When Grief u Sinfttl or RxcejSi]Je. brnemed only as a means of damnatiOn • which, though it be a farrow pofitivcly neither "ocd no c;_·il, )'tt ir is evil privatively. b r ~~a~~:( d 9· 5· Bur it is the ~affitmofGrief a.s in its .excefs that I am no~ to fpeak agai~fl •. And it is in Hrrmes, ellexctfs, 1· _When we gntve for that ~hJC~ we ought not at all tognevc for: that 1s, e1thn for fame led .P. 1 jior, good, or for a 1bing iJ:diffcrcnt that lS ne1ther good or bad : Both which come from the error of the notab'y!hew- mind. 2 . 'When we grieve too much fotthat which we may grieve for lawfut/y in fame meafure. ~:1~1 c~1G:ief that is, for our o_wn afHiC:fions or penal fuffering. 3· Whe': we grieve too mn:ch for that which and hc;~\·in:rs we an: bozt~d .ro gneve form.f?me meafurc: As J, For our fm, _2· For our lofs of the favour of is an ~n~m~ God, or of h1s Gra~e.and Spmt. 3· For otb:r mens fin_, and fuffenng: -+·For the futferings of the to Cbnllt:mt- Church, :~nd calarn,ues of the world. 5· I-or Gods d!filonour. ~Y 1 ;;;d c:Gt~d. §· 6. Though it is not ea fie to ha~e too mu_ch. fonow for fi~, confid~rjng it. Eftimlltive?J, that is, P we eau hardly take fln for a worfe lYil than It JS, and accordmgly grzeve for It ; yet it is oft too eafic to have too much forrow for fin, or •ny other tvil inttnfivtly as to the grtatntfi of the Paf!ion. And thus farrow f or fin is too great, J. Wht:n it difirad-eth the mind, and Ovt:rturneth reafon and makerh us unlit for the ends of farrow. 2· When it fo cloudeth and clotheth the foul in grief. that it is :nade unfit to fee and ~onfider of the pJomife, t? rdlifh mercy, or btli~ve it ; to ackno~ledge benefits, or own Grace received, or be rhankful for Jt; to feel rhe Love of God, or love him for ir, topraife him, or tO mind him, or to call upo1i him : when it driveth the foul from God, and weaknelh it fO dury, and teacheth it to deny mercy, and finketh it towards defpair ~ all this is totJ much a~1d finful fl rrqrv : and fo i; all that dorh rhe foul morehurt than good: 1-~or farrow is notgood of it felf, but as it doth good, or jheweth good. • Diut/. 1. 9· 7· Direct. I· Keep your heartr ar tr*' and clofe to Gqd ar poffible, and make fore of bir lm, r that you m~y k.._norv yort bo~.ve not a1t unregenerate miferahle fortl to mourn for, and then aU other grief if the more cut.Jb!e and neore toUcrab/e. Be once able to fay that God is on your fide, that Chrill) and the Spirit) ~nd Heaven is yours, and then you have the greateft Cordial againfi exceffive grief, that this world afford~~ If you fay, Haw foould thU be do1te, 1 an[wer, ·that is opened in its proper place. No marvail if forrow overwhelm that foul, that is in the chains of fin, under the Cm[~ ot God, as foon as awakened confcicnce comts to feel it. And it is moft miferable when it hlth the fnrallejf {arrow; there being fame hope due farrow may drive it home to Chrift. There~ fore if thou have been a fecure, unhumblcd, carnal wrerch, and God be now beginning to humble thee, by Chewing thee thy fin and mifcry, take heed as thou loveH thy foul, that thou drive not away necdTary healing foirow and repentance, under P'(tence of driving away melancholy or over much furrow : Tny Jinart tendeth ro thy hopes of Cure. Diret/. 2· 1 . 