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THE
TOWERS AND CONTESTS OF FLUSH AND Sp1R1T,
body, or long and
habitual
diseases
that attend
flesh
and
blood.
When
the
sour or acid humours
in
animal
nature
rise
to
an
irregular
height, or when
the
body
is
frequently
exercised
with
sharp and tedious
pains, even a
well-
tempered
man becomes peevish
and
fretful
;
he
vexes
his
own
spirit
with
impatience.;
he
murmurs against
the
hand of
God
;
and
this
secret
uneasiness,
though
it
dares
not appear
in visible
rage against
his
Creator,
yet
it cannot
contain
itself
in
silence,
but
breaks
out
with
too much evidence and guilt,
quarrelling
with
his
fellow
creatures round about
him
:
He
tires
out
his
best friends
with
perpetual disquietude
;
he loses his
meek and gentle
temper
;
and
the man
that
was wont to
be
always
pleased
and
easy, now
resents every
thing,
and
scarce any body
can please
him.
This
appears
with
bright
evidence to
be
occasioned
by
bodily
disorders;
for even
our natural
hunger
makes us
peevish
:
When
sharp and
corrosive
juices
prey
upon
the
stomach
itself,
for
want
of
food, how touchy
and
fretful:
does our temper
grow, till a good
meal
provides
matter
for
those digestive
juices
to
act
upon
?
then the
flesh
grows
easy,
and the
good
humour returns.
But
to
pursue
the observation
concerning
diseases.
When
the
natural
spirits are reduced
very low
by
long
weakness,
how cold
and inactive
are
some good men
?
When
phlegmatic humours prevail
in the body, how
slothful are some christians
in
every
duty
?
How back-
ward to
all
active
services of God
or
man
?
Even
those
very persons
who
were once chearful
and
zealous,
and
ready
to every good
work..
After
the
same
manner,
when,
through distemper
of
body, black and melancholy juices get
the
ascendant
over the more sprightly animal
powers,
how
often
do
we
find
persons
of
a sweet aífable
behaviour
grow
sullen
and
unsociable
?
Those
who were fond
of
company and
conversation,
seek
dark corners and solitary chambers of
retirement
;
they grow listless
to
every diversion, and
will
hardly
admit
a
visitant, or
give
answers to the
com-
mon questions
of
life.
Again,
when the powers
of
nature
are broken
by
con-
tinual
diseases, the mail
of
courage
becomes fearful, and