' l>itrl1. l· Dire/1. 3· Dire/1.~· ilgai11ft Self.mr+rder. Tit. :z.. Ad-vice againft Self-mtlrder. THough Sc/f-mttrdtr be a fin which N•ture hath as flrongly inclined man againfi, as any fin in the World that I remember, and therefore I flnll fay but little of it ; yet elCperience tclkth us that it is a fin that fome pcrfons are in danger of, and therefore 1 ihall not pafs it h)'. The prevention of itlycth in the avoiding of thcfe following Caufes of it. ~· r. Direct. J, The commmeft cau[e is prevailing Melancholy which is neer to mJJdnrji :there· Jure Ill' prevent this fad difiafi, or to cure it if contra{led, 1211d to watch them in _the mean time, ; 1 the cbief prevcntiwt of tllH fin. Though th~re be m_uch more hope of the falvanon of fuch, as want the: ufc of their Undt:r{bndings, becaul~ fo ~ar It may be called i~vo~untary, yet it is a very dread– ful cafe, efpecially fo far as reafon rtmamcth m any power. But H IS not more natural for a m;!n in a Feaver to ~ thirfi ~n? rave, .than for Melancholy .at the hci~ht to incline _men ro make away themfclvcs. For the .d.fe,{e w•ll lrt them feel nothmg but mi[try and dcfPa~r, an~ fay nothing, bur, I am f orfakpt mifirable and u1:d:me! a~d nor only makerh them aweary of the1r lives (even while they are afraid to dye ), hue the Dev1l hath fome great advantage h\' it, to urge th<m to do it: fo that if th<y pafs over a Bridge, he urgcrh them to leap into the Water : If they fee a Knife,. they arc prefcntly ur_geo to kill thcrnfd~es with ~r; and_feel as if it wc.re. fomcthing within them 1mporrumtdy pn .vokJng them, and faymg, DIJ 11, Do u now ; and gtvmg them no ndl: In fo much th .. t many of them contrive it, and caft about fecretly how they may accom.. plith it. . T hough the cure of thefe poor people belong as much to others care as to their own, yet fo far as they yet can ufe their rec{on, they mufi be warned, 1. To abhor all thefe fuggefiions, and give them not room a moment in thlir minds. And 2 To avoid all occafio~iJ of the fin, and not to be ncer a Knife, a River, or any infirument which tht D vi) would h•ve till.m ufe in the execution. And 'l· To cpen thdr c.fc to othw, and tell them all, that they may help to their prefer– vation. 4· And efpecially to be willing to ufe the means, both Phyficl;. and [oti<Jjing C•un{et, which tends to cure their difeafe, And it there be any rooted caufe in the mind that was anteadenr to the Melancholy, it mull carefully bt lookt ro in the cure. ~· 2, Dire&. 2. Tok_e heed of wodtily trsuble and difcontcnt ; for thu alfo ;, a common Caufe. Either it fuddenly cafieth mc:n into Melancholy, or without it of ir_fc:lf ~ ovcrrurnerh their reafon, fo far as to make thrm violently difpatch themfelves. Efpt'cially it ir tall our in a mind where there is a mixture of theft: two Caufes, I · Unmortific:d love to <~.llY Creature, 2. And an im– potent, and paffionatc mind ; thne di{content dorh caufe fuch unquielnrfi that they will furi– oufly go to Hdl for eafe. Mortific therefore lirfi your worldly lulls, and fet not too much by any earthly thing: If you did nor fo9lilhly overvalue your felves, or youi credit, or your wealth or friends, there would be nothing to feed your difcontent; Make no greater a matter of the world than it dcferveth, and you will make no fuch great matter of your fulferings. And 2· Mortifie: your turbulent pailions; and give not way to Bedlam fury to overcome your reafon: Go to Chrifi to beg and learn to be meek and lowly in fpirit, and then your troubled minds will have refi, Matth 1 I• 28) 29. Paffionate Women and fuch other feeble fpirited pcrfons, that are eaftly troubled and hardly quietttd and pleafed, have great caufc to bend t~eir greateft endeavours, to the curing of this impotent temper of mind, and procuring from God iuch firengthcning grace, as may refiore their Reafon to its power. ~· 3· Dire&; 3• And {omttimes f..dden paffion it [<If, rrithout any longtr difcontent, bath ca«fid mtn to ma~t away thtmfolvu. Mortifie therefore and wat'h over fuch diltracting Pallions. ~· 4• Dire&. 4• Tall,! bred of running into the !(uilt ?f any htynoU< fi": t"or. rho.ugh you may feel no hurt from 1t at the prefent, when Confctence IS awakened, tt JS fo d1fquJctmg a thing, that it maketh many a one hang himfelf. Some grievous fins are fo tormenting to the Con– fcience, that they give many no refi, till they have brought rhem to to JudM's or Achitophtl,s End. Efpccially take heed of finnh1g againfi Confcience, and of yielding to that for fear of men, which God and Confcience charge you to forbear. for the cafe of many a hundred as well as Spira, may tell you into what Calamity this may call you. If man be the maller of your Religion, you have no Rtligion: For whar is Religion but the fubjedion of the foul to God, dpc– cially in the ma•rcrs of his Worthip : And if God be fubje&cd to m•n, he is taken for N.rGod. When you Wnr{hip aGod that is inferiour to a man, then you may ful>jed your Religion to the will of chac man. Keep God and Confciencc at peace with you, if you love your felve>, though thertby you lofe your peace with the World,
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