The soules conflict with it selfe, and victory over it self by faith a treatise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits, with comfortable remedies to establish them / by R. Sibbs ...

CAP. I.

Generall Observations upon the Text.

HEnce in generall wee may observe; that, Griefe gathered to a head will not be quieted at the first. We see here passi∣ons intermingled with comforts, and comforts with passions, and what bustling there is, before David can get the victorie over his owne heart: You have some short spirited Christi∣ans, that if they be not comforted at the first, they thinke all labour with their hearts is in vaine, and thereupon give way to their griefe. But we see in Da∣vid,

as distemper ariseth upon distem∣per, so he gives check upon check, and charge upon charge to his soule, un∣till at length hee brought it to a quiet temper. In Physick if one purge will not carry away the vicious humour, then wee adde a second, if that will not doe it, we take a third. So should wee deale with our soules, perhaps, one check, one charge will not doe it, then fall upon the soule againe; send it to God againe, and never give over untill our soules be possessed of our soules againe.

Againe, In generall observe in Da∣vids spirit, that a gracious and living soule is most sensible of the want of spirituall meanes.

The reason is, because spirituall life hath answerable taste, and hunger and thirst after spirituall helps.

Wee see in nature, that those things presse hardest upon it, that touch upon the necessities of nature, rather then those that touch upon delights; for these further onely our comfortable being; but necessities uphold our being it

selfe: we see how famine wrought upon the Patriarks to go into Aegypt: Where we may see what to judge of those who willingly excommunicate themselves from the assemblies of Gods people, where the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are present, where the prayers of holy men meete together in one, and as it were binde God and pull downe Gods blessing: No private devotion hath that report of acceptance from heaven.

A third generall point is, that a godly soule by reason of the life of grace, knowes when it is well with it, and when it is ill, when it is a good day with it, and when a bad; when God shines in the use of meanes, then the soule is as it were in heaven, when God withdrawes himself, then it is in darknesse for a time. Where there is but onely a principle of nature without sanctifying grace, there men go plodding on and keep their rounds, and are at the end where they were at the beginning; not troubled with chan∣ges, because there is nothing within to be troubled; and therefore, dead means, quicke meanes, or no meanes, all is one

with them, an argument of a dead soul. And so we come more particularly and directly to the wordes. Why art thou cast downe O my soule, and why art thou disqui∣eted within me? &c.

The words imply 1 Davids state wherein he was, and 2 expresse his car∣riage in that state.

His estate was such that in regard of outward condition, he was in variety of troubles; and that in regard of inward disposition of spirit, he was first cast downe, and then disquieted.

Now for his carriage of himselfe in this condition, and disposition, he dea∣leth roundly with himselfe: David reasoneth the case with David, and first checketh himselfe for being too much cast downe, and then for being too much disquieted.

And then layeth a charge upon him∣selfe to trust in God; wherein we have the duty he chargeth upon himselfe, which is to trust in God, and the grounds of the duty;

First, from confidence of better times to come, which would yeeld him matter of praising God.

And then by a representation of God unto him, as a saving God in al troubles, nay as salvation it selfe, an open glo∣rious Saviour in the view of all, The salvation of my countenance, and all this enforced from Davids interest in God, He is my God.

Whence observe, first, from the state he was now in, that since guilt and corrup∣tion hath been derived by the fall into the nature of man, it hath been subjected to miserie and sorrow, and that in all conditi∣ons, from the King that sitteth on the Throne to him that grindeth on the Mill. None ever hath beene so good or so great as could raise themselves so high as to be above the reach of troubles.

And that choice part of mankind, the first fruits and excellency of the rest (which we call the Church) more then others, which appeares by considerati∣on, both of the Head, the Body and mem∣bers of the Church. For the Head Christ, he tooke our flesh as it was subject to miserie after the fall, and was (in regard of that which he endured) both in life and death, a man of sorrowes.

For the Body the Church, It may say from the first to the last as it is Psal. 129. From my youth up they have afflicted me. The Church beganne in blood, hath growen up by blood, and shall end in blood, as it was redeemed by blood.

For the members, they are all predes∣tinate to a conformitie to Christ their Head, as in grace and Glory, so in abase∣ment Rom. 8. 29. neither is it a wonder, for those that are born soldiers to meet with conflicts, for travailers to meete with hard usage, for seamen to meete with storms, for strangers in a strange country (especially amongst their ene∣mies) to meete with strange entertain∣ment.

A Christian is a man of another world, and here from home, which hee would forget (if he were not exercised here) and would take his passage for his coun∣try. But though all Christians agree and meete in this, that through many af∣flictions we must enter into heaven: Yet, according to the diversity of place, parts and grace, there is a different cup measured to every one.

And therefore it is but a plea of the flesh, to except against the Crosse, Ne∣ver was poore creature distressed as I am: this is but selfe-love, for was it not the case both of Head, Body and members, as we see here in David a principall member? When hee was brought to this case, thus to reason the matter with himselfe, Why art thou cast downe (O my soule) and why art thou disquieted within me?

From the frame of Davids spirit un∣der these troubles, wee may observe, that, as the case is thus with all Gods people, to be exercised with troubles, so, They are sensible of them oftentimes, e∣ven to casting downe and discouraging. And the reason is, they are flesh and blood subject to the same passions, and made of the same mould, subject to the same impressions from without as o∣ther men; And their nature is upheld with the same supports and refreshings as others, the withdrawing and want of which affecteth them. And besides those troubles they suffer in Common with other men, by reason of their new

advancement and their new dispositi∣on they have in and from Christ their Head, they are more sensible in a pecu∣liar maner of those troubles that any way touch upon that blessed condition, from a new life they have in and from Christ, which will better appeare if we come more particularly to a discovery of the more speciall causes of this di∣stemper, some of which are, 1 Without us. 2 Some within us.

Notes

• Obser. 1.
• Obser. 2.
• Reason
• Acrius ur∣gent quae necessitatis sunt, quam quae spe∣ctant ad vo∣luptutem.
• Obser. 3.
• Parts.
• 1.
• 2.
• 1.
• 2.
• Obser. 1.
• 1. Christ the Head was a man of many sor∣rowes.
• 2. The Church hath beene and is full of sorows.
• 3. The mem∣bers of the Church have been and are ful of crosses.
• Acts 14. 22.
• Vse.
• Obser. 2.
• Reas. 1.
• 2.
• 3.