354 1),e ill EjfeEfs of jilljul SorroiVs. js ofyour own: ·A1;d can'you for £hame go brg cf G ~d or rran to eafe rhgrief which you your fdvts ire cacfjng, and willlully <:ontinue ir whilt you pray agtinll it? And why lament you that which you C'l.u!C ond cbnoft? It is a flume robe willfully your LWn tormenrtrs. Dircrr. 14 • §· 20. Direct. 14. Abhor aU that ttndetb to tl)k! don·n tlu power a;:d governmer.t if Rea{oit ( tb.Jt ; 1 4U fablmcfi <JnJ cnn-·ardize of mind, and a mcl.zncho{y, a picvijh paffioaate difpofition ) : and labour 1~ k.,!tp up the autb,•rity of Rta/rm, and to k.fcp .:~U yoztr pafficns [ubjtll to your wills ; which mujl be done by Cbrijli:m Jaitb and fortitude: If you come once,, w that childi(h or dillradcd pafs, as to grieve and ray, I CJmtcl help it : I ~nnw it if finful and immoderate but I cannot chooft, if )"OU fay true, you are OUt of 1he reach of counfel, advice or cornfcrt. You arc nor to be pteacht to, nor ulkr w, nor to be wrincn for; we do not write DirtCtions to teach tntn how to touch the Srars, or exp!a;n rhe Afpc· rites or inequalities ot the Moon, or the Opacous parts of S.mmt, or to govrrn the Orbs, or rute the Cha~i?' of.the Sun7.If it be btcome ~ n:uurJl impollibi~ity to you, DoCtrine can give you ~nU remedy 1 But 1! tht unpotfibduy be but Moral m rheweakmfs at your Reafon, and want p[ conhden.tiou it Sec Mr. ro– nm book of uifi[uli1}Ui– tt<ici:. may by DoC:bine, Ct~njidcr.Jtiou, and RrPI~~tion be cvercome. Ycu cm do more if you will than You think yt-u can. How cc.mc you to lofc the comrnmd of your PJlions? Did notGc.d make ycu a r.J– tionl.ll creature, r!:at luth an und.rjLmding and will to rule: all P.lflions ? H JW ccme you to have loll rhc R.&tling powt r of Rtt.~fln and will! You would take it for a d:fpangernenr to be told that you have J,jf tbe u{t of your KtJjUa : And is it nor a princip.J.l u[e of ic to Rtde the p;ffiou, and all othu inferior fubje8: powers? You by you cannot ciJoofe bur ~rilve! But if one could give you that crelture· which you wanr or dttirr, then you could c~.oofc ; You could rrjoyce, if one could rdlore you thar Child, th•t Friend, that Ellatt: which you have ~oil. But Gcd, and Chrijf, and Heaven ir (eltT!S, are not enough lO cure )Olt; it you mull have but themyou C(mlfot chot{t but grieve! And what hurt! h.tve you then that arc thus atltC:t.. d? Should net thofe hear.ts be nthcr grit.Vld f01! God will foa:erime make you r~.e, that you had Iilore power than you ufCd. Diret1. 15 • ~· 2 I· Direct. 15. Obforvt the mifcbicji t{ exctj]ive forrow, 'IJ.Jt ) 'Oft m.ty f(cl wb.J.t rrafo, ycu !J.Ht to avuid it: While you know not what hurt is in ic, you will be the more tunifs in your tdittiug it: { Oull bric.Ay name you fome of its unhlppy fruits. l'~e illdl':C!s §· 22 · I· Iris a continual pain and ficknefs of the mind (This you know by feeling) 2. It is a ()flin(ul grief. _detiroyer of bodily health md liiC: For rrcridlyforrow wcrk.[tiJ d(a,b, 2 Cor. 7• 10. Prov. 17• 22. ,A m('rry heart dutb gf/(;d lik._e a mcdicint; but a luoll,pt JPirit dryet!J tbe the bonu. 3. It putruh rhe fcul pLt[ of rtlifh with its metcics, and fo c:aufeth us to unde•v,l.\uc·thc:m, and co.