A12198:864
The Soul's Conflict with Itself
The souls conflict with it self, and victory over it self by faith a treatise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits, with comfortable remedies to establish them / by R. Sibbs ...The soules conflict with it selfe, and victory over it self by faith a treatise of the inward disquietments of distressed spirits, with comfortable remedies to establish them / by R. Sibbs ...
London: printed by M.F. for R. Dawlman, 1635
THE SOULS CONFLICT with it self. › Chapter 32THE SOVLES CONFLICT with it selfe. › Chapter 32
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
It should fill our hearts with an holy indignation against our selves, if either we rest in a condition, wherein we cannot truly say God is [Our God] or (if when we can in some sincerity of heart say this) that we make no better advantage thereby, and maintain not our selves answerable to such a condition. What a shame is it for a Noble mans ⟨p. 512⟩son to live like a beggar? for a great rich man, to live like a poor peasant? to famish at a banquet? to fall when we have so many stays to lay hold on? Whereas if we could make this clear to our souls, that God is ours, and then take up our thoughts, with the great riches we have in him, laid open in Christ, and in the promises, we need trouble our selves about nothing, but only get a large vessel of faith, to receive what is offered, nay enforced upon us.
It should fill our hearts with an holy indignation against our selves, if either we rest in a condition, wherein we cannot truly say God is [Our God] or (if when we can in some sincerity of heart say this) that we make no better advantage thereby, and maintaine not our selves answerable to such a condition. What a shame is it for a Noble mans ⟨p. 512⟩sonne to live like a beggar? for a great rich man, to live like a poore peasant? to famish at a banquet? to fall when we have so many stayes to lay hold on? Whereas if we could make this cleare to our soules, that God is ours, and then take up our thoughts, with the great riches wee have in him, laid open in Christ, and in the promises, wee need trouble our selves about nothing, but onely get a large vessell of faith, to receive what is offered, nay enforced upon us.
When we can say, God is our God, it is more then if we could say, heaven is mine; or whatever good the creature affords, is mine. Alas, what is all this, to be able to say, God is mine, who hath in him the sweetness of all these things, and infinite more? If God be ours, goodness it self is ours. If he be not ours, though we had all things else, yet ere long nothing would be ours. What a wondrous comfort is this, that God hath put himself over to be ours? That a believing soul may say with as great confidence (and greater too) that God