The Soul's Conflict with Itself

as if we would teach him how to govern his Church?

as if wee would teach him how to govern his Church?

What unthankfulness is it to forget our consolation, and to look only upon matter of grievance: to think so much upon two or three crosses as to forget a hundred blessings? To suck poison out of that, from which we should suck honey? What folly is it to straighten and darken our own spirits? And indispose our selves for doing or taking good? A limb out of joint can do nothing without deformity and pain; dejection takes off the wheels of the soul.

What unthankfulnesse is it to forget our consolation, and to looke only upon matter of grievance: to thinke so much upon two or three crosses as to forget a hundred blessings? To suck poyson out of that, from which we should suck honey? What folly is it to straighten and darken our owne spirits? And indispose our selves for doing or taking good? A limbe out of ioynt can doe nothing without deformity and paine; deiection takes off the wheeles of the soule.

Of all other, Satan hath most advantage of discontented persons, as most agreeable to his disposition, being the most discontented creature under heaven; He hammers all his dark plots in their brains. The discontentment of the Israelites in the wilderness, provoked God to swear, that they ¹should never enter into his rest. There is another spirit in my servant Caleb saith God; the spirit of Gods people is an encouraging spirit. Wisdom teaches them if they feel any grievances to conceal them from others that are weaker, least they b• ⟨image 5⟩