DAVID'S. SOLILOQVIE CONTAINING MANY COMFORTS FOR AFFLICTED MINDS. As they were delivered in Sundry Sermons at St. mary's in Dover By JOHN READING  
LONDON Printed for Robert Allot at the sign of the grey hound in Paul's church yard. 1627.   

David's soliloquy. CONTAINING many comforts for afflicted minds. As they were delivered in sundry Sermons at Saint mary's in Dover. By Io: READING.  2 Cor. 1. 3. 4 
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort:  
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort, wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.  
LONDON, Printed for Robert Allot, and are to be sold at his Shop in Saint Paul's Churchyard at the Sign of the Greyhound. 1627.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, and most virtuous Lady, the Lady Sara Hastings.  
RIGHT HONOURABLE,  

Lam. 3. 1. Deut. 32. 39 Deut. 28. 61. 65. Deut. 29. 24. 25. Psai. 40. 12 Lam. 3. 42.  THE rods of the almighty, wherewith he smiteth to heal, are so many and diverse, and consequently the smarts and griefs which affect the mind so variable, both by reason of our sin's multiplicity causing, and our apprehensions entertaining them, that I can neither reasonably hope this spiritual electuary, which I intent for the help of afflicted minds, can serve for every malady, nor justly despair of it meeting with some Readers, who shall by the assistance of the same Spirit which gave it being, find comfort in it: and that in diverse kinds; the indispositions of the soul being so complicate and mixed, that there need not (as the Egyptians were 
Hero●●tus saith, Among them, Singulos morbos suos habu●sse m●d●co●.  wont to have) a Physician proper to every disease: he that hath acquaintance with one grief of mind, cannot but know many. But forasmuch as their causes differ, 
Queritae●us falls them, Furio ligniosoes ●apores. Diaret Po●●hist. ●ap. 1.  some proceeding of gross melancholy, others of dark vapours dulling the understanding, and disturbing the eluded fantasy, others of other causes, the consideration where of is peculiar to the Physician, my present address is to those only who are capable of the Ministers advice, and the comfort of God's Word. 
As Plato, Aristot. Zenophon. Plut arch. Seneca. and others.  Truly the ancient Sages seemed to writ many things learnedly to help the perturbations of mind, some labouring 
Lib. 3. de Virginibus.  to ground it on a supposed constancy, not yielding to calamities, some to bring it to a kind of stupidity, not feeling them, like those Artless Physicians, killing by too much correcting some abounding humour, others inventing some pleasing lenitives and diversions; of all I may say in a word, as Ambrose of Pythagoras, evening music which he used to refresh his heart wearied with cares, in vain did they desire to remove secular griefs, with secular remedies, for they more defiled & disordered the mind, by seeking ease in pleasures: 
At quivis Christ●inus etc. primo statim occursu adult●rina & falsa ●llorum documenta ex Lydio Scrpturae sacrae lapide de●egit▪ Quercitan. de perturbat: anim. ●n●t●● cap. 1.  But every Christian, may, by the true touchstone, the holy Scripture, presently discover them all to be adulterate & counterfeit; never any of them so much as mentioning the name of Christ, and through him coming to this celestial Catholi●on of David, HOPE IN GOD, in which is the only 
A● Augustine saith of Cicero's book entitled Hortensius which so much taken him: Nec solum me &c. re●● ingebat, quod ●omē Christ's no● erat ●b●. Couf. li. 3. c. 4.  sound cure of a troubled mind, & where in the most illiterate Christian excelleth the most bookish Philosopher. Seeing therefore, by the good providence of God, I have become acquainted with the usage & lineaments of a troubled 
Plin lib, 3 5 cap. 10.  soul, not only by the view of others malady, but also by the sense of mine own, as Protogenes the Painter, having his own countenance set by an half-famishing diet, was thereby enabled to take the true aspect & poutrait of meager Lalysus to life. And seeing I have not only gotten some knowledge of the 
Huius inventionis princip●um, est ipsius morb● cognitio. Lacum. epitome Galen. de meth medend. lib 2 fine. Initium medicae artis ded●t experientiae ●●urn institut med lib. 1. ●. 1.  disease (the beginning of every cure) but experience (which begat the Art of Physic) hath made me so much an Empiric herein, that I may at least (as they wont to do before the rules of healing, were improved to an Art) tell others by what means the Lord hath comforted me. I have therefore adventured this Benoni, 
The sick wont to be carried out into the high ways that they might à prateriun tibus remedia sciscit●ri Heurn. q. s.  the issue of mine experience into the public; that those Sermons which in their delivery, were received with holy attention and good fruits of many Auditors, might not like those Hebrew masculine 
Exod. 1.  books, live only the hour of their births, and presently be cast away, but remain longer to God's honour and the use of his: yet can I not probably excuse my presuming to tender your Honour this homely piece, except I plead your accustomed zeal to Religion, and favour to learning, & that you vouchsafed to honour our congregation with your presence, while most of these meditations were delivering. The God of all consolation make them effectually profitable to the Reader, and your Honour completely happy with all temporal and spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus, in whom Irest,  
Your Honour's humblest servant Jo. Reading.   

DAVID'S SOLILOQVIE.  P●AL. 42. 11. Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God. 
THE sum of Christianity, is that which Paul giveth in charge to Timothy, War a good 
1 Tim. 18. 19  warfare, holding saith and a good conscience. The life of a 
Gal. 5 17.  Christian is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a trucelesse fight against the spiritual enemy: to him that overcometh is appointed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, 
Reu. 2. 10. Reu 3. 21.  an incorruptible crown. We must therefore take unto us 
1 Cor. 9 24, 25.  the whole armour of God: a principal part thereof, is 
Eph. 6. 13, ●7  the sword of the Spirit, the word of God: and whereas all that, being given by inspiration 
2 Tim. 3. 16  of God, is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all 
Basil. praefat in Psal.  good works; and therefore is the wholesome physic for the soul, common to all, a promptuary; and store-house of spiritual receipts, to cure all maladies of the mind: a perfect directory to all those holy duties required of man: this one book of Psalms doth especially, and most comfortably meet with the per●urbations, and sicknesses of ● distempered mind.  

1. The Author.  It was penned by those holy men of God, who in ●undry conditions of the Church, prosperous, and adverse, in several distresses of their own, did either accommodate those-hymnes ●o the public use, or powned out their souls to God, opening the privaties of ●heir own hearts to him.  

2. The matte●.  The matter and subject ●c●reof is singular: For whereas the other Prophecies were their Ambassies from God to the people, or at least the abstracts thereof, these are, for the most part, their Colloquies and secret Conferences with God, concerning the inward senses of their spirits; Soliloquies, expostulations, demonstrations of the minds estate, the spiritual language of the soul to itself and God, the searcher of hearts, concerning it own grief.  

3. The necessary use of the Psalms.  So like are the things which are, to those which have been, that (as they were not written for one time or age, but for the Church's use, to the end of time) every man may apply something hereof to himself: this book is so completely furnished with all varieties, that some part or other hereof draweth every man to a private and peculiar examination of himself. There is no infirmity, among those multitudes to which the frail mind and life of man are subject, which may not here be fitted with sure direction for that cure.  
Besides, the many enemies which draw our hearts from God, our own affections do not lightly hurt us: Satan making his advantage upon us through them: diverting some to a wrong object, as when we delight or trust in evil: exasperating and sharpening some to a dangerous excess, as when we sorrow immoderately: retunding and abating others to an evil defect, as when we cannot raise our hopes to fetch comfort from the promises of God: to omit the rest, of which we shall not be occasioned to speak, of how many comforts are we made insensible, and so enjoy not what we have i● our hands and possessions▪ with how many useless and unsufferable burdens do● we oppress our souls, thereby making the life itself irksome & uncomfortable, for want of knowledge to improve, or strength to moderate our sorrows▪ and unrests of mind? what fears, what cares, what impatience, what murmurings, what desperate resolutions, what unhappy distractions, what infaust affrightments, what hideous fantasies doth not this sad Erinnys, worldly sorrow, present the mind withal? when all this while we foolishly cause that affliction, which we wickedly complain of: when we f●ede this bitter humour, with our painful indulgence, this insatiable Vulture with our own livers: when possessed of this melancholy devil, we wound, we tore, we cast ourselves into this fire, we plunge ourselves into these Marahs' of desperate sorrow.  
There cannot be a good life without afflictions, nor these without sorrow, and as rarely sorrow without excess, or defect: against all these here are remedies: follow them you who are interessed, you shall find a certain clew, to help you out of those intricate labyrinths of discontent, in which you found no rest, out of which you discovered no way.  

4. The form.  Neither can that be in vain, which the wisdom of God hath done: he saw it good, that this excellent matter should be cast and digested into such a form of words, not let fall with the vulgar liberty of speaking, but taught to run in smooth numbers, ordered feet of divine poesy, composed and set to musical tunes; there are many songs 
Origen. s. jud. 50. 6.  left by the Prophets to the Church's use: there is beside this, one book of Songs, the Canticles: there are many Songs intermixed in the other Scriptures: some serving for solemnities, either on particular occasions, as their victoriall 
Orig. ib.  Psalms, when they had passed the red Sea by a new, and unheard manner of transportation: Then sang Moses and the children of Israe●this 
Exod. 15. 1.  Song unto the Lord: So when GOD brought down jabin King of Canaan, 
jud. 4. 2●. jud. 5. ●.  Then sang Deborah and Barak the son of Abinoam, or a general song for posterities, as God commanded Moses to record a Song 
Deut. 31. 19, 30.  of remembrance, Recite ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel, a Psalm for the common and public 
Deut. 32. 1.  service of GOD, to which certain Levites were assigned: so David, and the Captain of the Army, separated 
Cantores &c qui Psal. mos dulci modulami●e r●sonabant quod levitas in templo dei, inter sacrificia quotidiana ●acere solitos, etc. 2 C●ro 1●. etc. Beda capos●●n ●sram. l. 1● 2  for the ministry, the sons of Asaph and Heman, and jeduthun, to sing Prophecies with Harps and Psalteries, and with Cymbals. there were of these cunning singers 288, who were divided into 24 courses, in which they served 12 in a course, to give thanks, and praise the Lord: some for private use and application: the sweet singer of Israel indicted 
2 Sam 23. 1  Psalms to be sung, not only in the public service of God, but in private also, with singular profit. For as by other objects of external senses, certain fantasies are begotten, which presenting themselves to the inward faculties of the soul, do according ●o their several natures, and the liabilities of the receiver, make impressions, stir up the affections, and move the reason, and will, to their operations; so especially those Species (which enter the soul through, this serse of discipline, the hearing) melodies, and sweet harmonies (which are a musical sound or consent of sundry duly 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Arist. de anim. l. 1. c. 4.  proportioned notes, varied according to diverse measures of time, with rising and falling of tunes) for the 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Ib.  Analogy they have with the soul itself, and sympathy with the affections, which they do both outwardly express, or resemble, and inwardly move, like some friendly guest, welcome to the Master of the house, find a free cheerful and ready passage, both through cares and affections, which are as diligent servants, to convey them to the inward presence of the soul: where they have an admirable power to bring to a be●ter temper, whatsoever is there troubled, to qualify and allay that which is too eager, to quicken and awaken that which is too dull and heavy, to moderate that which some ill governed thoughts had exasperated, to sweeten that which is too sharp: and all this, with such facility, as if those querulous strings, & passionate notes, excellent strains of descant which we hear, did familiarly speak to the soul some spiritual language.  
Doubtless instrumental Music hath an admirable power with the affections, as may appear, in the use and experience of those serious Consorts, martial musi●k●d which wise▪ Commanders have invented, to quicken and put life into their Soldiers, knowing how those inanimate sounds do rouse and quicken the dull, languishing and heavy spirits; as softer notes do find but the thoughts in their most secret recesses, subduing them with so sweet a violence, that the most fierce and savage among them are contented to be touched, and cares most unquiet, to forget themselves. Antiquity was not so mad to think there ever lived that Orpheus, who would go to rake hell for a wife, that could inchant Bears, Lions, and other beasts, o● charm their cares: that Sisyphus forgot his labour, bloodless ghosts wept, moody Pluto became passionate to hear him sing and touch his Harp, they 
Vera sunt ergo qua loqu●ntur Poëta, sed obtentu aliquo specieque velata. Lactan. l. 1 c. 11.  had true morals, which were to show, how deeply and movingly music entereth into the soul.  
But as humane, well governed, voices excel all other notes or sounds, so when those become articu late, and we hear not only voices but words, and those spiritual and heavenly, I know not how, the affections, reason, and deepest senses of the soul are so moved, as that there appeareth the most excellent use of Psalms and singing.  

Et sicubi quis quamvis fero ac rab●dissim▪ furore captatur, si fortc fuerit psalmi. & carminibus incantatus continuô omn is rabbiss ferocitatis eius abscedit: Psalms tranqui●itas animarum est, & perturbationes vel yiuct●s cogitationuin cohibens ira●undiam rep●●●ous, etc. Aug. ●●oem in Psalm.  1 To pacify & calm vngouerned affections, to quiet the fierceness of raging thoughts, and like some gentle gust, from a contrary quarter, to smooth and assuage the tumultuous surges of a troubled mind. Therefore David (whose Harp gave Saul rest, from the unclean spirit which 
* 1 Sam. 16 24.  vexed him, those mad fits ceasing, and he enjoying lucid internals, whilst he played) wont to tune his own complaints to swectest keys, and teach his sorrows to sing, indicted this excellent ditty, to allay passions, and bring them to such a temper, as might make him capable of comfort, which no mind is, in violence of passion: wherein all counsel seemeth perverse and misspent breath, as in troubled water the most beauteous face appeareth distort and wreathed: Experience hath showed the use of Psalms herein, by the silent tears of mad men, and the deeply melancholy, suddenly falling at the hearing some grave music, and it is not without good reason: because as the devil marketh and maketh use, to his advantage, of every temper and condition, especially our immoderate fits of passion, and joineth himself thereto, hurting the distempered and lunatic, not more by their own hands, then by adding violence to thei● affections, which misgovern them; so his power must needs be more, or less to hurt them, by how much more, or less, their own affections bear a part, and serve the evil spirit thereto these being therefore tempered, by that harmonic which naturally giveth refection to the thoughts, an● as it were gently handlet● them, leading them away from the view, and inwar● apprehension of objects irksome, and such as firs● caused their minds to faile● and findeth less advantage to force them to outrages.  
2 To stir●e up and awaken the affections, to carri● up the mind to an high● flight. The soul of man is not only clogged with an earthy prison, but with many busy fantasies, cares, fears, distractions, with which, it cannot easily ascend: it hath therefore need of such means, as can greaten and give more vigour to good passions, make the mind more actine and quick, to which (what ever some, Stoically superstitious, do think, who like blind men imagine no excellency in colours, or like deaf, in sounds) this spiritual melody of Psalms is most apt.  
What were our prayers better than the sacrifice of fools, without the fire of zeal, wherein they must 
jud. 13. 20.  ascend like the Angel in the flame of Manaohs Altar? What were our hearing with drowsy, unmoved affections, better than formal and dissembled attention? what fruit could we expect from devotion so cold? Therefore Beda speaking of their frequent praying, and singing in Nehemiahs' time, saith, they used it four times a day, that their prayer might ascend more purely and devoutly. Whence he supposeth grew the custom of singing in the Church before prayer: because a Psalm sequestreth the mind from the earth, lifteth up 
Chryso●t. in Psal. 146.  the thoughts, and maketh them light and high flying. And Augustine confesseth: How much have I wept in thy 
Lib. 9 Conf. 6. 6.  Hymns and Songs, vehemently moved with the voice of thy sweet-sounding Church, those voices flowed into mine ears, thy truth was distilled into mine heart, thereupon the affection of piety was fervent, and my tears ran down. Christ and his Disciples sang Psalms: the Church in her purest ages, used it, yea when persecution hindered 
Hymns ante lueanos, etc. Pl●n Ep.  the more public service of GOD, they sung Psalms before day: the Church of Christ to this day, before praying, prophesying, in divine Service, and use of the holy Sacraments, doth sing: It is not written in vain, that 
2 King. 3. 15.  the Prophet commanded the Minstrel to play, and when he played, the hand of the Lord came upon Elisha, and he prophesied: Humane frailties in things most divine, have need of helps: among which, we may rightly number the Queeres, of many Saints, singing, and making melody to God, with hearts, and voices: they rap the mind into a kind of divine ecstasy, they carry it up from the world's gross and obstreperous clamours, set it out of, and above itself, and on a sudden take a man up by the care, as it were into the third heaven, to conceive the singing of glorious Queeres in the presence of God.  
3 To convey things more deeply to the heart, which dilating itself to that, which doth delight, and please it, easily admit●eth them: and herein the wisdom and goodness of God appeareth, he seeing mankind prone to pleasure, 
Id enim quaerunt quod sens● demulceat, persuadet autem quic quid sua●e est, et animo penit●● dum delectat infidet. Lactant. Bas●●.  but virtue irksome, and difficult, for the pains in 〈◊〉 to be taken, inviteth us to holiness, with pleasing allurements, musical precepts, folding up that which ●hould cure our souls, with ●hat which delighteth our ●ares: and as it were by ●ealth, conveying it into our minds: after the man●er of a wise Physician, who ●ining children medicine somewhat sharp, and unpleasant, 
Amaresunt male viventibus praecepta iustiti●. Lacta●.  to avoid nauseousness; and distaste, sweeteneth the cup▪ all precepts of virtue, are bitter to the distempered palates of evil livers, therefore he wrappeth up those Pills in delights, that he might heal, and profit us with pleasure. 
O divinam sapientiam quae no● spo●te, ac cum animi alacritate canentee docuit, quae diutius nostris essent animis duratura. Basil qu●. s.  This also helpeth an unfaithful and weak memory: we often think of that which delighteth us, but that which by force, and difficulty is beaten into our minds, we easily cast out again: those things which we receive and retain with love and favour, firmly reside 
Aug. ●ro ●m in Ps.  & stick in the memory.  
4 To unite the Saints of God, in heart, and voice to the service of God, who so loveth unanimity, that there he appointed the blessing 
Psal. 133. 3.  and life for evermore: and promised that where two or three were gathered together in his name, there he would, with his most 
Di●orsum populum unius chori per concordiam ●onsona modulatione consocians totiu● eccl●s●e vox una. Aug. quo. s.  gracious presence, be in the midst of them. Now in this exercise▪ ●here is but one united voice of the Church.  
5 To refresh us wearied with cares, oppressed with sorrows: how zealously doth a sorrowful heart sing, when the Psalm sui teth with his condition, when it fitteth his sorrow. We do not so well understand these things, when we formerly sing them, ●s when we impropriate the sense to our own condition, when we are feelingly interessed in them. They are thought happy men who have use for Psalms of Thanksgiving: but whereas it cannot be, but they must suffer adversities who are humane, they also have a true taste of comfort, who in afflictions, can with experience and deep sense, use these heavenly Songs, which the spirit of GOD hath indicted for the same purpose: the prosperous man may sing (why art thou cast down my soul?) and the afflicted his (venite exultemus) an Hebrew Son, by the rivers of Babylon; but neither with that godly passion, as if the mind were parallelled with the Song, the affection with the Ditty: how moovingly do 
Si ergo, qu● pri●● forte c●nentes percur●imus, et leviter tantum et in superficie atting●mus, cum in necessitates et a●flictiones inciderimus, tunc sci●●u● et cognoscimus ips●re, qu● est in nobis conveniens medicamentum. Chrys. proëm in Psal. Act, 1●.  men sing their own grief, true sorrows? how passionately doth the disconsolate man sing in David's words, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Turn thy face from mine iniquity, or the like. And by such emptying the heart, the afflicted man is comforted, when following the dearest Saints of God in their conditions, and in their words, he thinketh, and is resolved, no tentation hath overtaken him, but such as belongeth to the beloved ●onnes of GOD: with Psalms David comforted himself in afflictions, Paul and Silas in prison: Psalms cheer the heart, revive the tired spirits: because this exultation is begotten in 
Do spe futuri gaudii.  the hearts of zealous singers, out of an hope of future joy: 
Cantiois satigationem itineris consolantur ac sublevant. Bed in job.  they being like weary travellers, easing their longsome Pilgrimages with songs and hope of arrival.  
Chrysostome making a question, 
In Psal. 42.  why this Scripture was written in Psalms; answereth to this purpose: when God saw men lazy, and unwillingly coming to read spiritual things, he vouchsafed to sweeten that labour, and make the 
A ●niscuit prophet tam melodia.  pain move pleasing, he● mingled Prophecy with melody, that it might delight the mind, there being nothing which so carrieth it up, freeth it from earth and bands of the body: our nature is so much delighted with music, hath 
Vt vel Infantes ab uberibus matris pendents, si fleant et afflict antur ea ratione sopiantur Chrysoft. qua. s.  ●uch necessitude and agreement with it; that with this ●he careful Nurse stilleth ●er weeping Infant hanging ●n her breast, with this she ●oppeth his tears, with his she bringeth him a ●eepe: with this the husbandman cheereth up his ●eary Teams in Sum●ers heat: with this the ●ea man beguileth his tedious Watches: with this ●red Palmers shorten their 
Viatores & itineris molestiam illis canticis consolantes. Chrys. 1. s.  ●ng ways: because ●en this kind of delight is ●erely allied, and familiar to our minds, lest the evils 
Valde cognatum et familiar. Ib.  one, making use of our natures, should pervert with lascivious & wanton songs; GOD himself made us Songs, wherein we might both profit and delight.  
Psalms are the Angel● exercise, the daily practice of blessed Saints, the spiritual Incense of the host o● heaven: the sweet harbou in solitude: the orname● of celebrities, the medicine of sick minds, the mode ratour of affections: an exercise becoming all degrees, all ages, all conditions, since none are either too grave, or too good t● praise the Lord.  

Use.  I have not made so larg● a digression upon this poin● only to praise these spiritual Hymns, which beyond all commendations, praise themselves to every Religious heart and care, but that I might fold up all this Proem, with that, which I am resolved, is of most important use for these times.  
My first address is to those silent men, mutes in GOD'S house, who have 
F●r● in omnibus ●emplis uhi colebantur Isis et Serapis, erat etia● simulachrum, quod digito labii● impress admonere videretur, ut silentium fieret. Aug. de ciu. dei. l. 18. ●. 5.  tongues and voices, but so strictly apprentized to the world, that they serve for nothing else: at Church (as if they were votaries in the still Temples of Isis and Serapis, and were warned by some Harpocrates finger on the lip, to a sacred silence) they are not heard: doubtless there is not one pretenced reason to all that are faulty herein, that they will neither join with the congregation, nor sing privately: some condemn Music of levity, and conclude it useless: alas, poor man, can thy wisdom teach God? Is there any knowledge but from God? who gave this skill? who made the voice to sing? did God ever make any thing in vain? or, to leave the argument, is not his precept sufficient? how often hath 
Psal. 47. 1▪ 6, 7.  he commanded it? All people 
Psal. 66. 2.  clap your hands, sing aloud unto 
Psal. ●1. 1. & 8●. 1. ●2. 1. & 95. 1. 2 & 96. 1. 98. 1. 8. 100 1.  God with a joy full voice: Sing praises to God▪ sing praises, sing praises to our King. Sing forth the glory of his Name. And for conclusion 
105. 2. 134 2. 135. 3.  of these Psalms, he saith, 
147. 1. 149 1. 150. 6.  Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. We read of no other mirth, than this of singing, in our Saviour Christ, with what spirit dost thou condemn or neglect that, which Christ did for thy imitation? Another excuseth himself, I have no voice, no skill: if thou have no voice, let 
Non dulcedo ●ocis s●d mentis affectise quaeritur. ler▪ l. ●2. ●p.  thine heart sing, bring well tuned affections, an understanding mind, a good conscience, and a little skill will serve to a service, so holily pleasant, and easy. I am melancholy saith another: remember, this Psalmist used it, to comfort his afflicted mind: I have not time, or place private enough, saith another, Paul found both in prison, is thy liberty more straight than his bands▪ neither time, place, solitude, nor that importune tyranny of sleep, labours, griefs, or fears enforced him to omit his singing to the Lord.  
My second is against that same musicam deformantem, deforming music, under which name, wise Lawgivers wont to banish some kinds, from their republikes: and it grieveth me, that it lieth wholly upon us, to Preach against it, since it is most worthy with severe punishment, to be banished all Christian commonwealths: it being no less policy to prevent, then to punish sins, (for they are therefore punished in some, that they might be prevented in others) since there is the self same danger in cursed incentives not hindered, as in those acts of sin, to which they allure: I mean that ill-mannered petulancy of lascivious Songs and Singers, base abuse of Music, which instead of bettering the mind, and clearing the affections with Songs, conveyeth that impious obstenity into it, that good manners are corrupted: and instead of spiritual restoratuie to a sick mind, leaveth a residence so poisonous in the mind, that it corrupteth, effeminateth and debanisheth it. These are Brokers for uncleanness, incendiaries for lusts, brands of the first hell upon earth: who (as if 
Lactantio an. l. 1. c. 21.  they were at those Herculean rites in the Rhodes, which they wont to celebrate with wicked words, and execrations, that man only being held polluted, who, though unawares, let fall any good word) have given the unclean spirit possession of their tongues. I never read the devil sang, (I read Christ sang, I read 
Luk. 2.  of Angels, and Saints singing in heaven and earth) 
Re●. 5. 9 11  but if ever the devil sing, or be at all musical, I dare boldly say, it is he who singeth in lascivious mouths, it is he who singeth to thee in harlots lips, it is he who singeth in the warbling notes of wanton Catamites: these are none other but the devil's baits, set to catch thee by the care: he seemeth studious of thy content, to please and make thee merry: but it is to bring thee to eternal sorrow: so Fowlers call poor birds to the limed bushy▪ and then they soon, (but too late) know the unsuspected meaning of those beguiling notes: it is but mirth, they say; it is a wretched mirth, for which thou must give an account at the day of judgement, and which shall be ended with weeping and gnashing of teeth. Know therefore, that albeit God seemeth severe, yet he would not kill, but correct thine affections, he would not bar us of pleasures, but change the dangerous and false, for safe and true. 
1 Thes. 5. 16 Phil. 3. 1. Phil. 4. 4.  He would have us cheerful, he commandeth us to rejoice evermore; and, is any merry, let him sing, but 
jam. 5. 13.  one of the songs of Zion: only let no corrupt communication 
Ephes. 4. 29  precede out of your mouths; but that which 
Ephes. 5. 19  is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. Sing Psalms, Hymns, & spiritual Songs, 
Col. 3. 16.  singing with a grace in your 
Aduolet spiritus gratia. C●rys.  hearts to the Lord. To such songs the spirit of grace cometh flying: the Bees come to aromatical, and sweet things, the Swine will to the mire: to obscene and meritricious songs and discourses, the devil's swarm, let them only use and love them, who love their company.  
The third is unto two sorts of erring men: there is a formal singer, who regardeth nothing but tune: take thy lesson▪ in a word; if thine heart sing not, thou expressest no more Religion in thine excellent and quaintest notes, then is in an Organ pipe, which, how ever it may incite others, is itself insensible. I will sing with the Spirit, but I 
1 Co. 14. 15  will sing with understanding also. There are formelesse singers, who imagine, because the main which God looketh for, is the heart, therefore they may with uncouth wild notes, and discordious, vntuned zeal, unkay an holy Queer, and disturb the congregation; as if some new devotion had rapt them out of tune, it being partly an affected ignorance, partly out of a desire, ratherto be known for some singular disconuenience withal, than not at all to be noted of any: as if because God regarded not Pharisaical and superstitious washings, therefore he required sordid worshippers, and unclean hands: because he is not moved, with the most curious relishes of men or Angels, therefore he would have men, discord, jar, and sing out of tune: nay, but he is the God of order, not of confusion, and there is a decorum in the assemblies of men; to whose presence thou owest a reverend conformity: there is a mean way; GOD requireth the unblemished Sacrifice, at least the best. I will neither sing for tunes sake, nor without it: if I had Art and Nature serving me, as I would not ostent; so not think it too good for God's service: I would not care where I were hoarse, so I could excel in the service of GOD, in his house I would affect to go beyond myself, I would here do my best, and if I had any jewel, I would bring it toward the furnishing this Tabernacle: I will sing with my heart, and inward feeling of my soul, but if I could sing the notes of Angels, I would neither be ashamed of the excellency which God gave me, nor be a niggard of it toward his service, I would not think that unsuitable to his house of Saints on earth, which is, and for ever shall be familiar to them in heaven.  
The last is to them who neither learn, nor teach these holy Ditties: know assuredly, they are the sweetest companions in solitude, the best grace in company: how well do they become the rejoicer? how well do they fit the mourner? how well doth it beseem the good servant of God, to sing praises? how doth it beautify the streets? how are those ways strewed with boughs and garments, as if our Saviour were sensibly to be entertained, where every Artificer hath the praises of God in his mouth? how doth it resemble our City, to that jerusalem above, where all are singers? how graceful is it for private families to send out those sounds, like sweet odours, into the streets (I applaud not them who do it only for applause) doth not the devil stand listening at the window, like the envious elder brother to the noise of his Father's inward music? is 
Luk. 16.  he not vexed at it? would he enter if he were entreated? no, he knoweth that is no music for his dancing. Let it be your practice to learn these Psalms, teach them your children: happy house, happy state, where these have learned their Hosanna, where these songs are heard, like Plato's Bees, settling about their tender lips, an assured abodement of divine eloquence to come: even of that which shall be heard among the Saints and Angels in heaven.  
The occasion of these words was, David being exiled beyond jordan, dwelling on the hills of the Hermonites, and the little mount Nisar, betwixt the Reubenites and Gadites, destitute of parents, brethren and allies, destitute of the Tabernacle, and public service of God therein performed, thus complaineth him, as appear in the fore going verses, then concludeth, as before in the fifth verse, Why art thou cast down.  
His purpose is to show, that the most just grief and disquiet of mind, must be moderated; for as much as God is ever able, and ready to 〈◊〉 all them that 〈◊〉 in him.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Vt quid tr●stis es? Aug. Lyra. etc.  Why art thou exreamely sad, some give it: Why art thousand▪ others. Why dost thou deject thee? others, why 
Quid deiicis te? jun. Cur te d●primis? Montan. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Incuruatus est, etc.  dost thou depress thyself? The Hebrew hath it from a word signifying a crooking, bending down, or prostration: for sorrow doth as it were bend him down, according to which sense, it is 
Pro▪ 12. ●5.  said, Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it syrup.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Homer. Vt quid ●ō turb●● me. Aug. ● etc. Quid persure pis? jun Curio t●onultuaberis? Montan.  Why dost thou trouble me, some read: as if it were, with such agitation as moveth the water from top to bottom, making it thick & muddy. Why dost thou trouble me? Why dost thou make a noise? Why dost thou tumult? Why art thou disquiet? The 
* 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  word signifieth tumulting, raging, or murmuring, such as deep waters make in their fury: in which sense it is used in the 51. of jeremy. When her 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  waves do roar like great waters. So jer. 31. 20. My bowels are troubled for him, or sounded for him: the manner of speaking seemeth borrowed from the disquiet of some disordered, mutinous, and counsels multitude, which, upon a conceived injury, suddenly travaileth with revenge, Saevitque animis ignobile vulgus: then firebrands and staffs find wings, and fury weapons: such is a troubled sea, where the madness of her people express the countenance of a fluctuant tumult: such is an afflicted mind, where a thousand billows, open so many vast graves, threaten so many deaths, vain hopes, and desperate fears, alternating their momentary courses, as it were from heaven into the bottom of the great deeps.  
Trust in God, or hope in 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signific as anat● se● 〈◊〉 expect are, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●3. 15▪ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  God, it signifieth an earnest and constant expectation.  
Because I shall confess to him, some give it: yet I shall praise him, others: the 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confi●eb●r Aug ad ●●c 〈…〉 s●m eum. Mont. 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  word is indifferently rendered, to confess, or praise, as Dan. 6. 10.  
The health of my countenance, that is, giving me the joy of saving health, or I shall praise him and his sa●ing health, for God's countenance is the declaration of his favour in our deliverance and help.  

