Some general directions for a comfortable walking with God delivered in the lecture at…Some generall directions for a comfortable walking with God deliuered in the lecture at…

But the special preservative, which at this time I would commend unto you, against this distrustful hearts-poison, may be extracted from Christs own words, Mat. 6. 34. After many strong and precious Arguments against thoughtfulness and carking, our heavenly Doctor concludes, Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self: sufficient unto the day, is the evil thereof. Whence I collect and counsel, that the Christian ought, in respect of any torturing care, or carking forecast, to unite and confine his thoughts, the workings and agitations of his spirit, to the managing of the affairs, and mastering the miseries of the present day. The strongest mind and best composed, is weak enough to sustain the brunt and encounter of every days crosses. Temporal troubles, or spiritual temptations, fightings, without, or terrors within, are the certain portion of the Saints in this vale of tears. And what day so fair comes over the Christians head, wherein he scapes Scot-free, as they say, herein? Sith therefore every day brings forth sorrow sufficient for the exercise of the retiredst presence of the most recollected spirit, and the heartiest man shall have his handful, in passing patiently and profitably through present troubles, which many times fall as thick upon him, as one wave in the neck of another; what a base and unworthy weakness is it, to unfit and disable our already too weak minds, for a comfortable dispatch, and digesting of daily uncomfortable ⟨p. 110⟩occurrents, by such needless, senseless, fruitless distractions, vagaries of vanity, and Utopian peregrinations? As either 1. To loose them in the endless maze of imaginary afflictions: 2. Or to waste them by untimely wrestling with certain evils to come: 3. Or wound them with a painful remembrance of sorrows already past. For some there are so over-greedy of grieving themselves, and transported with the tyrannical vanity of their own minds, that besides their trouble with present, feigned, and future miseries, collect also matter of mournfulness from time past. For instance: Thou hast lost thy dearest child, which is one of the extremest earthly crosses, and goes nearest the heart, but long since, so that if reasons from reason and Religion assuaged not the immoderation and excess of thy sorrow;

But the speciall preseruatiue, which at this time I would commend vnto you, against this distrustfull hearts-poyson, may bee extracted from Christs owne words,