38& DIRECTIONS FOR GETTING AND KEEPING t they are not misapprehended, but taken as means, and materially well understood, cannot be too clearly discerned, nor too rightly chosen, nor too resolutely prosecuted. Prop. 3. It is too possible to misapprehend the means, and to place them instead of the end, and so to overlove them. Prop. 4. The nature of all the means consisteth in a middle or mean between two extremes, materially ; both which extremes are sin ; so that it is possible to overdo about all the means, as to the matter ofthem, and the extent of our acts: Though we cannot love God too much, yet it is possible to preach, hear, pray, read, meditate, confer of good too much ; for one duty may shut out another, and a-greater may be neglected byour over- doing in a lesser; which was the Pharisees'' sin in Sabbath resting. Prop. 5. If we be never so right in the extension of our acts, yet we may go too far in the intention of the imperate acts or passions, of the soul, and that both on tihe means and end; though the pure acts of knowing or willing cannot be too- great towards God and salvation, yet the passions and acts commonly called sensitive, may. Aman may think on God not only too much, (as to exclude other necessary thoughts,) but too intensely, and love and desire too pas- sionately ; for there is a degree of thinking or meditating,, and of passionate love and desire, which the brain cannot bear, but it will cause madness, and quite overthrow the use of reason, by over- stretching the organs, or by the extreme turbulency of the agitated spirits. Yet I never knew the man, nor ever shall do, I think, that was ever guilty of one of these excesses; that is, of loving or desiring God so passionately at to distract him. , But I have often known weak-headed people, (that be not able to order their thoughts,) and many melancholy people, guilty of the other¡ that is, of thinking too much, and too seriously and intenselyon good and holy things, whereby they have overthrown their reason, and been distracted. And here I would give all such weak-headed, .melancholy persons this wyarning, that whereas in my Book of 'Rest, I so much press a constant course of heavenly meditation, I do intend it only for sound heads, and not for the melancholy, that have weak heads, and are unable to bear it. That may be their sin, which to others is a very great duty ; while they think to do that which they cannot do, theywill but disable themselves for that which they Can do. I would therefore advise those melancholy persons whose minds are so 'troubled, and head's weakened, that they are in danger of overthrowing their understandings, (which usually begins in multitudes of scruples, and restlessness of mind, and continual fears, and blasphemous temptations; where it begins with these, distraction is at hand, if not prevented,) that they for- bear meditation, as being no duty to them, though it be to others;
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