1Jire&ions agr.inft Paffions in gmeral. Dirdi. 3· ~· 7· Direct. 3· Dwell i1t t~t ~rligbtful Love of God, and ittthe[wcet contemplation of his Love in Chrift, atrd rowl ~ver bls ttJtdtr mercus ~n_your though~s, and let y:JUr conv_erfati~Jt be with tbe Holy ones i?t Hea~ vm, and your work_ be 1'banl(f"glVmgs and Praife toGud: And tbu wili habituate your fouls to fucb fwectltrjj, and nullownefi, and jbbility, ar wiU refijl Ji1tfitl paf!ioJt even Mheat rcfifletb cold. a DireO. <4-• 9· s. Direct. 4· Kttf your Confcicnc_u continuaUy tender, and then they wiU chec~ tbe firft appeartJnce of Jmful paffions; and JVtU Ji11art more nnth the fin th.ln -,our paflionate natttrtJ do with the provocat· . . A_feared Confcicnce, and_ a hardened {enfclcfs ~cart 1s to .every fin, as a man thatsfaft afleep::~~~ th1evc:s : They may come m and do what they wtl1, fo they do not waken him: But a tender Confci. ence is always awake. Dirr/1. 5 . ~· 9· Dirc/l. 5· L•hour after wifdom, ftrength of Rea[<m, and a folia judgemmt: for Paffion;. cherijhed by folly; Children are eafily overthrown, and ltaves he eafily ihaken wich every liule wind. when mw keep their way, and rock.f and mountains are not !hakt:n. Women and children, and old: and weak, and fick people arc ufually mofi paffionate. If a wife man fhould have a paffionate na. ture, he hath that which can do much to controle it : When folly is a weathercock at the winds command. Direl1· 6. 9· 10. Direct. 6. Ste tbt~t the fl'iU be confirmed and re{olttte, and then it 'l)fi/J foon command doRJit paffion. Men can do much againtl Paffion it they will. N.~ture hath fet the wiU in the '(brone of the foul: It is the tinful connivance and negligence of the will, which is the guil(y cau{C of all the rebel– S ePlutarc~ lion : As the connivance of the commanders is the common caufe of mutinies in an Army. Tlfe wiU d Tr!lnquiei1her confintetb or is remijf in its office, and in forbidding and repreffing the rage of paffion; when lityof mmd. I fay, you can do it if yott rvill, you think this is J1ot true, becaufc you are wil/ing, and yet paflion yielderh not to )'OUt wiUJ command : But l mean not that every kjnd of wiiJingneft willferve; It is not ajl~tggijiJ wijJ1 chat will do ir : But if the will were rt{olute without any compliance or connivance or negligence in its proper office,no finful paffion could remain: For it is no furtherfin,than it is voluntary, either by the wiiJs compliance or omiffion and neglt6t. Therefore let mofi of your labour be to waktn and confirm the J).•ill; and then it will command down paffion. DireCt. 7 • 9· 11. Dircd-.7.. Labow after holy fortitude, couugt .znd magnanimity: Great minds are above all troubles; defires or commotions about little things: A poor, bafe, low and childiih mind, is mver quiet, longer then it is rockt afleep or flattered. Dirc/1. 8. 9· 12 Direct. 8. EfpeciaUy fee tfw yau W>llt not felf-dmial, •nd tbat worldtimfi •nd fiefhly·mindtd· ntfs be throughly mortiiied: For fi4itl paffion is tbe vtry breath and pul[e of a [elji{h, fiefhly mrldly mind. It 1S not more"atural for dogs to hght about a bone, than for fuch ter fnarl and quarrel or be in famediftempered Pa.ffion, about their felfifh carn.d-intcreft. Covecou[nefs will not let the ~ind be quiet. Its as natural for a felfijh m1n to be under the power of finful Paffions, as for a man to fluke that hath an ague, or to fear th.it is melancholy: FJejJJly men have a Canine appetite, and {ea– verifh thirfi continually upon them, at1er feme fldh-pleafing toy or mher. l)iret1. 9 • 9· I3· Direct. $• Keep a. C"urt of Juftice in y:mr fouls, and eaU yMr [elvu elaily to accoun..t, and let nopaffiOJt [cape witbout fucb a cen[ttre ar i1 due. If Reafon and Co;tfcience thus exerci(e and maintain their authority, and pa!Jiunbe every day roundly rebuked, it will wither, like a plant that is cropt as fall as it fpringeth. . Dirtll• 1 o. 9· 14. Direlt. 10. Deliberate and fotefte the o.zd : 1 examine whether p3ffion te'l!d to that rrhicb wiU bt approvtable when its paft. Looking to the end doth fhame all finful paffions: They are blind, and mov.ed only by things prefcn~: Tiley .cmno~ endure the fi5ht of the time to come, nor to be exami– ned whether they go, or where is their home•. Dire/J• 11 , ~· 15. Direct. 11· Keep a continu.1l apprehwfion of the dmger and odio«fntfs of .finful paffims, by k,!wwing how fitU they are of the.fPawn of many 01her fins. See the ev1l of themm the effects. Mark what paffion doth in others and your felvts : what abundance of evil thoughts and words 'and deeds do come trom finful paffions ? Dire/1. 12 , 9· r6. Direct. ·12· Obferve the immtdiatt troublt.fome effe!Js, and tht diforders of your foul, a11d fo turn the fruit of paffions againjl themfelves. Mark how they dikompofe you, and dil\urb your Rc.fon, and make your minds like muddycd waters; and breed a difeafed unquietnefs· in you, untining you for yopr work, and breaking your peace; fo that you can neither k,_norv, nor ufe, nor enjoy yo•t [elves. 1Jitr/J. , 3 , §. 17· Direct. 1,. Ltt Dwh louJ,your paffions frequently in the fact. It bath a mortifyingverrue ; ~nd as it fhcweth us the vanity of the crtat&trt, fo it taketh down thofe paffions, which creature-intc– iefi and deceit have caufed. It exciteth reafon, and reftorc:th it to its dominion, and filencerh the re– bellion of the fenfes : Aman that is to die to morrow, and knoweth it, would eaftlier repell to day a temptation to lofi, or covcroufi1efs, or drunkennefs, or revenge, than at another time he could havedone: One look into eternity will powerfully rebuke all carnal paffions. Dire<f, 14• 9· 18. Direct. 14· Remrmber JliU that God is pre[ent : Will you behave your felvcs pallionately be· fore him? When the prefcnce of your Prince would calm you? Shall God and his holy Angels fee thee like a.Bedlam lay by thy reafon and mif-behave thy {elf? Dirc/1• 1 5 • 9· I 9• J:?irect. 1 5• Have j!iU fom,e pdtinint fc•·ipture ready to rtbui(! thy pa!Jions: That thou mayfi fay as Chnfi to Satan, 7hm it i1 written. Speak to it in the name and word of God : Though the bare words will not charm thefe evil fpirits, y~t the ambority will curb th'em. For this wvrd i1 quick &Cor, zo. 4>~·· andpowerful, a difcerner of the throughtJ, Heb. 4· 12· migb1y tbougb God, to the puL'ing down of ftra1tf. holds, cafling down imagin.rions, and every high thing that exalteth it[elfagainfl tht k.,nowledge of God, and bringttb into captivity tvery thoztgiJt to the obcduncc nf Cbrijf. · 9· 20• D~tect. 16.
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