Secondly,1 to incite all those that have attained to this estate, to joy in it: and not to suffer outward losses, worldly crosses, calamities or the like, to deprive & bereave them of that alacrity and cheerfulness that their estate may well afford them; and that the holy Ghost, as we heard before, doth so oft require of them, even soa oft, as no one thing almost more. True it is indeed, that it is a very hard and a difficult thing, especially amidst the manifold miseries of this our presentb Pilgrimage, and the cevil days that here we pass rather than live, and the rather also having so much of thatd dull metal, thate muddy mould of the old Adam remaining still in the most of us, for Christian men to rejoice so as they ought, and as they have just cause to do. It is a point that is far more easily preached than practised. Yet this should we every one of us strive and strain our selves unto; and to this purposef Give, as the Apostle adviseth, all diligent endeavour to get assurance to our selves of our election and of our calling and conversion unto God; since that gupon our notice and apprehension of it, doth this our joyful and comfortable estate for the present depend; and for want of it, many that have much cause of joy and comfort, were they but aware of it, live oft times a very heavy and uncomfortable life; and so are, through their own ignorance and default, many times most ⟨p. 26⟩miserable, when yet they are indeed, or at least might be most happy. And when we find our selves so depressed and dejected, by means of cross occurrents, that this alacrity and cheerfulness is overwhelmed therewith, labour to rouse up our spirits, and say, as David sometime said;h Why art thou thus dejected and cast down, O my Soul? and why art thou so distracted and disquieted within me? Trust still in God, and fix thy hopes on him, who is the light of thy Countenance, and thy God. Yea do as David did, endeavour at least to do it: when he was in a great strait, his City sacked and burned, his own wives, and the wives and children of his followers carried captive; and for ought he or they then knew, all slain; his own company also conspiring to stone him to death; so transported they were with grief and passion, each one for his own losses; yet amidst all these difficulties it is said of David, thati He cheered up himself in the Lord his God.
Secondly,1 to incite all those that haue attained to this estate, to ioy in it: and not to suffer outward losses, worldly crosses, calamities or the like, to depriue & bereaue them of that alacritie and cheerefulnesse that their estate may well afford them; and that the holy Ghost, as we heard before, doth so oft require of them, euen soa oft, as no one thing almost more. True it is indeed, that it is a very hard and a difficult thing, especially amids the manifold miseries of this our presentb Pilgrimage, and the ceuill daies that here we passe rather than liue, and the rather also hauing so much of thatd dull mettall, thate muddie mould of the old Adam remaining still in the most of vs, for Christian men to reioyce so as they ought, and as they haue iust cause to doe. It is a point that is farre more easily preached than practised. Yet this should we euery one of vs striue and straine our selues vnto; and to this purposef Giue, as the Apostle aduiseth, all diligent endeuour to get assurance to our selues of our election and of our calling and conuersion vnto God; since that gvpon our notice and apprehension of it, doth this our ioyfull and comfortable estate for the present depend; and for want of it, many that haue much cause of ioy and comfort, were they but aware of it, liue oft times a very heauie and vncomfortable life; and so are, through their owne ignorance and default, many times most ⟨p. 26⟩miserable, when yet they are indeed, or at least might be most happie. And when we finde our selues so depressed and deiected, by meanes of crosse occurrents, that this alacritie and cheerefulnesse is ouerwhelmed therewith, labour to rouse vp our spirits, and say, as Dauid sometime said;h Why art thou thus deiected and cast downe, O my Soule? and why art thou so distracted and disquieted within me? Trust still in God, and fixe thy hopes on him, who is the light of thy Countenance, and thy God. Yea doe as Dauid did, endeuour at least to doe it: when he was in a great streit, his Citie sacked and burned, his owne wiues, and the wiues and children of his followers caried captiue; and for ought he or they then knew, all slaine; his owne company also conspiring to stone him to death; so transported they were with griefe and passion, each one for his owne losses; yet amids all these difficulties it is said of Dauid, that
- 1Branch 2.
- aPs. 2. 11. & 32. 11. & 33. 1. & 97. 12. & 68. 4. & 48. 11. & 149. 2, 5. Math. 5. 12. Luke 10. 20. Rō. 12. 12. Phil. 3. 1. & 4. 4. 1 Thess. 5. 17.Ps. 2. 11. & 32. 11. & 33. 1. & 97. 12. & 68. 4. & 48. 11. & 149. 2, 5. Math. 5. 12. Luke 10. 20. Rō. 12. 12. Phil. 3. 1. & 4. 4. 1 Thess. 5. 17.
- bPsalm. 39. 12. 1 Petr. 3. 11.
- cGenes. 47. 9. Ephes. 5. 16.