Salutes facierum. Montanus.  As if he said, O my soul what is the cause thou art so much doiected? Why dost thou so yield to grief▪ as if there were no more help for thee in thy God●? Why art thou so impatient, vexing and fretting thyself? be contented, cast cares and sorrows upon God▪ trusting him who never deceaneth trust: for I am resolved he will deliver me, and I shall yet live to praise him for it: my experience teacheth me this confidence, because he is the lifter up of my countenance, and my gracious God, which hath ever yet provided for me.  
The parts are two: 1, Expostulation reprehensorie, why art thou? 2, Counsel consolatory, hope in God.  
It is the truest method of teaching others, or thyself, with reproof and comfort: it is Gods own order: look into the Prophets, every where you shall find threatenings and promises, correptions and consolations, like the rod and Manna laid up together.  
In the expostulation I shall observe some things belonging to the  
1, Manner of speaking, or form of reprehension, it is interrogatory, Why?  
2, Party speaking and spoken to, the Psalmist speaketh as it were to another 〈…〉 or as if he consisted of two parts. The flesh saith grieve, and be impatient, the regenerate part reproveth that excess▪ it importeth therefore a soliloquy. My soul, etc.  
3, Matter of the reprehension which is twofold, 

1, Dejection, why cast down?  
2, Disquietness, Why art thou disquiet?    
1 The first of these showeth, it is no careless or strengthless reproof, but full of vehemency: secretly retraicting to the pretended causes of immoderate grief, or disquiet of mind, implying it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 causeless: for no reason warranteth excess.  
2 The second importeth it is not formal, it is a soliloquy and private conference with himself; in his own soul, without which, how ever solemn, public or private the exercise of Religion and devotion be, it is fruitless.  
3 The third showeth us two main wants in an afflicted mind, that is, want of  
1 Strength. Why art thou so weak, as that thou art overcome of sorrow?  
2 Moderation. Why art thou so violent, that thou vexest thyself?  
In the counsel I shall observe,  
1. A remedy, in which are the, First, antidote against sorrow & distress of mind, hope.  
2. Subject, or ground of that trust, God. All other hopes are vain, & like shifting Mountebanks ostent false cures, but help not: this only never faileth.  
Secondly, reason or cause of that hope, which is either from the 1. Strong persuasion which God then gave him for the future, I shall yet praise him.  
2. Experience of God's favours both present and past, He is the health of my countenance.  
3. Co●enant of GOD with him, he is my God.  
1 So then the first place affordeth an enquiry after the occasion and pretended causes of this evil. Why?  
The second, a consideration of the part affected, my soul.  
The third, of the disease itself, dejection, and impatience.  
The last of the remedy, with the assurance, and probatum est, Hope in God, for I shall yet, etc.  


1. Why?  This quaere reproveth, by exacting a cause: the Prophet wrestleth with his own sorrows, and in this question both deriveth them from their fountains, and implieth, he ought so to moderate them, that he offend not GOD by impatience. 
Luk. 16. 21  Why art thou cast down? Why thou? For a poor Lazarus to be cast down, when rich men's dogs enjoy the crumbs he wanteth; for some distressed 
Gen. ●1. 19  parent, some Hagar, whose helpless comfort is not to behold the end of her starving Infant: for some poor widow of Zarephath, 
1 Reg. 17. 12.  protesting to the man of GOD, As the Lord thy God liveth I have not a Cake, but even an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a Cruse, and behold I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it & dye: For some afflicted job, but now rich, and presently stripped of all, lying sick, sore, and (which is a double disease) so poor, that he is not worth one true frrend: for some indigent widow of a Prophet, fallen into the arrests of Creditors so pitiless, that they will take her sons to be slaves for the debt: for some necessitous attendant, exhaust, and starved with long feeding on the heartless airs of dilatory promises, noble breaths, thin dews of Court-holy-water, while he seeth worthless givers receiving, godless receivers giving, judas the Clerk of the Market, with his 
Math. 26. 15.  what will ye give me? & all the seeming friends of desert, Thomas Scholars, who can believe nothing without some feeling: for such men to be dejected, it were no wonder: but why thou O rich man? Why thou O King, whose condition is independent? What wantest thou David, loved in peace, feared in wars, to make thee content? doubtless there is no external condition can allay the minds disquiet: there is no Supersedeas in greatness against cares and sorrows: whilst 
Gen. 28.  jacob sleepeth securely in the fields of Luz, that ugly empuse fear, with swarms of cares & discontents creepeth like those Egyptian Frogs into King's Chambels, the impudent Hag dareth look Majesty in the face, serve her arrests upon greatness, and without respect of titles, lay rude hands upon sacred robes.  
For fools to cause, and then complain of the fruits of their own inventions, or to be cast down it were no great matter, but why thou O man of GOD? Surely there are remainds of folly in the most improved natures, and refined brains: there is no more wisdom without some madness, then mortal perfection without some blemishes, some Relics of the old man.  
For some bloody Cain, conscious Herod, guilty Ahab, godless Belshazzar, desperate judas, to be cast down and disquiet, it is no marvel, the wonder is they 
Isai. 57 2●.  can be merry or quiet, there is no rest to the wicked: But why thou holy Psalmist? is not the Kingdom of God 
Requiem in se non poterit haebere quoni. am ●llum dereliquit in quo habitare et requies●ere debuit. by'r nard. de censes. l. c. ●. Rom. 14▪ 17.  in righteousness, and peace, and joy in the holy Ghost? Why art thou disquieted? truly the most holy have their trials, their disquiet of mind: because we are not yet wholly spiritual, that we might rest secure Conquerors; since than neither riches, honours, power, humane wisdom, or perfection, can free from this sickness of the mind, there are none too great, too wise, too good to follow our Psalmist to the cure, which by his practice he teacheth us, that is:  

Doct.  In every disquiet of mind, first examine, and find out the cause: without this, there is no hope of a s●und cure: for whereas Satan assaileth us diverse ways, in our joy he saith rejoice, and let thine heart cheer thee, that he may add drunkenness to thirst. In prosperity, 
Math. 4.  all this will I give thee. But in our sorrows he 
jud. 9  saith, Cast thyself down, we must not deal with him, who tempted Christ●, and could deal with the Archangel, disputing about the body of Moses, he is too 
Non ea●sas pro ●a●sis.  sharp a Sophister for us, and can obtrude fallacies, false causes: the best way to overcome him, is to keep us to our close fights, not to be drawn out of our entrenchments, and fortifications, 
Iosh. 8. 22.  like the men of Ai to their destruction; we are incompetent assailants, and must content us, to defend: therefore we must make sure at home, we must deal with these domestic enemies, our own inordinate affections, calling them to account, not suffering them to get an hand over our reason, as Samson took an oath of the 3000 men of judah, Swear unto me that ye will 
judg. 15. 12  not fall upon me yourselves, and being secured of them, he feared not; so if our own affections prove not false, no assaults can hurt us without.  
How many thousands fret and grieve themselves to death, and never come so far as this point of expostulation: why do I this? Why art thou cast down O my soul? How many think they have just cause of sorrow, when indeed as it was said of David's weeping, the salvation of that day is turned into 
2 Sam. 19 2  mourning, and they have more cause to rejoice then grieve? How many weeping magdalen's see not how Christ offereth himself to them, and speaketh comfort, in their afflictions, whilst they mistake Christ for a Gardener, they know not the blessing that is near them? How many in bitterness of soul wish death might end their sorrows, when they ought to see their happiness? they having little other danger, then being made unhappy, by seeming so to themselves.  
Me thinketh, this interrogatory particle standeth before the disconsolate mind (like the Angel by Peter in prison) with a touch, 
Act. 12. 7.  shaketh off the chains, and leadeth him out: for truly, if we could once be brought to learn this lesson rightly, and throughly to examine the cause of our sorrows, we should be soon freed from them: for discovering them either to be without good cause, or the cause to be some foul evil in which we yet lie, we shall be ashamed of them, and turn our sorrow upon a right object, and so be cured. Two things are therefore to be observed in this case.  
1 We must examine, and finde out the first cause of our sorrow: every man knoweth the next and immediate cause of his grief, but we must not rest there: it is not enough for Israel to sorrow, because the Lord 
Exod. 33. 3. 4, &c▪  said, I will not go up in the midst of thee, except they consider, why God said so, which was, because they were a stiffnecked people: 
Iosh. 7. 6.  It is not enough for joshuah, and the Elders of Israel, to rend their clothes, lament their danger, and loss of their brethren, except they look to the cause of God's displeasure: there is an achan's wedge, some neglect, some sin if Israel be smitten: if the Lord give thee a trembling heart, failing eyes, 
Deut 28. 65, 66, 67.  and sorrow of mind, so that thy life hang in doubt before thee, and thou fearest day and night, if thou have no assurance of thy life, so that thou say in the morning, Would God it were evening, and at evening, would GOD it were morning, for the fear of thine 
Ver. 58.  heart which thou shalt fear: know, it is because thou dost not observe to do all the words of this law, neither dost thou fear, this glorious and fearful name, the Lord thy GOD. All sorrows are the undoubted effects of sin: therefore the readiest way to the cure, is, not to rest, till we have found out 
Causa m●r b● primium excid●nda guam morbus. lo. Heurn institut. med. l. 12. ●. 3.  the mischief which is hid, the excommunicate thing; to begin at the root, and cause of the evil, which we suffer. The Prophet like a skilful Empiric went roundly to work. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment 
I am. 3. 39, 40.  of his sin. We have transgressed, and have rebelled, and thou hast not pardoned: And the Psalmist saith, 
Psal. 107. 17.  Fools because of their transgression: and because of their iniquities are afflicted. So 
Ier●m. 8. 14  jeremy: The Lord our GOD hath put us to silence, and given us waters of Gall to drink, because we have sinned against the Lord.  
Whence it appeareth, that sin in general is the true cause of grief and impatience. More particularly, & especially these three, 1. Ignorance. 2. Unbelief. 3. The distempers and indispositions of mind which follow them.  
Ignorance hath the first place, unbelief the second, (which the order of the cure importeth: to help our unbelief we must first dispel our ignorance, the clouds which darken our mind; for, How shall they 
Rom. 10. 14  believe in him, of whom they ha●e not heard?) Though it be true, unbelief was before ignorance, in time, and order of causing, in the first sinner, who did know all things which he ought to believe, till believing the Serpent (which was his unbelief) he transgressed, and so brought a native ignorance, and spiritual blindness on all mankind. This ignorance is first, our ignorance of God: When we know not, or consider not his power, and all-disposing providence, governing all things, with a sweet, and unresistible omnipotency: then we repine, and murmur, than we strive and wrestle, as if we could prevail against him. Our ignorance of God's goodness and mercy, working all things for the best to them that love him, curing their souls with ass●ictions temporal, healing with part of that Scorpion which did sting them; our ignorance (I say) of the work of God herein, causeth, that we look not beyond our present condition, and therefore distrust the issue, whereupon we are dejected, and so impatient, as if we were utterly lost for want of looking to. Secondly, of ourselves, and our own unwor thinnessthinness, which when we know not, or remember not, we think we are too good, to be so sharply dealt withal: that our sorrows are greater than our sins: that we have not deserved all the miseries we suffer. This ignorance of ourselves causeth us to build hopes far greater than our foundation, to undertake affairs aboue our strength, and in the whole course of our lives to carry a sail too great for our bottom▪ so that when our disproportioned hopes and projections fail, and are overset, we grieve, we vex, as if GOD had done us injury, because he gave us not so much, as our foolish hopes promised us.  
2 Unbelief is a genuine cause of disquiet of mind: we could not be immoderately grieved, or troubled for any temporal evil, if we did confidently believe GOD, our powerful and gracious deliverer at hand: This is that old man, which lieth murmuring and vexing within us; this is that unregenerate part, which because it is conscious of nothing but sin, therefore can conceive nothing but justice in God, and fear in itself, which suspicion so multiplieth, that upon every (the least) appearance of 
1 Reg, 18. 44.  danger, be it but like the cloud arising out of the Sea, which Eliahs' servant saw on Carmel, as little as a man's hand, it presently resolves of perpetual storms, hopeless and helpless conditions: therefore our Psalmist saith, Hope in God; by the cure showing the cause of the disease, that is, distrust and want of faith, as we shall see hereafter.  
3 The distempers of mind are diverse.  
1 Want of foresight, and fore expectation of calamities: it must needs be, that affliction fall very heavily upon that man who never looked for it, who made no other account to himsulfe, but to be carried to heaven upon downy pillows, he that looketh for trials, armeth his mind to entertain them when they come.  
2 Levity of mind, and weakness, which cause that every breath (even common accidents) overthrow a man, and move him to impatience.  
3 Surfeiting on prosperity, (whence men grow effeminate, and, like formal Soldiers, trained up only for a quiet pomp, are dead at the sight of an enemy, every distress disordereth and confoundeth their thoughts.) He that is not 
Aug. in Ioha● Serm. 42.  deceived with prosperity, shall not be broken with adversity: therefore GOD saith, it is good for a man, that he bear the yoke in his 
I am. 3. 27.  youth, as we shall see in the following parts.  
4 Envy, which hath a long eye into other men's estates, not contented with that itself hath, except others might want that which they have. It is not only afflicted with it own adversity, but with the prosperity of others also.  
We may add to these and other causes of the minds disquiet, which are in our selves, one external: that is the devil, who loveth to be fishing in troubled waters, especially those Marahs' of man's sorrow and impatience, which are his Nectar, and his music, because his desire is, to make man repine at GOD, be at enemity with men, discontented with himself, impatient at his estate; in fine, to make the whole life of man miserable, every occurrent hurtful, the whole man less than a possessor of his own soul, and all this out of a damned malice against God & man, whom he would fa●ne ●qua●l with himself in a fearful apostasy.  

Use.  God doth sometimes to the eye of man, strike wide, and shor●, yet he ever doth iastly 〈…〉 he seemeth 〈…〉 wid●, when he punisheth Da●id on his subjects 
2 Sam. 24 1●.  backs: short, when joab and Shime● in their age, 
1 Reg. 2. 34. 45.  pay for the sins of their younger days, or the rich man sossereth the torments of hell, after his days of pleasure: yet it is always just, and oportune which God doth: and often such, as the punishment showeth it derination from the offence: Pharaohs plagues were sitted to his offence, his cruelty to the Infants, was rewarded him in the death of all the first borne 
Exod. 1. 16.  in the land of Egypt: he that drowned was drowned: 
Exod. 12. 29  
Exod. 14. 27. 28.  Adonibezcks imanity was retaliated in the same 
I●d. 1. 7.  kind, As I have done so God hath requited me. Sodoms' unnatural burning with a 
Gen. 19 24.  supernatutall shower of fire and brimstone. ahab's bloodshedding with the blood of himself and family. I need not speak of these: even for his own children, GOD maketh choice of the rod. Da●ids bloody sin is followed with a sentence, which like a dreadful come●, hung pointing down upon his ●ouse Now therefore the 
〈…〉  〈◊〉 shall never depart from 〈…〉 His indulgence 〈…〉 with 〈…〉 the people with a diminution of the people: it is of●en so, that the punishment may lead thee back to thine offence.  
Thou art grieved for a debauched child? see whether thou didst not neglect to breed him better, whether thou wert not an Eli, and thy reproofs gall-less, when God was dishonoured, and highly displeased? thou grievest for some dishonour? See whether some popular breath had not dangerously puffed thee up? thou art rejected for thy sickness? See whether thy surfeiting were not so only to be ended, whether thou didst not abuse thy health and strength? thou grievest for thy poverty? it is an heavy trial, b●t cozen r well whether thou didst not desperately cause it, whether thou we●t not an evil, an expensive servant before GOD called his goods out of thine hands? whether thou didst not dishonour him with riches? See whether thy possessions be too little, or thy mind to great? whether the misery, of which thou complainest, be in the estate, or mind of a foolish and unthankful possessor? whether if thou wouldst lessen thy desires, thy riches would not be great enough? thou grievest at thine imprisonment, exile, persecution, and absence from holy assemblies? See if thou didst not abuse thy liberty, disregard the peace of the Gospel, wert not a negligent frequenter of the Church, or a profane and careless hearer? search out thy sin, inquire out the cause: Why art thou cast down, O my soul? How have I displeased God, and provoked him to strike me? rest not till thou find the cause, deceine not thyself. Many a man is miserably perplexed in mind, ●n● by imputing his 〈…〉 ●rong ca●fe● addeth something to the evil, by labouring in vain for helpless remedies: as it often befalleth a man with some pain in his sleep, ●●ising from the uneven position of his body, of which his fantasy presently frameth some external annoyance, which the troubled mind labo ●r●th to cast off, as if it were an external evil: such are these supposed Ephialts of a disquiet heart, under which we often groan, when the best way is to awake out of the sin in which we sleep, so may we find cure with the discovery of our errors. Search therefore into the bottom of the Ship for the 
〈◊〉, etc. ●atit●r quoth no lit, qui non peccat 〈…〉 bernard. 〈◊〉. d●gr●● & 〈◊〉  sleeping jonah, which causeth the storm, and i● thou finde the cause in thyself: ●now that he suffereth justly what he would not, who sinneth not except he will.  
2 Consider whether the pretended occasion or cause be a sufficient reason, why thou shouldst be so dejected, and disquiet: Why art thou cast down? It was not for an Absolom, it was not for the sickness of a loved Insant: it was not for that in his banishment he wanted the company of his dear friends; but because he was deprived for that time of the use of the Tabernacle, and the ontward exercise of Religion: this Psalm showeth, first, with what grief he was absent from holy assemblies: God was present with him in exile, but his sorrow was, he could not come to the Sanctuary; for that he was sensible, that external means and exercises of Religion, are like Jacob's l●dder, whereby holy minds climb to heaven: the face of God was seen through those types, the Tabernacle, sacrifices, altars, cleansings, and other rites, as now more clearly in the word and holy Sacraments: therefore good men love the external worship of God, as his ordinances, and Churches as his amiable Tabernacles, and the places where his honour dwelleth: so that how ever some, with vain opinion of holiness, some for pleasures, some for profits are withdrawn, it is the sharpest among the many sorrows of the children of God, if either some cloud of fear fill the Temple, that they cannot enter, or any prescription bar them from this house. Secondly, here appear the things which aggravate his sorrow, that is, an heavy remembrance of the happiness he had, when he went with the multitude, and led them ovant and rejoicing into the house of God, (a condition which cannot be wanted and remembered with patience) and the opprobious taunts of his enemies, who measuring Religion by external conditions, said: Where is thy God? Hence that sorrow: it is a bitter trial to feel the insolency, and hear the blasphemy of the adversary, if any thing in the world would break a good heart, and disquiet a religious mind, doubtless this would: yet he reprehendeth himself for it, by this question: intimating, that there is no just cause of immoderate sorrow, no not in the most heavy trials.  

Use,  If so just a graefe (which only the Saints of GOD could conceive) cannot justify excess of sorrow: what must we think of theirs whose minds, like some crazy body, or sore part, are hurt, and almost killed with every light 
〈…〉  touch? or their bitterness of spirit, whose minds like disaffected palates relish every thing bitter? who are presently drowned with grief, for those things, 
pere aliqui● d●lce, sed o●nia videntur e● am●ra. Aquin. 1. q. 7 ●. ●. 2. ●.  which are not worth a tear from a sound brain: nay, perhaps duly examined, were a most just cause of rejoicing? How unjustly do we deal with a gracious Father, when we are murmuring and querulous; not only without cause, but when we have great reason to praise him; for that of which we complain, at last to put our mouths in the dust, and keep silence, since we caused that which grieveth us.  
If the spirit of GOD should search for this fauls, as jerusalem with lights, as the Idolatry of the Elders in Ezekiels' vision, he should 
Ezek. 8.  find a good Baruck, crying, 
jer. 45. 3.  Woc is me, for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow, I fainted in my sighing, and I can find no rest. Because, when the Lord would destroy, he looked for great things for himself. He should find the poor man in his empty Cottage, grieving so despairingly for a dearth, as if GOD could not open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing without measure, as if he could not increase the oil and the meal: as if he, who doth feed the Ravens, and clothe the Lilies without their spinning and sowing, could not also bless honest labours, or would suffer a son to starve for want of meat, whose providence descendeth to the smallest things. He should find the impious Prodigal casting his Father's Nativity, Esau-like, 
Gen. 27. 41  reckoning his gains, from the days of mourning, impatient, that a good Father yet liveth to keep a brainelesle Phaeton from precipitation and ruise. He should find the discarded Favourite, pining with envy, and with an evil eye fretting, like the devil, to see any good conferred on others, because himself is made incapable of it. He should find some worthless Haman, though already unequal to his honours, yet inwardly swelling at the sight of poor Mordecai. All this doth nothing avatle 
1 Sam. 28. 20.  me, as long as I see Mordecai sitting at the King's gate: He should find some desperate Saul's, as dejected in mind, as he prostrate in body, because his Endor voyage pleased him not. 
1 Reg. 21. 4  He should find an oppressing Abab, dejected and disquiet for poor Naboths' Vineyard: He should find 
●2 Sam 13. 2.  the wicked Amnon to, in a melancholy fit, so sore vexed, that he falleth sick forsooth, because he cannot satisfy his lusts: in which, as many other particulars, a due examination would show those sorrows frivolous, wicked, and unjust.  
Thou hast lost thy goods, and thine heart is cast down; thou sayest in ●hy 
jud. 6. 13.  several losses, as Ged●on to the Angel: O my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why is all this befallen us? When God took away nothing but his own: when we 
Totum licet seculum periat dum patientiam lucrifaciam Tertul. de patten. l. c. 7.  are loser's especially in the loss of patience, which is greater than the loss of a world: let me have patience to overcome the evil, and all that the devil, or wicked men can do, is, but by increasing and multiplying my afflictions, to greaten the glory of my victories. Perhaps thou gavest those riches such place in thine heart, that when thou servedst them, thou couldst not serve God: if God freed thee from so unjust a tyranny, and made thee his own servant; if God took that from thee, which took thy love, thine heart, and thee from him, dost thou well to complain?  
Thou art dejected for some disgrace which is done thee: Hast thou not cause to praise God for afflicting thee so? the Son of God suffered the ignominy of the Cross, and 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bt●s apud Laert. l. 1. Magna wa est quando pec●antibus non ●rra●c●. tur Deus. l. 1. ep. 3●.  dost thou think them blessed, who enjoy the delights and pleasures of this world? The Heathen said wisely, He is unhappy who beareth not unhappiness: And lerome saith well. It is great anger, when God is not angry with sinners. O Lord correct m●e (saith the Prophet) but with judgement. It is a fearful condition, 
Icr. 10. 24. Isai 1. 5.  when God saith, Wherefore should you be stricken any more?  
Thou art disquieted, because thou sufferest the injury of gallfull tongues: who heareth all the evil he hath done? Perhaps God stirred thee up enemies, who might give thee a taste of that injury which thou hast done to others: if not, is it not enough for the Disciple to be like his Master? Some say I am evil (saith lerome) Titulum fidei servus agnosco, They termed my Lord, Magician, and his Disciples seducers. How negligently wouldst thou have looked unto jesus, the Author and finisher of our faith; how seldom wouldst thou have considered what contradictions he hath suffered for thy sake, except some such like speaking against of sinners, humaneserpents-biting had necessitated thy occasion of looking up to the brazen Serpent for help: only let God amend me, I will not contend about the means: let him bid a thousand Shimeis curse me, only let the Lord look upon mine affliction. I have neglected good words, his milder warnings, if he will force me home by evil tongues, blessed be his Name; let the wicked lips run over me; only let me be saved, 
Gratia● ago deo ●eo quod 'em dignan quam mundas oderit. l 1 ep 45. Tertul. de ●ati. O dementiam nescientem diligere homines humanitor, etc. A●g confess. l. 4. c. 7.  and I will say as Jerome to As●lla, I thank my God that I am worthy to be hated of the world.  
Thou hast lost a loved son, a dear friend: why dost thou lament immoderately, if thou believest he is not perished, but shall rise again? O madness, not knowing how to love men like men! O foolish man immoderately bearing things humane. Perhaps thou wert too fond, or confident in man, and wilt thou be impatient for that which GOD saw, thou couldst neither wisely possess, nor safely have.  
Thou grievest, because thou canst not be quiet: Is not this unrest as the winds, which keep the waters from corruption? Would not thy thoughts corrupt with rest? would they not prove like Egyptian waters bloody, and thy designs, as the Prophet saith of the waters of Dimon, full of blood, as Danids' rest became deathful to those he should have preserned: Will they not be as jericho streams, with some unwholesome veins falling into them▪ till the b●ing salt be cast i●? Tho● that art imp●ient 〈◊〉 thy afflictions, choose thy condition. Let him take away his hand from me●, that I may be comforted, that I 〈…〉 and be f●ee as others are; that I may dispose of myself as I would. So said the Prodigal, Damihi 
Luc. 1 5. 12  portionem quae redit ad me. Well, go thine own courses, thou that dost not like of God's gracious government, thou art given over to thyself; enjoy thyself, and let thine heart cheer thee. Is there any thing in the world more unhappy than this man? A man deliuered to afflictions is chastised to life everlasting: a man delivered to Satan▪ for the destruction of the 
1 Cor. 5. 5. 2 Cor.  sl●sh may be saved in the day of the Lord jesus. Nay, a man given as job was into the devil's hand (●cce eum 
job 2. 6.  in manutua) is safe, for this devouring Lion must no● crush the prey betwixt his teeth. We never read of a man finally given over to 
Ron. 1. 24. 28.  himself, to his own hearts lusts, to a reprobate mind, any less than truly and finally wretched: if GOD will not suffer thee to perish; dost thou well 
Ezek. 18. 31.  to complain? Why will ye dye O house of Israel? Why art thou cast down? What, because thou mayest not 
Pas●e popalum in virg: 〈◊〉 Mich. 7. 14.  perish? Feed thy people with thy rod, the Flock of thine heritage, saith the Prophet, be compareth God's government of his Church, to a Pastoral feeding. He leadeth them, he giveth them pasture, but he hath his staff, his crook in his hand, to pull them in, when he pleaseth. It is a troublesome delight, to be 
Pasci & pati simul, nun molest a iucunditas est? Bernard. sup. cantserm 33. Tentatur etc. anima n● prosperitate corrumpatur, et ad ●ersitate n● f●angatur Aug in P●●l 64. Fe●●t de peremptore custodem * de c●r● 〈…〉 sit ci●s lib.  fed and afflicted together; yet such are we, as that feeding without the rod would make us lewd children: therefore God trieth us, lest prosperity should corrupt us, or adversity break us, he greeverh us a little, that we may rejoice eternally.  
What ever thy afflictions be, as Augustine saith of the old Prophet's cark●sse, the same Lion which killed it kept it▪ he made a keeper of a destroyer: Why art thou then cast down? It is only the per ●ersenesse of man, to 〈◊〉 salut●rie things, and to take the hurtful willingly: to desire rather to perish pleasantly, then to be cured with pain, to dye for fear of killing: to these men medicine is mere cruelty: the searing Iron, and Lancet, are instruments of death: yet because they bring profitable grief, and necessarily make sad, 
Horrorem operis fructus excusat, Tertul. ad●. Gnostic. c. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut ●onsuleb●t Solon. 〈◊〉 in●ti t●med l. 12. c. 3.  they are used. The effect excuseth the horror of the work, and that same shrieker, sigher, and roarer under the Chirurgeons, will after fill with rewards those once esteemed cruel hands, he will commend them for excellent skill, he will deny that they are cruel: So it is lawful for God, (who, as the rule is, preseribeth, not the sweetest, but the wholesomest things) to heal us to eternal life, by fire, sword, and what so ever is most bitter: or is it lawful for Physicians, and not much more for God? Do we admire them, when they so follow our disease that they cure by that which grieveth us, heats with heats, the overflowings of the gall with bitter Portions, fluxes of blood by opening of veins; and wilt thou blame a icalous God, if he strive with the causes, and help, as it were by emulating the evil? if he dissolve death by death, if he prevent killing by killing, torments by tormen s, punishments by punishments, if be give life by taking it away? that which 
Na●seabit ad antidetum qui hiau●t 〈◊〉 nenum? Tertul q s.  thou thinkest perverseness is reason, and grace which thou esteemest cruelty: therefore shall he be queazie-stomacked to the antidote, who was greedy of the poison?  
To conclude, if we would not, like way ward children, cry because we will cry, and like fools, pay with murmuring, where we owe thanks, but duly, & wisely weigh, what cause we have of impatience, we should in every correction, kiss the rod with David, and say it is good for me that I have been in trouble, or at least in the words of my Text, Why art thou cast d●wne my soul?   

