The Soul's Conflict with Itself

Thirdly, A conscience guided by ¹common light, withstands distempers most by outward means, but David here fetcheth help from the Spirit of God in him, and from trust in God. Nature works from within, so doth the new nature; David is not only something disquieted, and something troubled for being disquieted, but sets himself throughly against his distempers; he complains, and expostulates, he censures, and chargeth his soul. The other, if he doth any thing at all, yet it is faintly; he seeks out his corruption as a coward doth his enemy, loth to find him, and more loth to encounter with him.

Thirdly, A conscience guided by ¹common light, withstands distempers most by outward meanes, but David here fetcheth helpe from the Spirit of God in him, and from trust in God. Nature works from within, so doth the new nature; David is not onely something disquieted, and something troubled for being disquieted, but sets himselfe throughly against his distempers; hee complaines, and expostulates, hee censures, and chargeth his soule. The other, if hee doth any thing at all, yet it is faintly; he seeks out his corruption as a coward doth his enemie, loth to finde him, and more loth to encounter with him.

1. 13.

Fourthly, David withstands sin ¹constantly and gets ground. We see here, he gives not over at the first, but presseth again and again. Nature works constantly, so doth the new nature. The conflict in the other is something forced, as taking part with the ⟨p. 86⟩worser side in himself, good things have a weak, or rather no party in him, bad things a strong; and therefore he soon gives over in this holy quarrel.