Help 8 §. 63. An eighth help to further us in this spiritual Watch is to be jealous of our selves and of our own infirmity and weakness, that we may soon be ensnared and easily surprised, foiled at least, if we be not exceeding wary, before we be aware. As the fear of God will make us careful to shun all sin, and whatsoever is evil in it self: so this jealousy of our selves, and fear of our own infirmity, will make us careful to eschew all occasions of sin, and whatsoever by means of our weakness may become ⟨p. 107⟩matter of evil unto us. For as those that know themselves to be of a weak stomach, ready to take check at such meats as many other ordinarily are wont to digest well enough, are very chary of their diet, and careful to eschew and forbear not such meats only as are simply unwholesome, but even such also as they suspect or suppose to be hard of digestion, and will not in that regard so well accord with their weakness: Soe the man that is suspicious of himself, and jealous of his own corruption, will be careful to walk warily, and diligently to avoid not those things alone that he seeth and knoweth to be simply evil, and in that regard prejudicial to all in general, but even those things also that, though indifferent, and in themselves otherwise not unwarrantable, such as may be done by some sometime without hurt or offence, yet that in regard of the strength of his corruption, his natural disposition, the weakness of grace in him, and his proneness to slip and be overtaken in them, may in that regard prove dangerous and prejudicial to him in particular, howsoeverf others wiser or stronger, or not so affected as he findeth and feeleth himself, might without danger deal with them. This religious jealousy had Job of his children, when they were feasting together, knowing how prone youth are to over-shoot themselves in mirth and disport:g Peradventure, saith he, my sons may have sinned, and (blessed, that is, as the Hebrews use the wordh by a kind of fairness and fineness of speech) blasphemed God in their hearts. And the like godlyi jealousy of our selves it is good for each of us to have, as to say with our selves, when we are moved or solicited to some jeopardous course, though we cannot condemn it as simply evil; Peradventure I may sin, and be overtaken ere I be aware;
Helpe 8 §. 63. An eighth helpe to further us in this spirituall Watch is to be jealous of our selves and of our owne infirmitie and weaknesse, that we may soone be ensnared and easily surprised, foiled at least, if wee be not exceeding wary, before we be aware. As the fear of God will make us carefull to shun all sinne, and whatsoever is evill in it selfe: so this jealousie of our selves, and feare of our owne infirmitie, will make us carefull to eschew all occasions of sinne, and whatsoever by meanes of our weaknesse may become ⟨p. 107⟩matter of evill unto us. For as those that know themselves to be of a weake stomacke, ready to take checke at such meats as many other ordinarily are wont to digest well enough, are very chary of their diet, and carefull to eschew and forbeare not such meats only as are simply unwholesome, but even such also as they suspect or suppose to be hard of digestion, and will not in that regard so well accord with their weaknesse: Soe the man that is suspicious of himselfe, and jealous of his owne corruption, will be carefull to walke warily, and diligently to avoid not those things alone that he seeth and knoweth to be simply evill, and in that regard prejudiciall to all in generall, but even those things also that, though indifferent, and in themselves otherwise not unwarrantable, such as may be done by some sometime without hurt or offence, yet that in regard of the strength of his corruption, his naturall disposition, the weaknesse of grace in him, and his pronenesse to slip and be overtaken in them, may in that regard prove dangerous and prejudiciall to him in particular, howsoeverf others wiser or stronger, or not so affected as he findeth and feeleth himselfe, might without danger deale with them. This religious jealousie had Iob of his children, when they were feasting together, knowing how prone youth are to over-shoot themselves in mirth and disport:g Peradventure, saith he, my sonnes may have sinned, and (blessed, that is, as the Hebrewes use the wordh by a kinde of fairenesse and finenesse of speech) blasphemed God in their hearts. And the like godlyi jealousie of our selves it is good for each of us to have, as to say with our selves, when we are moved or solicited to some jeopardous course, though we cannot condemne it as simply evill; Peradventure I may sinne, and be overtaken ere I be aware;
- ePanatius adolescentulo quarenti, An Sapiens amaturus esset; De Sapiente, inquit, videbimus: mihi & tibi, qui adhuc à sapient longè absumus, non est committendum, ut incidamus in rem commotam, impotentem, alteri emancipatam, vilem sui. Itaque conscii nobis imbecillit at is nostrae quiescamus. Quod ille de amore, hoc ego de omnibus: nec vino infirmum animum committamus, nec formae, &c. quantum possumus, nos à lubrico recedamus: in si•co quoque parum fortiter stamus. Senec. epist. 116.Panatius adolescentulo quarenti, An Sapiens amaturus esset; De Sapiente, inquit, videbimus: mihi & tibi, qui adhuc à sapiente longè absumus, non est committendum, ut incidamus in rem commotam, impotentem, alteri emancipatam, vilem sui. Itaque conscii nobis imbecillit at is nostrae quiescamus. Quod ille de amore, hoc ego de omnibus: nec vino infirmum animum committamus, nec formae, &c. quantum possumus, nos à lubrico recedamus: in si•co quoque parum fortiter stamus. Senec. epist. 116.
- fSapienti non solicitè custodire se tutum est: gradum ubi volet, sistet. Nobis, quia non est regredi facile, optimum est omninò non progredi. Sen. ibid.
- gJob 1.5.Iob 1.5.
- h[Greek or Hebrew]. So 1 King. 2.13. Vise sis Drus. observ. l. 16. c. 7〈non-Latin alphabet〉. So 1 King. 2.13. Vise sis Drus. observ. l. 16. c. 7
- iIt is a fools best wisdom to be jealous of his own folly.It is a fooles best wisedome to be jealous of his owne folly.