My soul.  
IN the second place of the expostulation, we are to consider the party speaking, and spoken to. The Psalmist speaketh to himself, which manner of a Treaty▪ is a soliloquy, and parley of a solitary man, whether the foole speak within itself, in the spiritual language of thoughts, whereby it recedeth from usual works and employments▪ receined from things external, and cometh home to itself, conside●eth, suruayeth, and examineth it own condition, according to which, it either rejoiceth, comforteth, counseleth, bemoneth, or reproveth itself, or expresseth itself to itself, by words spoken, to stir up the affections, and to leave a more firm impression in the mind, than those slender and unuttered thoughts could have done.  
There is an inward speaking of the soul within itself: for whosoever understandeth, in that he concciveth, something proceedeth within him, which is the conception of that which is understood, coming of of the intellective virtue; which conception a word signifieth, and it is called 
Aquin. 1. q. 27. a. 1.  verbum cordis, the word of the heart, signified verbo vocis, by the word of the voice. Primarily that inward conceit of the heart, is called a word: secondarily the voice 
●●rbum ●st ●●●dnon verbo pro●ertur, sed in cord pronunciatur. Aquin. 1. q 34. a. 1.  expressing that inward thought, which was first pronounced in the heart. So that thoughts are the 
* Mentis verbum ipsaratio ●st, etc. v●rbum & quod ●st nuntius mentis. Alex. Alens. part. 1. q. 43.  minds words, and words are the Messengers and Interpreters of the mind. In the one the soul speaketh inwardly either to itself, only conscious of it own senses, which God alone knoweth with it, or to God, who because he heareth not like man, needeth not audible sounds, he knoweth the unutterable groans and 
Rom. 8. 26.  sighs of the spirit, yea when we know not what to pray, as we ought, he knoweth the meaning of his own spirit speaking in us, as a tender Nurse doth the wants of a c●ying Infant: in this, the soul, after a wonderful manner, sendeth up votes to God, as it were by a private do●e, not known of men or Angels themselves, or more properly to speak▪ talking with that Spirit, which manifesteth to us, a secret and 
Fxod. 14. 15  awful presence in us. Moses why criest then to me? (said God▪ yet we hear of no voice. In the other, the soul sendeth out that▪ which it hath framed within, through that passaage which openeth towards external 〈◊〉 ●●s, making the thoughts sensible▪ & by the Ministry of the 〈◊〉 & vocal instruments, framing such sounds as serve to conu●y them to the ears, & souls of others: how else could a spirit (which is not heard, but through the tongue) convey it inward sense & meaning, to the soul of another, but that both these spirits (the one speaking, the other hearing, being now imprisoned in their bodies, & shut up from each others interview) do speak & hear through those doors of the body, which God hath set open in man for such intercourse?  
These words of our Psalmist, do both discover the soul to be the part affected, (by some distemper causing that immoderate gri●f whereof he complaineth) and teach us a way to the cure in the like distresses: which is, by such a ●●cesse from all evil, and worldly thoughts, as that the soul may freely enjoy, examine, and search itself, & without hindrance, and distraction, enter into, consider, and rectify itself.  
The ground of all is, because the only way to help a sick and troubled mind, is to raise it up to that soundness, and integrity, which it shall have in it union with God, in whom alone consisteth all our blessedness: in whose favour is life, in whose love happiness, in whose presence fullness of joy. Our union therefore with him, his gracious presence in our souls and consciences, our assurance of reconciliation with him in Christ, and a true sense and feeling of the Kingdom of lesus established in us, is the foundation of all our comfort: and this cannot stand with the Kingdom of Satan in the soul, for Christ will have no union with Belial, he admitteth no partnership, and it is for sin, for which the wrath of God coming on our disobedience, afflicts us, as hath been showed before: lest then, sin do by stealth possess the soul, and we seek comfort in vain, we must seriously enter into ourselves, and search and try our ways.  
For the clearing my way into this, and the following parts, I will here lay down these five conclusions following.  
1 There is a carnal security, an enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season, amongst the unregenerate, whose sins never cost them tea●e, never broke them an hour's rest: therefore this point▪ I speak of, is a me●●e riddle to such: when they hear these discourses, of comforting an afflicted soul, by a fruitful Solil●quie, they think as the 
Act. 8. 34  Eunuch said to Philip concerning the Prophecy of our Saviour's Passion, Of whom speaketh the Prophet this? of himself or of some other man? I speak not now to these men: they 
Index ●●●us peccati cst mens quieta. Chrys.  have a spiritual lethargy upon them, a fearful apoplexy of the mind, their souls are rather dead then quiet; Bernard observeth 
Alia lona & iran quilla, alia bonaet turb●ta, alia mala & tranquill●, alia mala & turtata de conse. l. ●. 1.  that there is a conscience good and qui t, and another good and disquiet. Again, there is a conscience, evil and quiet, and a conscience evil and disquiet. The first, is when the spirit of God testifieth to a man's soul, that he is the Son of GOD, in which 
Rom. 8. 10. Rom. 5. 1.  assurance it rest●th, and such a man hath peace towards God. The second is, when God do●h exercise a man with sundry fea●es, to cause him more zealously to call upon him: the third is when a man sleepeth in so deep a security, that h●e hath no sense of his own misery: The last is when affrighted at the sense and memory of his sin, a man can resolve of nothing, but to despair.  
2 There are in the regenerate such remainds of the 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pyr●●●▪ ap●d Illustrium.  old man, that their consciences do sometimes sleep like jonas in the storm, (so hard it is absolutely to put off the man, and cease to be what we were borne) but that rest causeth their further unrest, and disquiet of mind to awaken them.  
3 As we have in this life no absolute freedom from sin, so no absolute immunity from disquiet of mind: which though it be the Caananite, left to exercise us in a continual and careful watch against sin (and therefore the Psalmist here speaketh as it were to one within him, like a man consisting of two opposite parts, one casting down, and the other raising up and comforting) yet we have such assurance of the death of sin, faith in jesus, and the daily decaying of Satan's Kingdom, by the power of God's holy Spirit dwelling in us, such peace of conscience, and ●oy of the holy Ghost, as that we are not utterly overcome of 
2 Cor. 4. 8.  sorrows, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, we are perplexed, doubting but not despairing.  
4 The more the soul is freed from sin, the more it feeleth in itself, the life of jesus, the more assured quiet and peace it hath, and therefore is the less subject to those spiritual tyrants, which vex and torment the soul.  
Sin is ever to be avoided, but the assaults and charges of sin are to be received diversely, some by flying, some by resisting: by flying, when the serpent's presence is infectious when thinking increaseth the incentive, as in luxury and wantonness, and the like: therefore he cometh with his He● fuge 
1 Cot. 6. 18 2 Tim. 2. 22.  nate Dei, Flee fornication. Flee from the lusts of youth: It is a serpent, there is no surer way than flight, we must Parthian-like fight flying: So he saith of covetousness▪ ● man of 
1 Tim. 6. 11  GOD, she these things: because the more we look● upon the world, the more we are ●n●mou●●d. Sometimes we must res●t, when Sat●an cometh upon us with his scar●e crows, or where continual meditation discovereth the sin●e, and breakreth the power of it: so in sorrow ●nd impatience, we shall overcome▪ if we wisely and valiantly resist the 〈◊〉 by meditating on all the circumstances, causes, and effects thereof, till by finding our error, we find● cure.  
These things laid down, it appeareth farther, that to the attaining that quiet, which is the health of a sound mind, we must deal with the part affected, which is the soul: four things may persuade us to an especial care hereof.  
First: the worth and excellency of the soul: which besides it being eternal and incorruptible, is so divine, that it was created to the most holy image of God, in sanctity and righteousness, endued with that admirable light of reason, that it is not only apprehensive of the creatures, but of itself, and some knowledge of the Creator of itself, by the book of Scripture, and the book of grace; wherein he hath revealed himself: Augustine upon this Pfalme 
Quid agam ●t inveniam Deum meum, etc.  expostulateth after this manner, What shall I doc to find my God? I will consider the earth, the earth was made: there is great beauty of the earth, but it had a maker. Great are the wonders of seeds, and things which bring forth: but all these have a Creator: I see the vastness of the broad sea, I am amazed, I admire, I seek for the Author: I see the heavens, the beauty of the stars, I wonder at the sun's brightness, serving to our daily labour, the Moon comforting the unked shades of night: these things are wonderful, and to be praised, these things I do admire and praise, but I long for him who made all these: I came to myself, I search what I am who inquire after such things? I find I have a bo●y, and a soul, one to be governed, one to govern: my body to serve, my soul to rule: I discern my soul is something better than my body: I perceive that which e●qui●eth after these things, is not my body, but my soul: and v●t the things which I have behold on every side, I know I see them through my body: I praised the earth, I know it by mine eyes, I praised the sea, I knew it by mine eyes, the Heaven, the Sun, the Moon, I knew them by mine eyes; these are windows of the 
Fenestra mentis.  mind; there is one with in who seeth through them▪ when he by some other thought is absent, they are open in vain: My GOD which made all these things, which I see with mine eyes, is not to be found with these eyes: something the mind ●pprehendeth of itself, whether it be that which it perceiveth not through the eyes, as it do●h colour and light, nor through the ca●e, as sounds, there is something within, which is neither colour, nor sound: Let any tell me what colour wisdom hath, yet it is within, it is beautiful▪ i● is commended: and when these eyes are shut, or in darkness, the soul enjoyed the light thereof: he concludeth 
Seipsum per seipsum videt.  therefore. It seeth itself by itself: as it knoweth itself, it seeth itself: it requireth not the help of the bodies eyes, to see itself; 
Abstrahit se ● se, v● videat se in se.  yea rather, it withdraweth itself from itself, that it might see itself in itself: it recedeth from all the senses of the body, as it were obstreperous & distractive: but is Go● any such thing as the soul? truly we cannot see GOD but with the soul: yet he cannot be seen as the soul. And a little after he saith. Therefore seeking God in things visible and bodily, and not finding him: seeking his substance in myself, I find he is something above my soul: that I may therefore apprehend him by my understanding, I meditated on these things, when should my soul come near that which is above my soul, except my soul should ascend above itself?  
What are these things which are seen with the eyes? how beautifnll are they? These are not seen without the soul: how much more excellent is the soul than these. Yet neither is the soul satisfied with the contemplation of these, nor of itself: send it to the earth, sea, air, heavens, busy it upon the reflexes of itself, it will not rest here, it must come to a glorious Creator of all these, than (as those holy 
E●ck. 1. 2 5  beasts in Ezekiels' vision when there was a voice, as the voice of the Almighty in the firmament above 
V●●. Bern. de i●ter. Do●.  them) it standeth still, and letteth fall the wings.  
Since then the life and felicity of man is in knowing God, and in him, and by him, those infinite good things, which he hath communicated to man, & these only the eye of the soul can s●e, it importeth us to care for this soul, about all that which GOD hath given us with it. The bodily eyes which perceive only things mortal, corruptible, frail, or changeable, are of such excellent use, that if we wanted them, we would give all we have for them: If jesus should now come by the blind man, would not his petition be that of Bartimeus. Lord that I may receive 
Mark 10. 51.  my sight: How much more precious is the soul's eye? Which of us had not rather dye many deaths, then be metamorphozed into the shape of some beast, though we might still retain an humane mind? how much 
Lac●am. ●. 5. c. 11.  more had we ●ather suffer, then be deprived of reason and understanding, & have the soul of a beast in an humane shape?  
Therefore, because God hath made man of parts so different: of a soul, a spiritual and heavenly substance: of a body, of earth, to serve all our conditions and estates: neither all soul, because our first part is to deal with earthly things; nor all body, because though we live, and are lashed, for the present, about earthly affairs, yet we must live a life spiritual, heavenly, and free from necessities, cares, and negotiations. Therefore we must now care for our souls, and not be like those, who, (as if they were all body, all earth, and no soul) live out of themselves: all their thoughts, words, and actions, are for the body, and things temporal, as food, raiment, riches, possessions, titles of honour, pleasures, and the like: but as if the soul were some Idea, and dream of a Philosopher, nothing, or nothing worth, they seldom, if ever think of it: the reason is, because for the most part, men are either overcome & captivated of their own affections, so that 
Andr. Lacana epit. Galen. sect. 4. ep.  they only serve them: or are so lazy and stupid, that they know not whether they have a soul or no: they cannot look up, for the most excellent light most offendeth tender eyes: this maketh those frequent confluences of people to any idle spectacle: if it be but to see tripudiantem Simiam, a dancing Ape, or the like, they forget themselves, run in, and admire it: but for so admirable and excellent a part of themselves, as is the soul, they have neither time to consider, nor delight to hear of it.  
What madness is it to neglect that, for any possession, without which, we cannot truly possess any thing? What should a man gain to get all the world, with the loss of the soul, without which he possesseth nothing? Thou fool, this night thy 
Lu●. 12. 2●.  soul shall be required of thee: than whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? What exchange 
Cum amissa quaereretur. Hilar. Canon. 16.  shall he give for a soul, who would redeem it lost? Can these acquests for which the whole world sweateth, cause or quiet the soul? There is nothing of the world worth this little part of heaven, Unhappy therefore and desperate is the neglect of it: if our estate be impairing, we consult with our friends: if our possession be in hazard through some crack in our title, we solicit the Lawyer: if our bodies, the Physician, if our souls, we will not so much as advise with ourselves: alas, if the soul be neglected, what is the external man? The strong is like blind Samson, puissant to his own destruction: the rich like the Isis-bearing Asle: the worldly-wise like the devil, subtle, but not innocent: the honourable like those images carried in Precession, and after their life's holiday, cast by into some musty corner of a dark roodloft: the beautiful but pleasing mischiefs, like curious spring-flowers, of excellent colours, but noisome smells. Strength, riches, wisdom, honour, and beauty, are principally 
Psal. 45. 13  in the soul, which like the King's daughter, must be all glorious within: the beauty of the soul is a divine and undecaying beauty, not subject to time and age, worms and corruption: and if God hath expressed such excellency (which is but a reflex of the beams of his incomprehensible glory on the creature) in a corruptible body: what is that yet unseen excellency and beauty of the soul? If Moses face (yet subject to corruption) was so glorious when he had talked with God, that it must be veiled, what shall be the countenance of a glorified body, 
Phil. 3. 21.  conformed to the image of Christ? and by that think what manner of creature the soul shall be, when the face of God shall shine upon it, without these clouds of mortality interposed, when 
Reuelat● fac●e.  we shall be more then restored to that excellency of our first being.  
If thou understandest not this, know that the most excellent beauties of the world are seen by light, without which they are not: and to see spiritual excellency, holiness, and pureness of heart, is the light; without which thou canst neither see God, be sensible of goodness, nor know thyself; this is like the Suns brightness, which cannot be helped with any base light, therefore be holy, be pure, and thou shalt see what excellency there is in virtue, what virtue in the soul: Lord how curiously do men order their gestures of body, how do they bring their words to the file, before they have admittance to the tongue? how do they examine their countenance? the least error of their garment is seen and rectified, but as if the soul were less observed of the allseeing God, than their lineaments of men, here they are precisely curious, there negligent and stupid: love thy soul, and thou wilt be jealous of it; thou wilt be looking what it wanteth, thou wilt confer with it, and chee●e it up, as the Kingly Prophet here, Why art thou cast down?  
2 The second reason to persuade us hereto, is because the evil here to be cured, is a sickness of the soul: whether w●● speak of the affection, under which the Prophet groaned: true sorrow like a daring enemy, marches towards the heart, the souls 
Corp●● ren p●test dollar nisi d●lente anima. Aq●sn. 12. q. 35. 1. 1.  imperial seat: the body is not pained without the suffering of the soul: Some indeed can feign, and set off their griefs with words, as if they meant their sale: like those counterfeit Vagrants, who lance and scarify sound parts, and make them sores to gain compassion: 
Orbitates corporis ac ulcera mercatura cuiusdam materiam & occasionem pretent. Basil. in Psal. 14.  the talkative can tell you sad Tragedies, In exiguo Pergama tota mero, Of martyrdom in his cups, sorrows in his wine: light cares are full of tongues: but, as here, abyssus abyssum, depth of grief called for a depth of talk, a soliloquy: It is usual in great sorrows, their deepest sources run stilly, and we talk inwardly, our soul to itself within itself: There is an hypocritical repentance also, coloured with fair complexion of religious sorrow, which looketh like jezabel out of her 
2 Reg. 9 30.  windows, to make love to the vulgar: there are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, but if it be not 
Math. 6. 16  in the soul, it is no penitent grief: there may be 
Ezek. 8. 14.  an elegiacal tongue where the heart is no more affected, then were those hired 
* Who celebratèd Ad●nis feasts with show of great mourning.  mourners for Tamuz: but true sorrow affecteth the soul, and thither must be followed to the cure. Or if we speak of sin, the cause of all sorrows; except we pull it up by the root, it is nothing worth which we do: out of the heart come adulteries, murders, and all other sinnes, for which God smiteth: there is the fountain: if we could reach a blasphemous tongue not to exceed his yea, and nay, if the min●e be full of blasphemy, we have but taught him to sin more inwardly: if a lascivious speaker learn a better and more graceful language, then that which want to defile and embace an obscene tongue, if yet, these nasty devils, lost, and uncleanness possess his heart, if he whose eyes were full of adulteric, now show their whites to heaven in prayers, yet hath sworn allegiance, with opportunity, and darkness to s●rue this ●in, his ca●●● without a cast, is nothing worth before the searcher of hearts: teach a man the laguage of Canaan, that his wor●s may administer grace to the hearets, teach him to 〈◊〉 merciful, to give all his goods to the poor, teach him till his actions seen, to say for him, as Saul said for himself, I have performed the 
1 Sam. 15. 13.  word of the Lord, yet if he 
1 Cor 13. 2, 3.  have not charity, he is nothing. 
I●ai. 13. 21.  If malice, pride, envy, or covetousness, cry in the soul like wild beasts of the Desert, and doleful creatures, if unchaste thoughts revel there like the Satyrs in the ruins of Babylon, I may say as the Prophet of the bleating of those Amalckitish cattle, Quid ergo vox 
1 Sam. 15. 14.  pecudum istarum? How ever a man learn to personate, how holy so ever he seem, except he be such within, he is no better than a Pharise: How ever to the world Religion may be like a picture, where that is most commended, which most nearly resembleth life, but is not living; yet God is not deceived with disguises, shadows, colours, or representations: he condemneth sin in the heart, in the secrets of the soul. What ever reformation be in words or outward actions, the soul not amended, it is but a false cure, a whole skin ouer-hu●ts, inwardly festering, a palliative wound, healed without, before it is sound within, which (except 
Hip. Coac. P●aenot.  it break out again, and admit of cure more sincere) is mortal. Sin and grief begin at the heart, which first conniveth them, and there must find help.  
They are much deceined who think to ease the soul's grief with secular mirth: so oft the poor▪ Deer shifteth from brake to brake before his living passing-bells, whiles the messenger of death sticketh in his side, and he slayeth the danger which he carrieth with him: all temporal mirth, to a grieved soul, is but as 
1 Sam. 16. 2●.  David's Harp to a distressed Saul, the vexing spirit departing for a time, presently returneth again: it is not Music, merry company, change of place, increase of riches, friends or the like, (though some of these may have a part) can cure a dejected soul: it must be something which can enter into the soul, & powerfully work upon the cause of sorrow, that must certify & comfort it.  
They are also deceived who think that any means, any words, any counsel can redress that man, whose heart and inward powers of his soul, are not both moved & reform with that he heareth: till the soul attend, and let in the word, the loudest sons of thunder cannot awaken.  
A third reason is the necessary method of curing this evil, which is by searching, examining, judging, correcting, or reforming▪ and comsorting the soul. As it is a vain inquest which is made after sins in general, except we come home and examine the witnesses of our own conscience, so if we find not the secrets of our soul, sin will easily avoid our examination: some think it an easy matter to be acquainted with our own minds: but God (who made 
I●r. 17. 9  it) saith, The heart is deceitful above all things: How far doth the wisdom of man search? What corner of this great uninerse hath it left vn●●rnay●d? High are the starry orbs yet Art hath found out many of their motions; secret are the unseen paths of the deeps, yet they are sounded; dark and hidden are the deep veins of the earth, yet Art hath found a way into her bowels, to ransack her treasuries. But amongst all Arts, that Art of 
Bernard. de interior. Dom. c. 2 5.  Arts is not invented, to hold the heart: it is easy to find thy words, others can tell thee of them: it is easy to find thine actions, others observe them: it is not much to know the secrets of thy family, though sometimes 
Solom us ma●a do▪ 〈…〉 ac ●on●●gum ●it●a, ●icinis canenti●us ignorar● High ●●nym. l. 2. ep. Sabin. diac.  we are the last that know those disorders, we are ignorant of those vices of our wives and children, which are in our neighbour's songs: but with what light wilt thou search the inward house of thy seule? this is wrapped up in suel▪ clouds and obscurity of spiritual blindness, that the hardest task is, to find thyself in thyself, if there be any good thing in thine heart, how readily doth it oft eat that? not like the City Shop-men, the worst first, that the better may seem best, but all appearance of good first, and at once is cast upon thine heart, like the ground 
2 Sam. 17. 19  Corn over the Well at Bahurim, that thou mayst not search deeper for the spies.  
The Pharise found what he seemed; he could not 
I uk. 18.  find what he was. Let us 
ay▪ am. 3. 40.  search and try our ways: Our works do sometimes deceive us (when erring we think we go right, or going once right, we think we do so always) our hearts oftener (when he who knoweth he sinneth, thinketh in his heart and intention he is more sound, and meaneth better things) but let us search and try our ways, the usual passages of our thoughts and actions: their beaten paths will best lead thee to thyself. Thou art not such as thou sometimes seemest: but as usually thou art. Saul had been much deceived in taking himself for an holy man, because he was once among the Prophets: Herod could not have found himself among the obedient hearers, because sometimes he heard john 
Mark 6. 20.  gladly, and did many things. The wicked man strayeth, & is not in his own way, when he strayeth not from the Lords: good thoughts, words, or actions, are no more proper to him, than truth to the devil, who speaketh it not, but for advantage, 
joh. 8. 44.  When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own.  
The tempter laboureth in nothing more, then to hide a man from himself, and to keep from him the knowledge of his own corruptions, till it be too late, and there be no more time for repentance: to which end, he that is the accuser of the brethren, he that durst 
job 1. job 2.  calumniate holy job before God, who justified him, will tell the wicked they are holy: the devil is the greatest flatterer, and all other Sycophants (what ever they style themselves) are but his Pupils: he holdeth false glasses before men, and they appear not to themselves, such as they are.  
To this may be added, that the deceived heart helpeth to beguile itself: do but search out thy soul, that thou mayst throughly examine it, and tell me if it will not shift into a thousand forms: if it will not vanish as swiftly as the lightning, lead thee importuning it stay, (yea too often from Church, or the closet where thou art kneeling to pray) from heaven to earth, from east to west in a moment, from business to business, and when thou hast with strong cries, tears, and sighs, forced it into the presence of God, and art secure of thy hold upon it; tell me, if with the flight of a thought, it will not plunge itself into the deeps of secular things, if like some dream thou shalt not lose it as thou findest it, if (at the best, when it seemeth to render itself to thine inquisition, behold I am here) it be not then as Obadiah said to Eliah, When I am gone 
1 Reg. 18. 12.  from thee, the Spirit shall carry thee into some place that l do not know. Tell me if it will not put thee off to anothen day, with pretences of present importunity, affairs, and the like; that thou hast no need of troubling thyself now: tell me if it deceive thee not with shows of holiness: tell me if when thou hast sound it, it startle not as one impatient of being touched: tell me if thou canst with any violence hold it, but that it will be lost in a thousand distractions: The reason of all this is, because sin can abide no examination, lest the ugliness of it should make it hateful: therefore so soon as it was borne, it ran with the sinner, like 
Gen. 3. 8. It a gra●is culpa est conscientiae: ut six●●●dice ipsa se p●●iat, & velure se cupiat: & t●n●e● a 〈◊〉 Deum ●uda fit. Ambros d● pan. job. 2 c. 11.  some night-loving monster to hide in the thickets: therefore it filleth with fear and shame, that we might hide it, if it were possible, from our own consciences, and our own consciences from ourselves: first there fore remove those lets which stop the way to the examination of thy soul.  
Secondly, duly and carefully consider thy soul's estate; 
Psal. 4. 4.  Examine your own 
1 Cor. 11. 28.  heart upon you bed 〈◊〉 Let a man therefore examine himself: 
2 Cor. 13. 5  Prove yourselves, examine yourselves, know ye not your own selves? Return unto thine heart, and diligently consider thyself: whence thou camest, whither thou goest, how thou livest: what thou dost, what thou losest; how much every day thou profitest, how much thou art defective: what thoughts make mostfrequent incursions into thy mind, what affections move thee most: what temptations & stratagems of the wicked spirit give the fiercest assaults: when thou hast, as much as is possible, gotten knowledge of the state of the inward and outward man, not only what thou art, but wharthou oughtest to be, then mayst thou in thy thoughts be carried up to the contemplation of God: for by how much more thou profis test in the knowledge of thyself, by so much more thou aspirest to higher things: if thou hast already lifted up thy soul, & set thy affection on things above, learn to dwell there, & with whatsoever distraction thou art withdrawn ever hasten to return thither: custom will make it easy for thee todwel there by 
Pana potius tibi sit alibi quam ibi moram facere, Ber. de inter. dom.  holy thoughts: nay, it will be a punishment to thee to remain elsewhere. This cannot be without a frequent and severe examination of our souls: And on the other part whilst we find not our sins, those ways will please us, which provoke God to wrath: when disobedient Saul said 
1 Sam. 15.  I have fulfilled the word of the Lord, than his judgement is denounced: so Satan fighteth with his double weapons, killing some with their own sins, but some also by their virtues, either by the knowledge of them, as the presuming, or the opinion of them, as the erring. Such is one selfeloue, and spiritual blindness, that when we feel the rod, we will not feel our sins, when we languish under our afflictions, we dare pronounce ourselves just and innocent, so not finding our heart's corruption, for which God striketh, we are smitten still. I harkened and heard, but 
jer. 8. 6. 10.  none spoke aright, no man repent him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? therefore the Lord threatened the judgement.  
Thou groanest under some affliction? search to the bottom of thine heart, there is some jonah sleeping in hold, cast him out, and the storm will cease. Otherwise, for a man Pharash-like, to grieve at his plagues, and not consider the hardness of heart which causeth them, is to cast on more and more wood, and to 
Ier 3. 13. 14.  complain of the fire: Knew thine iniquities, for thou baste rebelled, and then return thee again, saith the Lord. Before we can turn we must know our sins, and examine ourselves before we can know them.  
Neither is it casic by examination to find our sins, 
Lu●. 1●. ●.  we must (as the Woman for the piece of Silver) light and sweep: we must let down the word of God into our hearts. The jews could not find their sins: Peter's Sermon found them, and 
Act. 2 37.  they were pricked in their hearts. David could not find his, till the Word of God came to him by the 
2 Sam. 1●.  Prophet Nathan, than he findeth them: examine therefore, but by the word of God, and take this rule with thee. So often thou hast happily examined thy soul & not been deceived in thine inquest, as thou findest by searching, more cause to search further, rest not contented 
Isai. 6. Primus felicitatis gradus est non delinquere, Secundus delicta cognoscere: il●ic currit innocentia integra & illsbata qua seruet, ●ic succedit medela qua sanet. Cypr. ep. 3.  when thou thinkst thou hast no sin; it is the wrath of God, which causeth that for thy sins, thou shouldst not understand thy sins, lest thou shouldst repent. The first degree of happiness, is, not to sin; the second is, to acknowledge our sins. There runneth that entire & undeminished innocency which may save. Here followeth the remedy which may heal.  
Thirdly, judge thy soul: if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged: the only way to prevent afflictions, is to 
1 Cor. 11. 31.  condemn thyself as most worthy to be afflicted: God like a gracious Father, standeth with his rod in his hand to prevent striking, he showeth and threateneth his judgements, that he might not execute them upon us: he sayeth, Why will ye dye O house of Israel? He desireth not the death of a sinner: and mercy pleaseth him, therefore he expecteth our repentance that he 
Hos. 5. 15.  might forgive. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence. Take thee a roll of a book 
I●r. 36. 2. ●.  (saith the Lord to jeremy) 
Ne●it ●mnia Domi nu●: sed expectat vocem t●a, non ut p●nict sed ut ignoscat. etc. Preveni accusatorem t●um, Si te ●pse accusaveris, accusatorem nul●●m timebis. Ambros. de panit. l. 2. ●7.  and write therein all the words that I have spoken to thee against Israel, and against judah. It may be that the house of judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. He expecteth thy voice, that he may not punish but pardon. Prevent thine accuser, if thou accuse thyself, thou shalt fear no accuser: sin can hope for none other sentence but condemnatory, which if thou faithfully pronounce upon thyself, God will not.  
Fourthly, thou must correct and reform the evil in thy soul. Phareah, Sa●l, & judas could say they had sinned, but could not amend: What availeth knowledge of our finn, without reformation? what profiteth the light without sweeping this 
Beati qui gaudent quando intrant ad cor suam in Psal. 33.  inward house? Blessed (saith Augustine) are they who rejoice when they enter into their own hearts, and find 
Hic est lectu● an●ma, etc. B●rn. ser par●.  no evil there: Bernard giveth a reason. The soul is in pain or ease in the Conscience; and presently after, here is the soul's bed, in this she taketh rest: What is thereason why men do so seldom, and so unwillingly come home to themselves, to confer with their own souls? because there is an hell within: and whatsoever fair show these paineted Sepulchers do make, there is nothing but corruption and ga●tly fights, full of terror and aftrightment within: Do but mark how unwilling they come home, whose houses are possessed with some unquiet spirit, who have somevexing familiars 
●ntraturi sunt, 〈◊〉 ad tadia, ad murm●●a, ad 〈◊〉 Aug. ●. s.  there, they know they must go in to irksomeness, murmurings, and bitterness: they are ever homesicke, and gasp after any other air: the Fields, Markets, Taverns, obstreperous Common-pleas, any prisons and stages of wars are esteemed more quiet places: how much more wretched is it to have this intestive▪ shrew, a refractoric mind, a peaceless conscience, which will go with thee till thou leavest thy sell? whose shrill tongue no Bedlam can tame, no sleep pacify, no weariness allay, no distance intercept, no indulgence sweeten, no good words satisfy, give it it own will, it only will more insolently grieve thee; kerb it, it will be furious. Therefore that thou mayst come willingly to thine own heart, cleanse it: 
〈◊〉 itl●d Aug. q. s.  among all the diseases of the mind, there is none so miserable as an evil conscience, among all comforts, none greater than a good: if all be found within, 
S● tibi vulnus non sit & Aug. in Psal. 45.  what ever or wherever a man suffer, he will retreat to his conscience, for there he shall find the comforter: but if there be no rest for the abounding of sin: if God's spirit be not there to comfort, what shall a man do? whither shall he fly? from the field to the City, from the public to his house▪ thence to his closet, his affliction followeth him, they are not locks and bars, they are not double guards can shut out these disquiets, no not from the sacred bosoms of Kings, if they could, I might say as▪ David cried to Abner, Wherefore then hast thou not 
● Sam. 26. 15, 16.  kept the Lord thy King? ye are the Sons of death, because ye have not kept your Master. Whither should he fly, but to his own soul, who can find no sanctuary out of it? but if there be tumults, if there be the 
Aug. q. s.  smoke of iniquity, and the flame of wickedness, where shall he then rest? while the men of Ai had a City to retire to, they valiantly repulsed Israel, but when the ambush was discovered, when the enemy was before, and the smoke and flame of the fire were seen in their own City, than their hearts failed, than they perished: so long as we have a good conscience to retire unto, we cannot be overcome of any afflictions: for what hath he to fear who is conscious of no sin? but when fear of present death affrighteth on one part, and the conscience within on the other part, cryeth (as Joseph's brethren in their fear) We have verily sinned 
Gen. 42. 21.  against our brother, therefore is this trouble come upon us, which guilt of conscience is as it were the smoke, and flame of hell fire, discovering itself in the sinner's bosom, than he is cast down.  

T● ips●m qu● sugies no●ne quoc●nque fugeris ●e sequeris? Aug in Psa. 74.  Whither then goest thou? thou canst not sly thyself: why do●st thou hide? thy keeper followeth thee, what availeth it a man 
Quid predest non habere consciu● habenti conscientiam? Lactant. l. 6. ●. 23. Non e●t quo fugias d De● irat● nisi ad Deum placatum. Aug. q. s.  to have no witness, who hath a conscience? thou canst not avoid thine own conscience, much less God. There is no way to fly from God, but to God. from God angry for sin, to God pacified by the obedience of 〈◊〉 There is no way to please God till we reform, because he is just, and cannot justify the wicked: since than our life is a continual warfare, and fight against several trials, we are to take that warning of sin, which the Princes of the Philistims gave concerning 
1 Sam. 2●. 4, 5.  their enemy, Let him not go down to the battle with us, lest he be in the battle an adversary to us. Since we sail with sundry winds, we must with a diligent watch free our Ship from dangerous places, lest it split among the rocks: no 
Nemo diu tutus est p●ricul● proximus. Cypr. l. 1. ep. 11.  man is long safe near danger. Neither can he escape the devil who will entangle himself in the snares of the devil. If thou wilt be safe let not the serpent lie in thy bosom, shut sin out of thy soul: if thou wilt have a trusty refuge in affliction, keep a good conscience, Hic m●rus a●enius esto: Let this be thy wall of brass.  
Some can say why art thou so my soul? yet they are but Elies, so mild to themselves, that in the examination of their ●aylings, they rather confirm, then correct their errors: the drunkard often expostulating with himself (but slenderly) why he is so overtaken, at last with frequent thinking, thinketh drunkenness but good-fellowship, himself naturally or habitually inclined to that vicious thirst, and therefore of necessity a drunkard. Sins, like trees in an hollow ground, if they 
Male enim natura tentat quod non perficit I. Heurn. inst. med. l ●1. ●. q.  be not overthrown with much shaking, take deeper root. justice by animadversion, as Nature by her offices in a sickly body, doth dangerously assay that which it cannot perfect, and giveth the disease new strength. This ill justice in the soul (as in the state) which examineth faults but 
Ex irrita contentione naturae frustrague tantata excretione, mator fit infi●mitas et morbus ●ires acquirit, inde era●iorsbus symptoma●tus naturae iam efsoeta opprimitur ●b.  for fashion, not pursuing them to the due execution of laws, teacheth men more presumptuously to sin: better faults were passed by unseen then discovered & not corrected: the same care which bringeth to this enquiry and reprehension, (Why art thou so my soul?) must reform and amend the evil reproved, that it may be no more so.  
Fiftly, thou must hereby comfort thy soul; and raise it to a sound hope. There are three common errors in this case: the one of them whose thoughts in any distress, like Jacob's sons in the 
Gen. 42. 1.  dearth, stand gazing one upon the other, all expecting relief, but either void of counsel or endeavour; these men tire themselves in those endless Meanders of pensive thoughts, neither finding nor wisely looking for help: or in the weakness of their resolutions, put it all upon time (the supposed vulgar Physician for every malady) herein falling short of the wiser Heathens, who (though without true reason) sought cure for their afflictions in reason: such men are corrected in vain, they not only losing the quiet fruits of righteousness, which good men gather from those thorns, but provoke God to strike more fearfully, because they contemn and neglect his judgements, who make either none, or a wrong use of them.  
The second, is of those sad malcontents, who in any great affliction, put on the soul to some desperate resolutions: such men's thoughts are usually astonished at first, and being recovered, furious: or like jobes' miserable comforters, at first mute, at last vexingly talkative: To this second kind may be referred Saules heaviness which carried him to Endor: and in this manner did judas and Ahitophel wrestle with their sorrows, and violently deal with their grief, when they executed them by a fearful precipitation, and leaping at once to hell. Whereas they ought to have submitted to the mercy, and good pleasure of God, to have depended on him (who willeth all things justly, and happily to those who love him, and trust in his mercies) and with meekness and patience to have dealt with their afflicted minds, whose distresses are like wounds, and cannot be 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hippolito de art. l. Facilitate pot●●● qui v●. ●●eur●. de method. med. li. 12. ●. 3.  healed by rough handling and tearing open, but must be helped as the diseases of the body, by facility rather than force.  
The last is of those who comfort themselves too soon: like unskilful Chirurgeons, using Cataplasms before searching or cleansing; lenitives, before corrosives, have eat out the proud and unsound flesh of the heart, that is comforting before a due examination, humbling and amendment of themselves. These suffer a false Cure to their greater grief to come: These men ask of peace, while their sins are in their greatest numbers: What peace, since there is no atonement, no reconciliation to God? It is impossible either to find true comfort out of God, or in him, while we, lying in our sins and obstinacy, have him not for our God, whiles our souls, conscious of all the evil which we have committed, fly the remembrance of him, as the greatest torment to a guilty conscience, as we shall see more in the last part. To heal the mind then, there must be oil to supple, but after the wine hath cleansed, there must be comfort, but in the order which you have heard: so that whether we find, or fit our minds, examine, judge, correct, rectify, or comfort them, it must be with deep sense, apprehension, meditation, and application of the remedies to the soul: it is not any thing external can do it, they are not all the acquaint amulets of humane reason & discourse, (though words have an admirable virtue & power to assuage a troubled mind) there must be some divine alexipharmacum, & pres●ruatiue against that inward venom of worldly sorrow.  
The fourth and last reason, to persuade to a serious care of the soul, is drawn from the lets and hindrances, arising of distractions external or internal, intercident to the sound cure of a perplexed mind, wherein as the undeniable necessity, so also the true use of soliloquy is to be considered. Until we can be at leisure to speak to our souls, till our minds can be freed of all incumberances, so that they may without interruption confer with themselves, in all counsel, in all consolation▪ in the divinest influences of holy tongues, God▪ peaketh to us 
1 Cor. 14. ●1.  at it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, let the most gracious lips say, (the Lord will comfort thee) till thy soul saith the same to itself within, it shall be, as words spoken to the deaf, or unattentive: such are we, as that in our mind's deviation, and distraction, hearing we do not hear; and multiplicity of thoughts, the mind looseth itself, and being variably possessed of those deceitful suggestions, and importunate fantasies which throng into it, it cannot enjoy itself, or apprehend that which should cure it.  
To avoid this evil then, it must necessarily enter into a settled and quiet soliloquy; which is a retiring of the soul into itself, a receding from all noisome thoughts and distractions of the world, to intend and deal with itself, concerning the cure & reformation of itself. Such is the violence of some thoughts (especially 
Extorquent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 ●●ndo in sere it atem▪ s●●ctaru● 〈◊〉 resp●r●●us, Bern. ae triol g●●. b●n. Ser.  the pensive, which find advantage upon the weakness of a sick and dejected mind) as that they wrest and forcibly carry us ● way, so fast, as that they suffer us not to take breath in the calm of holy Meditations. It behoveth us 
Pro. 4. 23.  therefore to keep the heart with all diligence, and to beat off these Birds of prey, which fall upon our sacrifice, and would take us from ourselves.  

