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

Yet be not too much troubled at the temptation; for trouble of mind doth keep the evil matter in your memory, and so increase it, as pain of a sore draws the blood and spirits to the place. And this is the design of Satan, to give you troubling thoughts, and then to cause more by being troubled at those, and so for one thought and trouble to cause another, and that another, and so on, as waves in the Sea do follow each other, to be tempted is common to the best: I told you to what Idolatry Christ was tempted: When you feel such thoughts, thank God that Satan cannot force you to love them, or consent.

9. Again still remember what a comfortable Evidence you carry about with you, that your sin is not damning, while you feel that you love it not, but hate it and are weary of it: Scarce any sort of sinners have so little pleasure in their sin as the melancholy, nor so little desire to keep them, and only beloved sins undo men.

9. Again still remember what a comfortable Evidence you carry about with you, that your sin is not damning, while you feel that you love it not, but hate it and are weary of it: Scarce any sort of sinners have so little pleasure in their sin as the melancholly, nor so little desire to keep them, and only beloved sins undo men.

Be sure that you live not idly, but in some constant business of a lawful calling, so far as you have bodily strength, Idleness is a constant sin, and labour is a duty: Idleness is but the Devils home for temptation, and for unprofitable distracting musings: Labour profiteth others and our selves, both souls and body need it: Six days must you labour, and must not eat the bread of idleness, Prov. 31. God hath made it our duty, and will bless us in his appointed way: I have known grievous despairing melancholy cured and turned into a life of Godly cheerfulness, principally by setting upon constancy and diligence in the business of families and callings, It turns the thoughts from temptation, and leaveth the Devil no opportunity, it pleaseth God if done in obedience, and it purifieth the distempered blood: Though thousands of poor people that live in want, and have Wives and Children that must also feel it, one would think should be distracted with griefs and cares, yet few of them fall into the disease of melancholy, because labour keepeth the body sound and leaveth them no leisure for melancholy musings: whereas in London and great Towns, abundance of Women that never sweat with bodily work, but live in idleness (especially when from fullness they fall into want) are miserable objects, continually vexed and near distraction with discontent and a restless mind.