THE soul's conflict. 191
pleasing error until that time, wherein the sight of our en-or will fill our hearts with horror and shame, without hope of ever changing our condition ?
Here, therefore, is a special use of these soliloquies, to awake the soul and to stir up reason cast asleep by Satan's charms, that so scattering the clouds through which things seem otherwise than they are, we may discern and judge of things according to their true and constant nature. Demand of thy soul. Shall I always be of this mind ? Will not the time come when this will prove bitterness in the end ? Shall I redeem a short contentment with lasting sorrow ? Is my Judge of my mind ? Will not a time come when all things shall appear as they are ? Is this according to the rule ? &c.
To conclude, therefore, whereas there be divers principles of men's ac- tions, as, 1, Natural inclination, inclining us to some courses more than others ; 2, Custom, which is another nature in us ; 3, Imagination, appre- hending things upon shallow grounds, from whence springs aflectation, where- by we desire gloiy in things above our own strength and measure, and make show of that, the truth whereof is wanting in us ; 4, True judgment, discerning the true reasons of things ; 5, Faith, which is a spiritual principle planted in the soul, apprehending things above reason, and raising us up to conceive of all things as God hath discovered them. Now a sound Chi'istian should not be lightly led with those first common grounds of natural inclination, custom, opinion, &c., but by judgment enlightened, advanced, and guided by faith. And we must take heed we sufl'er not things to pass suddenly from imagination to affection, without asking advice of om* judgment, and faith in the way, whose ofiice is to weigh things in God's balance, and, thereupon, to accept or refuse them.
' Chapter XIV. — Oj help by others. Of true comforters and their graces. Method. Ill success.
§ I. But because we are subject to favour, and flatter ourselves, it is wis- dom to take the benefit of a second self, that is, a weU chosen friend, living or dead, books I mean, which will speak truly, without flattery, of our estates. ' A friend is made for the time of adversity,' Prov. xvii. 17; and two are better than one, Eccl. iv. 9, for, by this means, our troubles are divided, and so more easily borne. The very presence of a true-hearted friend yields often ease to our grief. Of all friends, those that by ofiice are to speak a word to a weary soul are most to be regarded, as speaking to us in Christ's stead. Oftentimes, especially in our own case, we are blinded and benighted with passion, and then the judgment of a friend is clearer. Loving friends have a threefold privilege : 1, Their advice is suitable, and fit to our present occasion, they can meet with our grievance, so cannot books so well ; 2, What comes from a Hving friend, comes lively, as helped by his Spirit ; 3, In regard of ourselves, what they say is apprehended with more ease, and less plodding and bent of mind. There is scarce anything wherein we see God more in favour towards us, than m our friends, and their seasonable speeches, our hearts being natru'ally very false and willingly deceived. God often gives us up to be misled hymen, not according to his, but our own naughty hearts. As men are, so are their counsellors, tor such they will have, and such God lets them have. Men, whose wills are stronger than their wits, who are wedded to their own ways, are more pleased^ to hear that which compUes with their inclinations, than a harsh truth which
192 THE soul's conflict.
crosses them. This presages ruin, because they are not counselable. Wherefore God suft'ers them to be led through a fool's paradise to a true prison, as men that will neither hear themselves nor others who would do them good against their wills. It was a sign God would destroy Eli's sons, when they would hear no counsel, 1 Sam. ii. 25. God fills such men vnth their own ways, Prov. xiv. 14. Men in great place, often in the abundance of all things else, want the benefit of a true friend, Ideo amicus deest quia nihil deest, because, under pretence of service of them, men cari-y their own ends. As great men* flatter themselves, so they are flattered by others, and so robbed of the true judgment of themselves. Of all spiritual judg- ments this is the heaviest, for men to be given up to such a measure of seLf-willness, and to refuse spiritual balm to heal them. Usually such 'perish without remedy,' Prov. xxix. 1, because to be wilfully miserable is to be doubly miserable, for it adds to our misery, that we brought it will- ingly upon ourselves.
It is a course that will have a blessing attending it, for friends to join in league, one to watch over another, and observe each other's ways. It is a usual course for Christians to join together in other holy duties, as hearing, receiving of the sacrament, prayer, &c. ; but this fruit of holy communion which ariseth from a mutual observing one another is much wanting. Whence it is that so many droop, so many are so uncheerful in the ways of God, and lie groaning under the burden of many cares, and are battered with so many temptations, &c., because they are left only to their own spirits. What an unworthy thing is it that we should pity a beast overloaden, and yet take no pity of a brother ! (f) whereas there is no living member of Christ but hath spiritual love .infused into him and some ability to comfort others. Dead stones in an arch uphold one another, and shall not living ? It is the work of an angel to comfort ; nay, it is the ofiice of the Holy Ghost to be a Comforter, not only immediately, but by breathing comfort into our hearts, together with the comfortable words of others. Thus one friend becomes an angel, nay, a god, to another. And there is a sweet sight of God in the face of a friend ; for though the comfort given by God's messengers be ordinarily most efiectual, as the blessing of parents, who are in God's room, is more effectual than the blessing of others upon their children, yet God hath pro- mised a blessing to the offices of communion of saints performed by one private man towards another. Can we have a greater encouragement than, under God, to be gainer of a soul, which is as much in God's esteem as if we should gain a world? Spiritual alms are the best alms. Mercy shewed to the souls of men is the greatest mercy, and wisdom in winning of souls is the greatest wisdom in the world, because the soul is especially the man, upon the goodness of which the happiness of the whole man depends. What shining and flourishing Christians should we have if these duties were per- formed ! As we have a portion in the communion of saints, so w^e should labour to have humility to take good, and wisdom and love to do good. A Christian should have feeding lips and a healing tongue. The leaves, the very words, of the tree of righteousness have a curing virtue in them.