The Spirit of God will tell our spirits, and our spirits will tell us, that God is our Friend and Father, that he loves us, and delights in us, so long as we be have our selves to sin, as to an enemy, hating, loathing, and resisting it. Thus are we most friends to our selves, when we be most foes with our corruptions. And this fighting with sin, will make us live quietly also with our neighbours. He that is busy in finding out, and subduing his home-bred corruptions, shall have little or no leisure, to take causeless unkindnesses, to pick needless quarrels, and to provoke others against him by injurious behaviour; so shall he shun the greatest company of jars and brawls, that use to set men together by the ears. Saint James saith;1 That wars and fightings amongst men do come from their lusts, which war in their members. We may, if we will, deceive our selves, and attribute things to false causes; but the Spirit of God, that understandeth all things aright, ⟨p. 112⟩and cannot be deceived, points to lust, fighting in the members, as the most true, proper, and immediate cause of contentions & stirs betwixt man and man. Therefore the more any man doth quell, subdue, vanquish, weaken, and beat down these lusts, the more calmly shall he pass through the sea of the world, and the fewer storms of discord. and enmity, shall he meet withal. When soldiers lye idle, and are not employed in marching against the common foe, then they mutiny, and fall out with each other: so when men set not their grief and hatred, and other affections on work, to make war upon sin, then they quickly take occasion to grieve at each other, to sigh one against another, to hate one another, and to vex and gall each other, and trouble themselves most of all. But soldiers agree among themselves, whilst they lend their powers against a common foe; so when we have strongest and hottest war with the devil and sin, then do we nourish most concord with one another. Thus shall the soul enjoy unutterable quietness every way within and without, from God, and from man, and one weeks life, led in such comfortable and happy concord and amity with a mans own soul, and all about him, is more worth, then the lasting of a whole twelve-month, torn and rent asunder with the civill broils and commotions of a grudging, froward, and distempered heart.
The Spirit of God wil tell our spirits, and our spirits will tell vs, that God is our Friend and Father, that he loues vs, and delights in vs, so long as we be haue our selues to sinne, as to an enemy, hating, loathing, and resisting it. Thus are we most friends to our selues, when wee bee most foes with our corruptions. And this fighting with sinne, will make vs liue quietly also with our neighbours. Hee that is busie in finding out, and subduing his home-bred corruptions, shall haue little or no leasure, to take causelesse vnkindnesses, to picke needlesse quarrels, and to prouoke others against him by iniurious behauiour; so shall hee shun the greatest company of iarres and brawles, that vse to set men together by the eares. Saint Iames saith;1 That warres and fightings amongst men doe come from their lusts, which war in their members. We may, if we will, deceiue our selues, and attribute things to false causes; but the Spirit of God, that vnderstandeth all things aright, ⟨p. 112⟩and cannot be deceiued, points to lust, fighting in the members, as the most true, proper, and immediate cause of contentions & stirres betwixt man and man. Therefore the more any man doth quell, subdue, vanquish, weaken, and beate downe these lusts, the more calmely shal he passe thorow the sea of the world, and the fewer stormes of discord. and enmitie, shall hee meete withall. When souldiers lye idle, and are not imployed in marching against the common foe, then they mutinie, and fall out with each other: so when men set not their griefe and hatred, and other affections ou worke, to make war vpon sin, then they quickly take occasion to grieue at each other, to sigh one against another, to hate one another, and to vexe and gawle each other, and trouble themselues most of all. But souldiers agree among themselues, whilest they lend their powers against a common foe; so when we haue strongest and hottest warre with the deuill and sinne, then doe we nourish most concord with one another. Thus shall the soule enioy vnutterable quietnesse euery way within and without, from God, and from man, and one weekes life, led in such comfortable and happie concord and amitie with a mans owne soule, and all about him, is more worth, then the lasting of a whole twelue-moneth, torne and rent asunder with the ciuill broyles and commotions of a grudging, froward, and distempered heart.
- 1James 4.1.Iames 4.1.
