SPIRITUAL PEACE ANb COMFORT. 367 your malady ; nor yet spend your days in fears and disquietness ofmind, and fruitlesscomplainings, and in the mean time continue in willful sinning.; But resist sin more, and torment your minds less ; and break offyour, sin and your terrors together.' In these words I tell you what must be done for your .cure ; and I warn you of,two sore mistakes ofmany sad Christians hereabout. The cure lieth in breaking off sin to the utmost of your power. This is the Achanthat disquietethall. It is God's great mercy that he disquieteth you in sinning, and gives you not over to so deep a slumber and peace in sin, as might hinder your repentance and reformation. The dangerous mistakes here are these two. 1. Some do, as the.lapwing, cry loudest when they are furthest from the nest, and complain of an aching tooth, when the disease is in the heador heart. They cry out, ' O, I have such wandering thoughts in prayer, and such a bad memory, and so hard a heart, that I cannot weep for sin, or such doubts and fears, and so little sense of the love of God, that I doubt I have no true grace.' When they should rather say, '' I have so proud a heart, that God is fain by these sad means to humbl$ me. I am so high in mine own eyes, so wise in my own conceit, and so tender of my own es- teem and credit, that God is fain tomake me base inmy own eyes, and to abhor myself. I am so worldly and in love with earth, that it draws away my thoughts fromGod, dulls my love, and spoils all my duties. I am so sensual, that I venture sooner to displease my God than my flesh. I have so little compassionon the infirmities of my neighbors, and servants, and other brethren, and deal so cen- soriously, churlishly, and unmercifully with them, that God is fain to hide his mercy fromme, and speak to me as in anger, and vex me as in sore displeasure. I am so froward, peevish, quarrelsome; unpeaceabre, and hard to be pleased, that itis no wonder if I have no peace with God, or in my own conscience ; and if I have so little quietness who love and seek it no more.' Many have more reason, I say, to turn their complaints into this tune. 2. Another most common, unhappy miscarriage of sad Chris- tians lieth here; That they will rather continue complaining and self-tormenting, than give over sinning, so far as they might give it overif they would. I beseech you, in thename. ofGod, toknow and consider what it is that God requireth of you. He cloth not desire your vexation, but reformation. No further Both he desire the trouble of your mind, than as it tendeth to the avoiding of that sin which is the cause ofit. God wouldhave you less inyour fears and troubles, and 'more in your obedience. Obey more, and dis- quiet your minds less. Will you take this counsel presently, and see whether it will not do you more good than all the complaints and doubtings of your whole life have done ? Set yourself with all
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