Discat ergo dispersiones cordis congregare, studeat cogitationes mentis restringere, et exteriora 〈◊〉 assess at in intimis suis immorari, etc. Bernard. d▪ inter. d●●.  Let a man therefore learn to recollect the dispersions of his heart, let him study to restrain the thoughts of the mind, to forget things external, let him accustom to dwell within himself, and to love internal goods; for as in multiplicity of sounds and varieties of voices, one so confoundeth another, as that the ear can gather nothing certainly or distinctly: so is it in the mind. As in a bodily cure, the light, the noise, frequency of friends, and formal visitations, hinder the sick man's rest, so that he cannot comply with the means of recovery. So is it in the mind, distractive thoughts hinder that health which must be obtained by a prudent composing thereof; but especially those, which either as causes, or occasions more remote or near, do recrude those wounds, and put back the cure; so that the mind must be withdrawn, as Christ 
Mar. 7.  took the Deaf man from the multitude to help him: the obstreperous company must be put out; as the Minstrels at Iair●s 
Seorsum ● turbulentis cogitationibus et actionib●s inordinatis etc. educit●r, qui s●nars meretur: Al. Alexs'▪ part. 4. ●, 17.  house: inordinate actions, incomposed speeches, businesses, and turbulent thoughts divide the mind betwixt them, like those unmannerly Bethleemitish guests leaving no room within doors for Christ, the life and comfort of our souls: he that will be cured must be led out from these. I have bought a Farm, I have bought Oxen, I have Married is (to many) a Supercedeas' against any warrant out of the Court of Conscience, because they cannot intend Religion & the world, to serve them both. Therefore our Saviour giveth a necessary causion 
Luc. 21. 34.  to his, Take heed to your selves, lest at any time, your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life. He saith not, take no care, drink no Wine, eat not: As the body is nourished by a due proportion of the one, so the mind is exercised and beareth a moderate weight of the other, but in both, take heed you overloade not, and oppress the mind, take heed you make it not heavy, incompetent, unable, unapt to it 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. A seruit●te Des divellunt, inquit Chris. de d●●it●is. ho●●. 22 in Matth. 6.  offices: take heed of those cares which do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, divide and pull from the service of GOD: there is a spiritual drunkenness and surfeit, which surchargeth the soul with sorrows also, under whose heavy ephialts the mind lieth groaning and cannot rouse itself, to shake off those imaginary burdens. The reason is because the astonished mind plunged into these Marabs, at every breath drinketh in those fearful and despairing suggestions, with which Satan plyeth it to destroy it, till filled with grief, it drowneth with it own thoughts.  
Who ever then will have a sound mind, must not only shut out that sin, which is the Sheba for which afflictions besiege him, but must also sometimes withdraw himself, and leave the world, and all the tumults thereof, as Abraham left his servants at the hill foot. Let us ascend into the mountain of God: O my intentions, will, 
Bernard. Soli●oq.  thoughts, affections, and all that is within me, let us ascend into the mount where God seeth and is seen. Cares, perplexities, anxieties, labours, expect me here again. We must not only, not oppress our hearts with cares, but sometimes leave ourselves, that we may enjoy ourselves, we must leave the outward man, to confer with the inward: and to this purpose, such places are to be made choice of, as will best serve us to meditation. Jerome adviseth after this manner. So have thou care of thine house, that yet thou 
Elig●tur t●b● oport●nus & aliquantum 〈◊〉 ●amil●●●●repitu remotus loc●●●n guen velut in portum quas● ex ●●lta te●pestate cu●●rum ●e recipias, etc. l. 2. ep●st 22.  afford▪ thy soul some vocation: choose some fit place, a little remote from the noise of thy family, into which, as into an Haven, thou mayst go from the great storms of cares, and in that private shelter mayst thou compose the surges of thy mind, which were moved without.  
Surely there is danger in secure solitariness: for t●e devil doth most assail those alone, against whom h●e can ●east prevail in comp●ny. Hence took he courage, and when our Saviour was led out into the wilderness, that he might overcome for us. Then came to him the tempter. 
March 4. 3.  God who made man a sociable creature, said, It 
Gen. 2. 18▪  is not good the man should be by himself alone; and such is man, as that there is no pleasant possession, (no not of a Paradise) yet there is an admirable use of wellgarded, and moderate solitariness to some minds: That they may call themselves to account, that they may empty their hearts of those cares which wearied them: thus cloyed with company, it is a sweet rest to be alone. But much 
Math. 6. 1●  more is that, for which our Saviour bade us to enter into our Chamber, and shut the door, for which himself 
Mat. 14. 23.  left the multitudes, and went into the mountain in the evening, that 
Luk. 9 18.  was, that he might fit himself to prayer: for the 
Gen. 24. 63.  same purpose Isaac chose the still fields and silent evenings. Yet it is true 
Ad Gregor. Naz de vit▪ solitar.  which Basil observeth, the rolling and unsteady eye cannot see a thing at hand: neither can a mind distorted with a thousand cares, perceive the truth of 
Quid prod●st solitude corporis so solit●▪ do defuerst cord● Greger. et 7●. Aq●in 22. q 188. 8.  things: Idle and unsettled thoughts (even in solitude) are, like the straggling beasts in the silent and quiet Groves, easily entoyled: therefore if our secesse be not as well of mind, as body, what shall any solitariness avail us? What profiteth it to shut thy Chamber door, if thou leave thine heart open? It is good, no doubt, 
Debes p●ritati cordis studere, ut &c clausis se●sibus carnalibus in temetipsum convertaris, e● cordis ostia ● formis sensihilium, etc. habe as diligenter serata, etc. Bern. octo. punct●.  sometimes to be alone, that we may have convenience for holy Solilo▪ quies, but we must know, they are not solitary Groves, silent walks, a desolate Cell, or melancholy Hermitage, which can shut ourselves from ourselves: show me that holy recluse, that mortified Anachorete, whose walls can keep out cares, sinful and tumultuous thoughts: show me that little Zoar, those secure mountains whither sin cannot follow an holy Lot. Show me that Eden into with the Serpent cannot come. 
q s. Cum solitudinis mede●erta vallarent, lib 2. ep▪ 15.  I left (said Basil) a thousand occasions of evil, myself I could not leave: and Jerome confesseth when he was environed with deserts, he yet had evil thoughts, incentives of vice 
Quasi mutasse sit hominem mutare regionem Cypr. l. 2. ep. 2.  following him: to change our place is not to change our mind: Moderate solitudes are excellent helps to a retired mind: yet the solitary man, (as the proverb goeth) is either a Saint, or Devil: as a man may enjoy himself, and be spiritually alone in the midst of multitudes, so he may be, never less alone, then when alone: the mind is so active, that it cannot be idle: it will be ever working upon something: when thou art withdrawn from company, except thou art cautious, a thousand wicked thoughts, or at the best, headless fantasies, barren streams of idle imaginations, will run through thy mind: all such conceptions prove ●ither vipers, or embri●es mere abortives of the soul: thou must therefore as carefully avoid these inward, as those outward tumults, and spend thy time to good purpose, when thou art alone: thou must think and meditate of some definite thing, and that tending to God's honour, and thy soul's health. 
Si solus ipse nunti●m bonam in ore ci●s. 2 Sam. 18. 25.  An holy thought in meditation, (as David said upon discovery of the first running messenger) If he be alone, there is good tidings in his mouth. Multitudes of vain thoughts, are but the foolish Chimarae's of the mind. Therefore suffer not thine heart to run the paces of those night-roving fires, whither every breath of wind leadeth them, nor Martha-like to be cumbered about many frivolous things, with the neglect of the one necessary. Fasten upon some course, for the relief of the mind, and give it not over, till thou hast brought it to some good perfection: as this happy sequestration of thy soul to repentance, recess from evil thoughts. evil men to the inward Temple of God's Spirit, where thou mayst with a 
Secreta libertate. etc. Bede in ●oh. 5.  secret liberty call upon him: then shalt thou not only ease thy mind, but find an happy issue of thy sorrows: they shall be a Bethesda to heal thy mind of some other languor, if thou canst wisely descend into those troubled waters. I know how willingly we think of our businesses, and things of the world. Cares, pleasure, and desire, are like the teeth of the flesh-hooke, which Satan thrusteth into our hearts as importunately, as those ungodly Imps, who 
1 Sam. 2. 13. 15. 16.  wont to say to the Sacrificers in Elies' time; No, but thou shalt give it now, and if thou wilt not, I will take it by force: How many hours do these take from our sleep, and we consenting to the theft, are pleased that our soul should entertain the robbers with long parleys: when alas all these projections are but as visions of the night, and as a dream when one awaketh.  

Use  Sweet and excellent is the contemplation of things divine and heavenly, whereby the mind is carried up on high, a man is ravished in Spirit, illuminated with knowledge, inflamed with desire of goodness: all inordinate affections, wand'ring thoughts, and fluctuation of the mind, e●agations of the spirit, and distractions of the soul, are recollected into one, and the whole desire fastened in that fountain of blessedness, when the 
Rom. 1.  soul cometh to a nearer view of GOD: we may see him in his creatures, 
Psal. 19 1  the heavens declare the glory of GOD, and the firmament showeth the work of his hands, as we see the power, actions public, and government of a King in every poor Hamlet of his dominions: but by meditation, as by prayer, we are let into his presence: but though we could see the heaven's open, and jesus standing at the right hand of GOD, though the soul, and all it affections and faculties were filled, with a sweet vision of celestial things, though we should be rapt up into the third heaven, and hear the unutterable secrets of that place, yet if we have not a Cherubs wing to cover the feet, as well as to five, if, for all our highflying knowledge, our soul's infirmity be neglected, what were all that which we could know, better than glorious objects to sore eyes, which help not, but greaten the pain, by the intentions of the disaffected sensorie?  
Let every one then improve some hours to deal with his soul (pure and sequestered from all distractions) that he may relieve and comfort it: neither let any man think this practice concerneth him not: he that hath not sorrow, should have, because he hath sins to repent.  
You humane Parrots, whose ears have run out into tongues, whose brains labour with a dangerous flux: leave your much useless talk, and learn a godly soliloquy, it is more requisite you should inform your own souls, then tyre others ears: You profane and lascivions speakers; learn to talk chastely in your hearts, and your tongues shall not so offend God and good ears. You punctual Orators, know that the sure rule, Recté et benê loquendi, is the word of God, which 
Psal. 4  biddeth you Commune with your own hearts: You powerful Oracles (whose deep senses testify a watchful conference with your sweet friends, your learned Authors) who can eftsoon make (as Paul his Faelix) your happy Auditors tremble, who can, with pathetical discourses, pull up the double sluices of their souls for tears, sometimes of joy, sometimes of sorrow: give me leave to remember you; if you speak not to your own souls what you speak to others ears, if you have not let down into your bowels that roll of God's word, whose contents you deliver to the people▪ your curious lines shall nothing profit you: your labour shall be to build an Ark for others, 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Cleanth. de per●pat. apud D. La●rt.  not yourselves: you shall be (as that wise man said of the Philosophers School) like a well sounding Harp which heareth not itself. You external men, who in your observance to others, live▪ so much out of yourselves, as that you must speak their thoughts, act their inventions, go with paces, and as if their favour animated you, & you breathed their breath, as if you had no soul, or that you have, a vassal to the world (where your desires have placed your heaven) you never look home, come hither, see the excellency of the soul, which can every moment bring you into the presence of the King of Kings: you that are in love with your stately Piles, come see this living Temple of the Lord: you that are enamoured of pleasures, seek them in your souls; these only (as jaakob said of his Asher) 
Gen. 49. 20.  shall give pleasures of a King. Laughter is a pleasure for a fool; delights and sins are pleasures for Satan's slaves: riches are pleasant to unhappiest vassals; but here only are those pleasures, which none but they enjoy, who are admitted into the glorious freedom of the Sons of God; who are Kings, and a royal Priesthood. You that would be rich, be assured, it is not laying house to house, and land to land; it is not extending your Father's bounds, by the purchase of the next Tenements, (for how miserably poor is a covetous man?) but here are true riches, here is that better part, which shall never be taken away; here is the unvaluable treasure of knowledge, virtue, faith; here God manifesteth the riches of his grace and mercy, here he layeth up the assurance of our eternal inheritance, and the seals of our redemption. You heartless worldlings, and outsides of men, consider and understand, that the vain Idol which you adore, doth ever finally torment and crucify those who do most zealously worship it. Ambition 
Ambitio crux ambitiosorum.  is an Hamans' Gibbet, how high soever; it is a torment to the proud: Avarice, a jaels' tent-nayle, to fasten the rich man to the earth: Gluttony, and Ehud, which under pretence of secret messages, striketh into the bowels: Wine, a Serpent, which biteth 
Prov. 7. 23  as it pleaseth: Lust, an unclean and sightless fire, through whose Moloch-flames, blind libertines (ambitious of their own destruction) are sacrificed to the Devil: Surely her house 
Prov. 2. 18.  tendeth to death, and her paths unto the dead. All sins (to which so many sacrifice their thoughts and times) are like Egyptian taskmasters, adding stripes to heavy burdens, and their wages is death. I need not say more than this, With how many cares, fears, griefs, unrests, and perplexities, doth the world, or sin, rack the brains, press and wring the very heart of a man, that he may serve them? All this while, how happily doth that man liu●, who enjoyeth, and conferreth daily with GOD in a contented soul? What madness is it then, to seek that happiness abroad, which is only to be found at home? to look for that in others, which is only to be found and enjoyed in ourselves? There is more sound content in one hours wise and holy enjoying a man's own soul, then in an ages successful pursuit of the ambitious man's deluding dreams. The world favoureth me not? only let GOD assure my soul of his favour. This one thing have I desired of the Lord; only let him say to my soul, I am thy sal●ation, it shall be a sanctuary to me against all sorrows.   

Why art thou cast down, & c?  
IN the third place we are to consider the disaffection, which is the matter of this reprehension; and this is necessary to be handled, that the pensive mind may 
N●● enim possibile est alicui curare quosd● mal● habentes, qui ig●or at passionem corum qui mal● valent. Irenae. proleg. lib. 4.  be helped: for how can we cure, except we acquaint us with the passions of the sick? This malady is not simply one, but double, that is, dejection and disquietness, the effects of immoderate sorrow and care: they seem extreme and contrary fits: the first, a dull and heavy stupidity, a kind of hopeless apoplexy of the mind, yielding itself to the requests of despair, as if there were no hope, no help. The second is a restless selfe-vexing impatience, as if the mind could help itself without God.  
There is no estate without some complaint: discontent cannot be confined with any limits, but the fruition of the chief good; therefore it reigneth over all that have lost their interest therein, till they do, either actually, or in firm hope reobtain it. There hath an universal distemper, for man's sake, infected the world, and every creature groaneth with us also, and 
Rom. 8. 22, 23.  travaileth in pain together vnt● this present: and not only the creature, but we also, which have received the first fruits of the Spirit, even we do sigh in ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. Mean time the soul of man is exercised, like Israel in the way to the holy Land, with continual disturbances, that we may know, that in this life is not 
Deur. 12. 9  our rest: for (as Moses told them in the wilderness) we are not as yet come to the rest, and to the inheritance which the Lord will give us; therefore the mind can not be absolutely contented: it is satisfied with nothing, lest it being satisfied with this nothing (which it loveth) should rest and settle here, and so not aspiring to better, be deprived of the best object of desire, in which is happiness so complete and full, as that out of it, there is nothing happy or good: whence it cometh to pass, that all, that can desire or wish, do naturally wish and desire some other estate then that they have, all present desire being but a continued motion to that which is finally desired: and therefore there can be in this life no absolute content, (which is a true rest in the fruition of the chief good) till the mind rest in obtaining that unmeasured goodness, which can not only satisfy or equal, but exceed the mind, and give us above all that we desire or think.  
Hence it is, that from the most loathed to the most emulated; from that poorest and most wretched condition, which all men hate and dislike, to the best that can be here enjoyed; from the lowest or highest, to which pity can descend, or envy look, you shall find none who wisheth not some change: the poor man would fain be rich, the rich man honourable, the honourable powerful, the mighty would reign; and he that commandeth many millions, cannot command his own mind this one thing, to be content: the King of Kings displayed (in his own Crown) those sovereign thorns, which prick the sacred temples of Kings. There are two restless torments of the soul, fear and grief; one waiting 
Quando tib's be●● est times, quando 〈◊〉 doles▪ Aug. de verb. Dom. ●e●m. 42.  on the prosperous, the other on the wretched, ready to give a sponge of vinegar to their sufferings: when we are well, we fear; when ill, we grieve: there's no condition secure from fear, or void of sorrow:  
So that if the question were, Why art thou sad? the answer were at hand: look on thy conception, birth, infancy, middle age, old age; look into thy body, and the sundry distempers, failings and decays thereof do answer for thee; look into the whole course of thy life, how often hath one day mingled thy wine with gall? how often hath one hour shut up a careless mirth with sorrow and bitterness of spirit? look among thy friends, how many less dost thou now reckon, than once thou didst enjoy? how many depriving seemed (not at once, but in sundry funerals) to have buried a great part of thy life with them? look into thy family, how many breake-hearts hast thou outworn with time, besides those which yet live to grieve thee? look round about, how many evils are there in the world, to make thee fear or sorrow? not to speak of depopulated Provinces, famine, murders, rapes, mangled carcases of halfe-demolished Cities, and all that woeful equipage and effects of war, which we have felt in others sufferings, (wherein the compassionate do vent their mute impatience with tears and sighs,) nor of so many famous Churches of Christ, (surprised, and filled with Babylon's unclean birds) crying with one voice: Woe is me for my destruction 
Icr. 10. 10, 20.  and my grievous plague,— my Tabernacle is destroyed, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone from me, and are not: there is none to spread out my Tent any more, and to set up my curtains.  

Lament. 1. 12.  Have ye no regard, all ye that pass by this way? behold, and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce wrath? Not to speak of those warlike tumults, wars and rumours of wars, which threaten the world, as if the Angel which came out from the Altar, now cried to him that hath the sharp sickle; 
Reucl. 14. 18.  Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the Vineyard of the Earth; for their grapes are ripe. Look about thyself, on what side art thou free? where hath not death laid his ambush? where dwelleth that light heart, which can promise itself one hours secure mirth? Consider thy soul, how many are thy cares, (even for worthless trifles) griefs, perplexities; or, to speak the most, the most unspeakable misery which sin bringeth with it; and it may seem a more proper question, (Why art thou merry?) but he saith, Why art thou cast down? Why dost thou disquiet thyself?  
Great reason he should call his soul to account: for in the one, it lieth weltering in the bitter floods of grief; in the other, it possesseth not itself, (as we shall see in it place;) and both these excesses proceed of some distrust.  
It is true, that when all other passions in their means do help the natural vigour and life of man, these are (of themselves) destructive, as being (like all their allies) an appendix of death, the curse of sin: yet in respect of man's present being, sanctified sorrow, is, among all passions, an antidote, not only good, but necessary to the soul, as bitter Pills are to a surfeited body. Satan, 
Malevola bencuoletia.  in his mischievous benevolence, promiseth the soul an excellent estate in delighting it; but he knoweth that pleasure ever vateth and softeneth it, leaving it ill affected: he knoweth it is 
Lactant. 1. 6. c. 20.  Virtue's domestic enemy; therefore when he would deprive men of all holiness, (which he can no ways do, but by that which pleaseth) with these allurements he ravisheth the mind, being assured that these are the golden Apples at which we will stoop; the only baits, the only stales, through whose unsuspected disguisements, he may let fly his venomed arrows at the beguiled soul. This is that, for which fools not only endure, but dotingly love the dreadful approaches of sin. God leadeth to life through sorrows; Satan to death through pleasures: so that 
— Sicut ad verum bonum per fallacia mala: sic ad ver● malum per fallacia bona pervenitur. Lactant. l. 6. c. 22. 1. Sam. 18. 21.  men come to true good through seeming evils, and to true evils through fallacious good. So then, the tempter giveth pleasures, as Saul gave Dauld his Michal, that she might be a snare to him. Thus (as Cyprian said of the Potentate) ●rridet ut 
— blanditur ut fallat, illicit ut occidat, ext●llit ut deprimat. Cyprian. l. 2. cp. 2.  saniat, he smileth that he may rage; he flattereth that he may deceine, he enticeth that he might kill, he exalteth that he might cast down. It is virtue to be abstemious in lawful delights, and to use them cautiously. lest they prove snares, lest their alluring charms bewitch us, and we perish.  
No doubt there is a lawful and useful delight, 
Pro●. 17. 22.  which comforteth the heart, causeth good health to the body, and so sweetly accommodateth the mind, that a man is more cheerfully enabled to the service of God, who gave not so many several kinds of creatures and conveniences for delight to ensnare men, but that in the wise use of them, we might admire and praise the goodness of a bountiful God; the abuse and excess is evil and dangerous: so is it in all passions of the mind; when they are moderate, and their streams keep within their own channels▪ they are sweet and useful; but when they overflow their banks, they become muddy and polluted: and so it is in the kinds of good sorrow: fear and sorrow are, for the present, necessary to good and evil men; to bridle the evil, to exercise and amend the good. The three children 
Dan. 3.  were cast into the fire bound, but they were presently loosed, and walked without danger: such are we; the world, sin, and many idle affections have strong bands upon us, but so soon as we are put into the fire of affliction▪ we are loosed, so that we walk more comfortably and safely, we come out like refined gold. David confesseth it of himself, Before I was afflicted 
Psal. 119. 67.  I went astray; but now have I kept thy Word.  
Such is sorrow, as the Senate judged of Severus, he seemed nimis crudelis, and nimis utilis; very cruel, but very profitable: without it, the mind is in danger of taking by security, impenitency, and presumption, the Devil's great Generals, who 
2. Sam. 12. 27.  say to him of such, as joab of Rabbah; I have taken the City of waters, come now and smite it. How easily is that heart surprised, which can have no remorse? therefore he saith not (Why art thou sorrowful?) for God made that affection to fortify the soul, that he that could not rejoice in doing justly, might yet sorrow fo● that he did unjustly: but he saith, Why art thou cast down? There is a natural affection warranting some sorrow, even for things temporal, neither unseasonable nor unlawful: joseph mourned, David mourned, jesus wept; which proveth, 
joh. 11.  that sorrow may be without sin. But Why art thou cast down? Sorrow may be intense; Christ's soul was heavy to the death, he sorrowed 
— quantitate absolutan. Aquin. 3. q. 46. 6. 2.  the greatest sorrow, yet not excessively, for he was not overcome of it; and so it became him to sorrow, who was to bear all our sorrows at once. This showeth, that sorrow may prevail very far, without 
D.  sin: and therefore we may perceive, that these two things especially, a wrong object, and excess, make sorrow dangerous and evil.  
That this may the better appear, we must consider, 
Malum proprium. Aquin. 12. q. 36. ●. 1.  that the proper object of sorrow, is evil, and that our own, and also present; whence an extraneous object is sometimes derived: as when we sorrow for some evil, which is not our own, but another's, and only esteemed ours: so the compassionate sorrow: or when we sorrow for that which is neither evil, nor ours, but is indeed another's good, which we think is evil to us; so the envious man pineth and is grieved. This being laid down, we shall perceive that sundry kinds of sorrow are evil, in as much as they have a wrong and uniustifiable object: as the envious man's grief is devilish, when it is conceived of that prosperity which hurteth or endangereth him not: for if he grieve at that prosperity of another man which hurteth him, he is angry, not envious: if he grieve for that prosperity which he feareth may hurt him, it is fear, not envy: if he grieve because the unworthy prosper, it is indignation: if he grieve that another enjoyeth what he desired, it is emulation: if emulation be of virtue, and we grieve that we cannot be is holy or good as they, whose deportments we propose to ourselves as patterns for imitation, it is a commendable sorrow: but if it be because others obtain that good opinion of the world, which we desire, but deserve not, or that excellency and approbation with God, which we would have, but not endeavour for; this is a Cain-like grief, 
1. joh. 3. 12.  which was because his own works were evil, and his brothers good.  
Also, that grief which the compassionate have, may have a wrong object, and so prove dangerous and evil; as when Saul will save in pity, where God said spare them not. All foolish 
1. S5. 15. 3.  pity hath evil sorrow: in that doleful Hag, which haunteth unhappy houses, jealousy, there may be ill-grounded suspicions, bringing forth sorrows no more reasonable than their cause. to these may be added those sorrows which are conceived, because a man hath not, or cannot obtain, or do that evil which he desireth: or which arise from some light and frivolous matter. All these are to be avoided; for, as the people cried at Maximinus' death, we must 
— ● pessimo genere ne catulum quidem habindum.  not save a whelp of so bad a race.  
Secondly, excess denominateth sorrow evil: as 
acedia. Graecis. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  appeareth in that bitter grief, which so oppresseth the mind, that it is unfit for any good office; which is usually accompanied with a drawzie laziness, dulness and heaviness of the spirits, a torpor of the soul, and evagation of the mind; which being invested of the souls most excellent faculties, draweth them to a thousand headless resolutions, which, like mad men's 
Roma Tibur amo etc.  inventions, are but framed and dashed again: at the evening, morning is wished; in the morning, evening; summer in winter, winter in summer; in one place, we think another better, and in that, another: no present condition is liked; for that dedolent sorrow, which vexeth and disquieteth the soul, suffereth it not to rest in any place or estate. The like is to be seen in extreme anxiety, and solicitous cares, and (as we shall see anon) in despair: all which, and their like, whether they be effects, or concomitants of excessive grief, are very evil and dangerous.  
There are sorrows, with which God casteth a man down, to exalt him more; in which we must be contented to put our mouth in the dust, and bear quietly, and with a holy silence, as Aaron did, when his sons 
Levit. 10. 3.  were devoured with a fire from the Lord: But why dost thou cast down thyself? Eliah would dye, jeremy and job will have the day of their nativity perish: Why this excess? this discovereth a great frailty in the Saints of GOD, when they say in their haste, 
Psal. 31. 22.  as our Psalmist, I am cut off from before thine eyes: when they will fall down under the burden, tear open their own wounds, and add 
— ad bonam habitudine anin●ae pertinet. Aquin. 12. q. 39 3. 3.  more weight than God laid upon them. Moderate sorrow belongeth to the good disposition of the mind, according to our present condition; but excessive sorrow is a sickness of the soul: it is good to grieve for sin, the contrary concludeth want of sense or judgement, to know how hurtful they are: this sorrow (as the Rainbow) is both a sign of evil and of good, judgement and mercy: or, as they say, a 
Aquin. 1●. q. 39 1.  good sign of a bad cause: evil, in respect of the evil affecting; good, in regard of the part feeling, and labouring to abandon the evil felt; for this supposeth a knowledge, and hate of 
Adhuc est bonum quod dolet am●ssum bonum. Aug.  the evil: that must be good, which lamenteth the loss of good. God commandeth sympathy, and sense of others misery, (Weep with them that weep) 
Rom. 12. 15.  and sorrow for our own: Turn ye even unto me with 
jocl. 2.  all your heart, and with fasting, and with mourning, and rend your hearts, etc. not that God delighteth in our misery, but as Physicians prescribe bitter Pills, cauterizing and cutting; he is the patient's friend, who is his diseases enemy: so God will have us sorrow, because he hateth, and would have us hate our sins, as the greatest object of grief.  
Some think it an incomparable misery, to diet the 
Psal▪ 42. 3.  soul, as David, who saith, 
Psal. 102. 9  his tears were his meat day and night, and that he mingled his drink with weeping: but the tears of the faithful for their sins, are excellent signs, and 
Psal. 56. 8. ●sa●. 38. 6. Luc. 6. 21. Math ●. 4.  GOD regardeth them, though they seem to perish. And Christ saith, Blessed are ye that weep now; for ye shall laugh. GOD will appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to gi●e unto 
Isai. 61. 3.  them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness: so that I may say of such, as that reverend man answered. Monacha, Augustine's 〈◊〉, 
Fieri no● potest ut ●●liu● istaru● lachrymary p●rcat. Aug. Conf●●. ●. 3. c. v●e. Vsu● d●l●● is ablegat ●●xuriam cr●mini● error is de●●ia●: ita cum dolemu● admissa admittenda excludi●●●: Amb. de poenit. l. 2. c. 10.  lamenting for her Son, who was then a Maniche; It cannot be, that the son of these tea●es should perish. Ambrose hath a reason saruing thereto: The ●se of sorrow, removeth the abounding of the crime, and delight of the error; so that while we grieve for sins committed, we prevent the committing of them: those tears which we shed for sin, are a kind of eye-salue to the soul, and bar to sin: joys dilate the heart, and set open its passages to the enemy; sorrow restraineth and locketh up: where a thousand warnings are like so many letters written in the dust, neglected, forgotten: we cannot easily forget that for which we have heartily grieved: sorrow writeth in 
— quasi col●y●iu● quoddam quo purgat●r 〈◊〉 interior. Al. Alens. To. 4.  marble. Grief and love do mutually exclude each other, from the same subject and respect: Who loveth that which only grieveth him? We must then sorrow for our sins, that we may not lone them; for they have no power to hurt, but where they are loved.  
There can be no sound cure (as you have heard) without searching, nor true searching without smart: security telleth us, we are surely good, because prosperous: Because I am guiltless, 
jer. 2. 35.  surely his wrath shall turn from me: therefore 
●fflicta mens malum invenit. Greg mor.  we look not after our sins: it is the afflicted mind which findeth out the evil: grief is quicksighted; it looketh into the earth, and findeth the theft; it spieth faults very remote and long 
Iosh. 7. ●, 22.  passed; it is a sure remembrancer; it ●xclud●th that le●ity, which choketh every 
Gen. 42. 21.  good intent, and, like a cruel Ammonite, rippeth 
Am●s 1▪ 1●.  up the soul's womb, to make her best conceptions, her fairest purposes abor●iue: it is an importunate solicitor for help; it thinketh all hopes and endeavours slow-paced and lame, till the remedy be come: it healeth the heart by breaking it, and so maketh it an acceptable sacrifice to God: 
Psal. 51. ●●.  A contrite and a broken heart, o God, thou wilt not despise. Where we may observe, that not only a simple grief is required: for contrition importeth association, wherein the sinner grieveth much, and for many adjuncts of sin together, which do not lightly affect, but break the heart: it is like some close-mouthed vessel, filled with the venom of sin, it most be 
C●● quasi v●s fictile repletum ve●eno peccati, etc. Alens. par. 4. q▪ 17. qua in pecatis moesti●i● est, exi●ial●● immod●rata fit. Chrys. de po●n. ser. 10.  broken, that every relish, or delight in sin may be let out; which can only be by a sharp and intense sorrow: sin caused sorrow▪ sorrow must kill sin: Goliahs' sword must cut off his own head. Yet even in sorrow for sin, there must be a moderation, lest being excessive, it prove dangerous. Paul would not have the penitent Corinthian swallowed 
2. Cor. 7.  up of sorrow. In true repentance, we sorrow for sin, 
— Cum ●mmdationi● proposito. A. Alens. par. 4 q. 12. m. 3.  with firm purpose to amend; which purpose necessarily presupposeth an hope of pardon; that hope cannot but raise the mind● to much cheerfulness. Where then there is a mind utterly and constantly dejected, there is despair, a worldly and excessive sorrow, therefore no faithful repentance; which, though it 
4. sent. dist. 14.  be very much, and with true grief, for that we cannot undo the evil which we have done; yet, being it is a true hate of sin committed or to be committed, with desire to satisfy, and to please GOD, it cannot be without some comfort.  
True it is, the penitent man may be without present sense of comfort, as without present feeling of faith; yet, as that then hidden faith is not extinct, but covered during the trial, so neither is our joy, which ever accompanieth it. Yea, in the very act of sorrow for sin, the faithful man hath comfort, 
▪ ●x coniunctione disconueni●n●is. A. Alens. 9 s. q▪ 17. m. 1.  that grief being an union of things in themselves differing; a sorrow with joy: neither doth that joy diminish the grief, as it proceedeth out of dislike of sin, but as it is an abounding passion. As a true grief followeth the delight in sin, so a true joy that grief. Grief is conceived of things that befall us unwilling; that is, which now (in our repentance) we would had never been: as in sin there are two things, delight, in which sin is begun; consent, in which it is perfected by actions; so ar● there opposite to these, two things in repentance, grief for the act and complacence, which was in the 
Doleas, & dolore gaudeas. Aug. de vera et falsa poen. l. c. 3.  conception of that sin; and a delight in that grief, wherein we rejoice the more, the more we are sorry for the evil we have done; because thereby we are more assured of pardon; knowing it is grace which maketh us sensible of fins, and sense and smart make us desire and seek remedy, which is a great part of the cure: and we doubt not, but he who hath begun to heal us, in giving a new will, will perfect his own work, so that we shall not will in vain.  
So then he saith, Why art thou cast down? not Why art thou sorrowful? Godly sorrow, not only eateth up all other sorrow, (as Moses Serpent did the Serpents of the Enchanters) but even itself, because it beginneth true joy, and in that joy it endeth. There must be sorrow, that there may be comfort, but weighed with that same statera Sanctuarij, the golden mean: for though there be with repentance an 
Contriti● actionem dicit, etc. agentis in seipsum. Alen. q. s.  action of the mind against itself, to deject, judge, condemn, and correct itself, (without which there is no rising to comfort, because, if we believe not the truth, whatever we think or believe, our comfort is false: if we do believe the truth, than we believe that God is most just; and therefore, although in his boundless 
Isa. 30. 18.  goodness, he will wait, that he may be gracious unto us, yet he cannot be so remiss, at to approve our sins by an absolute discharging us, and proclaiming forgiveness to our consciences, before we acknowledge and repent us of them,) yet the soul must not cast itself down to despair of mercy: for, as in Grace, that cannot be too little to save, which is gratum faciens, which setteth us in the favour of God; so neither is grief in contrition little, if it be true; or true, if too much. There cannot be too great a grief for sin, if it be with faithful repentance, which cannot subsist with despair: because despair casteth down the soul, but exalteth sin, 
Nihil ita offendit D●●, quam desperatione meliorum b●rere peioribus. Hier. l. 2. ep. 10.  (that very distrust of God's mercy being a fearful sin, for that it questioneth his goodness, and by despair of better, holdeth a man still in evil) but repentant sorrow casteth down sin, and lifteth up and comforteth the mind, there being joy in and for that sorrow: as a man wounded with the lancet, smarteth, and therefore is grieved, but yet rejoiceth to see that corruption come away, which he knew must else have killed him. In respect then of the true hate we owe to sin, sorrow cannot be too much: in respect of our frailty (we being as much subject to despair as presumption) it must be moderated, lest we be swallowed up of it, and in avoiding one extreme, foolishly perish in the other.  

