Chap, 9, An Expofitioìa upon the Bookof J OB. Verf. 27. 351 lazy, dull hearféJewsdid not raifeup and waken their hearts to doe what they could, though to-doe,it was more then they could. Secondly, Obferve, That a man in afliiïion may help on his com- forts or bisfarróws. I will comfort myfelf, I will leave off my beavinefs. Some add to their a4flif,tions,and are aáive to aggravate and encreafe them: they make their night darker, and obfcure the light of counfdll that is brought unto them: they joyn withSatan their enemy,and by the black melancholly vapours oftheir own hearts, trifle the confolations that are adminifired them by faithful' friends. Like Rachel (Jet. 31.) they refute to becomforted ; when reviving cor- dialls are offered, they (pill them uponthe ground, and will not take ina drop : they are fo far from comforting themfelves, that theywill not receive comfort from others. The Prophet teems to be refolved upon the point, he would go on in forrows,Loolçaway f!omme , I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me ( ¡fa. A2. d..) As fometimes a man under great affitífion befpeaks com- fort fromothers, O,1am in a fad cafe, come, comfort me, thew me how I may get cafe from there forrows. Many beg prayers, and fend bills oftheir afidions, defiring tohave them tpread be- fore thé Lord in the Congregation, that fome comfort may be dropt from heaven into their difeafed bodies, or wounded fpi- rits. Others Height prayers, andcare not'`to be comforted, as if it were an cafe to them to mourn, and'a refrething to be in hea- vitnefs. There is a twofold ground upon which comforts are thus put off. r Some put off their comforts upon fnllennefs of fpirit black and dark fpirits love to bathe themfelves in forrow.Sorrow it the bath of droopingfpirits; and it is Satans bath too.Mclanchol- ly is commonly called, Thedevils bath; he takes delight to wafh in the ftreams of our unrreceffary tears. Sorrow for fin puts the devil to the greatefl forrow. Godly griefis a grief to Satan: but he delighteth in onr worldly forrows, as the devil may be de- lighted : ifhe have delight in any thing, this is one thing he de- lights in, our forbidden forrows. Some forrows are as much for- bidden as any pleafures. The devil is as much pleafed with our unlawful forrows, as he is with our unlawfull pleafures. And he labours as much to makeus pleafed with them. a. Others help on their own fotrows,and leffen their comforts thxow6b,
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