Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

The second sign whereby you shall know whether your judgements be rectified, is this, examine whether your ⟨p. 75⟩¹Passions be strong. Strong sinful passions argue a weak judgement; when the passions of a man are strong, it weakeneth the understanding, and therefore Paul in the Acts 14. when they would have made him a God he cries out. We are men subject to like Passions as you are, That is full of weakness. As if he should say; your vehement passions in this thing proves your weakness of judgement. Therefore labour to have strong affections to good: for the strength of affections come from the inward man: Again the strength of the affections show the abiding of the spirit in the soul. As in the 1 Sam. 11. 6. it is said that ²The spirit of the Lord came upon Saul and he was angry. That is his affections were strong for Gods glory. And in the Acts 4. 32. After they were filled with the Holy Ghost they spake ³boldly; That is they had strong affections for Gods glory; And therefore the spirit is compared to fire and oil: for fire that burns and consumes, and oil that mollifies and softeneth: so doth the spirit, therefore examine whether you burn in the inward man, That is see whether you have strong affections to good, if not your judgements are weak, And again see what cheerfulness you have, examine whether your hearts are soft, tender and pliable, then it is a sign the spirit is there; It is true a strong man may have passion, but it is but now and then, that is, it continueth not, it is not always, yet so much passion as he hath, it is so much weakness in him, therefore labour to overcome your passions.⁴

The second sign whereby you shall know whether your judgements be rectified, is this, examine whether your ⟨p. 75⟩