but after he bemoans that he sinks in deep* mire, where there was no standing. What is become of those green pastures? parched up with the drought. Where are those still waters? troubled with the tempest of affliction. The same David compares himself to an owl,+ and in the next Psalm resembles himself to an eagle. Do two fowls fly of more different kind? The one the scorn, the other the sovereign; the one the slowest, the other the swiftest; the one the most sharp-sighted, the other the most dim-eyed of all birds. Wonder not, then, to find in thyself sudden and strange alterations. It fared thus with all God's servants, in their agonies of temptation; and be confident thereof, though now run aground with grief, in due time thou shalt be all afloat with comfort.

TIM. I am loath to interrupt you in so welcome a discourse.

PHIL. Thirdly, consider, that thou hast had, though not grace enough to cure thee, yet enough to keep thee, and conclude that he whose goodness hath so long held thy head above water from drowning, will at last bring thy whole body safely to the shore. The wife of Manoah had more faith than her husband, and thus she reasoned: If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt and a meat offering at our hands. Thou mayst argue in like manner: if God had intended finally to forsake me, he would

*Psalm lxix. 2.

+ Compare Psalm cii. 6, with Psalm cii. 5.
Judg. xiii. 23.

never so often have heard and accepted my prayers, in such a measure as to vouchsafe unto me, though not full deliverance from, free preservation in my affliction. Know God hath done great things for thee already, and thou mayst conclude, from his grace of supportation hitherto, grace of ease, and relaxation hereafter.

TIM. It is pity to disturb you, proceed.

PHIL. Fourthly, consider, that besides the private stock of thy own, thou tradest on the public store of all good men's prayers, put up to heaven for thee. What a mixture of languages met in Jerusalem at Pentecost,* Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, &c. But conceive, to thy comfort, what a medley of prayers, in several tongues, daily centre themselves in God's ears in thy behalf, English, Scotch, Irish, French, Dutch, &c. insomuch, that perchance thou dost not understand one syllable of their prayers, by whom thou mayst reap benefit.

TIM. Is it not requisite, to entitle me to the profit of other men's prayers, that I particularly know their persons which pray for me?

PHIL. Not at all, no more than it is needful that the eye or face must see the backward parts, which is difficult, or the inward parts of the body, which is impossible; without which sight, by sympathy they serve one another. And such is the correspondency by prayers, betwixt the mystical members of Christ's body, corporally unseen one by another.

*Acts ii.

TIM. Proceed to a fifth meditation.

*

PHIL. Consider, there be five kinds of consciences on foot in the world: first, an ignorant conscience, which neither sees nor saith anything, neither beholds the sins in a soul, nor reproves them. Secondly, the flattering conscience, whose speech is worse than silence itself, which, though seeing sin, soothes men in the committing thereof. Thirdly, the seared conscience, which hath neither sight, speech, nor sense, in men that are past feeling. Fourthly, a wounded conscience, frighted with sin. The last and best, is a quiet, and clear conscience, pacified in Christ Jesus. Of these, the fourth is thy case, incomparably better than the three former, so that a wise man would not take a world to change with them. Yea, a wounded conscience is rather painful than sinful, an affliction, no offence, and is in the ready way, at the next remove to be turned into a quiet conscience. TIM. I hearken unto you with attention and comfort.

PHIL. Lastly, consider the good effects of a wounded conscience, privative for the present, and positive for the future. First, privative, this heaviness of thy heart (for the time being) is a bridle to thy soul, keeping it from many sins it. would otherwise commit. Thou that now sittest sad in thy shop, or walkest pensive in thy parlour, or standest sighing in thy chamber, or liest sobbing on thy bed, mightest perchance at the same time be drunk, or wanton, or worse, if not

Ephes. iv. 19.

restrained by this affliction. God saith in his prophet to Judah,* I will hedge thy way with thorns, namely, to keep Judah from committing spiritual fornication. It is confest that a wounded conscience, for the time, is a hedge of thorns, (as the messenger of Satan, sent to buffet St. Paul, is termed a thorn+ in the flesh.) But this thorny fence keeps our wild spirits in the true way, which otherwise would be straggling and it is better to be held in the right road with briers and brambles, than to wander on beds of roses, in a wrong path, which leads to destruction.

:

TLM. What are the positive benefits of a wounded conscience?

PHIL. Thereby the graces in thy soul will be proved, approved, improved. Oh, how clear will thy sunshine be, when this cloud is blown over? And here I can hardly hold from envying thy happiness hereafter. O that I might have thy future crown, without thy present cross; thy triumphs, without thy trial; thy conquest, without thy combat! But I recall my wish, as impossible, seeing what God hath joined together, no man can put asunder. These things are so twisted together, I must have both or neither.

* Hos. ii. 6.

+2 Cor. xii. 7.

DIALOGUE XV.

That is not always the greatest Sin whereof a Man is guilty, wherewith his Conscience is most pained for the present.

TIMOTHEUS.

S that the greatest sin in a man's soul, where

thereof, is most perplexed?

pony agony

PHIL. It is so commonly, but not constantly. Commonly, indeed, that sin most pains and pinches him, which commands as principal in his soul.

TIM. Have all men's hearts some one paramount sin, which rules as sovereign over all the rest?

PHIL. Most have. Yet as all countries are not monarchies governed by kings, but some by freestates, where many together have equal power; so it is possible (though rare) that one man may have two, three, or more sins, which jointly domineer in his heart, without any discernible superiority betwixt them.

TIM. Which are the sins that most generally wound and afflict a man, when his conscience is terrified?

PHIL. No general rule can exactly be given herein. Sometimes that sin, in acting whereof he took most delight; it being just, that the sweetness of his corporal pleasure should be sauced with