The second way, whereby this hope boundeth and moderateth sorrow, is, by strengthening the soul to stick to right grounds of true comfort, to ⟨p. 131⟩maintain their joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, as their portion, not yielding up their purse to every thief, nor suffering themselves to be wrangled out of their right in it. If excessive sorrow begins to seize upon the soul of a believer; this hope will 1. Quicken him to examine its commission, by parleying with his soul, and enquiring whether there be good reason, a sufficient cause, for it, or not, as David did, in Psal. 42. 5. 11. and 43. 5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul, &c. For sometimes your sorrow is causeless, and groundless, and commonly it is so: 1. When it is boundless. For reason will set bounds unto grief, but mistakes, and mis-apprehensions, know no bounds. 2. When it is plea-less, being tried at the bar of right reason, or of the judgment of those who are godly-wise. Job in a passion, challenged God himself to dispute, and gives him his choice, whether he will oppose, or answer, he will be for him, and fill his mouth with Arguments, and doubts not that he shall carry the cause. But, when ⟨p. 132⟩God appeared, and spake to him, Jobs passion vanished, and his courage failed, and he confessed that he had spoken foolishly, and would now lay his hand upon his mouth. Compare Job 23. 3, 4, 5. with Chap. 40. 4, 5. and Ch. 42. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So sometimes a dejected discouraged Christian thinks he hath so much to say against his comfort, as will put to silence the best and ablest Ministers. But when any judicious Minister, or experienced Christian, comes to him, he hath either nothing to say, or nothing of weight, but what is full of error and mistakes. Say therefore to your selves, in this case, as God did to Jonah, Doest thou well to be angry? Do I well to be thus dejected? 2. If there be cause for sorrow: 1. Examine, whether it be sufficient to justify such a measure or degree of sorrow, or not. That sorrow, which drives the soul from God, which indisposeth it to prayer, thanks-giving, to the duties of his calling, to works of mercy and love, that makes him lumpish, harsh, passionate, that sours ⟨p. 133⟩and distempers his spirit, is excessive and immoderate. 2. Examine from what Topics the Arguments are fetched, that are used to justify such a degree of sorrow.
The second way, whereby this hope boundeth and moderateth sorrow, is, by strengthening the soul to stick to right g•ounds of true comfort, to ⟨p. 131⟩maintain their joy in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, as their portion, not yielding up their purse to every thief, nor suffering themselves to be wrangled out of their right in it. If excessive sorrow begins to seize upon the soul of a believer; this hope will 1. Quicken him to examine its commission, by parlying with his soul, and enquiring whether there be good reason, a sufficient cause, for it, or not, as David did, in Psal. 42. 5. 11. and 43. 5. Why art thou cast down, O my soul, &c. For sometimes your sorrow is causelesse, and groundlesse, and commonly it is so: 1. When it is boundlesse. For reason will set bounds unto grief, but mistakes, and mis-apprehensions, know no bounds. 2. When it is plea-lesse, being tried at the bar of right reason, or of the judgment of those who are godly-wise. Job in a passion, challenged God himself to dispute, and gives him his choise, whether he will oppose, or answer, he will be for him, and fill his mouth with Arguments, and doubts not that he shall carry the cause. But, when ⟨p. 132⟩God appeared, and spake to him, Jobs passion vanished, and his courage failed, and he confessed that he had spoken foolishly, and would now lay his hand upon his mouth. Compare Job 23. 3, 4, 5. with Chap. 40. 4, 5. and Ch. 42. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So sometimes a dejected discouraged Christian thinks he hath so much to say against his comfort, as will put to silence the best and ablest Ministers. But when any judicious Minister, or experienced Christian, comes to him, he hath either nothing to say, or nothing of weight, but what is full of errour and mistakes. Say therefore to your felves, in this case, as God did to Ionah, Doest thou well to be angry? Do I well to be thus dejected? 2. If there be cause for sorrow: 1. Examine, whether it be sufficient to justifie such a measure or degree of sorrow, or not. That sorrow, which drives the soul from God, which indisposeth it to prayer, thanks-giving, to the duties of his calling, to works of mercy and love, that makes him lumpish, harsh, passionate, that sowres ⟨p. 133⟩and distempers his spirit, is excessive and immoderate. 2. Examine from what Topicks the Arguments are fetched, that are used to justifie such a degree of sorrow.
