Nothings be so near as a man and his soul: Tot a domus duo sunt; the whole household is but two: yea, why should they be called two? we may say in a right sense, Mens cujusque is est quisque: every mans soul is himself. If there be any division, sin made it: a just punishment, at qui nollet cum Deo uniri, non pos•it in semetipso non dividi. All these quarrels and brawls may thank sin: that is the makebate betwixt God and us, betwixt us and our selves. But that man and his soul be grievously fallen out, that will not speak one to another: when he shall pass a whole day, and not ask his soul how she does? this were too much betwixt man and wife: when he shall he down in his bed, as the beast doth in his litter, without bidding his soul good-night: when he shall have fowled and besmeared his soul with the nasty aspersions of lusts, and not sweep out the dust before he shut the door, not wash his soul with tears, before his eye-lids be closed down with slumber: yea, when he shall have wounded his soul with blasphemies and uncharitable injuries, and then throw it down in a deluge of drink, as ⟨p. 56⟩it were weltering in the own gore, without calling for repentance, the Chirurgeon to dress it. What madness and self-hatred is this? When the soul may not have leave to think over her own thoughts; to reflect upon her self, to search her own bruises, to survey the multitude of her sorrows, and feel in what need she stands of comforts? That, Plerisque notus, ignotus moriatur sibi? But the children of God have learned to commune with their own hearts, to examine every thought, and to weigh every desire in the balance of the Sanctuary. Whether they find themselves pensive or joyful, they will search the cause: As Rebecca said, when she felt the children struggle in her womb, Why am I thus? Whether fear or hope, joy or pain have invaded 1my thoughts, let me ask my soul the reason, Why am I thus? The Fathers were excellent good at this: they had their confessions and Soliloquies, familiar conferences with their own hearts; that when a man reads them, he would think they kept no other company but themselves. Conference with others may make us wise or learned, but conference with our selves is the way to make us holy.
Nothings be so neer as a man and his soul: Tot a domus duo sunt; the whole houshold is but two: yea, why should they be called two? we may say in a right sense, Mens cujusque is est quisque: every mans soul is himselfe. If there be any division, sin made it: a just punishment, at qui nollet cum Deo uniri, non pos•it in semetipso non dividi. All these quarrels and brawles may thanke sinne: that is the makebate betwixt God and us, betwixt us and our selves. But that man and his soul be grieuously fallen out, that will not speak one to another: when he shall passe a whole day, and not aske his soul how she does? this were too much betwixt man and wife: when he shall he down in his bed, as the beast doth in his litter, without bidding his soul good-night: when he shall have fowled and besmeared his soul with the nasty aspersions of lusts, and not sweep out the dust before he shut the door, not wash his soul with tears, before his eye-lids be closed down with slumber: yea, when he shall have wounded his soul with blasphemies and uncharitable injuries, and then throw it down in a deluge of drinke, as ⟨p. 56⟩it were weltring in the own gore, without calling for repentance, the Chirurgion to dresse it. What madnesse and selfe-hatred is this? When the soul may not have leave to think over her own thoughts; to reflect upon her self, to search her own bruises, to survey the multitude of her sorrowes, and feel in what need she stands of comforts? That, Plerisque notus, ignotus moriatur sibi? But the children of God have learned to commune with their own hearts, to examine every thought, and to weigh every desire in the balance of the Sanctuary. Whether they find themselves pensive or joyfull, they wil search the cause: As Rebecca said, when she felt the children struggle in her wombe, Why am I thus? Whether fear or hope, joy or pain have invaded 1my thoughts, let me aske my soul the reason, Why am I thus? The Fathers were excellent good at this: they had their confessions and Soliloquies, familiar conferences with their own hearts; that when a man reads them, hee would think they kept no other company but themselves. Conference with others may make us wise or learned, but conference with our selves is the way to make us holy.
- 1Gen. 25. 22.