9· 8. D~reet. 2· Renew not the woundJ of Confcunce by renewed ml/fHI grofs fin : For fin will brmg farrow, efpec1a1ly if thou have any li.fc of grace to fed It : Even as faUJ, and breakmg the bones bilng,s pam. Obey carefully 1f thou wouldll have peace. D"t{j. )• §. 9· D![(:Cl. 3. Be weD acquainted wztb tht Gwer.1l gromtdJ of hope iu the Mercy ofGud, the Office and Death of Chrijt, and the free 1miver[al offer of pardon, gr.:l~e a;rd Jife i;z the New Covenant. Abun– dance of grief cloth dwell in many humbled fouls through the tgnoran<e·of thef<> General grounds of comfort; which would vanifh away if thcfe were known. 1 Dirctl. 4 . §· JO· Direct. 4· Know weJJ the trxe n:Jtttre and u[e ofgodly furrow: how it if but a means to higher grace, and a tiJi.'lg w!Ji.cbmay exceed, andltotatbi~gtiJ.Jt wejhottldjtopi11, or thin~ we can never b:JvC too m:ech of it. Ddire is but in its place, and ro Hs prflper ends. Direll. 5 • 9:· 1I· Direct. S· Knowwell the 11aturc and exceUeucy of tkoff higher. graces wbich forrow tendcth to. Evm Lovz, and 1hanJif:d,u{s, and Delight in God, a.nd fr?ztful Obedmzcc. And then you will be cJrried after thcfe, and will learn to lute che forrow that hmdereth them, and to· cherifi1 that for.. row which leadeth yont1p tO them:, and to value it but as a means to them. Diretl. 6. 9· 12· DireeT. 6. M•11agc all your affairs, •Jprcial!y thofe of your foulr with pmdent [orefigbt: and l'imd fenrm- loo~ not tmly on things as they appear at b,md. Judge not by Sel!Je, ·but by Rea[o1t:, tor Senfe can– tia .~ui:, P_ru- nor Frefee, but pleaft..th ir 1Ctf 'at prcfenr with that which rnufi be bitcerncb in tl:t: end. Thus car~ :~~1 1!:a.~~~ .nal dr!ightis the commonway to overwhelmint? forr9W: He_that would not have thep~in a.nd qu:1m adveifa ficknefs of a Surfeit to morrow, muft not pleafe Ins appetite agamfi reafQn_ to day. Poyfon wtll gnpe contingant and kill neverthelefs fOr tafiing fweet. You mufi fore·know how that wh1ch you take will work, and pr:E:\'iJere . what will be the elflctsof-ir, and n,ot only how it taftech, if you would eiCape the pain. The Drun– ~~r~;~~:a~~;r~ kard thinketh not of his vomiting, and ·poverty? or !hame, or 1ickncfs,.and therefore caufeth rhem. cum iP:1 There is no farrow fo intollerable as that of a gu1lcy ioul, thats pa(fing m tenor to the Bu ofGod, contiscrint, and thence tO evcrlalling p.1in. Forefee thU forrow in your moll: pkafant Jin:, and remember rhac .rquo :1n!m~ when you are tc:mptcd to tin, you arc tempred fO farrow; and then )'Ou ma:y prevenr it. And in' ~}~~~~. Lam.m all your particu.~lr actions ufc a fore!Ceing judgement 1 and ask wh.at is like to be the m.d, before you enter on the begmuing. Moll of our forrows come for want of th!s, and exprefs themielves, by, H.id I Jz.nonm, or Had I thought of thM, I had prevented it. Do nothing which you may forefet mull be re~ penud or; for Repentance is [cn-rorvful: and the weightier the cafe, the deeper the farrow. How caGe and comfortable a life and death might men actain, if they would not buy a little forbidden poifonous pleaft~rc with the price of future pain and farrows! and if they did not•foolilhly and over-tenderly Jcfufe thofe holy ncceffary medicinal farrows, by whic:h their greater overwhelming and undoing for– rows ihould have been prevented!
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