then the more remote; So where true light is set up, it discovers what is amisse within first.
Hence also wee see, that as in all discouragements Obser. 8.a godly man hath most tr… ble with his owne heart, so hee knowes … to carry himselfe therein, as David … here.
For the better clearing of this, wee must know there bee divers kinds … Obser. 8.degrees of conflicts in the soule … man, whilst it is united to the body.
First, betweene one corrupt Pa… and another, as betweene Covetousn… 1.and Pride; Pride calls for expence, Covetousnesse for restraint; oft Pass… fight not onelyonly against God and re… to which they owe a homage, but … against another; Sinne fights aga… sinne, and a lesser sinne is oftenti… overcome by a greater. The soul… this case, is like the Sea tossed … contrary windes; and like a kingdo… divided, wherein the subjects fig… both against their Prince, and on… gainst another.
Secondly, there is a naturall con… in the Affections whereby Nature see… 2.to preserve it selfe, as betwixt a… and feare; Anger cals for revenge, … of the law bindes the soule to be qui… Wee see in the creatures, feare makes them abstaine from that which their appetites carry them unto. A Wolfe comes to a flock with an eagernesse to prey upon it, but seeing the Shepheard standing in defence of his sheepe, returnes and doth no harme, and yet for all this as hee came a wolfe, so hee returnes a wolfe.
A naturall man may oppose some sin from an obstinate resolution against it, not from any love of God, or hatred of sin, as sin, but because he conceives it a brave thing to have his will. As one hard weapon may strike at another, as a stone wall may beate backe an arrow; but this opposition is not from a contrariety of nature, as is betwixt fire and water.
Thirdly, there is a conflict of a higher nature, as between some sinnes and 3.the light of reason helped by a naturall conscience. The Heathen could reason Major sum, & ad majora natus quam ut corporis mei fim mancipium. Senec.from the dignity of the soule, to count it a base thing to prostitute themselves to beastly lusts, so as it were degrading and unmanning themselves. Naturall men desirous to maintaine a great opinion of themselves, and to awe the inferiour sort by gravity of deportme… in cariage, will abstaine from that which otherwise their hearts … them unto, lest yeelding should rend… them despised, by laying themselves too much open; as because passion discovers a foole as hee is, and mak… wise man thought meaner then he is, therefore a prudent man will conc… his passion. Reason refined and rais… by education, example, and custome, doth breake in some degree the fo… of naturall corruption, and brings i… the soule, as it were, another nature and yet no true change; as we see … such as have beene inured to goo… courses, they feele conscience chec… ing them upon the first discontinuan… and alteration of their former goo… wayes, but this is usually from a for… impression of their breeding, as … boate moves some little time upon … water by vertue of the former stro… yet at length we see corruption prevailing over education, as in Ioas, … was awed by the reverent respect he bare to his uncle Iehojoda, he was good all his uncles dayes: And in Nero, in 2. Kings 12. 2.whom the goodnesse of his education prevailed over the fiercenesse of his nature, for the first five yeares.
Fourthly, but in the Church, where there shineth a light above nature, as 4.there is a discovery of more sinnes, and some strength, with the light, to performe more duty; So there is a further conflict then in a man that hath no better then nature in him. By a discovery of the excellent things of the Gospell, there may be some kinde of joy stirred up, and some degree of obedience: whence there may be some degree of resistance against the sinnes of the Gospell, as obstinate unbeleefe, desperation, prophanesse, &c. A man in the Church may doe more then another out of the Church, by reason of the inlargement of his knowledge; whereupon such cannot sinne at so easie a rate as others that know lesse, and (therefore) meet with lesse opposition from conscience.
Fiftly, there is yet a further degree of conflict betwixt the sanctified powers of the soule, and the flesh, not onelyonly 5.as it is seated in the baser parts, but even in the best faculties of the soule, and as it mingles it self with every gracious performance; (as in David) There is not onelyonly a conflict betwixt sin and conscience, inlightned by a common worke of the Spirit; but betweene the commanding powers of the soule sanctified, and it selfe unsanctified, between reasons of the flesh and reasons of the spirit, betweene faith and distrust, betweene the true light of knowledge, and false light. For it is no question but the flesh would play its part in David, and muster up all the strength of reason it had. And usually flesh, as it is more ancient then the Spirit, (we being first naturall, then spirituall) so it will put it selfe first forward in devising shifts, as Esau comes out of the wombe first before Iacob; yet hereby the Spirit is stirred up to a present examination and resistance, and in resisting (as wee see here) at length the godly gets the victory. As in the conflict betweene the higher parts of the soule with the lower, it clearely appeares, that the soule doth not rise out of the temper of the body, but is a more noble substance, commanding the body by reasons fetched from its owne worth; so in this spirituall conflict, it appeares there is something better then the soul it selfe, that hath superiority over it.