Obs. 4. We see here again, that a godly man can make a good use of privacy. When he is forced to be alone he can talk with his God and him- self; one reason whereof is, that his heart is a treasury and stoi'ehouse of divine truths, whence he can speak to himself, by way of check, or encour- agement of himself : 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 nearer him than when by way of witness to his spirit he is thus comforted ; wherein the child of God differs from another man, who cannot endure solitariness, because his heart is empty ; he was a stranger to God before, and God is a stranger to him now, so that he cannot go to God as a friend. And for his conscience, that is ready to speak to him that which he is loth to hear : and therefore ho counts himself a torment to himself, especially in privacy.
Wo read of great princes, who after some bloody designs were as temblo * Augustine. — Ed.
THE soul's conflict. 149
to themselves,* as they were formerly to others, and therefore conlcl never endui-e to be awaked in the night, without music or some like diversion. It may be, we may be east into such a condition, where we have none in the world to comfort us ; as in contagious sickness, when none may come near us, we may be in such an estate wherein no fi'iend will own us. And therefore let us labom* now to be acquainted with God and our own hearts, and acquaint our hearts with the comforts of the Holy Ghost ; then, though we have not so much as a book to look on, or a friend to talk with, yet we may look with comfort into the book of om* own heart, and read what God hath written there by the finger of his Spirit. All books are written to amend this one book of our heart and conscience. Ideo scrihuntur omnes lihri, nt emendeturunus. By this means we shall never want a di^dne to comfort us, a physician to cure us, a counsellor to direct us, a musician to cheer us, a controller to check us, because, by help of the word and Spirit, we can be all these to ourselves.
Ohs. 5. Another thing we see here, that God hath made every man a governor over JumseJf. The poor man, that hath none to govern, yet may he be a king in himself. It is the natural ambition of man's heart to desire government, as we see in the bramble. Judges ix. Well then, let us make use of this disposition to rule ourselves. Absalom had high thoughts. 0, if I were a king, I would do 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 do this and that.
But how dost thou manage thine own affections ? How dost thou rule in thine house, in thyself? Do not passions get the upper hand, and keep reason under foot ? When we have learned to rule over our own spirits well, then we may be fit to rule over others. ' He that is faithful in a little, shall be set over more,' Matt. xxv. 21. ' He that can govern himself,' in the wise man's judgment, ' is better than he that can govern a city,' Prov. xvi. 32. He that cannot, is like a city without a wall, where those that are in may go out, and the enemies without may come in at their pleasure. So where there is not a government set up, there sin breaks out, and Satan breaks in without control.
Obs. 6. See again, the excellency of the soul, that can reflect upon itself, and judge of ivhatsoever comes from it. A godly man's care and trouble is especially about his soul, as David here looks principally to that, because all outward troubles are for to help that. When God touches our bodies, our estates, or our friends, he aims at the soul in all. God will never remove his hand, till something be wi'ought upon the soul, as ' David's moistm'e was as the drought in summer,' Ps. xxxii. 4, so that he roared, and carried himself unseemly for so great and holy a man, till his heart was subdued to deal without all guile with God in confessing his sin ; and then God forgave him the iniquity thereof, and healed his body too. In sickness, or in any other trouble, it is best the divine should be before the physician, and that men begin where God begins. In great fires, men look first to their jewels, and then to their lumber ; so oiu' soul is our best jewel. A carnal, worldly man is called, and well caUed, a fleshly man, because his very soul is flesh, and there is nothing but the world in him. And therefore, when all is not well within, he cries out, My body is troubled, my state is broken, my fi-iends fail me, &c. ; but aU this while, there is no care for the poor soul, to settle a peace in that.