The oyle of gladnesse. Or, Comfort for dejected sinners. First preached in the parish church of Banbury in certaine sermons, and now published in this present treatise. By William Whately minister there.

§ 2.

The third followes, and that is conference.

Make thy case knowne to others of Gods peo∣ple, for wisdome lies not all in one brest, so that any one man should bee able for himselfe to an∣swer all Satans crafty cavills, especially the weake Christian cannot, therefore must he shew his case, and crave coun∣sell; David could com∣fort himselfe, Bathsheba could not. Wherefore devoure not thy sor∣rowes all alone, but aske advice, seeke abroad for comfort, and make an happy use of the fellow∣ship and communion of

Saints. More easily can the divell over reach one then many, commu∣nicate therefore thy griefes and feares, to some or other of Gods faithfull people or Mini∣sters. Now is the time of hearkening to the counsell of Saint Iames, who bids us, Confesse our faults one to another, and pray one for another that you may be healed, when men that are tormented in spirit, suffer them∣selves to bee stopped by shame or feare, from opening their wounds, they multiply their own

miseries, and increase the flames by stifling them. Do not so there∣fore any longer, but make manifest thy ter∣rors, and acknowledge thy sinnes to some or other comforter. A man in a desperate di∣sease will runne to the Chyrurgion. Bee sure thou hast not commit∣ted any so grievous sins, but some or other of Gods children have committed as bad. Bee sure that no temptation ceaseth upon thee, so foule and hideous, but the same or as bad, hath

beene found before in some or other of the Saints. J say therefore againe, make haste to seeke advice, and disco∣ver thine whole soule freely and fully to him whom thou takest for thy Physitian, and leave nothing, no nothing un∣uttered that doth trou∣ble thee; and resolve to beleeve rather the words of him that seekes to comfort thee, then thine owne strong fancies, and Satans lying cavills a∣gainst thee. It is evident that a sound man can easily doe that for a sick

man, which hee by no meanes is able to doe for himselfe in the time of his sicknesse. There∣fore doe the sicke send for the whole, and the whole come to the sicke, and even so must the sick and comfortlesse soule doe likewise, onely doe this speedily, and put not off till thou beest alrea∣dy overwhelmed with griefes. As a bone out of joynt, that is too long afore it bee set, is farre more hardly restored to his place, and is ever ready to be slipping out againe: so a distressed

soule that defers to crave counsell, is much more hardly comforted, and doth much more easily fall againe into his won∣ted griefes. Speed is ne∣cessary therefore in the latter of these two cases as well as the former, and great is the hurt of deferring. If thou hast carryed thy griefes in silence long, that that is past cannot be remedi∣ed, and thou must bee sure it will bee harder and longer afore thou canst be helped. But if thou beest one that now begins to faint, let nor

Satan hinder thee from revealing thy case, as he will endeavour. Two eyes see more then one, and one man alone is easily cousened. Shame, shame, carnall shame hinders many a soule from inward comfort; he is ashamed to tell to others what he findes in himselfe, as not know∣ing that all men labour of the same disease of originall sinne, which is an aptnesse to every sinne. If a man have a foule disease and bee ashamed to shew it, either hee must bee the better

skilled in Surgery him∣selfe, or else he dies for it, so it is for sinnes. Make speed therefore to look abroad for com∣fort, if thou finde not thy selfe ablt to deale with thine owne feares and objections.

Notes

• James 5.16.