638 Chap. 21. An Expo/ition upon eke Book"of J o a. Vri. . Ch rift knew well, that if orce (reub;c ofheart did gather and grow u pon them, it would worke orange effecis, and eyther carry them beyond or leave them (bort of the bounds ofduty. Oar danger is great when forrow is in power. I will Phew you a twofold danger ofit. Pirft, Satan makes great ufe of any over- powerful) paffion. As he tempts Come with joy, fo others with forrow ; fome are drowned while they intend only to fwim, and bath themfelve5 in pleafures. Others are drowned while they fwim and bath in forrows. Satan takes advantageof all extreames, Hence the Apoille advileth about the incelluous perfon, who was much grieved, and afi1t ed,that the Corinthians fhould comfort him, (z G;r 2. 7.) he would not have him lye too long under thole troubles of fpirir, Lfit he/hould have binfvall,wedup oftoo muck forrow. And (verf. I I.) Loft Satan /houldget advantage ofus ; ,for we arenot ignorant ofhis devices Now as Satan would get an advantage againfi the whole Church by b!emifhing their difci- pline (which should alwayes be tempered with love, and tend one ly to the falvationof the offendor) as rigorous and immo- derate ; So he would be bulle to worke his advantage upon the poore man himfelfe, and fwallow him up with too much for- row. We knowwhat black work fome have made by the over- workings offorrw, çaIan Both bis work in us, or tempts us to doe his worke in dar kneffe ; and that in a twofold dark- neffe :firflt, in the darknefs of ignorance; fecondly, in the dark® r.ef%of forrow, orof a troubled minde. And as hewho lets the Sungoe down upon his wrath (thatis,who continues long in,and cheritheth his wrath) gives place to theeDevil,(Eph.g. 26,27 ) fo alto doe they who let the Sun goe downe upon filch for- row. Secondly, Such forrow or trouble offpirit, unfits the foule for durie, fuck can nej ther pray nor heare as they ought. As fome trouble of fpirit is an occafion ofquickning us to ducie, fo there is a trouble which dulls and deadens us. And as it un- fits for (pirituall, fo forcivil) duties & employments : it makes a man careleffe, a,ld readie to throw up a'l t take heedoffact' for -ows, fay not, Why /bouldnot myfpirit be troubled ? y h havingby this third argument provokedhis friends to at- bings fo:th,a fourth. Verf. 5.
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