(2.) There is nature under the ' spirit of bondage,' which we call * the old man.'
56 discouragement's recovery.
(3.) There is the * new man,' framed by the ' Spirit of God,' which doth strive against the corruption of his nature; for nature cannot but be troubled in alHictions. This we see in Adam in his innocency ; yea, in Christ himself. Grace doth stay us in this state, then much more doth grace stop nature. In the excellent state of the soul, having the Spirit of God in him, whereby a man is raised up above himself, and humbles him- self, this is the excellency of the spiritual nature of the soul, and especially the excellency of the Spirit in the soul. The soul can check the body, and the Spirit can check both soul and body. Well, this I speak but in a word; for I will not stand upon it, but only to shew the nature of the soul.
Quest. It may be asked, How shall we know in these things, when any- thing comes from the Spirit, and not from the natural soul ? for here is nature, flesh, and the Spirit.
Ans. I answer, when there is [the] Spirit in a man, that doth cross the natural constitution of the body, and checks the constitution of his soul being in affliction and discouraged in it, that thereby a man recovers him- self again.
Afflictions of the soul are the greatest and worst of all, yet in this estate his soul doth carry him upward ; and therefore there must be something in him that is better and above nature, which enables him to check and reprove himself. Now, this must needs be an excellent thing. Why ? Because this is the Spirit of God, which enables us to strive, as Job did : ' Though thou kill me, yet will I trust in thee,' Job xiii. 15. And our blessed Saviour in his depths of afflictions cries, * My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' Mat. xxvii. 46. The sense of his present state caused him to cry out as if God had forsaken him ; yet herein the blessed Spirit doth raise him up, for he cries, ' My God.' Thus we see when there is a crossing of ourselves in that state which we are in, this is a sign that it comes from the Spirit of God, and not from nature: ' Why art thou so cast down, why art thou so disquieted within me, 0 my soul ?'
Another thing that I observe is this,
Doct. 5. lliut the prerogative of a Christian in these disquietings, and in all estates, is, he hath God and himself to sjyeak unto, u-hereby he can remove solitariness. Put him into a dungeon, yet he may speak unto God there, and speak unto himself.
This is an excellent state. He who hath laid up store of grace before- hand, he can reprove and cross himself, and in his depths cry out unto God. Therefore take a Christian in the worst estate of all others, yet he can improve his estate to the best before God, whereby, even then, he hath an happy communion with God. This is a comfort to a Christian, when be hath nothing to comfort himself withal ; as David here had neither goods, nor comforts, nor prophets, nor the tabernacle with him, yet he had his good God to go unto, who was the only thing he had ; and when he speaks comfortably unto him, then David speaks as comfortably unto his soul : ' Why art thou cast down, 0 my soul ? '
Let all the tjTants in the world do their worst to a Christian, if God be with him, he is cheerful still. This is plentifully seen in David. He was vexed outwardly, punished, persecuted, and banished from God's house, yet he goes unto God; and though he were vexed in his soul in particular, yet he cries out, ' Why art thou so vexed within me, why art thou so un- quiet ? '
The point from hence is this,
DISCOURAGEMENT S KECOVERY.
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Boct. 6. The best way to establish the soul is to deal ivith our own souls, and to begin with them first, and proceed in a judicial manner, as this holy prophet of the Lord did. When we are in any troubles and afflictions, do not go to the trouble, but go to the soul; for if the soul be not set in right frame, and quieted, we cannot endure anything. But if we can set and frame ourselves to God, all the tyrants in the world, and all the devils in hell, cannot hurt us. The devil comes to our Saviour, but he could do him no harm, because there was nothing within him for him to fasten upon, John xiv. 30. Therefore this is the way, if we be in trouble, let all other things go, and lay the foundation of our quiet in God, and deal with our own souls. And the way to do this is to cite our souls before our- selves, hereby to make ourselves oflfenders and judges, teachers and scholars, as the prophet doth here : ' Why art thou so unquiet, 0 my soul ? ' God hath erected a court in a man, that he may cite and con- demn himself. God hath set up this court, and given us this liberty, to prevent another examination, and condemnation for ever in the world to come. Therefore, 1 Cor. xi. 31, it is said, ' If we will judge ourselves, we shall not be judged of the Lord.' The way to do this is to call our own souls to a reckoning. This is to be strongly endeavoured for many reasons, that I will not stand upon, but only name some one of them.