Diseases of the soul a discourse divine, moral, and physical. By Tho. AdamsDiseases of the soule a discourse diuine, morall, and physicall. By Tho. Adams

Signs and Symptoms.

Signes and Symptomes.

The Signs of both the diseases are palpable: the Physician may easily judge of his Patient, the Patient of himself. He prays for a brunt very zealously, but like a ⟨p. 71⟩hasty shower soon over. You shall have him the first man at Church, on a Sabbath morning, and the first man out. He lays the foundation of an Alms-house, and so leaves it. He shoots up, like Jonah gourd, in a night, and next day withers. He is in religious practices, like the Spring in that windy month, March many forwards. He riseth fair, as a Summer-sun, but is soon clouded: no man rides faster at first putting forth, nor is sooner weary of his journey. A little onwards to heaven, he quandaries, whether to go forward to God, or with Demas to turn back to the world. The light of his devotion is ever anon in the eclipse, and his whole life rings the changes; hot and cold, in and out, off and on, to and fro: he is peremptory in nothing, but in vicissitudes. He is early up and never the near; saluting Christ in the morning, but none of those that stayed with him: therefore losing his reward, because he will not tarry working in the Vineyard till night. He purposeth to go to God, ¹and in the fit of his devotion tells him so, but still breaks promise. One told Socrates, that he would fain travel to Olympus, but he feared his ability to hold out the journey. Socrates answered him, I know you walk every day a little, put that together in a continuing straitness, and you shall come whither you desire. This man rows (as we all should do) against the stream; & whiles he neglects 2 or 3. strokes, he is carried down further in an hour, then he can recover in a day. He loves, like a horse, short journeys: & walks on so warily, wearily, timorously, that he tells his steps, and his stops; and reckons every impediment to a rub & a thorn.