comfortable walking with God. 95 deale of difturbance and nnfettledneffe the vi(ible exorbi- tancy and breaking ofit our, will breede and bring upon thy inwardman. It will bee like a dead Flie in a boxe ofprecious oyntment, difgrace all thy graces, and fix?l foulelydarken the glory ofthy profeffion. It will bee like fire in the Thatch,and for the while caft into combuftion , as it were , the whole frame ofthy fpirituall building, and turne the heavenly peace ofthy appealed confcience, into a bitter tempeft, Tell mee whether after a lawleffe tran fgreffion ofthofe bounds of mo- deration, to which thy Chriflian refolution bath confinde it and that it bath prevailedagainft thee with any notorious ex- ceffe ; I fay, whether at night thou findenot thy fpirit quite downe andmuch deaded to the exercifeofprayer, orany o. ther eveningduty ? And if upon thy waking in thenight, there fhould bee any terrible wind; dreadfiill thunder, or o. ther affrighting accident, whether thy heart would not fmite thee open that occafion, withmuch more feare and apprehen fions ofhorrour I will fuppofe,thy raigning,or rather rebellingpaffion(for I frake to the Chrillian) to be choller and anger : and the first liften to the counfell which the very morall Sages'mini- fter againft this fpirituallmaladie , and to the rules and reme= dies which the light ofrealon leades us unto. 1. Cut off (fay they)thecaufes,and theeffe.d will vanifb: Qiench the firebrands which enrage this fury, and thou shalt be at quiet: Theyare Inch as thefe 1. Weakeneffe of fpirit, unmanlineffe of minde. Hence it is that old men, infants, and ficke folkes are commonly more cholericke then others. Impotencyand exceffe of pal- lion ever argues the difgrace and inferiorityof the under. (landing parr, the nobleft power ofthe foule. And therefore if wee wouldbeearmed againfl the fillies and affaults ofthis domineering raging diftemper, wee mull fuffer the hieft and heavenlieft part of our foule to know andexercife itsplace and ftrength. Wee mull not make our underftanding under! lings, but give reafon hisright and regiment. Selfe-love, a foolah dotinguponandadoring our ielves; which
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=