The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…

If he can but get you by excessive fastings, watchings, labours, studies, or other austerities, especially sadness and perplexities of mind, to have a sick body, a crazed brain, or a short life, you will be able to do him but little hurt, and God but little service, besides the pleasure that he takes in your own Vexation. Nay he will hope to make a further advantage of your weakness, and to keep many a soul in the snares of sensuality, by telling them of your miseries: and saying to them, Dost thou not see in such a man or woman, what it is to be so holy and precise? They will all run mad at last: If once thou grow so strict, and deny thy self thy Pleasures, and take this precise course, thou wilt but make thy life a misery, and never have a merry day again. Such examples as yours the Devil will make use of, that he may terrify poor souls from Godliness, and represent the word and ways of Christ to them in an odious, and unpleasing, and discouraging shape. Doubtless that God who himself is so Merciful to your Body as well as to your Soul, would have you to be so too: He that provideth so plentifully for its refreshment, would not have you refuse his provision. He that saith the Righteous man is merciful to his beast, no doubt would not have him to be unmerciful to his own body. You are commanded to ⟨p. 367⟩Love your Neighbour but as your self: And therefore by cruelty and unmerciful dealing with your Own body, you will go about to Justify the like dealing with others. You durst not deny to feed, to clothe, to comfort and refresh the poor, lest Christ should say, You did it not to me. And how should you dare to deny the same to your self? How will you answer God for the neglect of all that service which you should have done him, and might, if you had not disabled your bodies and minds? He requireth that you Delight your self in him: And how can you do that when you habituate both mind and body to a sad, dejected, mournful garb? The service that God requires, is, To serve him with cheerfulness in the abundance that we possess, Deut. 28.47. If you think that I here contradict what I said in the former Directions, for pinching the flesh, and denying its desires, you are mistaken: I only show you the danger of the contrary extreme. Gods way lieth between both.

If he can but get you by excessive fastings, watchings, labours, studies, or other austerities, especially sadness and perplexities of mind, to have a sick body, a crazed brain, or a short life, you will be able to do him but little hurt, and God but little service, besides the pleasure that he takes in your own Vexation. Nay he will hope to make a further advantage of your weakness, and to keep many a soul in the snares of sensuality, by telling them of your miseries: and saying to them, Dost thou not see in such a man or woman, what it is to be so holy and precise? They will all run mad at last: If once thou grow so strict, and deny thy self thy Pleasures, and take this precise course, thou wilt but make thy life a misery, and never have a merry day again. Such examples as yours the Devil will make use of, that he may terrifie poor souls from Godliness, and represent the word and ways of Christ to them in an odious, and unpleasing, and discouraging shape. Doubtless that God who himself is so Merciful to your Body as well as to your Soul, would have you to be so too: He that provideth so plentifully for its refreshment, would not have you refuse his provision. He that saith the Righteous man is merciful to his beast, no doubt would not have him to be unmerciful to his own body. You are commanded to