The Soul's Conflict with Itself

§. 9.

8. Again, David here doth not only resolve, but presently takes up his ¹soul before it strayed too far from God; the further and the longer the soul wanders from God, the more it entangles it self and the thicker darkness will cover the soul, yea the loather it is to come to God again, being ashamed to look God in the face after discontinuing of acquaintance with him; Nay the stronger the league grows ⟨p. 261⟩betwixt sin and the soul, and the more there groweth a kind of suitableness betwixt the soul and sin; Too long giving way to base thoughts and affections, discovers too much complacency and liking of sin. If we once give way, a little grief will turn into bitter sorrow, and that into a settled pensiveness and heaviness of spirit; fear will grow into astonishment, and discouragement into despair; If ever we mean to trust God, Why not now? How many are taken away in their offers and essays, before they have prepared their hearts to cleave unto God. The sooner we give up our selves to the Lord, the sooner we know upon what terms we stand, and the sooner we provide for our best security, and have not our grounds of comfort to seek when we shall stand most in need of them. Time will salve up grief in the meanest of men, Reason in those that will suffer themselves to be ruled thereby, will cure (or at least stay the fits of it) sooner: but Faith if we stir it up, will give our souls no rest, until ⟨p. 262⟩it hath brought us to our true rest (that is) to God: therefore we should press the heart forward to God presently that Satan make not the rent greater.

8. Againe, David here doth not onely resolve, but presently takes up his ¹soule before it strayed too farre from God; the further and the longer the soule wanders from God, the more it intangles it selfe and the thicker darknesse will cover the soule, yea the loather it is to come to God againe, being ashamed to looke God in the face after discontinuing of acquaintance with him; Nay the stronger the league growes