An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Indeed some Philosophers have essayed upon such a comfort, as Epicurus said, If a wise man were burnt in Phalaris his Bull, he would say, Dulce est, & ad me nihil pertinet, This is a sweet thing, and doth not at all hurt me. But these were Book sayings. No Philosophers ever endured misery for their Sects, as Christians have done for the truth of Christ. But you may say, What is that by which God comforts his people in all their tribulations? Hath the Scripture any higher grounds than Philosophy? Philosophy is called animi medicina; and as there were several Sects of them, so they had different principles to comfort; for there was no theme treated on more by them than this; only some principles were contrary to others; for some persuaded this as a special help to premeditate on evils before they came. Others they refused this, as making a man miserable before he was so. Others supported themselves with the thoughts of necessity, and that it could not be otherwise. But of all these we may say, as Job to his friends, Ye are miserable comforters, and are of no more advantage then the rending of garments, or pulling off the hair in grief, which Bion derided in one, as if a bald head would take away grief. We therefore conclude, That no Philosophers had the true art ¹or grounds of comfort, and that

Indeed some Philosophers have essayed upon such a comfort, as Epicurus said, If a wise man were burnt in Phalaris his Bull, he would say, Dulce est, & ad me nihil pertinet, This is a sweet thing, and doth not at all hurt me. But these were Book sayings. No Philosophers ever endured misery for their Sects, as Christians have done for the truth of Christ. But you may say, What is that by which God comforts his people in all their tribulations? Hath the Scripture any higher grounds than Philosophy? Philosophy is called animi medicina; and as there were several Sects of them, so they had different principles to comfort; for there was no theam treated on more by them than this; only some principles were contrary to others; for some perswaded this as a special help to premeditate on evils before they came. Others they refused this, as making a man miserable before he was so. Others supported themselves with the thoughts of necessity, and that it could not be otherwise. But of all these we may say, as Job to his friends, Ye are miserable comforters, and are of no more advantage then the rending of garments, or pulling off the hair in grief, which Bion derided in one, as if a bald head would take away grief. We therefore conclude, That no Philosophers had the true art