580 GOD'S GOODNESS VINDICATED. them, and quarreling with all, and offended in all ; and usually they are importuned, as if it were by something else within them, to say some blasphemous word against God, or . do some mischief against themselves ; no doubt through: Sataxi's special instigation, who can work on men according to the advantage of their bodily and sensitive distempers, and can do that on a melancholy man, (though a godly man,) which he cannot do on another ; as he can also work on the choleric, phlegmatic, &c. according to their temper. 1. The cure of this must be by these means: (1.) You must not suffer them to be much alone. (2.) You must divert them from all musing, and turn it to discourse. (3.) You must keep from themdispleasing things and ,persons, and help them to suitable, pleasing company and converse. (4.) You must: change their air and company sometimes, that strange objects may change their imagination. (5.) Above all, if they have strength, you must not suffer them to be idle, to lie in bed longer than they sleep in the day ; nor to sit musing, but must get them upon the workof a law- ful calling, and drive them on to so much diligence, that bodyand mind may be closely employed. This will be more than all other ordinary means. (6.) In most, meet physic also will do very much, which mustbe ordered by an experienced physician that is . with them, or well knoweth them. (7.) Lastly, Their false thoughts also must be confuted, and their minds have due satisfac- tion. And if you cannot have all, or most of these done, you can hardly expect a cure, unless time wear it off, which is doubtful. II. The falsehood and vexation of such men's thoughts, wheth- er the melancholy or others, are brought to pass, s. By á' false methodof reasoning. sI. By false opinions which they have be- fore received. . I. It is a grossly deluding and subverting way of reasoning, to begin at dark and doubtful consequents, thence to argue against certain, clear, fundamental principles. As if fiotn some doubts about the position and motion of the stars, or of the nature of light, heat, and motion, men should argue that there is no sun, or moon, or stars _ at all ; or that they have no power of light, heat, or motion ; or as if, from the many difficulties in anatoa my, about the circulation of the blood, the ` oleum nervosum,' the lympha,' 'and its vessels, the passages and the ` succus' of the pancreas and gall, the transcolatiolrthrough the intestines into the ` vent lactete, the chyly glandules, and such like, one should arise to a conclusion, that there is no blood, no chyle, no veins, no glan- dules, no head, no body; or from the controversy, whether the heart be a mere muscle without any proper parenchymæ,' one should grow to conclude that there is no heart ; so such persons, from points beyond man's reach, about God's decrees' and inten-
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