Prototypes, or, The primary precedent presidents out of the book of Genesis showing, the…Prototypes, or, The primarie precedent presidents out of the booke of Genesis shewing, the…

Further, a man wrongs himself exceedingly, by suffering himself to grow weary of life, for first, he makes the misery greater, by making himself weaker to bear it. If a man be to bear a great burden, it doth him much hurt to scratch the skin of his shoulder, for that will add much to the pain of bearing. A galled place will smart of it self, how ill doth be provide for himself, that rubs off the skin from his shoulders, when he is put to carry a thing. So doth he that will needs give way to so much impatience, as to be weary of life, yea, he exposeth himself to the danger of becoming a self-murderer, that yieldeth to this weariness of life. For it will not be very hard to persuade any man to cast away that which is his burden. So it is evident, that this was an offence in Rebekah.

Further, a man wrongs himselfe exceedingly, by suffering himself to grow weary of life, for first, he makes the misery greater, by makeing himselfe weaker to beare it. If a man be to beare a great burden, it doth him much hurt to scratch the skin of his shoulder, for that will adde much to the pain of bearing. A gauled place will smart of it selfe, how ill doth be provide for himselfe, that rubs off the skin from his shoulders, when he is put to carry a thing. So doth he that will needs give way to so much impatiency, as to be weary of life, yea, he exposeth himselfe to the danger of becomming a self-murtherer, that yeeldeth to this wearinesse of life. For it will not be very hard to perswade any man to cast away that which is his burden. So it is evident, that this was an offence in Rebekkah.

And now come you men and women of all ranks, look into your selves. Have not you also been weary of life, and that upon a very small occasion? A maid is crossed in her desires, by her parents for her good, and she sees no likelihood of having what she would have, then she pules and takes on, and wisheth she were dead and buried, she would forgive him that would knock her on the head. A man hath met with somewhat a froward woman which vexeth him with her words, then he will be dead in a chafe, I would I were out of the world, never man was so pestered with a shrew as I, so it is with wives too. Come now, recount you own passions, are you not ashamed of these drunken distempers? what is life, a thing so dog cheap with you, that upon every occasion you would cast it away? Are your selves things of so little value that so small a matter should make you weary of your selves? You wrong God exceedingly in such distempers, for you make it appear that you think of him, as of an angry governor, that cares not how unreasonably he lays upon his servants in his anger: Either these corrections are sufferable, or not, (I mean such as by wisdom and discretion you might compose your selves to bear with gentleness,) or they be not, if they be, why do you chafe thus? If they be not, who hath sent them? Verily you provoke God to send unsufferable crosses, that will make easy crosses unsufferable; What saith the Father to the froward child, do you cry for nothing, take you that then to make you cry for something, and so doubles and redoubles his blows with a strong arm, till the child,