Use.  Unjust anger is an apparent mischief; envy is the heart's canker; malice is a noonetide-devill; jealousy the soul's wildfire; fear weakeneth the hands, and strangely tyramnizeth over its subjects, beating them with shadows, making them dye for fear of dying. Hopes have their strong delusions, and many times greater despair: mirth openeth the heart, like wine, leaving all ungarded and exposed to slaughter, like Isbosheth to those crafty Merchants, 
● Sam. 4.  whose trade was in blood. Of all the passions 
Quod de spe dicit. Aug. de verb. dom. in Luc. 11. serm. 29.  and affections of the soul, sorrow seemeth an harmless silly one, not to be blamed, but pitied: yet,— o●o tuo scorpium time: crush it in the egg, left it prove a Cockatrice. Worldly sorrow is a cunning Sinon, whose harmless and suspectless visage so beguileth many, that Satan's full-bowelled stratagems, armed and most desperate resolutions, are by it conveyed into the soul: it is a mischief which secretly biteth the heart-roote; it eateth up the life; it is more general and greater 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  than bodily sorrow; it dulleth and hindereth the vigour and apprehension of the mind, perpetually drawing the sight and intention thereof to that object, which is dreadful, offensive, and unpleasing: it taketh away the rest of the mind, which should refresh it by diversion to better hopes: it weakeneth the lively and cheerful flight of the thoughts, leading them to conceits, as incongruous and irksome, as are the tedious complaints of ●ooles and madmen: it hindereth the vital motions of the heart, and operations of the body; it drieth up, consumeth and weakeneth i●; it is a miserable anguish, an hidden wound, an unsufferable mischief: such is extreme worldly sorrow, and yet more, like the Crocodile, 
Qua●diu vi● i● cresc●●.  it groweth as long as ●t li●eth: if it be not killed betimes, it will prove an insuperable Monster to decoure t●ee, by making thee ●epine and murmur against God▪ to thine utter confusion and ●obiection, which is a due 〈◊〉 of the unthankful.  

Why art thou so disquieted within me?  
WE are come to the second part of▪ the disaffection ●eere reprehended▪ as Israel to the waters of strife, we must find some healing branch to cast into it: we are come from a stupid, an excessive sorrow, to an inconstant impatience: Quare 〈◊〉 It seemeth not a stayed grief, capable of advice, nor simply one, but manifold: like a tumult in some angry hive, so swarm the busy thoughts: like many people under some suspected roof, sundry jealousies increasing the fear, all rise to run out at once; and where all would, none readily can: so in some desperate grief, a thousand different and contrary resolutions, do in that manner throng the doors of the soul, that it can utter none. Like some violent spirits shut up in the vast hollows of the earth, enraged for lack of vent, causing a tumultuous shaking of the earth's foundations; such is impatient sorrow in a troubled heart. What evil past cometh not then to mind? How do we pull discontents out of their graves, revive old calamities, which are like sundry infirmities in a crazed body, one indisposition giveth a new life to many outworn griefs, and feeling to forgotten bruises and old hurts? Lord, why 
Psal. 88 14, 15.  castest thou off my soul? Why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted, and ready to die from my youth up, while I suffer thy terrors, I am distressed, saith David.  

Lom. 3. 17, 19  Thou hast removed my soul far off from peace, I forgot prosperity: and I said, my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord; remembering mine affliction, and my misery, the wormwood and the gall, saith the Prophet.  
The greater part of men may aptly change the question, and say, Why art thou so quiet, o my soul? We may wonder what sleepy pillows they rest upon, (as it seemed Augustus did, at that bed whereon the desperate debtor slept) who sleep in sin, as jonah in the storm; as the sluggard, (that son of confusion) in the harvest; as a man that lieth down in the midst of the Sea; or as he that lieth upon the top of a Mast; as one with a Serpent in his bosom; as one who hath a thief broken into his house; to such I may say with that Shipmaster, What meanest thou, O 
jonah 1. 6.  thou sleeper? nunquam secura sides: such is our victory of 
Hilar. in Psal. 138.  faith, as that we are never in this life secure conquerors: still the spiritual thief breaketh into our souls, and we have not to deal with flesh and blood only, but with spiritual wickednesses, vigilant 
Ephes. 6. 12  enemies, sleepless devils, the powers of Hell. Therefore I may say as Demosthenes of Calcas; My Lords of Athens, how vigilant 
Alluding to the thieves name.  ought we to be, seeing we have thieves of brass, and walls but of clay? o● as the Proverb hath it, He had need of a Dog to his servant, who hath a Wolf to his companion. How often have we need of our Saviour's 
Matth. 26. 41.  words; Watch and pray? and where that will not serve, some thorns in our sides to awaken us?  
If a man lose a little of that he cannot long keep, 
judg. 18. 23, 24.  like Micha, he pursueth with open mouth, or without other instigation (as his 
judg. 17. 2.  mother) he blesseth or curseth, as it were with a breath, as he hath sense of loss or recovery; but when the best part is in hazard, he is contented to be spoiled: it never disquieteth him, he knoweth not what this question meaneth: God will appoint some Moses to meet with these rocks, to make them flow, I may say, O that their head were waters, and their eyes fountains of tears! O that their hearts could be throughly touched, that they might be disquiet and impatient! Good men are most disquieted for God's dishonour, or their soul's danger, when secure men say, Surely the bitterness of death is past. It is a fearful sign to be past grief, past unrest in sin, as it is for the body to be past sense: such a mind is dead, not patient: sins rest is the souls great hazard; or for their absence from holy assemblies, or want of the use of God's Word and Sacraments, though these do strangely please some godless men: so for the same cause Heraclite weepeth, for which Democritus laugheth.  
This disquietness and tumultuous sluctuation of mind which is here reproved, is an effect or concomitant of extreme sorrow: in the first, the soul was cast down & oppressed, in this it lieth fretting under the burden: sometimes wrestling under the mighty hand of God, with indignation at that it suffers, as if it were indeed worthy of a better condition: it laboureth to cast off the burden, it seeketh a thousand ways for some tergiversation & escape: all this while God holdeth it fast in his hand, & it availeth not to strive: hence than a man is said to be impatient, not because he doth not, but 
Exer●etur 〈◊〉 cum à 〈◊〉 ●ustin●mus p●r●●cutio●es, damno, 〈◊〉 is, ab aduersa●io ●●ntament●, à 〈◊〉 flagella. Bonauent. in Luc.  because he would not suffer that, which he, by so much more, doth suffer, by how much less he would: the contrary to this is patience, whose object is injury, or affliction.  
A mind too qui●t settleth upon it lees, like Moab, at rest from his youth? it is, like standing waters, fruitful o● Serpents and venomous reptiles: 
jer. 48. 11.  an Asphaltit●e: Lake which feeleth no reciprocation a pacificke Sea: on the other part, too much disquier is an extreme as dangerous; in the one w●e are becalmed, in the other wracked. Now, as God, the most wise and just ●●●poser of all things, permitteth not either air or water, to have dead and perpetual calms, neither to be uncessantly hurried with violent storms, and furious winds, but so moderateth both with sundry interchanges, as that neither are these familiar elements corrupted, for want of some agitation, neither the creatures in them interessed, generally detrimented by their intemperate rage: but so sweetly doth that gracious Providence accommodate particulars with his vni●ersall laws of Nature, that the fowl commendeth and endeareth the fairer season; the fair comforteth and refresheth after the storm: so that there is no tide ●runneth, no wind bloweth from the several points of the heaven, which (though it crosseth some) concurreth not with the desires and courses of others.  
Semblably must the mind of man be tempered, it must not be too calm: if it have no anger, it can have no zeal: if no impatience, it would too securely reside, too indulgently suffer God's dishonour, our soul's danger, our own, or our brother's injuries: if too impatient, it would be like a violent stress threatening a desperate wrack, and carrying away all hope of the quiet fruits of righteousness: so that it is true, he is a fool who cannot be passionatehe is wise who will not extremely: he is no good man who cannot be impatient; but he is neither good no● wise, who will be too much some then being unhappil happy (case flayeth the foolish) some happily unhappy (It is good for me that I have been in trouble) it appears that some man's impatienc● and disquiet of mind, is no● so dangerous, as other men● security; our instance may be in job and Dives. Ther● is also an affected stupidity▪ a Stoical sottishness, which hath the face of patience: there is an impatience which looketh like zeal, and yet neither of these are good. There is also a laudable disquiet of mind, an holy impatience, a zealous passion; as when we cannot bear the dishonour of God: the meekest Moses threw down, 
Exod. 32.  and broke the Tables which God had written▪ he made the revenging sword fly among the idolaters: Eliah was ●ealously impatient, 
1. King. 19  because they had broken down the Altars, and slain the Prophets of the Lord: Lot's spirit was vexed at the 
2. Pet. 2. 7, 8.  unclean conversation of the Sodomites. And on the other part, the Lord threatened Elt, that there should not be 
1. Sam. 2. 32.  an old man of his house for ever, that the wickedness of 
1. Sam. 3. 13.  his family should not be expiated & purged with sacrifice for ever. Why? because his sons ran into a slander, ●nd he ●●ayed them ●●t: whic● was, because himself was too indulgently mild, patient in his reprooving them. There being then an evil patience, and a good impatience: as also an evil impatience, and a good patience or quietness of mind in bearing: we may observe, 
D.  that these four things do especially name and demonstrate disquietness of mind, or impatience, evil.  
1. When the ground or occasion cannot justify any impatience.  
2. When the cause of our impatience is some evil in ourselves.  
3. Want of a prudent moderation.  
4. When there follow not a due end, and profitable effects.  

causa 

procutartica,  
proegumena.   The first of these is that they call the occasion, or provocation.  The first is, when the external impulsive cause (which I call the ground or occasion of our disquiet) is, through our pravity, (the inward moving cause of the same) so perverted, as that it produceth not such an issue as it ought, but chose that, which being on such a ground, must needs be evil: there is no question but impatience for the dishonour of God, if it be active, and expressed upon others, is a masculine virtue, an effect of an holy zeal: it 
2 Pet. 2. 7, 8. Exod. 3●. 19, 27. Numb. 25. 11, 13.  was commendable in Lot at Sodom: in Moses at Sina: in Phinebas at Shittim: or if it be that silent agitation of the mind, whose secret addresses are only to God, whose complaints are private: it is a pregnant virtue. Eliah pursued, sat under the juniper tree, and 
1. King. 19 4, 10, 14.  said, It is enough, Lord, take my soul. Why, holy man of God? I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, cast down thine Altars, slain● thy Prophets, etc. What more just occasion to mo●● a man to an holy impatience? When Hezekiah received the sentence of death from 
Isai. 38. 1. 2.  the Lord, by Isaiah, he was troubled, he wept, and prayed, and God saw his tears, and heard his prayer. Whether the ground were the fear of innovation in the Church, or the judgements of God so quickly designing him to death, whom he had lately delivered, either were a just occasion of some holy impatience, the one being out of zeal, the other because his sins could not but come to mind with the judgement of God, which are always to be considered with a godly indignation against ourselves who cause them.  
But if the mind be vexed and unquiet for that which is to God's honour, and should chose have occasioned our thanksgiving and rejoicing, or for things frivolous and unworthy, how can it be good? jonah was troubled that God spared Nineve, wherein were an 
jon. 4. 1, 3.  hundred and twenty thousand persons, that could not discern between their right hand and their left, it displeased him exceedingly, and he was angry▪ he expostulated with God: I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying when I was yet in my 
jon. 4. 11.  Country? Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me, for it is better for me to die then to line. So when the Gourd was smitten that it died, when the East wind and the Sun beat upon his head, he fell into the same impatience a gain: it was no sufficient ground, therefore the Lord said, Dost thou well to be angry? The pharisees were vexed, because Christ healed on the Sabbath, because he reproved their sins: the Israelites were troubled, because 
Exod. 16. 3  they had not to satisfy their lusts, insomuch that they wished they had died in Egypt. David himself was not clear from this eui● sickness, hewas disquieted for the prosperity of the wicked. Against this there are excellent precepts, Psalm. 37. Fret not thyself because of wicked men, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, for they shall soon be cut down as the grass. Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way. Cease from anger, & for sake wrath. Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For all such ill-grounded disquier, whether conceived of envy, indignation, fear, sorrow, or the like, whether expressed in anger, or revenge on others, or obscure and inward repining at the providence of God, is evil, and by all means possible to be declined, as having in it the venom of impatience.  
Secondly, if it proceed of an evil in ward cause, it is e▪ vill. All the Congregation lifted up their voice and 
Numb. 14. 1, 2, 3.  cried, and wept, they all murmured against Moses and Aaron. What is the cause that so mighty an host of men should seem so effeminate? the occasion was this; the Spies had reported the difficulries of the passage into Canaan; they cry presently, Wherefore now hath the Lord brought us into this land to fall upon the sword? our wives and our children shallbe a prey: were it not better for us to return into Egypt? Why are your minds thus troubled? Hath not the Lord promised to cast out these Nations before you? Are ye not strong enough to invest the most puissant enemy? If not, is not God of power to do what soever he hath promised for you? Yes: but the thing which inwardly moveth this base disquiet of their minds, was their own distrust and unbelief; that is the cause of their fear; that was also the cause of their murmuring for flesh: they tempted 
Psal. 79. 18, 19, 22. Psal. 106. 13, 14. 1. Cor 10. 9 Mat. 6. 30.  God, and believed him not; therefore our Saviour saith to the solicitous and careful men, Shall he not much more cloth you, O ye of little faith? 
joh. 14. 1.  And to his Disciples; Let not your hearts be troubled: ye believe in God, believe in me also: intimating, as the only remedy against disquietness of mind: so the true cause thereof, a pusillanimous incredulity, and fearful unbelief; and therefore our Psalmist also, after correction of his own impatience, saith; trust, or hope in God: showing in the remedy, the nature and cause of the disease: which 
Note.  teacheth us, that even that disquiet of mind, which is occasioned for God's cause, or zeal to the Church, if it be an effect of unbelief, or distrust, (as if God either could not help, or would neglect and frustrate any dependence on his promise) is evil.  
How much more cautious must we be, that our impatience arise not of causes merely evil, as of covetousness, pride, ambition, morosity and forwardness, vain and carnal hopes and desires, malice, envy, or revenge, or their like? all which in their several defeatures, do marueiloufly wound and distress a weak and ill-governed mind; and because therein are appetites of evil, by so much more violently do they move the mind to impatience and discontent, by how much more violently the natural affections of men are proclive to evil, then to good. Some sins are borne (as I may say) of good parents, as pride of deserving: which carrying in their pedigrees so foul a dash, bastardy and degeneration, inherit not their progenitors commendations: such vices are like that fruit which groweth upon some mis●dopted branches, where a wild Sien is gra●ted upon a generous stock, and ●herfore converteth all those sweet and wholesome humours which feed it, (into bitterness and distastfulnes: but fins greaten fins, as one hea●e another▪ inordinate impatience is evil, on whatsoever ground spring How out of measure evil is it then, when occasions and causes in a dangerous concurrence make it such? Look how some diseased man fareth with an outward distemper, or ill diet added to his indisposition. The inward cause of his disenterie is some sharp choler abounding in his body; to this cometh an occasion from without him, as intemperate Summers' heat, eating o● raw fruits, or the like, which being corrupted, do extremely stimulate that choler, to a dangerous and painful malady in the bowels. So likewise is it in the soul; where evil occasions meet with some obstinate humour of the mind: the disquiet groweth desperate: if Ahitophels' insatiate ambition and pride interpret the neglect of his oracles, an affront to his wisdom; what impatience proceeding of holy zeal was ever so violent and precipitate? If the wretched caitive hath oue●stood his markets at the end of a dearth, what other impatience from good occasions is so impetuous? What could so easily arm a desperate hand with halters, poison, knives? That rarest evil, impatience for good occasions, in its extremes must be moderated, (as in the next place we shall see:) but if the cause be some evil within us, no moderation can justify it. Neither that which is conceived of trivial causes, habits of impatience, and evil custom of disquietness; all which, as familiar mischiefs, domestic devils, have unseen snares laid in every corner of the house, to possess and surprise even those who hate and fear them.  
The third thing which showeth disquietness of mind evil, is when it wanteth a discreet and prudent moderation: for in such cases, the emotions of the mind (otherwise good) become dangerous: when all virtues consist in their means, that cannot but be evil, which being extreme, is separate and remote from virtue: and when all extremes are dangerous, none are more than those excesses in affections, which, like violent and sudden inundations, break in upon the mind, overflowing and drowning, shaking down and carrying away ●l fruit of temperance and meekness. All affections and passions of mind, are as servants, and familiar necessaries of the inward house: we use not fire and water more frequently, more profitably: but as manumissed slaves, promoted to place of command, as the base and worthless (whose minds were never acquainted with any noble thought) invested with titles of honour, such are affections usurping over reason, which by right of creation is to hold a sovereignty over them;— ●sperius nihil est:— Like fire and water, such are the base, such the soul's affections, good servants, but unsufferable masters.  
How excellent an affection is fear? but if it exceed that, which in it mediocrity is the centinel of the soul, proveth an impious distrust, and evil cowardice. How sweet an affection is hope? but if it go beyond a reasonable ground, it declineth to a foolish and dangerous presumption. How useful an affection is sorrow? it maketh men sensible of their own miseries, else they would seek no help; and of others calamities, else they would not pity▪ but if it exceed, it killeth the heart, drieth the bones; and is very dangerous, as hath been showed before▪ How pleasing an affection is mirth? the refresher of drooping hearts, the antidote against heart-eating dedolency and pensiveness, the cheerer of the sioke thoughts, the delight of the soul, the mind's serenity, the spirits sovereign restorative; yet there is a Serpent in this Eden; extreme mirth is but a pleasant madness, a property discon●ring much weakness and levi y of mind: on the other part, a mean and wel-governed disquiet of mind, hath much good in it, whilst it is contained in a due proportion of zeal or godly sorrow; but if it prove overgrown and monstrous▪ though it be conceived of the most lustistable occasions and causes, it must suffer alleys and qualification. What more inst occasion of impatic●ice, then that, of which the Pla●mist here speaketh▪ What more holy cause, than his zeal to the honour and service of God, Wherein he feared some eclipse by alteration or m●ouarion? yet he corre●●eth his mind, Why art thou 〈◊〉 within thee? What more rust cause of the minds disquietness then sin? yet if that be extreme, (as you heard of sorrow) it proveth dangerous. Because than excess in the effect, is a sign of excess, or some dangerous concomitancy and union of causes, (as disquietness for sin importeth, that our sorrow is too great, or accompanied with a servile fear and distrust, which jointly cause it;) therefore is (even that) disquiet, which may seem derived from good occasions and causes, evil, if excessive. When once▪ this Land being annoyed with Wolves, there was a Law made for the destroying of them, that every convicted and condemned Felon should be acquitted, if (according to sufficient bayl● given) he could, by a prefixed day, bring in the heads of so many Wolves: the execution hereof, in short time, caused, that the Forests and Woods had more Thiefs than Wolves; a more dangerous beast increasing upon the Commonwealth, in the destruction of the former: So it often cometh to pass, that while sorrow and disquiet of mind for sins, do, at it were, hunt other sins to death, these Nymrod's prove the greatest Tyrants, the most fearful sins of the soul: extreme impatience hath no reason to justify it.  
Lastly, if there follow not a due end; and profitable effects of our affliction and disquietness, i● lies evil: the duo end and use of afflictions are, if we are by them instructed, to give God honour in our patient bearing, in our hope and experience of his graces sustaining us, if we doc enter into a more deep and earnest consideration of our sins, whereby we are necessitated to humble ourselves before him in true and hearty sorrow, because we have displeased him, call upon him more zealously, to reform our Impatience, and amend our lives, whose pravity secretly deriveth this fretting humour into our hearts, the mercy of God so disposing, that we might not perish by resting contented in sin, and, as it were, settling and feeding on our lees for want racking. David expresseth his disquietness by reason of his sins: Thine arrows 
Psal. 38. 2, 3.  stick fast in me, and thine hand presseth me sore; there is no soundness in my flesh, because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin▪ for mine iniquities are gone over mine head, as an heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.— I am troubled, I am 
v. 18.  bowed down greatly, I go mourning all the day long.— I will declare mine iniguity, and will be sorry for my sin. And presently after; Forsake me not, o Lord; o my God, be not far from me, etc. It is an happy disquiet, an happy impatience, which hath such issue; I may say of it, as the woman of the most blessed, 
Luk. 11. 27.  Blessed is the womb that bore thee. Happy soul, happy impatience, which bringeth forth fruit full prayers; happy man, who cannot be quiet with sin in his conscience; happy is that best unrest, which will not suffer a man to perish by sleeping in sin.  
It was a great impatience 
job. 3. job. 6. 4, 9  in job, when he cursed the day of his birth, when he said, the arrows of the Almighty were in him; when he desired that GOD would destroy him; when he durst expostulate with 
job. 7. 20.  God, and say, that he had set him as a mark, so that he was a burden to himself; yet you see he came to sweet resolutions; 1. of confession; I have sinned, what shall I do unto thee, â thou preserver of men? 2. of confidence, Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. Again; 
job. 19 25.  I know that my Redeemer liveth. 3. of humility, I have spoken that I understood not. 
job. 42. 6.  I have heard of thee by the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee; therefore I abhor myself, and repeat in dust and ashes.  
Mos●s was so disquieted, that he said to the Lord▪ 
Numb. 11▪ ●, etc.  Wherefore hast thou afflicted thy ser●●ns? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy▪ sight, that thou laidest the burden of all this people upon me●? Whence should I have flesh to gi●●●unto all this people? for they▪ weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat: I am not able to bea●● all this people alone, because it is too heavy for meet▪ And if thou de●le thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, ●●t of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness. Thus they 
Psal. 106. 33. Pertu●batus any ●●●urmure pop●li infidel's, non ten●●t fid●ciam, qual● debu●. Aug. ●d  provoked his Spirit: so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. And so great was this impatience, that for it, God suffored him not to go into the Land of Canaan. It is true; but giu● me that ad●●s●● 〈…〉 man, who could with patience have borne the heart-breaking cries of one or a few famished infants for bread: How much more grievous was it for one Moses to consider▪ so many thousand bellies, (unacquainted with any rhetoric) so many important mo●thes calling upon him for meat? yet he failed not to cry unto the Lord for help, and, though with much testimony of humane frailty (showing what we are of ourselves) yet he prayed. ●●remie recordeth his ●wne infirmity▪ when i● bitterness of spirit, he said: Why is my pain perpetual, 
I●r. 15. 1●.  and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that faile? And 
jer. 20. 7. Augi●ur Propheta, ●●n quod calami●ate & ●e●b●●ibu● affligit●r, sed quod ●loquia diui●a sugillantur. Theod. interp. in lerem. 20.  again: O Lord, thou hast deceived me and I was deceived:— I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.— Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his Name. Albeit his impatience was more, for that the Word of God became a reproach to the wicked, then for that they afflicted him in his person, yet he she weth how infirm he was, and yet, in the same place, a blessed issue, he resolveth better, he was weary of forbearing.  
But, if on the contrary, we grow worse and worse, the more we are afflicted, than our impatience is evil. If 
〈◊〉 10, 13.  we say in the ruins of our families, The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones: the Sycomores are cut down, but we will change them into Cedars. If we grow insolent, and turn not unto him that smiteth us, neither with all our disquietness seek the Lord 
jer. 5. 3.  of hosts: if when he consumeth us, we receive not correction: if the more we 
— diuinit●s extitisse illam flammam, non quae terres●re illud domicilium deleret, sed quae sublimius magnificenti● q●e de●os●eret. Lactant. l. 3. c. 17.  are smitten, we fall away the more: if we think of our sins, as that Orator of the burning of the Capitol at Rome, that that fire was by the especial providence of God, not to abolish that terrestrial Mansion of jupiter, but to require another more stately and magnificent: as if by how much greater Gods judgements were, by 
— c● diligentius peccandum esset, etc. Ib. Lact.  so much men ought to sin more diligently: if our impatience hatch any monsters in the mind and resolutions; if it send out words tending to God's dishonour, expressing unbelief, malicious apostasy: the least hereof is carefully to be avoided as a great failing in our duties, who ought patiently to receive correction as sons, to whom God offereth himself as a most gracious Father; the greatest, as dangerous presumptions & prognostickes of a reprobate 
job 2. 9  mind. Iob's wife fell upon his hazard; Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God and die. Such are often times the words and actions of the afflicted wicked, that as Ieh●rams messengers, they 
2. King. 6. 33.  express the apostasy of their master; Behold, this evil is of the Lord, what should I wait for the Lord any longer? Such was Saul's resolution: when God will not answer, he is for Endor,— of'at ●nt● mo●ebit: such Indaes' disquiet: such the end and fruits of impious men's impatience, vines of Gomorah, grapes of gall, bitter clusters, such their wine, the poison of Dragons, and the cruel gall of Asps. It is a bittercup which the Lord hath mixed for his servants in their trials, but his mercy ever cureth it with a sweet issue, so that however it ta●te at first, it hath a good farewell. But for ●ho wicked, judgements are laid up in store, sealed up amongst his treasures, to whom vengeance and recompense belong: their foot shall slide in due time, the day of their destruction is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste. Because they would not humble themselves under the mighty hand of God, in patient bearing their crosses, that he might exalt them in due time.  

