A01981:1073
The saints sacrifice
The saints sacrifice: or, a commentary on the CXVI. Psalm Which is, a gratulatory psalm, for deliverance from deadly distress. By William Gouge, D.D.The saints sacrifice: or, a commentarie on the CXVI. Psalme Which is, a gratulatory psalme, for deliverance from deadly distresse. By William Gouge, D.D.
London: printed by George Miller for Edward Brewster, 1632
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Section 69: §. 69. Of sudden passion whereunto Saints are subject.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The flesh remaineth in such as have the spirit in them. By virtue of the Spirits abode in them they are Saints, true Saints: but by reason of the mixture of the flesh, they are subject to symptoms, effects and infirmities of the flesh, among which, sudden passions may well be reckoned. For, passions are like to lusty pampered horses, which if they be not held in with the bridle of reason, and curb of discretion, will run with a career to their own and riders hazard.
The flesh remaineth in such as have the spirit in them. By virtue of the Spirits abode in them they are Saints, true Saints: but by reason of the mixture of the flesh, they are subject to symptomes, effects and infirmities of the flesh, among which, sudden passions may well be reckoned. For, passions are like to lusty pampered horses, which if they be not held in with the bridle of reason, and curbe of discretion, will run with a careere to their owne and riders hazard.
May it not now be thought a most unjust censure, to judge all those to be carnal, and unregenerate who speak in haste, who bewray sudden passions of anger, of grief, of fear, of joy or of any the like? Saints having been proved to be subject to sudden passion, to censure them for men unregenerate, who on a sudden are in passion, what is it but to 1call good evil, and to make light darkness, and sweet bitter? Surely these kinds of censures arise from sudden passions. If these then be infallible signs of an unregenerate estate, such censures are a demonstration that the authors of them are not regenerate. Yea demonstrations enough may be made against every one that beareth the name of a Saint, that he only beareth the name of a Saint, but is no Saint. Thus shall all be brought into the labyrinth of despair, out of which they cannot know how to wind themselves. But learn to distinguish betwixt infirmity and obstinacy, and notwithstanding the infirmities that in this world thou art subject unto, thou mayest cheerfully go on in that course which will 2