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5 He gave this advise to one, against the deadness of the mind that overtaketh the godly: first search the cause, whether it be for some evil thing done, or for some good thing not done, & so leaving some means of salvation unused; whether for some sin seen, but not repented of; or some sin repented of, but not soundly, or for unthankfulness. Secondly, use the remedy, please not your self in it, but rouse up your self as from a slumber, which willingly you would shake from you: call to mind the special & greatest mercy of God, use the means. Thirdly, in the means offer your self to God, waiting •umbly, & patiently for the time of deliverance; neither esteeming to much or to little of your afflictions.

5 He gaue this aduise to one, against the deadnes of the mind that ouertaketh the godly: first search the cause, whether it be for some euill thing done, or for some good thing not done, & so leauing some means of saluatiō vnused; whether for some sin seene, but not repented of; or some sin repented of, but not soūdly, or for vnthankfulnes. Secondly, vse the remedy, please not your selfe in it, but rouse vp your selfe as frō a slūber, which willingly you would shake from you: cal to mind the special & greatest mercy of God, vse the means. Thirdlie, in the meanes offer your selfe to God, waiting •umbly, & patiently for the time of deliuerance; neither esteming to much or to little of your afflictions.

6 To one that complained of the hardness of his hart, he said. You must wait for comfort & know, that you can now no more judge of your self, than a man sleeping can judge of things which he did waking: or a man ⟨p. 200⟩wandering in the dark, can discern of bright colours. For as the one may whilst he was waking do excellent things, and yet now neither himself knoweth of them, nor any other can espy them in him: & the other may be environed with fresh and flourishing colours, & yet for want of light, can have no use of his eyes, nor pleasure in the objects; so you have done great good things, whilst god gave you a waking heart to put them in practise, and the light of his spirit, to discern his graces in you: though now, you have neither the sight nor sense of them. And this is the thing that deceiveth and disquieteth many; they look for that discerning of themselves, when the graces of God are more cold, which they had when gods spirit wrought in the sweetest & fullest measure in them. And because there is some intermission of the work of their new birth, they think there is a lat amission in them of the spirit of God. But as it is a token of a mind to presumptuous, & infatuated, in time of a dead security, to persuade our selves still of that safety, in having those graces which sometimes we had: so it is a sign of a mind abject, & too much despairing; to think, that because we have not in present feelings these joys, glorious & unspeakable which we have had; therefore we never had them heretofore, or that we shall never have them again hereafter.