Incase of stiflness and standing out, it is fit the man of God, 1 Tim. vi. 11 and 2 Tim. iii. 17, should take some authority upon him, and lay a charge upon the souls of men in the name of Christ, to give way to the truth of Christ, and to forbear putting ofi' that mercy which is so kindly ofiered, when we judge it to be their portion ; which course will be successful in hearts awed with a reverend fear of gi'ieving God's Spirit, Sometimes men must be dealt roundly withal, as David here deals with his own soul, that so whilst we ask a reason of their dejection, they may plainly see they have no reason to be so cast down. For oftentimes gi'ievances are irrational, rising from mistakes ; and counsel, bringing into the soul a fresh light, dissolves those gross fogs, and setteth the soul at liberty. What grief is contracted by false reason, is by true reason removed.* Thus it pleaseth God to humble men, by letting them see in what need they stand one of another, that so the communion of saints may be endeared. Every relation wherein we stand towards others, are so many bonds and sinews whereby one member is fitted to derive comfort to another, ' through love the bond of perfection,' Col. iii. 14 ; all must be done in this sweet affection. A member out of joint must be tenderly set in again, and bound up, which only men guided by the spirit of love seasoned with discretion are fit to do. They are taught of God to do what they should. The more of Christ is in any man, the more willingness and fitness to this duty ; to which this should en- courage us, that in strengthening others we strengthen ourselves, and derive upon ourselves the blessing pronounced on those that * consider the needy,' Ps. xli. 1, which will be our comfort here and crown hereafter, that God hath honoured us, to be instruments of spiritual good to others. It is an injunction to 'comfort the feeble-minded,' 1 Thes. v. 14, and there is an heavy imputation on those that ' comforted not the weak,' Ezek. xxxiv. 4 ; when men will not own men in trouble, but estrange themselves as the * ' Kcmovcd,' is in B and C ' altered.'
THE soul's conflict. 195
herd of deer forsakes and puslies away* the wounded deer from them. And those that are any ways cast down, must stoop to those ways which God hath sanctified to convey comfort ; for though sometimes the Spirit of God immediately comforts the soul, which is the sweetest, yet for the most part the ' Sun of righteousness that hath healing in his wings,' Mai. iv. 2, conveyeth the beams of his comfort by the help of others, in whom he will have much of our comfort to lie hid ; and for this very end it pleaseth God to exercise his children, and ministers especially, with trials and afflictions, that so they, having felt what a troubled spirit is in themselves, might be able to comfort others in their distresses with the same comfort wherewith they have been comforted, 2 Cor. vii. 7. God often suspends comfort from us to di'ive us t'o make use of our Christian friends, by whom he puq^oseth to do us good, Si illatas molestias lingua diced, a conscientia dolor enianat, vulnera enim clausa plus cruciant. — Greg. Oftentimes the very opening of men's grievances bringeth ease, without any further working upon them. The very opening of a vein cools the blood. If God in the state of inno- cency thought it fit man should have a helper, if God thought it fit to send an angel to comfort Chi'ist in his agonies, shall any man think the comfort of another more than needs ? Satan makes every afiiiction, by reason of our corruption, a temptation to us, whereupon we are to encounter not only with our own corruptions, but with om* spii'itual wickednesses, Eph. vi. 12 ; and need we not then that others should join forces with us to dis- cover the temptation, and to confirm and comfort us against it ? For so reason joining with reason, and afiection with afiection, we come by uniting of strength to be impregnable. Satan hath most advantage in solitariness, and thereupon sets upon Chiist in the wilderness. Mat. iv., and upon Eve single. Gen. iii., and it added to the gloiy of Christ's victory, that he over- came him in a single combat, and in a place of such disadvantage. Those that will be alone, at such times, do as much as in them lieth to tempt the tempter himself, to tempt them. The preacher gives three reasons why 'two are better than one,' Eccles. iv. 9. 1. Because if one fall, the other may hft him up. As that which is stronger shore th up that which is weaker, so feeble minds are raised and kept up by the stronger ; nay, often- times he that is weaker in one grace is stronger in another. One ma}' help by his experience and meekness of love, that needs the help of another for knowledge. 2. If two lie together, one may waim another by kindhng one another's spirits. "Where two meet together upon such holy gi'ounds and aims, there Christ by his Spirit makes up another, and this threefold cable who shall break ? Mat. x-viii. 20. While Joash lived, Jehoiada stood up- right ; while Latimer and Kidley lived, they kept up Cranmer by intercoui'se of letters and othei-wise, from entertaining counsels of revolt. The disciples presently upon Christ's apprehension fainted, notwithstanding he laboured by his heavenly doctrine to put com-age and comfort into them. 3. If any give an onset upon them, there is two to withstand it, spuit joining with spirit ; and because there is an acquaintance of sphits as well as of persons, those are fittest to lay open our minds unto, in whom upon ex- perience of their fidelity our hearts may most safely rely. Solatium vitce, habere cui p)ectus aperias.^ We lose much of om* strength in the loss of a