Use.  The mind of a natural man is as unconstant as the sea: sometimes smooth, sometimes stormy, and so fierce, that in its madness it is ready 
As Nero, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Sucton.  (in its own suffering) to imprecate confusion of all things: in any great sorrow it is irresolute, (sometimes this is better, sometimes another best comporteth with our unstable desires) it hopeth, it despaireth, it loveth, it hateth what it loved, it rejoiceth, and presently grieveth for the same thing, it never resteth in any centre of true wisdom: there is great cause then, that man being so bad, so dotingly amorous of the World, so continually er●ing in sundry passions, so immature and unadvised in his greatest deliberations, should often change his mind, if all that inconstancy be but like the shaking of the needle in a displaced compass, that it may by running over many points, at last settle upon the right. But why any of God's servants should be so disquiet, as that he neither hath present comfort, nor can admit of future, there is no reason: there are fears and sorrows which will shake and disquiet the most settled and best grounded mind, God coming, as to 
1. King. 19 11, 12.  Eliah in Horeb, as it were with an earthquake, a strong wind breaking the rocks of our hearts, and with a purging fire to try us, before he will speak in the still voice of consolation: but why do we add to our own disquiet▪ Why do we feed the gallfull humour? Like froward children, when we have been deservedly beaten, we will cast down ourselves, and cry for very pettishness and sullenness, as if we were in hope to compel our●correctours (at least some witnesses) to favour and pity us suffering injuries: I do well to be angry to the death (saith jonah.) If we might be our own judges, how often would we say and avow the same? we will be nothing, if we cannot be what we would be: such a bitter distemper Augustine 
Confess. l. 4. c. 6.  fell into, for the loss of his friend: I was weary of living, and afraid to die (saith he:) And afterward;— I boiled within, I sighed, I wept, I was troubled▪ I had neither rest, nor advice: I carried a dissevered & bloody soul, impatient of my bearing it▪ and where I should repose it, I found not; not in the pleasant Woods, not in Sports and Sonnets:— for whether should mine heart ●lie from mine heart? This, (Why art thou disquiet) strongly importeth, thou oughtest not so to be, to dissuade from evil impatience, and disquietness of mind, there are many express places of holy Writ. 
1. Pet. 3. 14 Rom. 12▪ 12 Phil. 4. 5.  Fear not their fear, nor be troubled.— Be patient in tribulation. Let your patient mind be known unto all men, 
I am. 4. ●.  the Lord is at hand.— Be ye● also patient, establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord 
Heb. 10. 36  draweth nigh.— Ye have need of patience, that after ye ha●● done the will of God, ye might 
Prou. 3. 11, 12.  receive the promise.— My s●nne, despise not the chastening of the Lord, neither be weary of his corrections: For whom the Lord loveth, be correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.  
From reason there are many arguments also.  
1. It is a sign of God's love, that we are corrected, and not given over, as appeareth by the last cited 
Heb. 12. 6.  Scripture▪ Gods counsel is to amend us by chastisement, 
* Patienti● comes est sapientia, non famula c●●cupisci●ntiae: patient is amica est b●▪ n● conscientia, etc. Aug. de patient. c. 6. lb. Aug.  whom his milder warnings (delivered us in his Word) could not amend.  
2. It is a certain argument of true wisdom, greatness, goodness, & strength of mind, to be patient in afflictions: none but the wise can be patient, as none but the good, wise: therefort the cause showeth patience, and where that is good, this is true. The Philosophers, so much at odds concerning all, or most points of wisdom and opinion, as that there wanted not an Anaxagoras, 
Cui nives atramentum fu●runt. Lactant. l. 5. c. 3.  to affirm, that Snow is black, yet all met in this centre of patience, which they both commended, and affected: yet their wisdom (as their patience) was supposititious & false: for how can he be either wise, patient, or good, who knowe● neither the wisdom nor patience of God? There is no outward mark doth more distinguish between the 〈◊〉 and wicked, then meek and quiet toleration of crosses 
▪ nec aliud magis 〈◊〉 disce● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ●●stos, etc. Cyp●. de 〈◊〉 patient. se. m. 3  This man complaineth and blasphemeth; the other in the very like affliction, is proved and approved. Pu● chaff into the furnace, it presently consumeth; pu● gold into the same, it cometh out more refined and precious: such is the difference betwixt the wicked and righteous. Those▪ like the mighty men of Nebuchadnezzars 
Dan. 3. 20. 21.  Army, which cast in the servants of God into the Babylonish furnace, are slain; the other, like those three children, live in the fire: it is easy for the formal hypocrite, in prosperity, to speak like a Saint: but because we hear sometimes Jacob's voice, when the hands and actions are Esau's; God saith as Isaac, 
Gen. 27. 21  Accede nunc ut palpem ●e, fili mi▪ Come near, my soone, that I may feel thee, whether thou be my very son or not: not that he knoweth not who are his▪ but that he might make them known to men; for it is not professing, but suffering, which showeth the man: Gold is tried in the fire, good men in affliction. job suffered the malice of the devil, being rich and wealthy, and more wealthy in 
— ne● pater nec domi●●● est. Cypr. q. s.  many sweet children; presently he is neither a father, nor rich, nor master of any thing: full of sores, full of anguish, his friends forsaking him, or visiting, becommingmiserable comforters, so that he had in himself pains and griffes, in them, many vn●ind ●▪ errors to endure: the devil falleth to his old ward, arming the woman to suggest 〈◊〉 as if he should find an● other Adam in job, as if 
Illo antiquo nequitiae su● usus inge●●●▪ q●as● om●es per ●ulicrem decipere posset 〈◊〉 ●ec●r in ●●iginc. Cypr. q. s.  he could deceive all by her, as at first he did the only man: but when she instigated 〈…〉 ●ee answered▪ Thou sp●a●●ost 〈◊〉 one of the foolish wom●n: What▪ Shall o●ee receive good at the hand of G●d, and 〈◊〉 we not receive 〈…〉 did 
job 2. 10.  not job sinn● with his lips. S●tan was deceived in his artifice, he hoped to obscure his holy patienc●, bu●●made it more 〈…〉 was 
Cautior fuit istae in doloribus, etc. Aug. de Adam & job, I. de patient.  more cautious in his griefs, than Adam was in the pleasant Woods this was ou●tcome in delights, the other overcame in pains; and that victory remaineth to the Church, as a certain Troph●e of the devil's overthrow.  
The wicked are presently 
Matth. 13.  discovered in afflictions, they murmur, and like the 
Pati●mis vera 〈◊〉 cum quis amst quem portat, nam tolerásse & odisse nonest virtus, sed velamen furoris. Bonauent. in Luc. 21. ●it. ex Greg.  rootless corn, are quickly wit hered. It is a special mark of regeneration, if out of obedience we can patiently bear, and love God, aswell correcting, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is true patience, to love him of whom we 〈…〉 to endure: and hate, is not virtue, but a disguise and veil of fury. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: and because Abraham loved God, therefore when God proved him with 
Grave preceptum. Tertul de patient.  that heavy precept, that which God pleased not to suffer, he would patiently have suffered, had God pleased to permit it. It is a custom of Heathens, & godless men to be impatient in temporallosses, because they 
Tertul. q. s.  prefer money before their soul; but it must not be so with Christians. Once there were laws of retaliation, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The Lord of patience was not yet come; but when 
Mat. 5. 38 44.  he came, he said, Resist not evil, he expounded to a word, a Racha, to a thought, to restrain the petulancy of hands, and to take away the poison of tongues, he said, Love your enemies, bless th●● that curse you. Wherein he showeth, with what Christian greatness and goodness of mind they must overcome all evil.  
3. Impatience is but a striving with God, an obscure and inward murmuring against his providences 
Exod. 16. 8  What are we? (said Moses) your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. He that vexeth at second causes, doth but bite 
Aug. q s. c. ● 1.  the stone which is cast at him: it was not he that had will to hurt, who took away jobs goods, but he that gave that power: It is Gods all-disposing providence (that cause of causes) which giveth and taketh away, which exalteth and casteth down: the greatest endeavour of man cannot add one cubit to the stature: therefore we● show our vanity in nothing 
Matth. 6.  more, then in being impatient, 
Isai. 45. 9  for woe unto him who striveth with his Maker. It skilleth little who betrayeth, 
jer. 50 24.  or who rageth, when God suffereth those, thus to 
Cypr. ep. 3  be entreated, whom he disposeth to crown.  
4. We pray; Thy will be done in earth, as it is in bea●en: wherein we not only desire, that all the creatures should without resistance, quietly obtemperate, and, as he hath the holy Angels of heaven ready to achieve, and do his commands, so that all the wills of men on earth, may be framed into one obsequious consent, that they may incline wholly to the will of God, that God would be pleased to take away that innate contumacy of our minds, which ceaseth not to mutiny against his holy Spirit, that he would make us so docible and tractable, that we may only will that which is pleasing to his will, that 
— da nobis spiritum c●nsil●●t faciamus voluntatem ●uam, & c. ●onauent. orat. domini, exposit. ●oh. 6. 29, 39, 40.  he would give us new hearts, that we may not affect our own desires, but subscribe to the absolute guidance of his Spirit, that we may believe in him, that we may be holy, both in body and Spirit, that we may keep his Word & commandments; but also, we pray that we may both in prosperity and 
1. Thes. 4. 3.  adversity, give him the glory, pa●icntly and meekly bearing his hand, acknowledging his will and divine providence in all things which befall us: if we pray, ●hy will be done, shall we resist that which we pray may be done▪ there is great reason we should continually pray for this grace; for without it we can neither pray nor hear profitably, being, through impatience, possessed of a du●l pensiveness, a painful it ●●omn●s, which is ●old of zeal to any holy duty.  
5. We ought to rely upon God's goodness, who is faithful, ●o ca● al● our cares upon him, to commit ourselves and estates to him, who is both powerful to keep us, and gracious to reward us, whose will also it 
Phil. 1. 27, 28, 19  is, that we should glorify him in those sufferings, which he hath appointed us. It was Paul's comfort 
2. Tim. 1. 12  under the Cross: F●● the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded, that he is able to keep that thing I have committed to him against that day▪ He 
Aded satis idoneus patientiae sequester Deus. Tertul. de patient. c. 15.  is a sufficient sequestrator to the 〈◊〉 if thou commit thy wrongs to him, he is a revenger; if thy loss, he is a restorer; if thy grief he is a Physician▪ if death, he is a quickener and reviuer: how much should we suffer, that he may be an accountant to us?  
6. There hath no tentation overtaken us, but such as appertaineth unto man. Paul comforteth the Philippians herewith, when he biddeth them, in nothing to be terrified by their adversaries, they having the same 
Phil. 1. 28, 30.  conflict which they saw in him, and then heard to be in him. He knoweth not what this life is, who is ignorant of afflictions. It was said to be the speech of Demonax, when he came to a friend impatiently lamenting the death of his son, and ●●●ting mourning i● darkness; Find me (laid he) three men in the world, who have not lamented the death of some friend, and I will make thy son alive again. When of all his acquaintance he could not reckon one; O man (said he,) why dost thou so much disquiet thyself, as if some new thing had befallen thee! And it was a like wise practice which is imputed to the Athenian Solon, when he saw one of his acquaintance disconsolately grieving, he led him up into an high Tower, whence having showed him those numberless houses of a populous City; Now (saith he) do but think with thyself, how many sorrows have been, shallbe, or now dwell under these roofs, and cease so impropriate humane and common misery to thyself. We 
Vides●t quam sit utile b●mini scire se hominem ut proi●dt fit paratus ●d, &c & tolevantium flagellorum. Bern. de obed. patient. etc. serm.  must consider what man is, that we may learn to bear humane miseries with a Christian resolution. Man beginneth with tears: the first language of man streweth the condition in which, and to which he is borne: he that is ignorant of all things else, knoweth how to cry in his nativity, as if in that auspication, he did by a natural instinct, lament the anxieties and labours of this life▪ the silly wretch res●iffeth a fore se me of the world's storms, so soon as he entereth into this glassy sea. There was a time when man was deputed to action only, 
Gen. 1. 28.  when God said, 〈◊〉 the earth and subdue it. But for our sins, he ounced the irrevocable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all mankind to a miserable serui ude under labour 〈◊〉 
Gen. 3. 17, 19  sorrows; Cursed is the earth for thy sake in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou ●ate of it all the days of thy life in the sweat of thy 〈◊〉 shall thou ●at bread, till th●● return unto the ground. Besides we carry about bodi●● subject to many injuries open 
O dementiam ●escientem d●ligere homines humaniter! ● stultum bominem immoderaté ●umana p●tientem! Aug. conf. I. 4. c. 7.  to many maladies what madness is it then impatiently to bear that in others which we have in ourselves on in ourselves, which we can no ways avoid or lessen, but by patient bearing especially when we suffer no evil but that which we have more then deserved.  
〈◊〉 Without patience, (I say dot there is 〈◊〉 comfortable enjoying any thing without thee, but) there is no possessing thyself Passesse 
Luk. 21. 19 Illius rei dicitur qul● possessor, evils habet plenum dominium. Bonav. in Luc. 21.  your souls with potic●re; saith Christ: without 〈◊〉 we have not 〈◊〉 over out sel●es: the impatient man is possessed of envy, malice, 〈◊〉 in dignation, griefs or the lillo▪ about he is not master of himself: but the patient and contented man, though he lose his fields, his merchandise, his pleasures ●hed o●eth not himself. Patience is the keeper of virtue, and the ornament of the virtuous: Patience is the 〈◊〉 ●oble 〈◊〉 ho● that ruleth his ow●e mind, 
Prou. 16. 22.  is better than he that wins a City: the patient man possesseth all things, bo●● prosperous and adverse▪ all things serve him, yea those things, which seem, and intent to hurt him, heat, cold, wa●m comm●nd him, and make 〈◊〉 more abound in that which is best▪ the stetility of his fields, give him a bette● harvest ●o lay up ●heeues, robbers▪ opp ressours, lay him up treasure in the hands of God. Happy patience! which investeth, ●hem with all things, who ●ra●e nothing else but patience.  
8. As impatience hath a wicked author, so hath it 
Tert. q. s. c. 5.  ●any cursed effects. I find● faith Tertullian) the 〈◊〉 and parentage of impatience in the Devil: he impatitenly bearing, that GOD 
Cypr. de bono patient. Et Tert. q. s.  made man to his own Image, and subjected the creatures to him, first perished there by: Whether impatience were the Devil's first sin, or that the first occasion of such impatience, I dispute not now: sure it is, that impatience and malice are co●tancous, that they individually grow up together out of one bosom: impatience is the womb which conceiveth cuery sin; the fountain 
Defundens de suo fonte ●arias criminum venas. Ibid. Tert.  which conveyeth into the heart sundry veins of iniquity. Who stealeth, but the impatient of want? Who murdereth, but the impationt of injuries? Whence is that sale of chastity, and base prostitution? Whence standers, murmurings, disobedience, covetousness, extortion, imposture, cursing, profanation, but from impatience▪ When Israel are impatient of Moses stay in the Mount, than they dare require an Idol: when they are impatient of want, than they 
Act. 7.  murmur: when they are impatient of hearing their due reproofs, than they slay the Prophets. Impatience is the Grand-dame of all sin: hence are heresies, s●hisines, dissensions, renting the sacred unity of the Church: hence rebellions, treasons, assascinations: in a word▪ every s●nne is no be ascribed to impatience. The impatient and malcontent, are the Dovils▪ Anvils, on which he can forge any thing necessary to his manufacture, and belonging to his shop.  
9 
Cypr. q. s.  By impatience we do more hurt ourselves, than, 
Sit patientia in pecio●e, & 〈◊〉 illic locum h●bere non possant. Cypr. ib. Ephes. 4. 27.  being, patient, the Devil himselle could hurt us: if he doth not plough with our heighfer, and world upon our impatience, what can he do▪ How could he, without our impatience, persuade us to anger, discord, revenge, discontent, murmuring o● the like? The Apostle warneth beer of when he saith, B● 〈◊〉 but sin not,— neither give place to the Devil:— let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil▪ speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And the 
Psal. 37. 8.  Psalmist; Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. Add to this, that by impatience (like a man with indiscreet ●o●●ing and removing the burden, which he cannot cast off) we greaten our load, as hath been said: the impatient, while they would not suffer, do not by that unwillingness procure their ease from the evil they 
Qui mala malunt ●o● committendo far, quam non ferendo committere leviora, etc. Aug. de pati. c. 2.  bear, but that they bear● greater miseries▪ the patient, who ch●s● rather to bear evil, by not committing it, then to commit it, by not bearing it, do both, by that patience, make those things less which they suffer, and avoid worse things, into which the impatient do plunge themselves. Dost thou know, o impatient man, what shall be the end of thy discontent which now thou feedest? Dost thou know how great, how deadly that Serpent will prove, which now thou fosterest in thy bosom? Dost thou know how far God will let thee run, who wilt not now be stayed, who now, either without cause or mean, tormentest thyself with a fruitless impatience? Look upon the fearful ends of many malcontents, and make a right use of their madness: the Devil hath prevailed over them; what are thou stronger or better, if he, against whose providence thy disquietness maketh thee repine▪ shall give thee over unto him? How justly are they given over to Satan to their destruction, who will not abide the sovereign hand of God to their salvation?  
10. Patience proceedeth 
Cypr. q. s.  from God, as from the Author and Fountain of it: from him it is derived, from him it hath excellency: how patient he is▪ those indignities and frequent contumelies which he endureth in expectation of the sinner's conversion, do testify: his creatures which the godless enemies enjoy, the sun rising, the rain indifferently 
Matth. 5.  falling upon the just and unjust, do manifest it: he hath present revenge in his power; yet he tempe●areth his indignation, in wonderful mercy waiting for their repentance▪ to which his long suffering and goodness leadeth the vessels of mercy▪ he doth not only command patience, but teacheth i● by incomparable▪ 
1 Pet. 2. 21.  examples in himself▪ so that he is both Specul●m patie●di, e● 〈◊〉 patientis▪ a mirror of patience, and reward of the patient▪ he, whose divine nature is impatible, took upon him a passive, became man, was borne, suffered hunger, thirst, weariness: he endured a domestic enemy 
●●bijs ●i●●●o●osis no●●ega●it o●●ulum pa●i●. Aug. de patient. c. 9  unto the last: he refused not a traitorous kiss: What contradictions, what reproaches did he not suffer of a malicious Vulgar; spitting, scorning, bu●●etting! The innocent permitted the guilty to condemn him to scourging, crucifying: he that fed them with the sweetness and fatness of the earth, endured their ●eeding him with vinegar and gall: when he was nailed to the Cross, the Stars were confounded, the Elements troubled; the Earth trembled, usurping night vailed the day, the Sun hid it beams, as if it would not see the jews impiety: all this time, he is like a I am be before the shearer: if he, who came into the world without fin, lived without fin, went not out without so much suffering, what cause have we to be impatient. We indeed suffer justly, for, we receive the 
Luk. 23. 41  du● reward of our deeds; but he hath 〈◊〉 nothing ●mi●●e. In his agony he hid his Majesty? and bore all constantly, that he might exhibit a perfect example of quiet patience: and when they tortured him to the death, he ●lyed out, ●ather, forgive them.  
Again, he is the Fountain which giveth patience and consolation; he is the God of patience and consolation, 
Rom. 15. 5.  because he only giveth patience, and comforteth the patient.  
11. Sweet and▪ excellent are the effects of patience: it allayeth anger, setteth ● watch before the doors of the wiseman's lips▪ bridleth the tongue, kee●eth peace, breaketh the sin of malice, and the malice of ●i●ne, governeth the mind 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the violence▪ of b●●elling pride extinguishe●● the fire▪ of discord, ●●estraineth, the insolency of the rich, and comforte●h the 〈…〉 the poor, it ●aseth 〈…〉 of subjection, and ●●uerneth, the▪ furiousness of dominion▪ O divine patience of the servants 〈◊〉 Christ, ground of 〈◊〉 keeper of innocency, How shall I style thee? What shall I say in thy commendation? What were this wretched life of man, what were we without thee? Thou sweetnest the bitterness of sorrow, thou adornest prosperity, thou lightnest adversity, thou pullest out the serpent's teeth, and the sting of afflictions, thou appliest the only antidote against the venomous effects of sin; thou showest the way to follow, the living way to blessedness, Christ jesus: patience is the only mean to overcome the evil we suffer: he that is impatient, is overcome of that he suffereth: he that returneth evil for evil, overcometh not, but is surprised of impatience. The most heroic and noble victory, is to suffer evil, and overcome it with goodness: every iniu rye, where it findeth patience, is so repulsed, as a bullet, contused by the inpenetrable strength and hardness of a rock, and often hurteth the Author with a dangerous 
Tert. q▪ s. F●●cius ladentis in ●olore lasi est. Ib.  rebound if thou dost not impatiently grieve, the enemy is defeated, because the fruit of the hurter is in the grief or the hurt: when thou hast prevented that, he must needs be grieved, because 
Plus improbum illum cedu i● inendo. Ib.  thou art not. Art thou injured? thou dost beat that wicked man more by suffering him. S●●me● cursed, David was neither dejected nor revengeful, he endured those opprobries of the railer, and when he 
Potestatens regi●●● in aegis adhibuit prohibendo, quam exercendo vindictam. Aug. de patien.  could easily have rewarded him, he not only did it not himself, but restrained another who was troubled at it; showing his Kingly power more by forbidding, then exercising revenge: he acknowledged the will of God, for which he patiently tasted the bitterness of those contumelies: Suffer him to 
2 Sam▪ 16. 11.  curse, for the Lord hath bidden him. No evil shall hurt thee, if impatience do not disarm thee. It is the Lord, (said Eli) let him do what 
1 Sam. 3. 18.  seemeth him good. Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return.— The Lord hath given, and the Lord hath taken away: Blessed be the Name 
job. 1. 21.  of the Lord, saith job. Look 
jam▪ ●. 10. 11.  upon the Martyrs, Take the Prophets, who have spoken in the Name of the Lord, for an ensample of suffering affliction, and of patience: Behold, we count them happy which endure. They have constantly endured all manner of 
See the Epistle of the French, to the Churches of Asia & Ph●ygia. Euseb. l. 5.  torments, yea sometimes till their tormentors were weary, and faint with seeing and inflicting that, which they, who suffered cheerfully, felt. Consider the effects of thy suffering: except it be thy fault, in not making a right use of them, these trials have made thee humble, meek, and patient: What then, though it be grievous for the present? remember the quiet fruits of righteousness, ● and say with comfort, as joseph, naming his Ephrai●,— GOD 
Gen▪ 41. 52  hath caused me to be fruitful in the Land of mine affliction. Mere with afflictions by a resolute patience, and thou hast half overcome them: the re●olued Christian defeareth the enemy, by entertaining his charges before they grow unresistable. Temporal calamities are like nettles, if thou handle them too tenderly, they will sting ● Therefore CHRIST saith, If any man will follow m●● let him deny himself, and take up his Cross, 
Mat. 16. 24  and f●ll●w me. For, first, if ●●are willing to bear, if we but submit ●o the will of God, the bitterness of 〈◊〉 i● past, because God hath wrought that good thing in us, for which he took up the rod▪ so that it will be but a virga aurea, a golden S●●p●er▪ held out to us, 〈…〉 that we have access to his favour. Again, our preparation is in arming against the violence of the strokes: therefore he faith, tollat ●●ucem. Me thinks I see Moses rod cast down, becoming a Sorpent, Moses flying from it, the Dord calling to him▪ 
Exod. 4. 3, 4.  Put forth thine hand, and take it by the ●ayle. Good God will it not kill▪ Is it not a Serpent▪ You when he took it up, it is but a rod in his hand: such are the rods of God, when we will not take them up willingly, when we look fearfully at them a farre off: but if we take them up, they are but rods.  
Many also are the active effects of patience, that feminine virtue: Tertullian calleth it the Mother of mercy; for he will not grudge to give, who seareth not to lose: it is that 
Cyprian.  which both commendeth and keepeth us to God: without this, there is no crown of martyrdom, no defence of virtue: without this, no way to follow our Saviour into glory: this is (saith Bernard) that porta ferrea, the iron gate, leading out of this earthly prison, to 
Act. 12.  the City, the heavenly jerusalem.  
Lastly, our trials cannot be long: and the more extreme and violent they are, the shorter they must be: yet a little, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry: it is but a season for which we are in 
1 Pet. 1. 6. Reu. 22. 20  heaviness: Surely, I come quickly, saith he: Athanasius comforted himself and others, in julians' time, with 
Nubecul● est, citò transitura.  this argument: he is but a little cloud, which shall quickly pass over. O that in every affliction we could but consider, how short our sufferings are, and how our enjoying: shall be eternal! if we could but compare them, we should easily conclude with the Apostle,— The afflictions of this present 
Rom. 8. 18.  time, are not worthy of the glory which shall be showed unto us: because our light 
2 Cor. 4. 17.  and momentary sufferings do cause unto us a far more excellent and eternal w●ight of glory. What do worldly men endure for that they viciously love? riches, honours, pleasures? What do not the seditious Gatelines endure? hunger, cold, watchings, fastings, labours, perils▪ in all which, their hardiness is admirable, their patience is nothing: for it 
Non qualia, sed qualis pa●iatur i● t●res●.  skilleth not what, but what a one suffereth in the denomination of patience. Now if thieves and murderers suffer these things, that they may possssse that which may make them pe●ish▪ how much more should we, lest we peri●h▪ O that we could but s●t our affections on things abou●▪ O that we could but love things heavenly▪ O that we could but truly hope for them, and desire true goods! how easily should we▪ ●●a●e s●eming ●olls 〈…〉 strength o● 
Aug. de pat●. c. 4.  desire▪ c●●s●th sufferance of labours and grief▪ no man, but for t●●t which delight●th, doth ●o●untari●y tak● vpo● him to endure that which tormen●●●● him. 〈◊〉 served s●uen years for his ●a●et, and they seemed 〈◊〉 him ●ut ●●●ew days, 
Gen. 39 2●.  〈…〉 ●er.    

Hope in God, etc.  
THese words contain the counsel which the psalmist giveth his own soul: in which are the antidote against sorrow and disquiet of mind; hope, with its ground and foundation, God. here are two disaffections, dejection and disquietness; and a remedy to cure them both, hope. These two do mutually beget 
Chryso●t. 〈◊〉 ●om. ●7.  each other; patience▪ hope, and hope patience. The Scripture often uniteth them:— rejoicing in hope; 
Rom. 1●. 1●. 〈…〉  patient in trib●l●tron. Love, saith the Apostle, hopeth all all things▪ endureth all things. It is impossible for ho●●●o live without patience, or patience to be sustained without hope.  
Most pleasing is hopes persuasion, and very necessary for this life, amongst so many miseries, calamities, things hard and intolerable. What were wretched man without hope? This life were as a Ship without an helm, a body without an eye, a Firmament without a Sun. Without hope, what relish could there be in grief, what comfort in afflictions? Every adversity would seem, for the present, a full period and end of comfort, which must as often dye, as we could number sorrows betwixt the two limits of mortality, the Womb and the Grave. There is nothing so bitter, which hope doth ●ot sweeten. The Ancients w●sely intimated Hope, the la●● l●uing comforter of adversity, when they said, that in Pandora's Table, the box emptied, all things poured out and lost, Hope only remained in the bottom: and that when Faith, justice, Piety, and Peace took wing, and soared to heaven, Hope only was left to men on earth.  
There is nothing so light, so little, so remote, so strange, to which the mind, animated by hope, doth not adhere: so light is hope, so obscure, so blind, so ambiguous, incertain, slender, vain. So pleasing is that sweet liberty of hoping for ourselves, as that it will feed upon conjecture and opinion either probable or possible, because the like hath been; sometimes it happened to others, it hath some reason, it is just, it should be so, it is credible, it was promised, or the like; and where we have no ground, on which hope can set the lightest foot, we frame some to ourselves, imagining there is, or may be something better than yet we see, or can imagine.  
It may seem requisite, that hopes should be borne of the lightest causes, that the mind, obvious to so many sorrows, might also every where find some solace to refresh and sustain its often fainting: and that there is some use even of those trivial things it presenteth to the sorrowful; when the imprisoned maketh him roomo, with hope of enlargement; the meager feedeth on hopes of future satiety; the exiled sendeth his minds home, 〈◊〉 tell his friends (at least himself) that he is returning; the sic●e thinketh of walking into the fields, captives of liberty, the poor of plenty's al● this 
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  time, though it be but a dream, it shorteneth misery, and ●●ealeth some hours from sorrow, by deluding the afflicted soul for that time t● it is a common solace, it maketh him believe he is rich who hath not: it is the 〈…〉 troubled fools, from whose altars it seemed● an intolerable sacrilege to take the mind.  
But since there is nothing more deceitful than vain hopes, which however, like a draught of cold water they refresh the sick for a littletime, yet in the end they do wonderfully exasperate our sorrows, by mocking our desires, and give our souls the strappado; for we do the more dangerously despair: the more we hoped in vain, the fall being greatned by the height of ou● station or exaltation, it remaineth, that the only way to comfort and quiet a perplexed and troubled soul, is to cast all our care on God, to raise the mind to a true hope and affiance in him.  
For first, we must consider, that this hope is a virtue infused into our hearts by the Spirit of God, who being 
1. Pet. 1. 3.  the God of truth, cannot give a deceitful persuasion, by which we do cheerfully and constantly expect his future benefits, in mitigation of our present calamities, according to his good pleasure: in which assurance his servants say; Though I should 
Psalm. 23. 1, 3, 4.  walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear none evil. He must needs be safe, whom God assureth of his protection; therefore this 
1. Thes. 5. 8 Heb. 6. 19  hope is the Helmet of salvation, and the Anchor of the soul.  