&quently to be umhank~ tu! fer them, a11d nor to improve 1hem. 4· It dellroyeth the fen{C of the. Love of God, and lamen~ rably undifpofeth the G)\11 to Love thon; And thmfore fhould be abhorred by us were it but for that ;a::~~n;~~~~ nne dft:~~ 5• Ir .de!lr.nycth the joy iu t~e Holy Ghoft, and. untiueth us ru o~ey that co.mmand of 'fopher c<Juld God, Kc]~yce comm.r~a~)'• 6. It. cm.Jtradl(~teth a H~avenly mmd and converfauon, and hmdc:rtth us fav 10 one thlt from all toretaHs ot the tverla!lmg JOYS• 7· Ir undlfpofeth us to the excelJent work of Praifi : Who :~·ked hin~, can afcend in the Praifes of God, while Grit/ doth opprefs and captivate the foul? 8. It dellroycrh the Nui~am tibi fl fv·n:emdS of all Gods Ordinances, Hearing, Reading, Prayer, SJcramcnts; we may force our felves ~~:h11 xq~:J4c:1 ? to u{t them,_ but fhall have no dclig~t ~n them. 9• it hindret_h the .exercife of F~ith, and .raifeth patriz cuu dijirHjl and hnful doubts and fears Wlthm us. ro. It caufeth lmful d1fc;ontents and murmuungs at ~u, & qtud.(m God and man. I I· It makerh us impatiwt, pieviCh, froward, angry and hard to be pleafed. 12. It fum":l 2 : dl!!:t- rveak..!rtth the foul to all thous gocd, and ddhoyeth its fortitude and flrength : For it is the J oy of tht j~;;n~k~~~~: Lord that i1 our jfrengtiJ. Nt:h. 8. 10. I 3· It hind~eth us in. the duties of our callings: w.ho can do "'·I ss. thtm as they 010uld be done, under the<log of a d1fquict rnmd? If· It maketh us a grief and burden to our friends, and robs 1hcm of the comfort which tkey 0Iould have in and by us. '5· It make1h us unprotitab)e ro others, and hindreth us from doing the good we might: when we thould be in· HruGting exhorting and praying for poor tinncrs, or minding the Church of God, we are all raken Llp at home; about our own affiiCtiom. 16. It maketh us a fiumbling block and fcand al to the ungod– ly, and hindreth their converfiion, while the Devil fetreth us befme theChurch doors, to ketp awJy the ungodly from a holy life, as men f~.t lcar-crows in their tields and g:udens, to frigluen away rhe birds. I7· It dilhonoureth Religiou, by making men believe that it is a mebnLholy .NtXatious fe]f. tormenting life. 18. It obfcurcth the Glory of the Gofpel, and crolf,th the work of Chril!, his Spirit and MiniH~.rs, who all come upon a melf1.ge of Great jny to aU Natiom ; and proclaim Gl:Iti. tiding! ro the worH of tinners; much more to the (Qns of God, and heirs of life. 19. It rnifreprefenteth Gal bimfclf, as if we would perfwade men, that he iS a hard and cmel mafier, that none can pleaft', though they do all through a Mediator upon a covenant of grace ; and dut it is worfc with U5 tince we fencd him ~han before; and tint he delighteth in our grief and mifery, and is agJiuH our peace and joy ; 2nd as if there w~reno joy nor pleafure in his fenice. Such hideous doctrine do our lives preach of God, when thofc that profefs to fear and feek him, do live in fuch immoderate grief and rroubk. 20. And it too much pleafeth the Dtvil, who is g!Jd to torment us here, if he may not do it in Hell; and cfpecially to make our [elves the executioners upon our felves, when he is reJtrained ; when .he can boalt a~d ~ay, Though I may not vex tbct, I wiU ptr[rvade thte to vtx thy ftlf. Thefe are the Dirdl. 16 • fruits of fintul {cn ows. ~· 23· Dirett. 16. Govern your 1boughtJ, and fujfer them not to mufe a11d fled 11n tb/lfi objt81, wbicb cauJC yuttr ;!,ritf : No wonder if your tOre be always fmarting, when you ue always rubbing on it in )'OIIrthm,ghts. Ot this I fpake more fully even now. Tir. re.
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