But this objection which the flesh maketh against the leading of a godly life, it further presseth and confirmeth by the experience which we may have in others, and the examples of many Christians, who spend a great part of their time in sighing and sorrowing, mourning and lamenting, as though they were deprived of all inward joy, and outward pleasures, and do live in such a melancholic and mopish manner, as though they thought all delights unlawful, being ready to condemn themselves, and censure others, if they laugh or smile, or show any other signs of gladness and rejoicing, as not savouring of sanctification, and the mortification of our fleshly lusts; not beseeming the season, which is a time of mourning, nor befitting the place, which is a valley of tears, nor yet well suiting with the example of our Saviour Christ, of whom it is written, that he mourned and wept, but never any thing said of his mirth and laughter. For the answering whereof, we are first to know, that sanctification and mortification do not annihilate or change the essence and being of nature, or the substance of our faculties, passions, and affections, but only reneweth and purgeth them from their corruption, that becoming holy, they may be serviceable to God, and the spiritual and inner man. It doeth not abolish and take them away, but moderateth them in their degree, and keepeth them from extremity and excess, when as they are exercised about worldly things; and both rectifieth their disorder, and correcteth their vitiosity and faultiness. And finally, it causeth our passions and affections to change their objects, making us to bewail our sins, in which formerly we rejoiced, and to rejoice in those spiritual exercises, which in the days of our ignorance we loathed and neglected. It taketh away the lightness, vanity, and madness of mirth, and causeth it to become more grave and sober: It changeth our rejoicing in evil, for rejoicing in that which is good: It moderateth the excess of our earthly joy, which is more in the creature, then in the Creator: It maketh us to rejoice but a little, in things that are but a little worth, and to abound, and even triumph with joy in things of greatest excellency, as the assurance of Gods love and our own salvation, and the manifold and undoubted testimonies of his grace and favour towards us.
But this obiection which the flesh maketh against the leading of a godly life, it further presseth and confirmeth by the experience which we may haue in others, and the examples of many Christians, who spend a great part of their time in sighing and sorrowing, mourning and lamenting, as though they were depriued of all inward ioy, and outward pleasures, and doe liue in such a melancholike and mopish manner, as though they thought all delights vnlawfull, being ready to condemne themselues, and censure others, if they laugh or smile, or shew any other signes of gladnesse and reioycing, as not sauouring of sanctification, and the mortification of our fleshly lusts; not beseeming the season, which is a time of mourning, nor befitting the place, which is a valley of teares, nor yet well suting with the example of our Sauiour Christ, of whom it is written, that hee mourned and wept, but neuer any thing sayd of his mirth and laughter. For the answering whereof, wee are first to know, that sanctification and mortification doe not annihilate or change the essence and being of nature, or the substance of our faculties, passions, and affections, but onely renueth and purgeth them from their corruption, that becomming holy, they may be seruiceable to God, and the spirituall and inner man. It doeth not abolish and take them away, but moderateth them in their degree, and keepeth them from extremity and excesse, when as they are exercised about worldly things; and both rectifieth their disorder, and correcteth their viciosity and faultinesse. And finally, it causeth our passions and affections to change their obiects, making vs to bewaile our sinnes, in which formerly wee reioyced, and to reioyce in those spirituall exercises, which in the dayes of our ignorance we loathed and neglected. It taketh away the lightnesse, vanity, and madnesse of mirth, and causeth it to become more graue and sober: It changeth our reioycing in euill, for reioycing in that which is good: It moderateth the excesse of our earthly ioy, which is more in the creature, then in the Creatour: It maketh vs to reioyce but a little, in things that are but a little worth, and to abound, and euen triumph with ioy in things of greatest excellency, as the assurance of Gods loue and our owne saluation, and the manifold and vndoubted testimonies of his grace and fauour towards vs.
