A27009:59
The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32…
The right method for a settled peace of conscience, and spiritual comfort in 32 directions : written for the use of a troubled friend / and now published by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed for T. Underhil, 1653
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. Make as full a Discovery as you can, how much of the trouble of your mind doth arise from your Melancholy, and bodily distempers, and how much from discontenting afflictions in your worldly Estate, or Friends, or Name. And according to your Discovery make use of the Remedy.
2. Make as full a Discovery as you can, how much of the trouble of your minde doth arise from your Melancholy, and bodily distempers, and how much from discontenting afflictions in your worldly Estate, or Friends, or Name. And according to your Discovery make use of the Remedy.
I Put these two Causes of trouble here together in the beginning, because I will presently dismiss them, and apply the rest of these Directions only to those Troubles that ⟨p. 8⟩are raised from sins and wants in Grace.
1. For Melancholy, I have by long experience found it to have so great and common a hand in the fears and troubles of mind, that I meet not with one of many that live in great Troubles and fears for any long time together, but Melancholy is the main seat of them: Though they feel nothing in their body, but all in their Mind. I would have such persons make use of some able godly Physician, and he will help them to discern how much of their Trouble comes from Melancholy. Where this is the Cause, usually the party is Fearful of almost every thing: a word, or a sudden thought will disquiet them: Sometime they are sad and scarce know why: all Comforts are of no continuance with them: but as soon as you have done comforting them, & they be never so well satisfied, yet the trouble returns in a few days or hours, as soon as the dark and troubled spirits return to their former force: They are still addicted to musing and solitariness, and thoughts will run in their minds, that they cannot lay them by: If it go any thing far; they are almost always assaulted with Temptations to Blasphemy, to doubt whether there be a God, or a Christ, or the Scriptures be true; or whether there be a Heaven or a Hell: and oft tempted to speak