T. Aquin. 22. q 4. 7.  Secondly, this hope is an adjunct of faith, and individually followeth it: faith is 
Heb. 11. 1.  the substance of things hoped for: it is not a light and groundless opinion; it is firm and continuing. We do hope for, and expect the fulfilling of God's promises, because we believe them to be true. Faith is a steadfast persuasion of the truth of God's Word and promise; hope looketh for the fulfilling 
1. Cor. 2. 〈◊〉 ● 〈◊〉  of it: Faith saith, The things which eye hath not seen, neither care hath heard, neither came into man's heart, are which God hath prepared for them that love him: Hope saith▪— henceforth is laid 
2. Tim. 4. 8  up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous judge shall give me at that day. However then, a● faith looketh upon the punishments, which are due to sinners, it is the cause of fear, yet as it looketh on the reward which God hath 
22. q 7. 1. ●  promised, it is the cause of hope: this hope is fixed upon eternal blessedness as its last end, and on the grace of God, as leading us thereto: it maketh us cleave to God, 
12. q. 69. 2. 1.  the fountain of all blessedness, as Faith maketh us adhere to him the fountain of truth: it showeth our reference to the help of God, in whom & through whom we look for all felicity▪ O●● 
Psal. 124. 8  help standeth in the Name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth.  
Having then such a cause as apprehendeth and appropriateth to us all the promises of God, it must 〈…〉 that though hope be only of things future and joy of 
Spes pracedit gaudium & causat illud. 12. q. 25. 1. e.  the present; yet that hopes do both precede and cause that joy, which is a sovereign remedy against all grief and disquiet of mind; as also, that although hope be a mean betwixt presumption and despair, yet having no participation of either extreme, it expelleth despair as its contrary: being justified by Faith, we 
12. q. 64. 4. 3.  have peace towards GOD through our Lord ●esus Christ: and,— We rejoice in tribulation; 
Rom. 5. 1.  Knowing that tribulation bringeth forth patience, patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed.  
Thirdly, it doth much stay a troubled mind, to consider that however the afflictions which it suffereth, are common to good and bad, yet it neither suffereth upon the like▪ terms (for calamities are mercies to the Saints, out judgements to the ungodly; to them the rods of 
Heb. 12. 6.  aloving father, to these the swords of an angry revenger) neither, are those suffeting followed with one and the same, but contrary issues: the wicked (like the Egyptians in the Red Sea) is overwhelmed, where the righteous is not only preserved; but bettered. Admirable is the confidence of the faithful; even in common 
Hab. 3. 16, 17, 18.  calamities: When I heard (saith the Prophet,) my belly trembled, my lipp● shook at the voice▪ for the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines▪ the labour of the Olive sha●● fail and the fields shall 〈◊〉 no meat: the sheep shall 〈◊〉 cut off from the fold, and there shall be no bullock in the stalls: But I will rejoice 〈◊〉 the Lord: I will rejoice in the Lord of my salvation. The Lord is my strength. Cypria● 
Contra Demel.  giving a reason why the heathens were impatient and querulous, where the Christians were valiant & meekly expected the time of God's promises, speaketh after this manner: We know (saith he) there is no way to avoid the common condition of all men, which is calamitous: we are now good and bad within one 
Parisorte perpetimur. lb. Cypr.  house, whatever how befalleth, we share and suffer alike, till in the end of this mortal life we be divided into several lodgings of life or death: Yet (saith he) we are not equal with you, though we suffer the same things; for since in the sense of grief, consisteth all that which punisheth, it is manifest, that he partaketh not of thy punishmen, whom thou feast not grieving equally with thee. The mind of an holy man is erect and steadfast, even amongst the ruins of a perishing world: patience is ever cheerful, and that mind ever secure in God: he never deceiveth trust, in whom▪ we hope When the Psalmist, out of a learned experience having discoursed of the estate of the wicked and the holy, sendeth us to the issue of the 
Psal. 37.  good man's trials, Marks the upright man, and behold the just: for the end of that man is peace. The quiet fruits of righteousness are later, (liker the blossom and fruits of Aaron's dry rod) when it seemeth there is no hope, yet they are sure and excellent.  
Fourthly, because they that are begotten again to this lively hope, (being kept 
1. Pet▪ 1. 5.  by the power of GOD through faith to salvation) are ever assured of a better life to come, an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and immarcessible, reserved in heaven for them, a crown of glory. And (howrever fierce he seemeth) we shall (as David from the subdued King of Ammon) take our 
1. Chron. 20. 2.  Crowns from the enemy's head: for the mischief which he inventeth against us to make us suffer, shall add to our glory. In this confidence we stand, as it were on Nebo, to view th● holy Land, the promised rest. If in this life only we 
1. Cor. 15. 2  had hope, than were we of all men most miserable. 
Cypr. q. s.  That man indeed mourneth and complaineth, if any adversity befall him here, who can hope for nothing good in the life to come; who hath reposed all his hope and comfort here, and looketh for nothing but torments so soon as he goeth hence. If a man did constantly believe he should come safely home, there to find and enjoy an eternal quiet, the hoped fruits of his travail, could any unevenness of the way deter 
1. Sam. 14. 4, 13.  or divert him? jonathan and his Armourbearer stood not upon the difficulty of the passage, they climbed up B●zez and Seneh upon their hands and upon their feet, because they hoped for a glorious victory. The way to honour is through danger; the way to life, through death; the way to heaven, through afflictions. It is extreme childishness to be discouraged for the way, where the end hath assured comfort. Add to this, they live not to the World, but to God, and already have their conversation in heaven, so that their souls being 
Phil. 3. 20.  as it were Gods domestics, & ever in his gracious presence, hearing him, 
Eppes. 2. 19  contemplating, or speaking to him, they are above the storms of humane calamities, though they are sensible of them according to their outward man, yet their better par●is so much above them so ready; in every appearance of difficulties, to fly under the shadow of God's wing, there to be sheltered, thence to fetch comfort, that they not only have a blessed access through faith unto his Grace, wherein they stand, and rejoice under the hope of the glory 
Rom. 5. 2, 3  of God, but they rejoice in tribulation; and therefore thus they reckon: whatsoever affliction befalleth us here, it findeth us upon the 
2. Cor. 5. 6.  way, (fo● whilst we remain in the body, we are absent from the Lord:) and therefore like thieves and robbers, storms and dangerous passages, or whatever else maketh a journey tedious and unpleasing, it maketh us love home the better: the worse the way is, the more we desire to be at the end of it. Thus they overcome the infirmity of the body, by the strength of the mind: so confident 
— firmitate animi infirmitatcin corporis ●incimus. Cypr. q. s. Heb. 11. 35.  are they, that when they have been racked, they would not be delivered, that they might receive a better resurrection.  
If it be objected, that the most faithful have their trials, and do often express great sorrow and disquiet of mind: we must know; that we are already partakers of the promised rest in firm hope, we are there in desire; these we have already cast out as the anchors of our soul; therefore as we say of a ship riding at anchor, she hath hold on the earth, though yet she ceele, heave and set, and those anchors hold her from bestrauning 
Aug. in Psal. 65.  and running aground, even against the winds, floods, 
Facit nos now abripi in saxa. Ib.  and angry billows. So, against the temptations of this our pilgrimage, out hope is grounded on that heavenly jerusalem, which causeth that we are not split and bilged upon the rocks: like the needle in the Compass, so moveth our hope, it is ever shaking, yet it ceaseth not, till by its unrest, it return to the same point.  
If it be urged, that we are yet frail, and full of evil, which may make our, hopes decline, we say with Bernard; There are three things in 
In Psal. 91 ser. 10.  which all our hope consisteth: First, his love which 
1. Charitaes adoptionis.  adopted us: he, who for his own love, without any desert of ours, even when we were enemies, reconciled us, and adopted us sons, will not now cast us away, whom he hath made better, though not yet perfect. Secondly, 
2. Veritas promissionis.  the truth of his promise: though all the world deceive us, and we deceive ourselves, God cannot but be veritable: in his Word we 
Hic sperandus adiutor est, in quo dolus non est. Hilar. in Psal. 145.  have general promises, and in our consciences, the particular testimony of his holy Spirit, assuring us that we are the children of God, and 
Rom. 8. 16  therefore neither life nor death can separate us from 
3. Pot●slaes redditionis.  his love. Thirdly, his power to perform: if it were in man our hopes were fixed, how unhappy were our condition? Man often faileth, and when he hath a will, he 
2. King. 5. 7  wanteth power, Am I God to kill and give life, said the King of Israel? God only can do all he will, and will do all he hath promised. Upon this ground the Apostle 
1. Pet. 1. 5.  comforteth the Churches, when, having praised the Lord for that lively hope to which they were begotten again, he saith, they were kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.  
Lastly, we must consider, that there is none other comfort in afflictions, but hope of delivery out of them, or sure p●eseruatiues against them, neither true hope or preservation but in God. Therefore the Scriptures do distinguish betwixt true and false hopes, magnifying the one, and showing the true unhappiness of the other: Cursed be the man 
jer. 17. 5, 6, etc.  that trusteth in man, and makes flesh his arm, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord: for he shallbe like the heath in the wilderness, and shall not see when any good cometh.— Blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is, for he shal●be like a tree that is planted by the water, which spreadeth out his roots 〈◊〉 the R●uer, and shall not feel when the heat cometh, but he● lease shall be green, and shall not care for the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. Therefore 
Naum. 1. 7 Psal. ●2. Psal. 34. 8, 9 Lam. 3. 25, 26. Psal. 40. 4, 17. Psal. 107. 25, etc. jer. 14. 22. Hag. 1. 6, etc.  the Scripture addresseth us only to him for comfort, because he only is good, he only is omnipotent, and in the ordinary course of his providence, all things serve him, for the use and good of his; and when he pleaseth to discover his holy Arm, and dispense with the laws of Nature, he doth wonderfully satisfy their hopes, & make good their confidence in 
E●●d. 14.  him. Then the waters must cease from their savage 
〈◊〉 3. 27.  courses, the fire must not so much as leave any scent upon the garments of the three children: the lions must not touch the Prophet: the Ravens must feed Eliah: the oil and meal must increase, five loaves and two fishes feed multitudes, and the fragments be greater than the feast. Therefore thou shalt in all distresses of 
Chry●o●t. in Psal. 43.  mind find joy and quiet, if thou canst ascend to that hope which is fixed on God. In God we have all things which are good. 
Tu ●olu● requies. Aug. confe●●. ●. 6. c. 16. Use. 12 q. 25.  Health, riches, honours, comfort: thou only, O Lord, art the rest of our souls.  
All labour for hope, to comfort themselves against afflictions: for hope addeth to and above desire, an endeavour, and elevation of the mind, to obtain a difficult good, which cheereth them: But there is much difference 
Aug. de verb. dom. in joh. serm. 59  upon what ground a man hopeth or rejoiceth: for two things equally kill the soul, despair and perverse and vain hopes. The joy of the faithful is incomparably distant from the vanity of the hypocrites hope, which how far soever it carry them confident against all dangers, yet is it but like Pharaohs Chariot whe●l●s, which then fall off, when they are most engaged, and like jericho walls then falling down when they have most need of them.  
According to men's several griefs, they apply several remedies: and it is true, they may be useful in their kinds. Tears help vent some tonguetied sorrows, because every hurtful thing shut up within, doth more vehemently afflict. Friends 
Omne n●ciuum interi●s clausum, magis aff●igit. Aquin. 12. A. 2.  have a part, either dividing the burden by lamenting it, or by expressing sure arguments of their love, and feeling of our griefs. Baths and Physic (if the body either cause, or add to the distemper,) yea, Music and merry company may have a part. Time, Reason and Sleep (that vulgar medicine for cares) have good use; above all these, contemplation of the truth is excellent: for it hath not, as other delights, any grief properly contrary to it; by how much more we know the truth, by so much less we grieve at seeming evils: but all these, and whatever other means the reason or experience of man can invent, without this hope in God, fall short of any sound cure, some of them feeding, some exasperating, the best but astonying the malady for a time, all being but as draughts of cold water in some hectic fits, by a little ease much enflaming the disease.  
Sound hope, like the Angel 
Gen. 21. 17  to Hagar in the D●sart, cryeth from heaven, Fear not: it openeth our eyes, that we may ●see our relieve which is near us; it showeth us our dwellings, defended with a Mountain full of fiery 
2. King. 6. 17.  Sentinels, like the beleaguered Dothan. Hope was clothes to jacob against 
Gen. 31. 40.  the cold; shade against the heat: an armour of proof to David in his combat; 
1 Sam. 17. 37.  health and riches to job; a native soil to Abraham; a Crown of righteousness to Paul: it is all things 
Heb. 11. 8, 2 Tim. 4. 8.  which are desirable. But how wretched and unhappy are the hopes of worldly men? Name me that Siren on earth, whose alluring notes can prevail against the doleful cries of a reprombate conscience. To say less, and yet all in a word, Name me that estate in the world, which can give that dying man comfort, who cannot hope in God. Trust in riches, honours, learning, fame, what thou canst else think of, can these keep thee alive? Why then do the rich or Noble dye? Dost thou hope thou shalt dye at once, and never come to judgement? Alas, thou shalt presently know that hell, which before thou couldst not believe; and feel those torments, which thou esteemedst as dreams. Dost thou comfort thee in hope of God's indulgence? 
job. 8. 13, 14.  Bildad said right, The hope of hypocrites shall perish, his confidence shall be cut off, and his trust shall be as the house 
Prou. 10. 28.  of a spider.— The patient abiding of the righteous shall be gladness, but the hope of the wicked shall perish.  
There are that trust in riches, yet surely are far from content or quiet of mind. Augustine confesseth what a bridle it was to his ambition, when, the same day that he was preparing to make a flattering Oration in praise of the Emperor; when his heart was troubled with that business, passing through a street of Milan, he saw a poor beggar (perhaps with his belly full) jocund and merry; wherefore he sighed; saying to his friends who accompanied 
Confess. l. 6. c, 6.  him, what grief he conceived of such their madness, who with all their unhappy cares and labours, intended to attain no more than that secure mirth, which the beggar before them had gotten, and they (perhaps) should never get: for, that (said he) which he hath purchased with a little begged moneys, I was ambitious of aspiring to, by such painful turnings and windings, that is, the mirth of temporal felicity.  
There are that trust in possessions, yet when these grand masters of earth boast 
Luk. 12. 19, 20.  of their store, and sing a requiem to their souls, their souls are taken away.  
There are that trust in popularity, that vainest and most inconstant breath of a giddy multitude: and when they say,— The voice of 
Act. 12. 22.  God, and not of man, than some desperate grief smiteth them, as the Angel Herod, and they are eaten up.  
There are a foolish kind of Idolaters, which worship the Idol of Horeb, the shadow of supposed greatness: and when they have sacrificed much time, observance, and expense, for a little hope of some subordinate favour, they are deceived in their divination. Pharaoh trusted to his Chariots; Asa to Physicians; jona to his heels; he would run away from an omnipresent GOD: Nabuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Sanerib, and their like, trusted in their power: Israel hoped in Egypt: but when God will mere with them, how easily doth he send the sword after them? How easily doth he speak concerning a mighty and oppulent Nation, to root it up, and 
As the Wise man saith of pride, riches, and hope of the wicked: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, etc. Wisd. 5.  cast it out? And the strong men shall be feeble-handed, the flight shall perish from the swift, and their hope shall make them ashamed. All vain hope is like a shadow, a Post, a ship under sail, which makes no path in the floods; the flight of a bird, or arrow thorough the air; the dust blown away with the wind; a thin foam scattered abroad in the storm; smoke dispersed with the wind, vanishing by being greatned; the memory of some one days guest.  
There is no cause of the minds disquiet more familiar, then hope in things deceitful, such as are the forenamed, riches, honours, pleasures, and favour of great men; which, because they are inconstant, and often change, most needs deject and torment that mind, which is only grounded on them▪ To this may be added, that since our own hearts are apt to deceive us in our hopes, it importeth us, for the sound cure of a distressed mind, carefully to examine our hopes▪ which we shall do, if we diligently observe the condition of them in their proper  

1. Cause,  
2. Subject,  
3. Object,  
4. Effects and Adjuncts.   

Eph. 2. 8. 1 Pet. 1. 3.  The efficient cause of sound hope, is the Spirit of God: if then our hope be in or▪ of evil, it is not the persuasion of him that calleth us to a lively hope in Christ jesus: for he never crosseth his own revealed will. The Devil hath learned to imitate the inward and gracious working of God's Spirit: therefore he suggesteth an hope, but a false, that he may deprive 
Gen. 3.  men of the true. Ye shall not dye at all: Mark the inference and conclusion of the persuasion: If it be, Ye shall not dye, therefore eat the forbidden fruit, thou art redeemed, thou canst not perish, thou art in CHRIST, there is no condemnation to thee, therefore be bold to sin, that grace may abound; it is a temptation of security, and not any testimony of the Spirit of God, which bearing witness to the Elect, that they are the sons of God, inferreth to their consciences, that therefore they must walk after the Spirit, that they must be holy, that they must walk worthy of their calling; and because they call on the Father, who without respect of persons, judgeth according to every man's works; they must therefore pass 
1 Pet. 1. 17.  the time of their sojourning here in fear. In a word, whatsoever hope moveth us to any resolution, against the express Will & Word of God, it is false and unsound, and cometh not of God, whose Spirit cannot persuade to contraries, neither can cross that one truth, which is delivered in his Word. Look to this, you that bless yourselves in your wickedness; and persuade yourselves, you may go on in your sins, and yet God will connive; or that he is not so severe and rigorous, as is preached unto you.  
The instrumental cause 
Rom. 15. 4▪  and ground of hope, is the promise and Word of God: if our hopes are grounded on the Oracles of humane▪ wisdom, or polycie▪ if on the litigious plots of opinion; if we say as pharaoh, Come, let us work wisely, when we do wickedly: if they stand on the fond arguments of Epicures,▪ Atheists, o● Origenists▪, some hoping there is no God, some, that he regardeth nothing; others, that his grace is universal; or any other 〈◊〉 of man; they are vain and deceitful; and, with whatsoever large promises they do for a time beguile men, they yield no comfort at ●eed▪ but are a ●aets Tent to the weary, a dangerous repose.  
The subject to which hope belongeth▪ is only a Christian mind: for as faith, so hope is proper to them. If the unbeliever & wicked man hope for pardon, and life everlasting, his hope is in vain: I must say to him, as Peter to Simon Magus, 
Act. 8. 21, 23.  Thou hast neither part 〈◊〉 fellowship in this businesies for thine heart is not right in the sight of God; I see thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. If the Noble, great or rich man would be comforted with it, he must know, all that he hath in the world cannot purchase the least dram of it. If any profane Es●● (who hateth to be reform) shall seek it with tears, and cry in the bitterness of his soul, Bless me, even me also, my Father; the best we can promise, is, the fatness of the earth shall be thy dwelling place: but this hope appertaineth only to the sons of God.  
Concerning the object of hope, there are four conditions required. First, it must 
12. q. 40. 1. c. 1. Bonum.  be good; and properly the chief Good. In a second place, goods subordinate: as first, the honour of God; secondly, the soul's health; thirdly, temporal necessaries, daily bread, but bread of thy stature: thou hopest for abundance of riches; I cannot warrant thy hope either good or sound: for how canst thou be assured, that that which thou hopest for, is good for thee? Dost thou know no man the worse for his wealth? How canst thou call that good, which hurteth the possessor? To judge of the goodness them, look upon the things which God hath promised his dear children: he hath promised life everlasting: he hath promised, not to fail thee nor forsake 
Heb. 13.  he: he hath promised, that all the things whereof 
Mat. 6. 32, 33.  thou hast need, shall be ministered unto thee, if thou first seek his Kingdom, and his righteousness: but for riches, or things temporal, whereof he seeth thou hast no need, but rather of the contrary; however displeasing it be to thee, it is his wisdom that he hath not promised them, and his mercy that he doth not give them. If God knew riches or honours absolutely good, the good should never be poor, nor the wicked noble. If thou wilt hope for that which God hath promised, thine hopes are secured by his truth who hath promised. But if thou wilt make thyself great and glorious to the world in thine hopes, if that fail thee, and thou art perplexed and grieved, because thou art not such as thou hopedst to be, what remaineth more just and necessary, then that thou lessen thine overgrown desires, and empty thine heart of that ambition, so that it may be filled with better hopes; that thou conform to the will and promise of God, and think not to incline his holy will to satisfy thy unjust and wicked desires.  

2. Arduum.  Secondly, it must be difficult: we do not hope for 
Exercitatio spei, dicit respectum ad auxilium D●i. Aquin.  things easy, or in our power: Hope presupposeth the help of another, that is, of God: and herein it is distinguished from desire, which is of things easy as well as difficult; and from presumption, which trusteth in itself: if thine hope be on the main and greatest matter, the honour of God, salvation of thy soul, and all things serving thereto, blessed is thine hope, it shall bring thee comfort, though now it live among those difficulties, which none but the power of God can facilitate and overcome. To be honourable, is not the proper object of the Saints ●ope: they obtain that, who have not the least acquaintance with this. King's make honourable, but God only maketh happy, in the hope of life everlasting: Riches and possessions are not this object: wicked and dishonest men know, how easy it is to be rich: but that which neither honour, riches, nor humane wisdom, no not all the Kings of the earth can give, is this ard●●m▪ which the Saint hopeth for. Thirdly, 
3. Futurum.  it is not present, but future: hope that is seen, i not hope: herein it is distinguished▪ from joy, which is of things present: and herein our patience demonstrateth our hope; for if we hope for future blessedness▪ 
Rom. 8. 24, 25.  we do with patience abide for it. Those worldly men▪ whose faiths are tendereyed▪ and cannot look beyond things present; those impatient Esan's, who for their present supplies▪ make so base an estimate▪ What profit 
Gen. 25. 32.  shall this birthright do● to me▪ have not hope▪ whose proper object is future▪  

4. Possibile.  Last, it must be possible: it standeth on the reueiled will of God▪ to whom all things are possible▪ which he will do; by which, not by humane reason, this possibility is to be valued. Abraham 
Rom. 4. 18 21.  believed against hope, under hope: against hope, if we respect the reason of man; wherein there appeared no argument, but all things contrary to that he hoped: but under hope, in respect of God's all-sufficiency, because he was fully assured, that he which had promised, was able to do it. Such is our hope, that except it take wing, and mount above our senses, it shall ever be carnal and frail. It is true, that which is impossible to man, may be, and is sometimes an object of true hope, because it is possible with God: but that which is impossible with God, can never be apprehended by any sound hope, how possible soever it seem to a deceived man. Hence it appeareth, that the hope which expecteth God's connivance in point of justice, his injustice in the obstinate sinner's impunity, is wicked and desperate: when the wicked will bless himself in his rebellion, and think by crying, Lord, Lord, however he will enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, yet to find mercy: when the adulterer, oppressor, drunkard, or malicious man, shall continue in their sin, and yet pray in hope: when thieves or deceivers keep another man's goods in their hands, 
L●ke 19  and will not Zache▪ like restore, or at least, so much as they can: but if they can give an holocaust of a rapine, and cover the Altar with tears; if with undoing, and depopulating whole Lordships, they build a poor Almshouse, and can but pray God to forgive them that sin, which they committed by fraud and rapine, and in tend still to commit, by retaining those goods and possessions, making the very bread, which they pulled out of Orphan's mouths, serve their pride and justs; do not these men, when they say, Lord be mereifull, in effect, desire God to be vn●ust? Do they not pray him to wink at their sins? Such men would fain be saved, but being wicked, fain go to heaven, but not ●●ore: they would drive God to impossibilities; but because he cannot be unjust, therefore it is impossible for such men to have any comfort, or sound hope. To shut up this point then, hope not unworthily, nor for things unworthy. What are present honours to the future? What riches, fields, houses, to heaven and heavenly things? Because we repose not our hopes on a right ground, God often taketh away that we trust in, and withholdeth that which would truly comfort us. How injurious are we to our souls, when we set our hopes Egyptian tasks, works of servitude? when (desiring it should ●●ie cheerfully into the presence of God) we yet, either imp its wings with bastard feathers, trusting in others, or ourselves▪ or load its Angel quills with dirt, hoping for triples, or impious impossibilities. When God made this affection, to sustain the drooping soul, to fetch tastes of the heavenly Paradise-fruites; by such madness they come home, like Salomon's▪ That shish merchants, 
1. King. 10. 22.  with A pes and Peacocks among their precious lading. This man's hope is for favour; another's, for full barns; another's, for prosperous flocks, another's▪ for some maintenance for pride and lust; another's, for food and raiment▪ (Jacob's words without Jacob's meaning;) give him but that poor object of his ambition, he careth for no more. Are these the hopes which can relieve a distressed soul? Shall Cain's Henoch, 
Gen. 4. 17, 21.  or jubals Organs comfort, where there is no hope of Heaven? However the present world say, I will not purchase hope with a price: a grain of pleasure is better than any spiritual jewel; yet the wise Merchant sold all, to buy that of which this hope gave him intelligence, because he found the worth of it: there is no comfort without it, no misery with it.  
Lastly, we must examine our hopes by its effects, and adjuncts, the effects are many. It giveth a man the true ground of Religion, by teaching him to think more humbly of his own works, and not to depend upon himself. This is the cause why God doth sometimes give trials: We received the 
2. Cor. x. 9  sentence of death in ourselves, because we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead. It will be a perpetual comfort even in afflictions, which he beareth 
Rom. 5.  not only patiently, but with joy and rejoicing, because he hopeth assuredly, through the merits of Christ jesus, that after he hath glorified God in his sufferings, he shall be glorified in the Kingdom of God▪ and that as 
2. Cor. 1. 5.  his sufferings abound, so also his consolation shall abound by Christ.  
The adjuncts of hope are many: 1. Preparation and alacrity of mind, lest any thing should hinder us in that we hope for. Hope keepeth 
1. Pet. 1. 13 1. King. 18. 46. Heb. 12. 1.  us with our loins girt, like Eliah before the storm: therefore the Apostle saith; Let us also, seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, cast away every thing that presseth down:— Let us run with patience the race that is set before us. He that hath a firm hope, shall so prepare for it, that, if need require, he shall part with ●hings pleasing and necessity: 
Heb. 11.  so Abraham parted from his native soil: to the Disciples (as the necessities of those times required) sold, and gave away, as Alexander, all his goods, and household utensils▪ because he was confident of supply, in the spoil of Darius. If a man have this hope, he can forgo whatsoever hindereth it▪ and if need be▪ he can lessen his mind, pull in the ●ailes of that opinion of vain reputation▪ which dangerously greatneth many minds▪ and, when ●ee is become poor and indigent, think any estate good enough, in which he hath a firm hope of a better life.  
2. An holy life is an adjunct, 
〈…〉 1. Pet. 1. 13▪  as certain a Bee sober and trust perfectly on the gr●●● that is brought unto 〈◊〉 saith Saint Peter: every man that hath this hope in him, 
1. john 3. 3.  pargeth himself as he is p●re. It is a dangerous hope which the wicked have: either resolve to be holy, or be assured, whatever hope thou conceivest, it is de●●ifull and damnable. True hope, like Aaron's Mitre beareth this golden inscription (fastened to it with that ●itta ●yacin●hina, the blood of 
Exod. 18. 36.  jesus) ●ol●nesse, to the Lord.  
3. Another adjunct of sound hope is constancy: for the Spirit of God will still follow it with fresh vigour, and secretly dictate joyful 
I●●. 31. 12.  things to the soul, so that is shall be like a watered garden, trust, or hope perfectly, or to 
1. Pet. 1. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  the end, for that is the perfection of hope: if hopes be fleeting and wavering, they are weak, but if they once fail, they were never sound: they must be therefore certain and permanent. We shall be holy and unblameable, if we continue 
Phil. 1. 20. Colos. 1. 22 Heb. 3. 6. Heb. 10. 23  grounded and established in the faith, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. We are Christ's, if we hold fast the confidence, and the rejoicing of the hope unto the end. It is not hard to conceive hope for a time, the danger is in the delay. When we consider what we have hoped for, and amongst many secular cares, and present trials, loose sight of our hope, and cannot tell what is become of it; when it tarrieth 
Exod. 32.  long, like Moses in the Mount with God, than the danger is, the mutinous thoughts will fall to some idolarrie. But if hope continue and endure the fiery trial, it is pure. If when thou hast received the sentence of death in thy body, thou canst hope in God, thy hope is sound.  
4. A fourth adjunct of hope, is love of God, and of our brethren: Hope is, as it were, the breath of love, which may gasp and retain the pangs of a dying passion for a little time; it cannot live without it. We cannot be happy, except we love God; nor love him, except we can truly hope, and trust in him; and it is impossible (though some 
1. john.  suppose they can do it) to love God, and hate thy brother: therefore Saint Peter, having spoken of brotherly kindness and love, saith, Give diligence to make your 
1. Pet. 3. 8. 2. Pet. 1. 7, 10.  calling and election sure, for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall.  
5. To these may be added many more, as, boldness in professing the name of Christ, meekness, temperance, 
Heb. 11. 35.  alacrity, and the like; and with these a good conscience, of which the Apostle saith; Sanctify the Lord 
1. Pet. 3. 15.  God in your hearts, and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is i● you, with meekness and re●erence, having a good conscience.  
By these and such like adjuncts, and effects of hope, examine and judge of thy condition, and do not blindly trust to that which may deceive thee: all are not good hopes, which promise much good: thou shalt meet with many wrangling Laban's, often changing the covenant, which howsoever surely the wicked make with the grave and hell, yet the 
Rom. 6.  wages of sin is death. To trust in any but God, is to lean to a falling wall.  
To these rules of examination, and that which may be gathered from that which hath▪ been formerly said▪ concerning the examination, reformation of the soul, and sequestration to an holy soliloquy, let a man also put these following rules in practice, for the obraining and strengthening of a sound hope.  
1. In every affliction which shaketh thy hope, consider the justice and mercy of God: it much abateth the violence of grief to consider the equity of him▪ that striketh, whose judgements, though they are often secret, yet they are always just. The Emperor Maurici●s expressed the greatness of his afflicted mind▪ when, to aggravate his own death now imminent, at Phocas command, his wife and children being butchered before his face, he only said▪ Just art then, O Lord and right is thy judgement. It would easily stop out complaints, 〈◊〉 we could truly consider, what we have deserved; how much greater, and more frequent out sins are, than our punishments. Herein if we learned patience, we must look for hope in the issue of our trials, considering that God correcteth us, to save us, and that all things must be good, 
Nec caret ●otestate qui iudex est, nec miserat●one qui Deus est. Hilari. in Psal. 62.  which come from him, who, as God, is merciful aswell as powerful, and cannot but be good. This well understood, shall make thee know that estate, which thou so much abhorrest, thinking thyself unhappy in it, is best for▪ thou. I but thou urgest thy▪ present enduring many things, not only inconvenient, but intolerable. I answer in this one saying of my text, hope in God. Dost thou not hope in him▪ I can give thee no comfort. Dost thou indeed hope in him? Why art thou disconsolate? Thou sayest, Because my present estate is calamitous, and evil. I say so too, if thy hope be in riches, pleasures, or any thing which thou dost now, or▪ canst want hereafter: but if it be in God, how can it be bu● good, which he giveth those that depend on him? Nam● me that man who trusted in the Lord, & perished. Sayst thou, It is evil for me which I suffer? Whether can best judge, what is good for thee, the patient or the Physician, God or thyself? Thou wilt say, God knoweth. I return to my ground, if then thou do hope in him, dost thou not hope he is a good & gracious God, and will do the best forthee? Dost thou not think him omnipotent, and not to be prevented? Dost thou not think him omniscient, & not to be deceived? Dost thou not think he loveth thee most tenderly; & therefore in his love and mercy, will make all things, even afflictions, work for the best 〈◊〉 thee? Learn therefore to up cerne, & know the work of God in thy correction, and thou shalt have hope. They 
Psal. 9 10.  that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for then, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. 2. Learn to live within thyself, and set not thy hopes on things external; for as they change, they ●●rment. He that maketh the testimony of God's Spirit which is within him, his joy, his hope, his delight, shall be cheerful and constantly resolved, when he shall hear the ambitious crying out for the wheels unconstancy, in which he trusted, and great Favourites, whilst they live, dead of the falling sickness. Call home thy thoughts, thy desires, thy hopes, from the tumultuous world; and teach them 〈◊〉 ●iue within 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let them wait in that living temple, where the glorious and blessed Spirit of God manifesteth his gracious presence, to the secrets of thy soul; think there is no beauty, strength, health, 〈◊〉 pleasures or 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 consideri●, thou shal● free thy? soul from a thousand 〈◊〉 and 〈…〉 which thou 〈◊〉 not avoid; 〈◊〉 thou will depend upon any thing external, or of the world, whose in●essand changes will never suffer thy 〈…〉.  
3. Leave thy false, and seek confidence in God, that is, lean not to thy f●lse, but to him; we must forsake ourselves, to follow Christ, it is so in hoping also▪ Wouldst thou not have thine heart troubled (saith 
In Psal. 41  Augustine?) remain not in thyself. Hope in the soul, was like the ●ree of life in Eden; but since we have sinned, we are, as it were, cast out from it, and it is kept by fear, as with a fiery sword, whose blandishing berreth us from an evil confidence in ourselves, that we might seek a better, eud than tree of life in the holy City, where shall be no more ourse, no more fear, David cry●●h in his affliction, O that I had 
Psal. 55. 6.  〈…〉 then would 〈…〉 Whither wouldst thou 〈◊〉 awav, blessed man of God? Where is that wilderness? From God? Thou canst not: From the World? What is the worst thereof, if thou hurt not thyself? from himself to God, is the securest flight. So long as we depend upon ourselves, we shall never have a found hope, and therefore never be quiet within ourselves; except a man leave himself, he 
Bed. in Luc.  can never aspire to that which is above himself: in himself he hath a thousand arguments of despair, none of hope; and at the best, he is full of inconstancy and change.  
4. Learn meekness and 
Lam. 3. 19, 20, 21.  humilities Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall: my soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me: this I call to my mind, therefore I have hope. The rich man trusted in his increase, and said, This will I do, I will 
Luk. 12. 18, 19  pull down my barns, and build greater,— and I will say to my soul, Thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease.— But he was deceived in that hope: the 
Matth. 11. 29.  surest way is to learn meekness and lowliness of Christ: for so we shall find rest for our souls, the rest we hope for, the hope we rest in.  
5. Labour for the peace and testimony of a good conscience, by submitting thyself to the government of his holy spirit, & a careful and constant abandoning those fins, which by a strict examination thou findest most reigning in thee: for the kingdom 
Rom. 14. 17.  of God is in righteousness peace, and joy of the holy Ghost: the ground is laid down, Rom. 5. 1, 2. and S. 
1. john 3. 21.  john saith, If our bear't condemn us not, then have we boldness toward God. But there is no peace to the wicked, nor any true hope but in the death of sin, by the Spirit of jesus working newness of life, and giving witness to our spirits, that we are his. In the multitude of my thoughts in mine be art thy comforts have re●oyced my 
Quo●. odo mala conscientia tota in desperatione est, sic bona conscientia tota est in spe.— ille sperat, qui bonam conscientiam gerit. Aug. in Psal. 30. Amor non habit● p●esuppo●it spe●s. 12. q●o. 1. Cor. 13. 7. 1. john 4. 17, 18.  soul, saith the Psalmist. But how should he be comforted, who hath no hope, or hope in God, whose conscience flieth him, ●as●a seue●● revenger? Be not deceived, it is not an easy thing to hope in God: the cries of a guilty conscien●o will easily prevail against thy vain hopes.  
6. Love God, delight in him and his laws; learn to live to him that which we love, and do not yet enjoy▪ we hope for. Lone suffereth all things, it beleeneth all things, it hopeth all things, it endureth all things. Hereby is love perfect in us, that we should have boldness in the day of judgement: There is xo fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear. Faith must give thee an assured interest in God, or thou canst never delight in him. The best things delight us not, except they be some ways ours: the evil man, who delighteth in wickedness, cannot delight in God, nor his laws, but (like aguish palates, all things, even the best, distaste them) so relisheth he, as his hart is affected: to those who love God, 
1. joh. 5. 3.  his commandments are not grituous: Nay (saith the Psalmist) 
Psal. 119. 92.  unless thy laws had been my delight, I should have perished in mine affliction. Again he saith, Delight thyself 
Psal. 37.  in the Lord, and he shall give thee thine hearts desire. He saith not, Love nothing, delight in nothing. God forbid: if ye should love nothing, ye should be dull, dead, loathsome, miserable. 
Pigri, mortus, detesiandi, miseri eritis. Aug. in Psal. 30.  Love and delight, but not in the world, not in sin (if any man love the world, the love of God is not in him) but in him whose love shall make thee happy, and give thee firm hope against all misery. Thou must love him 
Haec est illa haer●ditas— qu● beatos suos faci●s haered●s. Bernard. de caen. dom ser. 7. Sine medo● te d●●exit: sine m●do e●m d●ligere deb●●. Ib. ser. 1.  without measure, because he hath loved thee infinitely: this love of God is an infallible argument, that God lo●eth thee (for no man can love him first) which is the most blessed possession. It giveth health to the sick, light to the blind, pardon to sinners, life to the dead, joy to the sad, heaven to the earthly, hope to the disconsolate, assurance to the fearful: it is the fountain of blessedness; it is that sweet and unspeakable goodness of God, which disuested Satan of his possession in us, and of enemies, made us the sons of God: it is that sovereign and divine antidote, which turneth the poison of the old Dragon, the Devil's malice, into cordials; and maketh all that he doth against us in spite, turn to the best for us. There is but one sure way to an invincible hope, to live to this good God, and to have our conversation in heaven, to hear and severence him in his laws, and rejoice in his works: the world smileth, we are not taken thereby, because our indivisible love is to God: one, and to one. It frowneth? We depend not on her brow, we serve her not, we live to God; it sufficeth us, that he loveth us, and his service is our main care, his power our refuge, his mercy our hope.  
7. Learn a Christian moderation in prosperity: moderate thy joys, allay thy hopes, let neither be too great in things temporal, and thou hast subdued thy sorrows. Climb not too high, or to such place, as hath neither security of standing, nor safety of coming down. Keep thy mind low; hope not for things greater than necessary use. Undertake not things too great for thy managing, but deal in thine own calling, and according to thine own strength. Man's hopes are like) the Moon's borrowed light, the more they are towards heaven, the less they show towards earth; the more towards the earth, the less upward. The covetous and ambitious can never be truly contented, or have a sound hope▪ because their desires are either overgrown, or ever growing, and aspiring to things above their reach.  
8. Learn constancy in the practices of Religion: many men would fain find help for their distresses of mind, and to this end they are contented to hear, or read good advice, which they take, as drunkard's physic, the observation of whose straight rules, for a day or two, they follow with a months ill diet, and so, not mending upon it, they blame that good medicine, which could not enable them to be more evil. He that will learn patience to sustain his hopes, must accustom himself to bear small crosses patiently, that by them winning upon himself, and insensibly subduing his own natural frowardness, he may gather strength to undergo the greatest. We must not think, that good habits grow up, like jonahs' Gourd, in a night; or ripen, like the G●●pes in the Butler's 
Gen. 40. 10.  dream: it is not so easy a thing, to learn that true▪ governments of thy mind, in which a Christian hope can live: the Prophet 
Lam. 3. 24, 25, etc.  saith; The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him: the Lord is good unto them that hope i● him, and to the soul that seeks him. It is good both to trust, and to wait for the salvation of the Lord. I; but how shall I gain this patience● Use is a good teacher: It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth: he sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because ●ee hath borne it upon him: he p●iteth his mouth in dust, of there may be hope.  
9 Pass by none of God's benefits, without due regard and thankfulness. I shall meet with this point again in the following parts.  
10. Hear the Word of God diligently, and attentively: sit not at Church, 
Rom. 10.  like those dease Adders which will not be charmed: for as faith, so hope is by 
Rom. 15. 4.  hearing: whatsoever things are written aforetime, are written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, 
Spes fundata in divinis eloquijs. Hyer●. s. job. Ier, 17. 7. 8  might have hope. Hopes grounded hereon; are like trees planted by the water, which spread out their roots by the River. O, did the profane and careless he arer but know, what a sure hope in God were worth at the hour of death, he would not, for all that wealth or pleasure, which he now idoleth, lose one word or sentence, which falleth from the mouth of the Prophet.  
Lastly, Be frequent in prayer. These two excellent precepts are necessarily 
1 The●. 5. 16, 17.  united; Rejoice evermore, and Pray continually. We cannot have any solid hope, in which we can rejoice, except we come often into the presence of God by 
Rom. 15. 13.  hearty prayer. The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope. It was Paul's prayer for the Romans, it must be ours for ourselves. Prayers must ascend, that grace may descend. Prayers, like a thin vapour drawn up by the power of the sun, fall down in showers of blessings: sweet issue of faithful prayers. Titus Vespasians Son was said never to send any man sad out of his presence: surely, God never dismisseth the humble and faithful petitioner comfortless away. Baal being called upon, could not answer, for he was no God, but a senseless stock: but our GOD heareth his, even before they speak; he seeth the desire in the heart, even before it break out into the tongue: he helpeth our infirmities, when we know not what to pray, and knoweth the meaning of the Spirit. Before 
Isai. 65. 24.  they call, I will answer (saith he,) and while they speak, I will hear. Divine efficacy of zealous prayers! David, 
Psal. 116.  sang he de profundis, even at the gates of death; so did 
jon. 2. 17.  jonah in the belly of his living grave▪ In fear and danger▪ when my soul sainted within me, I remembered the Lord, and my prayer came unto thee in thy holy Temple: Tell me, you that forsake your own mercy, by waiting upon lying vanities, what messenger could have fetched comfort so fur? Give me the use of that word,— Quis ascendit in 〈◊〉 Send eloquence to plead at the gate of Heaven▪ send wisdom to solicit; send reason to negotiate for thee; send riches, which on earth 
Act. 12.  goeth like the Angel thorough every ward of the prison, every door, (even the gates of the Temple also;) send greatness, send honour to compliment; nothing could bring thee hope; only prayers find access to his favour, through our Mediator jesus Christ.  
O blessed prayers! o blessed hope! How dost thou carry men beyond reason, beyond expectation▪ beyond i themselves 〈◊〉 beyond thyself▪ and placest them in that estate, which is not only above thee, but without thee? For, enjoying entieth hope▪ as hope beginneth eternal happiness in our present assurance.  

