354 A SAint er tt Brate. Pan It' foinc that are addieted to dejectednefs , do in a great<:r meafure wrong .chrifi and them~elves , being a.lwayes feeding Bpon fe– cret gnefs, and tonurmg thernfelves W1th doubts and fe01rs and acquainted with almofl: no other language but lamentcl;ions felf-accufations and complaints. Tbefe poor fouls ufu~lly difcove; honei1 he-arts, that are weary of fin, and low in their own eyes, and long to be becter,. and do not d'if-regard the matters ofrheir falv.uion as dead-hearted ungodly finners do. Their complaints fhew wha.t they wouldbe : and what theywould 6e jincerely, that they lire m Gods account. But yet they live fo fa r below the fweet delights which (hey might partake of, and fo far bel ow che previfions of their FaEhers houfe, and the ndks of t1Ie Gofpd, that they have caufe w lflment their, exceffivc la?.'Mntation's, and more caufe to reform rhis fa cl ~ifkmper, and no ~.:au fe to indulge it, as ufually fuch do. And ~hough with the mofl: of +hem fome natural pllitons and weakneffes,and fome melancholy diftempers are fo much the caufe, as may much excufe them , yet becaufe it is an evil which mNft bedifowned, and Reafon mufl: be the me#Cns, where people: have thefree ufeof Reafon , Uhall Jay down fome of the great inconveniences of this fad difiemper, and befeech thofe that render the honour of God, and wowld do that which is mofl: pleafing to him, and love not their own calamity, that they will foberly confider of what I fay , and labour to re– gulate their minds accordingly. 1. I defire the deje&ed Chrifiian to confider, that by hu heo1vy 'and uncomfortable life, he feemetb to the world to accufeGod and hu fervice , as if he openly called him a rigorous, hard, onac– ceptable mafier, and his work a fad unpleafant thing. I know this is not your thoughts: I know it is your felveJ and not Go~ and his fervice that offenclethyou ; and that you walk not hea– -vily becaufe you 'are holy, but becaufe you fear you are nrst holy, • :~nd becamfe you arem more holy / : I know it is .not (}f grace, but for grace that you complain, But do you n~t gtve too great occa– jion eo ignorant fpeetators to judge orherwtfe? !f you fee a fer– vant alwayes fad, that was wont to be merry wh1le he ferved an?– ther malt.er, will you not think that ?e ~ath a ~aHer tha~ dtf· pleafeth ·him ? If you fee a woman hve m contmual he.t~) nefs ever fince (he was inarryed ~ that lived merrily before, wtll yoJl not think that (he bath met with -an unple<.!fing match ? You 'are horn and newborn for Gods honour : and will you thus difbono'!r 1. : h1m , r., .· ·:
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