1Learn here how beneficial a man may be to himself: how he may instruct, direct, encourage, and comfort himself: namely by well using that light of understanding which God giveth him, and by applying that wherein he is well informed to himself. On this ground when we are tempted to a sin, when we find passion, pride, lust, or any other corruption beginning to arise in us, let us make our case to be another's case, and by our understanding reason with our souls as if they were other persons: and what we would in such cases say to others, let us say to our own souls, as the Psalmist, Why art thou disquieted O my soul? 2And here, return unto thy rest, O my soul. Many that much doubt, and even despair themselves, can produce sound grounds to move others to be confident in God, which if they would press upon their own souls, they might be much quickened thereby. They can tell others, that when God seems to hide himself, it is but a cloud that keepeth away the brightness of Gods favour, which shall be driven away, and therefore they ought to hope and wait. They can tell others, that temptations to sin must be resisted, and that by resisting of them, they will be vanquished. They can set a catalogue of promises before others in their conflicts, and be plentiful and powerful in persuading others to bounden duties, and dissuading them from disgraceful vices. If thus they would deal with themselves, what good might they do to themselves? Thus should they never want (no not when they are most retired, most private, even by themselves alone) an instructor, a directer, a counsellor, a comforter. And no counsellor, no comforter can be more powerful with a mans soul, then himself.
1Learne here how beneficiall a man may be to himselfe: how he may instruct, direct, encourage, and comfort himselfe: namely by well using that light of understanding which God giveth him, and by applying that wherein he is well informed to himselfe. On this ground when we are tempted to a sinne, when we find passion, pride, lust, or any other corruption beginning to arise in us, let us make our case to be anothers case, and by our understanding reason with our soules as if they were other persons: and what we would in such cases say to others, let us say to our owne soules, as the Psalmist, Why art thou disquieted O my soule? 2And here, returne unto thy rest, O my soule. Many that much doubt, and even despaire themselves, can produce sound grounds to move others to be confident in God, which if they would presse upon their owne soules, they might be much quickened thereby. They can tell others, that when God seemes to hide himselfe, it is but a cloud that keepeth away the brightnesse of Gods favour, which shall be driven away, and therefore they ought to hope and waite. They can tell others, that temptations to sin must be resisted, and that by resisting of them, they will be vanquished. They can set a catalogue of promises before others in their conflicts, and bee plentifull and powerfull in perswading others to bounden duties, and disswading them from disgracefull vices. If thus they would deale with themselves, what good might they do to themselves? Thus should they neuer want (no not when they are most retired, most private, even by themselves alone) an instructer, a directer, a counseller, a comforter. And no counseller, no comforter can be more powerfull with a mans soule, then himselfe.