For I will yet praise him, etc.  
THe reason or cause of this hope, with which he comforteth his soul, is fetched, 1. From a strong persuasion for the future▪ which God the● presently gave him; for I shall yet praise him. Even in affliction he warranteth himself deliverance▪ ● as if he said, Hope, for now at the woost▪ I have comfort; though it be ill with me now, I am resolved I shall be helped. 2. From the experience of God's favours past, whereby he hath been the help of his countenance. 3. That which implieth past, present, and future: He is my God, by his Covenant made with me.  
There are three supporters of hope. 1. The promises of God, sealed to the conscience by the Spirit of God▪ For what else could give assurance in afflictions?  
2. Experience of God's favours.  
3. The free covenant of God, assured us by his grace and holy Spirit of adoption, whereby we claim an assured interest, and call him our God, our Father.  
This repetition of the same sense, importeth, that David had not absolutely vanquished his temptations at one encounter, but that he was compelled to reinforce and strengthen his mind afresh.  

〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  This [yet] in my Text, is an enforcing particle, and of great weight▪ Grievous are 
Confession laudis in loco deputat● suo cul●ui. Lyra.  my trials, yet shall I praise him in his holy Temple, yet I shall confess to him. It is put adversatively, importing a very difficult conquest over strong and many oppositions: so Psalm 92. 15▪ he saith, they shall still blossom, and in their age shall be lusty and green; implying a strength, above and against the many weaknesses of that age, which may seem to end that vigour: so Psalm 141. 5. For, yet, my prayer shall be in their miseries: as if he had said; Though their wilfulness be such, as that the greatest compassion can hardly overcome it; yet, I shall pity them in their destruction. So doth he put the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he useth six times in one Psalm, as it 
Psal. 62. 1.  were, expressing a very hard victory over sundry kinds of trials. So he expresseth a notable conflict here, Flesh and blood casteth down, faith erecteth: faith hath no sooner comforted the soul, with this inward parley, but the wayward old man falleth again to new complain; yet faith overcometh, and triumpheth over despair: I shall yet 
jonah. 2. 4.  praise him. So jonah said. I am cast away out of thy sight, yet will I look again toward thine holy Temple.  
In that he saith, he shall praise him, it showeth he was confident of deliverance: so that here are two things: 

1. Confidence,  
2. Resolution.   I shall yet praise him, I believe, and stand assured of help: and upon this supposition, I resolve, I will praise him.  

Rom. 5. 2.  We rejoice in hope, (saith the Apostle) it is their confidence: as I have said, were it not for hope, I see not what comfort were in 
Dolores etiam inter dolores nes●it▪ Greg. more.  the world. He that loveth an hopeless estate, knoweth not sorrow in a world of sorrow: all (but for this) would be, either a sad visage of helpless misery, or a foolish, of vain rejoices. And what were hope, without assurance, but a painful hanging betwixt joy and sorrow? What were hope, without ground, without reason, though with all confidence, but a blind presumption, a selfe-deceiving and obstinate opinion of help? Therefore he armeth his hope with reason, assurance and resolution, which, like David's three Worthy's, break thorough the enemy's Camp for waters of Bethleem, 
2 Sam. 23. 16.  for a longing soul, and run thorough an Army of sorrows, to fetch comfort.  
Hope and Fear, like the Spies sent into Canaan, both 
Numb. 13. 24.  r●nn● before us, to discover for us: Fear tallith of insuperable dangers, overgrown difficulties, calamities immured to heaven: Hope bringeth from Escol, a cluster, 1. of Grapes, 2. Figs, 3. Pomegranates: that is, hope, 1. of pardon, 2. of grace, 3. of glory. Oor pardon in the blood-sheddisg 
joh. 15. 1.  of jesus Christ, the true Vine, in whom we have reconciliation and atonement▪ h●ere 
Sp●s 

veniae,  
gratiae,  
gloriae,    is the first. The next of those sweet benefits ●●ernall and external or temporal▪ which God giveth of his free grace, and maketh them to be assured pledges thereof by his holy Spirit, whereby he also ruleth, comforteth; and preserveth his, in his Kingdom of grace▪ ●he●●▪ are our present sweetness and good fruits. The third is the hope of glory, in which we expect the resurrection of our bodies, life everlasting, and salvation, perfect happiness in the sight and fruition of God▪ the sole and chief good, and fountain of all communicated goodness and blessedness.  
Of this estate, many excellent things are spoken in holy Writ: My flesh shall 
Acts 2. 26, 28. Psal. 16. 11.  rest in hope:— tho● hast showed me the ways of life, and shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance:— in thy presence is the fullness of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. Under this hope the Saints rejoice, yea even in trib●lations; the● presently conceiving, what shall be the issue of those trials; because God loveth them, and therefore 
Rom. 8. 28  all things, by his good providence, shall work together for the best: neither do they suffer as men half ascertained hereof, and therefore floating betwixt hope and fear; but they stand assured of this love. Paul expresseth 
Rom. 8.  it; Who shall separate us from the love: of Christ? Shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? as it is written, for thy sake are we killed all the day long, we● are counted as sheep for the slaughter: Nevertheless in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come,— shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ jesus our Lord. The reason of this so great assurance, he set down before: God doth not hide his love, and bestow niggardly favours; his love is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy▪ Ghost, 
Rom. 5. 5.  which is given unto us; and this Spirit of adoption beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of GOD, coheirs with Christ; and therefore resolveth us, if we suffer with him, we shall be glorified with him, and that our glory shall abound hereafter, as do our present sufferings in Christ: this Spirit doth say to our hearts, as he did to 
Iosh. 1. 5. 6.  joshua, I will not leave thee nor forsake thee, be strong and of a good courage. And out of the infallible truth of these promises written in his holy Word, we gather the certainty of our deliverance. And forasmuch as all cannot appropriate those general promises to themselves who hear them, it must needs be, that the application thereof to ourselves, is a peculiar work of the Spirit of God, inwardly sustaining, in every assault, with fresh strength and resolution: and therefore he is the paraclete, because he comforteth.  
To this inward assistance, God sometimes addeth an outward evidence of his powe●: as when he appeared to joshua by jerico, like a man, having his sword drawn in his hand▪ thus answering joshua▪ that he was come as a Captain of 
Iosh. 5. 13, 14.  the Lords Host. So at El●●hs prayer, he opened the servant's eyes, and he saw the mountain full of Horses and Chariots of fire▪ round about the Prophet. So there was added a fourth▪ (whose 
Dan. 3. 25  form was like the Son of God) to the three servants of God, walking with them in the midst of the fire, so that they had no hurt. It is a memorable story of Theodorus the Martyr, who being grievously tortured, saw a young man standing by him, with a soft and cool Towel, continually wiping off the sweat, and encouraging him: all which time, and, till at the end of their tormenting he vanished; he felt no pain. Both the inward and outward assistance of the Spirit of God, is to comfort his, with assurance that he will always make good his promises to them, that he will never leave them comfortless▪ Whence we may learn, that the faithful have such assistance of the Spirit of God, as that, however they long wrestle with afflictions, yet they are, not only in the issue, but in the very trial, superious by faith. This is the victory that 
1 joh. 5. 4.  overcometh the world, even our faith. And Paul saith, In all these, we are more than 
Rom. 8. 37.  conquerors, through him that loved us.  
There is no comfort to the afflicted mind, comparable to this assurance: I shall yet praise him: David knew it, and therefore penned this Psalm, to comfort his own soul: many of the faithful have known it, who upon their deathbeds have sung this Psalm. The only way in present distresses to stay a perplexed soul, is to send it to blessedness to come: therefore Christ, who could do all things which he would, sometimes led away his petitioners for things temporal, to the consideration of eternal. Martha cometh to him, with a zealous desire that her brother might live again: he telleth her of a 
joh. 11. 25, 26.  better way to comfort, I am the resurrection and the life, whosoever believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall be line: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall not 
Morte damnatioms aternaliter. Bonau. in joh. exp. Luk. 5.  dye eternally. So he dealt with the man sick of the Palsy, when he desired corporal health, jesus saith, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee: Leading away their thoughts, for the present, too carefully fixed on the evil they suffer, to a sweet contemplation of those heavenly things which they shall enjoy. There is no solid consolation in things present; therefore it must be sought for in the future. Thus therefore reckon with thyself: How little is that which I suffer, in comparison of that I shall enjoy? How long can I suffer here? If God please, and see it best for me, he will deliver me now; if not, it must be evil to obtain that which God seeth not good for me: I am in the Lords hands: be not cast down, O my soul, for, I shall yet praise him. If as often as we were any ways disquieted, we would presently say with the Psalmist, Return unto thy rest, o my 
Psal. 116. 7  soul: if we would instantly look up to the LORD for comfort, the Devil would be weary of his own assaults, and we should be the more comforted, the more we are afflicted. O how blessed would our trials be to us, if out of a true dislike to the world, they could compel our souls, our thoughts, to dwell with God happy miseries, which make men eternally happy, by forcing them to heaven. To conclude, let us not give over for the frequency of our trials, but be confident, and, in the Name of God, warrant ourselves better days: otherways, we shall not be sufficient witnesses to our brethren, of God's grace in us, if we do not first assure our own souls, that we conceive a firm hope, and next express our confidence to others.  
I shall yet praise him, implieth, he will praise him, when he shall please to deliver him. Good men, even in afflictions and wants, do resolve, not to bury the mercies of God, but to praise him for them. jaakob in his poverty vowed a vow, saying; If God will be with me, 
Gen. 28. 20.  and keep me in this journey which I go, and will give me bread to eat, and clothes to put on, so that I come again to my father's house in safety, 
jonah. Psal. 109. 22, 26. Psal. 116. 14. Psal. 66. 13, 14. Psal. 〈◊〉 47.  then shall the Lord be my God. jonah vowed, David vowed in his trouble; all good men do so in their afflictions.  
It is a sweet comfort, to vow, or resolve to praise the Lord: such purposes are like 
jer. 38. 11. Veteramenta abiecta.  Ebedmeleks' rags, though of themselves worthless; yet, by the grace of God, they are let down, to draw us out of the dungeon: and are, often followed with deliverance, ever with a blessing equivalent. When jonah had resolved, the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it 
jon. 2. 10.  cast up jonah upon the dry land. Where God will deliver his servant, he giveth this resolution. However God see best to do with a man, it is a blessed prognosticke, to resolve to glorify him, who will never frustrate the faithful desires of his, but either will satisfy, or exceed them, in giving better than they desired.  
These vows must they remember, whom God hath heard, whether in public, or private delinerances, lest God meet more severely with them, for their neglect and ingratitude.  
Lastly, we may hence perceive, how much the servants of God differ from worldly men. David in his affliction, thinketh and resolveth to praise God: these either think I shall live to be revenged, or to have my will, to enjoy the pleasures of sin; either they do not resolve to be thankful, but forget God who helped them, or resolve not to be thankful, but to serve sin. There are but few David's, who resolve to praise God, or who praise him whatever they resolve. Are not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? There are many receivers, but few thanksgivers: it becometh well the just to be thankful; the 
Gen. 8.  ingrateful like the foul Raven, however they go or come, return no more to that hand which enlarged them: but the holy will come back with some acknowledgement, if it be but like the poor Dove, with an Olive leaf in its mouth, if it be but thanksgiving. God who hath need of nothing, looketh not toward men (like the Court- Gehazies') after gratuities for unsold favours; he measureth our thankfulness, t●ot by the gift, but our mind: if we have not a Sheep, a Turtle is accepted; and yet less, he looketh for a thankful tongue; and without all compliment, an heart resolved to be thankful. What canst thou do less than resolve, I will praise him?   

Who is the help of my countenance.  
HE signifieth, that God is his present helper, and doth openly and evidently relieve him: he ascribeth his 
Psal. 74. 12 Psal. 44. 3, 6, 7, etc. Psal. 11 ●. 1.  deliverances, and all his strength, and countenance to God. So do the faithful always. Samson was of incomparable force and courage, against the enemies of God: noble were his achievements, yet when he had slain a thousand men with a jawbone, he acknowledgeth, 
judg. 15. 18  Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant. Our Psalmist had many valiant men, & well ordered troops of disciplined soldiers and, where most renowned Generals fight with their heads, their wisdom and policy, his enemies were well acquainted with the force of his own hands; yet he acknowledgeth, 
2. ●am. 22. 32.  as here, so elsewhere, that he must ascribe all unto God. It is but 
1. Chron. 29. 10, 11, 12  stolen honour which is given from him to any other, and that sacrilege cannot thrive in the receivers hands. Herod knew it: It is an evil 
Acts 12. 23  too common, men fix their thoughts and hopes on second causes, in taking them to be their countenance, and so neglect God: therefore God often breaketh such confidence, maketh frustrate their hopes, & leaveth them without countenance, that they may learn to trust in him.  
The help of God's countenance, is the declaration of his favour and protection: of which he speaketh in the fifth verse. Here he saith, God is the help of my countenance: because, God by his ready assistance, and frequent declaration thereof, did assure him, and give him countenance. And he speaketh, as it were by way of a private appeal, even to his enemies, that he was not daunted and appalled, but durst look the proudest of them in the face, when God only assisted him. Fear ca●teth down the countenance, so that it is not hard to read the thoughts of such an bear't, in a suspectful and discountenanced face: but joy and assurance maketh the countenance steadfast and cheerful.  
God is the health of his servant's countenance, by giving them▪ 1. Confidence▪ through a lively faith in 
Rom. 10. 11.  him; and whosoever bele●●eth in him, shall not be ashamed.  
2. Sense of their sin's remission, and peace of conscience: sin in the conscience dejecteth the soul, it is an inward wound, something at the heart: till that be removed, there can be no good countenance, we dare not look God in the face, we are afraid to think of him: Sin●e is the confusion of faces. The Publican 
Luk. 18.  durst not lift up his eyes to heaven; his dejected countenance argued a grieved mind, whose sickness thus broke out, Lord, be merciful to me a sinner. The first man was not ashamed of his nakedness, till sin discountenanced him, & made him ashamed at the presence of God. There are two reasons why the sinner must needs be confounded at the presence of God: 1. Because he, who acting his sin, said in his heart▪ None shall see, findeth now by the checks of his own conscience, he cannot hide from God, nor flee from his judgements. 2. Because the very presence of the just is an intolerable torment to the guilty▪ which maketh the sinner tremble at 
2. Sam. 2. 2●.  the thought of God. Abner said to Asahel, How then should I be able to hold up my face to joab thy brother? He that hath offended, and injured a man, will be ashamed to look upon him. How much more is a man as●●med of his sin before God? 
jer. 38. 11.  As a thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the House of Israel. joseph urged many sound reasons, to have diverted the importunity of any, but a wicked woman: his Master's trust in him (it were baseness to deceive trust) his favours to him (it were impiety to requite those with treachery;) but the maine was, How can I do 
Gen. 39  this great wickedness, and so sin against God? O blessed and happy fortress of the mind, holy innocence, with what confidence dost thou come into the presence of the all▪ seeing God how cheerful and undaunted art thou against all dangers? What hath the innocent man to fear? But where this is lost, O happy is that peace of conscience, which is found in the blood of Christ jesus. Eliph●z said excellently (though he did 
job 22. 21, etc.  not well apply,) Acqu●i●● thyself, I pray thee, with him, and make thy peace; thereby thou shall have prosperity, 〈◊〉 When others are cast down, then shalt thou say, I am lifted up.  
3. By giving sanctification and holiness: while we ●ye in sin, we can have u● peace of conscience, therefore no health of countenance. The wicked may have confident faces, foreheads of brass, a whore's forehead, impudent, and such as cannot bl●●h: yet follow them to their ends, you shall know they have a dolorous wound in the conscience▪ When the world smileth, they are in their hei●ht of countenance, at least, they can 〈◊〉 v●ltu simulare: but their hearts tell them what they are▪ i● adversinie and insuitable death approach, mark these daring spirits. H●m●n was of so proud a countenance, when he had the King's favour, that the least neglect of him▪ seemed a capital crime▪ when ● b●t was clouded, he h●sted home mourning, and his head covered. Ahi●h●p●el 
Hest. 6. 12.  was a great Statesman, when his oracles were h●d in honour, 
See 1. Samuel 28. 20. and Dan. 5. 6.  but look after the wretch, you shall s●e what was the help of his countenance not God but popularity. David was not discountenanced, when Princes did sit and speak against him: neither the Apostles, 
Acts 5.  when they were scorned, 
2. Cor. 11. 23, 24, 25,  reviled, and threatened. Paul had discouragements enough of men, yet he was not ashamed 
2. Tim. 1. 12.  of his sufferings. The holy are bold as Lions: because they are led by the Spirit of God, they say, 
Rom. 1. 16. 1. Cor. 15.  Death, where is thy sting. Hell, where is thy victor●e▪ 
job 11. 14.  Zophar advised well: If 〈◊〉 be in thine hand, put it fa●●e away, and let no wickedness dwell in thy 〈◊〉 the● shall thou ●●ft up thy face without spot, and shalt be stable, and shalt not fear.  
4. In giving victory against 
Rom. 8.  all our enemies: in all these, we are more than conquerors, in giving us defence against the insulting adversaries: therefore when he had said, Why go I mourning while the enemy oppre●●eth me? He inferreth presently; I shall yet give him thanks.  
5. In giving supplies, by his ever-present, and allseeing Providence: The Lord 
Psal. 23. 1.  is my Shepherd, I shall not want. However the Saints cry in their distresses, as the Disciples in the storm; Master, 
Mark. 4. 38  carest thou not that ●e perish? yet they are assured of his assistance: he is with Israel in the Desert, with jacob in his journey, with Eliah at Chebar, with the widow at Sarephat, with the Children in the furnace: it is easier to say all in one word, then much less, in many: he is every where, ready to supply his. Such experience doth God give hereof to his, that he is their countenance: experience is the cause of that hope, which maketh them not ashamed: 
Ro 5. 4, 5. 12. q. 40. 2. Tim. 4. 17, 18. 2. Tim. 1. 12. Gen. 48. 16. Iosh. 23. 14.  I was (saith Paul)▪ delivered out of the mouth of the Lion; and, The Lord will deliver me from every evil work; and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom. And again, I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed▪ It is an usual argument of comfort with the Saints of God.  
Afflictions begin fiercely, 
1. Sam. 17. 37. Psal 77. 10, etc.  but they end mildly, and comfortably: they come upon us, like Samsons yelling Lion at Timnah, with open mouth, but being overcome, 
Use.  they feeder out hopes▪ with sweet experience of God's mercies: the greater our sufferings, the greater our experience of his goodness: therefore go● back to the carcase; look back to thy former deliverances, and thou shalt have the better hope for the future. Forget not all his benefits, and he will appear to be the health of thy countenance: look back to thine infancy, how he hath fed thee, clothed thee, preserved thee▪ relieved thee, called thee to the knowledge of jesus Christ, taken thee out of the Kingdom of Satan, and made thee his son, consider how he hath given thee assurance of a glorious inheritance with the Saints; and thou shalt find good cause, to say in thy particular, as the multitude 
Mark. 7.  of jesus; he hath done all things well. And thou shalt be more and more assured, he that saved sinners, will not condemn the just: he that spared his enemies, will not cast away a son: none but the forgetful and ingrateful want these arguments.   

And my God.  
MY God: by that free covenant, which he hath 
2. Sam. 7. 29.  made with me and my feed, that he will be our God; here is further exptessed, the ground of his assurance: had his trust been in riches, they could not have delivered him: had it been in Princes, though they are called gods, they must dye like men: had it been in humane policy, that is subject to error: had it been in strength & youth, that must yield to sickness; this to age, both to death: but they that trust in this Lord, shall have hope in death. They that trust in lying vanities, forsake their own mercy: The portion of 
jer. 51. 19  jacob is not like them, for he is maker of all things, the Lord of hosts is his name. This is David's God.  
Doth any ask of his Power? it is infinite: of his Mercy? it is infinite: of his Goodness? it is infinite: of his Love, Majesty, Glory, Dominion? all is infinite, of which we can speak or think, and so much passing all understanding, as that in speaking and thinking of him, we must veil our 
1. Tim. 6. 15, 16.  hearts: for he dwelleth in the inaccessible light: and though he appear most glorious in his works, yet he is known perfectly to none but himself: though he be 
Hilar. de Trin l. ●. L●ctant. l. 〈◊〉 8.  one, yet is he in all things: and being every where, omnipresent, he is in no place included and limited: he is the Almighty Maker and Preserver of all things; he governeth over all the creatures: he only is eternal and unchangeable; he only can do, whatsoever he will do; he doth whatsoever he pleaseth, without any let, labour, or difficulty.  

Cio. de not dear. l. ●.  When Hier● asked the prudent Heathen Simonides, what God is, he required a day's respite to answer: the second day, being asked what God is, he required two days study more: and so, as oft as his resolution was desired, he still doubled the number of the days; till in the end he answered, The longer I consider, the harder the matter seemeth unto me. Surely such is his glorious Being, as that it is unspeakable. Moses saw but his backparts, as Moses saw, so he speaketh of his seeing, to man's capacity: such is he, as that it is not the least part of our knowledge, to know what he is not; which in a word is to know, that he is nothing of all that which we 
— perfecta scientia est, sic deu●n scire utlicet non ignorabilem, lam●n inenartabil●m scias. Hilar. l. 2. de trin. De quo semper cogita●e debemus, de quo dign● cogitate non possiomus. Aug. de trin. l. 5. c. ●.  know. This is perfect knowledge, so to know God, as that thou knowest him to be known, and yet ineffable: therefore we must always think of him, of whom we cannot worthily think: for he is to be believed, to be known and to be worshipped. It is life everlasting to know him, & whom he hath sent, jesus Christ: and they only know what he hath reueiled of himself, to whom, by his Word & holy Spirit, he hath reueiled himself: he hath reueiled himself, One, Eternal, Almighty, Al-wise God: this is David's GOD; three most glorious Persons of infinite Majesty, an holy Trinity in Unity, neither confounded nor divided, but one Godhead, one God 
Aug. de Genes. ad lit. l. 8. c. 19— Trinitatem ipsam, neque, conf●●●, neque separatam, etc.  most gracious, most just, most loving, most merciful, most holy, most wise, the sole fountain of all Goodness, perfect goodness, perfection itself, goodness itself: This is David's God.  
But had he reueiled himself such to David, and not communicated something of this goodness to him, what had it availed him? The wicked mav know him to be the God of the righteous, but a severe judge to them. The devil knoweth more of his power, and Majestic, than we can speak, yet he trembleth at his presence: but here is that which only comforteth the holy man, he is my God. How is he thine? At he was David's, in respect of the Covenant 
1. Cor. 6. 19, 20.  of Grace; he bought us with a price, when we 
●. Cor. 5. 18.  were lost. He reconciled us unto himself by jesus Christ, when we were enemies and children of wrath: 
Rom. 5. 10. Ephes. 2.  he made us of aliens, and strangers from the couenants● of promise, domestickes 
Rom. 4. 3. 6 Acts 4. 12. Heb. 11. 8, 13, 17, 32, 33.  to himself, sons and heirs of heaven. Neither was Abraham, David, or any of the Saints reconciled by God, and made his by any other means, than 
1 Cor. 10. 1, etc.  faith in the same jesus, in whom we also believe: there is none other Name given under Heaven, whereby we must be saved: the Fathers did all eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of the spiritual rock that followed them, and the Rock was 
Icr. 30. 12▪ Hos. 2. 23. 1 Pet. 2. 10. Rom. 9 25, 26.  Christ. This is the Covenant which he maketh with his, he will be their God.  
No question but David comforted himself with this; and thereby showeth us the only ground of solid comfort, which is in and against every affliction, to labour for a true sense of our interest in God, and that through his Covenant of grace in jesus Christ. The 
Lam. 3. 24.  Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him.  
For first, there can be no good and true consolation without this, as appear by that which hath been said: for there is no peace to the wicked; neither is there any such heavy affliction, as that which assaileth a guilty mind, an heart and conscience without God and goodness: where, at the sight of danger, the memory telleth the wretch within, of an innocent Joseph's blood, a Naboths' Vineyard, an Orphans goods in his house, or the like sin, for which, God is his enemy; for which, the desperate and appalled conscience fainteth, and persuadeth him, God is now come to take vengeance. Neither are the prosperous wicked in any better case, all that comfort which they seem to have, is but as a short beguiling dream of happiness to some wretched man: these differing no more than two condemned men, one now under the tormentor's hand, the other in the Gaolers, and presently to take his turn.  
To leave these, the servants of God know themselves, they had no true comfort in any trial, until they were assured that God was their God, and they his servants. Augustine confesseth the reason why he could not be comforted in 
Confess. l. 4. c. 7.  God, when, being a M●kiche, he lamented the death of his friend: In tears (said he) I had a little rest: but when my mind was carried away from them, agricuous load of misery surcharged me, which I knew (O Lord) was to be cased and cured by thee; but neither would 
Sed nec volebam nec valebam, eò magis, quia non mibi eras aliquid solidum & f●rmum, cum de te cogitaban, etc. lb.  I, neither could I, because when I thought of thee, thou wert not any thing solid and firm to me; for, not thou, but a vain phanta●●e and error was my god▪ wherein, if I strived to repose my soul, that it might rest, it found no footing, but full on me again, and I remained to myself, that unhappy place, where I could neither be, not yet recede: For whither should myheart fly from my heart? Whither should I fly from myself? Whither should I not follow myself?  
Secondly, we must know, that they that are his, can want no manner of thing which is good: whether our instance be in things temporal or spiritual: they are always by him; they have their conversation in heaven; he taketh their parts; his especial providence watcheth over them, as hath been said. It were a task for an Angel's tongue, to recount all their privileges; for eye hath not seen, not ear heard that, whereof their hopes assure 
1 King. 10. 8.  them. The Queen of Saba accounted Salomon's servants happy, who stood in his presence: but I may safely say 
Psal. 144. 15.  with the Psalmist, Blessed are the people, whose God is the 
Deut. 18.  Lord. God would assign the Levites no possession among their brethren, because himself would be their portion. What need he more, who hath the Lord for his part? This only can make a man happy. What would it avail thee to call this house, this field, this treasure, this kingdoms, this world thine, if thou canst not call God thine? 
O s●●six possessi●! ● perfecta dei p●●tio! Hil. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 11●.  The more thou hast, the more unhappy thou art. I had rather be a doorkeeper, any thing, in the house and favour of God, then to possess all things else. Take away riches, honours, health, any thing, only be my God, and let me never want assurance that I am thine. It was said of Mahomet the great, that in his love was no assurance, and in his least displeasure death: but our God is not changeable, and in his pleasure i● life. Our God is not as the gods of those Painyms, which must be fed with human blood: mer●y pleaseth him: nor as the gods of the Grecians, which they were wont to serve and present (as many poor attendants & retainers now do their great Lords) not that they should profit or do 
Gracia colcbat Deos:— alios ut profint: alios ne noceant. Lactant. l. 1. c. 20.  them good, but lest they should hurt them. But he● is a gracious God and a loving Father: he saved us, even when we could do nothing, but work our own destruction.  

Use 1.  Wouldst thou have comfort. Be thou his▪ who is the God of all consolation▪ Let him be thy portion thy God▪ every one saith it▪ 
Hilar. in Psal. 118.  but you shall rately fin● 〈◊〉 confidence▪ Thou must renounce the world, sin, and thyself, if thou wilt have God thy God▪ the 〈…〉 god is pleasure, the 
Phil. 3.  Epicures, his belly, the covetous man● god is his riches: if thou, wil● have God thy portion thou 〈◊〉 be emirely his thou 〈◊〉 not have any other God; thou must live, as one of his. Every one claimeth an interest i● God the very hypocrites catch hold of him, as those women in the Prophet, 
Isai. 4. 5. — ●●ely let us be called by thy 〈◊〉 and take away our 〈◊〉. The wicked heretics cry, our God, our God, who yet stick to the Church, like Bernacles to the 〈◊〉 side, are neither fish no●●●●sh, till opportunity wing●th their desires, and then they are gone: Didst 
jer. 1. 4, 5.  〈◊〉 not still try unto me, Thou art my Father, and the guide of my youth:— thus hast, thou spoken but thou dost evil even m●r● & more. If thou wouldst have God own thee in offliction, comfort and relieve thee in 〈…〉 and fear him always 〈…〉 therewith▪ though thou 〈…〉 lon● prayers, and 〈…〉 he will 〈…〉 thee.  

〈◊〉 2.  Hast thou 〈…〉 thy 〈…〉 not too 〈…〉 rows, 〈…〉 the wic●●d, 〈…〉 now 〈…〉 Where i● now 〈…〉 
Psal. 1●. 1.  Where thy Religion 〈…〉 the Lord 〈◊〉 the 〈…〉 〈…〉 thine infirmity, who 〈◊〉 am infirm; but it is ●ne thing to grieve, or be disquieted, another to be ●●st down, and comfort●●sse. If thou believest God 〈◊〉 thy God; be confident; he will comfort thee in due ●ime.  

Use 3.  Lastly, how vain are all 〈◊〉 hopes of worldly men? How do they, like unskilful swimmers, drown themselves with too much plunging, and want of confi●●●●●? here only is the 〈…〉 of a troubled ●ind; here the only mean 〈…〉 the violence of 〈◊〉 passions; here the only 〈◊〉, where the tired soul 〈◊〉 rest in the deluge of sor●●w●●, the covenant of God in Christ. Pray, hear, labour for faith: that will bring thee assurance, that God 〈◊〉 thy God, and teach thee, 
Bernard.  with Thomas (that man▪ of desires), to put thy hand 〈◊〉 his wounds, that thou may● say, My God and my Lord▪ Here is that elixir, 〈◊〉 will change and refine 〈◊〉 before thou findest this, 〈◊〉 art nothing but droffe▪ 〈◊〉 the leaden talon of sin thy hopes are 〈…〉 thy fears, despair thy mirth▪ security; thy 〈◊〉 row, repining; thy 〈◊〉 works, but shining 〈◊〉 
Rom. 14. ●3.  for whatsoever is not 〈◊〉 faith, is sin: whatever 〈◊〉 ●peri●i●s thou 〈◊〉 est, they 〈…〉 speciosa 〈◊〉 fair punishments; but in Christ, those actions and affections begin to change their nature, their veins turn more pure and precious: thy works will express some fruits of the Spirit; thy hopes shall be holy persuasions, Anchors of the soul: thy mirth, sound rejoicing; thy fears sanctified; thy condition blessed; thy sorrows, happy exercises of thy faith and patience; and afflictions themselves shall be comfortable, because GOD is thy GOD.    
FINIS.