The excellency of holy courage in evil times by Jeremiah Burroughs

21. Again be not all poring upon the difficulty, and looking at those things that are hard and may discourage you in the work that God set you about, but look at those things that may encourage you also, if there be any hardness in a work, men are always looking upon that and they never look upon any sweet that may encourage them, it is never like that they shall go on; Children if they have a sore upon the body the finger usually will be touching of that though it makes the sore to be worse, and causeth it to be more and more angry, and keeps it from healing: So many if they have any thing that is hard in their work, their thoughts will be upon that. Difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills, that God gives us to take down: But what a childish thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter, for them to chew them; no marvel then though they spit them out and do not swallow them, they should swallow them down and not chew them: And so when God gives us any bitter pills, we must not always be chewing of them in our thoughts but free the command of God, and so go on in our work. and labour to swallow difficulties as much as we can, we have a notable place for this purpose in Psal 86.4, 5. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, ⟨p. 181⟩for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul, for thou Lord art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Thus we apply it; the cause why many go so drooping in their way, and have no joy and comfort in any of their ways, is because they look downward in the dark, if a man were in the bottom of a deep pit, and always looks downward he could never see light; if he would see light, he must look upward to the Sun: so mark the way of David. Rejoice the soul of thy servant, for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul. If David had let his heart always fall downward he would never had joy in his way, but when he would have joy he lift up his heart, so if there be any work that is difficult and your hearts are troubled, would you have that which should rejoice you? lift up your souls to God in those encouraging ways that he presents to you. For thou Lord art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy. Here is a way to get mercy, he lifts up his soul and looked upon God as good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy.

21. Againe be not all poring upon the difficulty, and looking at those things that are hard and may discourage you in the work that God set you about, but look at those things that may encourage you also, if there be any hardness in a work, men are alwaies looking upon that and they never look upon any sweet that may incourage them, it is never like that they shall goe on; Children if they have a sore upon the body the finger usually will be touching of that though it makes the sore to be worse, and causeth it to be more and more angry, and keeps it from healing: So many if they have any thing that is hard in their work, their thoughts will be upon that. Difficulties in any work are like to bitter pills, that God gives us to take down: But what a childish thing were it for any that have pills to take down that are bitter, for them to chew them; no marvel then though they spit them out and do not swallow them, they should swallow them down and not chew them: And so when God gives us any bitter pills, we must not alwaies be chewing of them in our thoughts but free the command of God, and so go on in our work. and labor to swallow difficulties as much as we can, we have a notable place for this purpose in Psal 86.4, 5. Rejoyce the soul of thy servant,