A Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practically resolvedA Continuation of morning-exercise questions and cases of conscience practicaly resolved

2. Overmuch Sorrow disableth a man to govern his Thoughts; and ungoverned Thoughts must needs be both sinful, and very troublesome; Grief carrieth them away as in a Torrent: you may almost as easily keep the Leaves of Trees in quietness and order in a blustering Wind, as the Thoughts of one in troubling Passions. If Reason would stop them from perplexing Subjects, or turn them to better and sweeter things, it cannot do it; it hath no power against the stream of troubling Passions.

2. Overmuch Sorrow disableth a man to govern his Thoughts; and ungoverned Thoughts must needs be both sinful, and very troublesom; Grief carrieth them away as in a Torrent: you may almost as easily keep the Leavs of Trees in quietness and order in a blustring Wind, as the Thoughts of one in troubling Passions. If Reason would stop them from perplexing Subjects, or turn them to better and sweeter things, it cannot do it; it hath no power against the stream of troubling Passions.

3. Overmuch Sorrow would swallow up Faith it self, and greatly hindereth its Exercise. They are Matters of unspeakable Joy which the Gospel calleth us to believe; and it is wonderful hard for a grieved troubled Soul to believe any thing that is matter of Joy; much less of so great Joy, as Pardon and Salvation are. Though it dare not flatly give God the Lie, it hardly believes his free and full Promises, and the expressions of his readiness to receive all penitent returning Sinners. Passionate Grief serveth to feel somewhat contrary to the Grace and Promises of the Gospel; and that feeling hinders Faith.

4. Over much Sorrow yet more hindereth Hope; when men think that they do believe Gods Word, and that his Promises are all true to others, yet cannot they Hope for the promised Blessings to themselves: Hope is that Grace by which a Soul that believeth the Gospel to be true, doth comfortably expect, that the benefits promised shall be its own; its an applying Act. The first act of Faith saith, the Gospel is true, which promiseth Grace and Glory through Christ: The next act of Faith saith I will trust my Soul and all upon it, and take Christ for my Saviour and Help: And then Hope saith, I hope for this Salvation by him: But Melancholy, overwhelming Sorrow and Trouble, is as great an Adversary to this Hope, as water is to fire, or snow to heat. Despair is its very pulse and breath. Fain such would have hope, but they cannot. All their thoughts are suspicious, and misgiving, and they can see nothing but danger and misery, and a helpless state. And when Hope, which is the Anchor of the Soul, is gone, what wonder if they be continually tossed with storms.