Branch 2 Secondly, to incite all those that have attained to this estate, to joy in it: and not to suffer outward losses, worldly crosses, calamities or the like, to deprive and bereave them of that alacrity and cheerfulness that their estate may well afford them; and that the Holy Ghost, as we heard before, doth so oft require of them, even soa oft, as no one thing almost more. True it is indeed, that it is a very hard and a difficult thing, especially amidst the manifold miseries of this ⟨p. 187⟩our presentb Pilgrimage, and thec evil days that here we pass rather than live, and the rather also having so much of thatd dull metal, thate muddy mould of the old Adam remaining still in the most of us, for Christian men to rejoice so as they ought, and as they have just cause to do. It is a point that is far more easily preached than practised. Yet this should we every one of us strive and strain our selves unto; and to this purposef Give, as the Apostle adviseth, all diligent endeavour to get assurance to our selves of our election and of our calling and conversion unto God; since thatg upon our notice and apprehension of it, doth this our joyful and comfortable estate for the present depend; and for want of it, many that have much cause of joy and comfort, were they but aware of it, live oft times a very heavy and uncomfortable life, and so are, through their own ignorance and default, many times most miserable, when yet they are indeed, or at least might be most happy. And when we find our selves so depressed and dejected, by means of cross occurrents, that this alacrity and cheerfulness is overwhelmed therewith, labour to rouse up our spirits, and say, as David sometime said;h Why art thou thus dejected and cast down, O my Soul? and why art thou so distracted and disquieted within me? Trust still in God, and fix thy hopes on him, who is the Light of thy countenance, and thy God. Yea do as David did, endeavour at least to do it: when he was in a great strait, his City sacked and burned, his own wives, and the wives and children of his followers carried captive; and for ought he or they then knew, all slain; his own company also conspiring to stone him to death; so transported they were with grief and passion, each one for his own losses; yet amidst all these difficulties it is said of David, thati He cheered up himself in the Lord his God.
Branch 2 Secondly, to incite all those that have attained to this estate, to joy in it: and not to suffer outward losses, worldly crosses, calamities or the like, to deprive and bereave them of that alacrity and cheerefulnesse that their estate may well afford them; and that the Holy Ghost, as we heard before, doth so oft require of them, even soa oft, as no one thing almost more. True it is indeed, that it is a very hard and a difficult thing, especially amids the manifold miseries of this ⟨p. 187⟩our presentb Pilgrimage, and thec evill dayes that here wee passe rather than live, and the rather also having so much of thatd dull mettall, thate muddie mould of the old Adam remaining still in the most of us, for Christian men to rejoyce so as they ought, and as they have just cause to doe. It is a point that is farre more easily preached than practised. Yet this should we every one of vs strive and straine our selves unto; and to this purposef Give, as the Apostle adviseth, all diligent endevour to get assurance to our selves of our election and of our calling and conversion unto God; since thatg upon our notice and apprehension of it, doth this our joyfull and comfortable estate for the present depend; and for want of it, many that have much cause of joy and comfort, were they but aware of it, live oft times a very heavy and uncomfortable life, and so are, through their owne ignorance and default, many times most miserable, when yet they are indeed, or at least might bee most happy. And when wee finde our selves so depressed and dejected, by means of crosse occurrents, that this alacritie and cheerfulnesse is overwhelmed therewith, labour to rouse up our spirits, and say, as David sometime said;h Why art thou thus dejected and cast downe, O my Soule? and why art thou so distracted and disquieted within me? Trust still in God, and fix thy hopes on him, who is the Light of thy countenance, and thy God. Yea doe as David did, endevour at least to doe it: when he was in a great streit, his Citie sacked and burned, his owne wives, and the wives and children of his followers carried captive; and for ought hee or they then knew, all slaine; his owne company also conspiring to stone him to death; so transported they were with griefe and passion, each one for his owne losses; yet amids all these difficulties it is said of David, that
- aPsal. 2.11. & 32.11. & 33.1. & 97.12. & 68.4. & 48.11. & 149.2, 5. Matth. 5.12. Luke 10.20. Rom. 12.12. Phil. 3.1. & 4.4. 1 Thess. 5.17.
- bPsal. 39.11. 1 Pet. 3.11.
- cGenes. 47.9. Ephes. 5.16.
- dCorpus mortit. Rom. 7.24.
- e1 Cor. 3.1.
- f2 Pet. 1.10.
- gNon est beatus, esse se qui non putat. P. Syr. Miscr. est, qui non se beatissimū judicat. Senec. op. 10. Quid enim resert qualis status tuus sit, si tibi videtur malus? Ibid. Nemo foelix est, qui judicio suo miser est. Salvian. de provid. lib. 1. Miser est, si cui sua non amplissima videntur. Epicur.Non est beatus, esse se qui non putat. P. Syr. Miscr. est, qui non se beatissimū judicat. Senec. op. 10. Quid enim resert qualis status tuus sit, si tibi videtur malus? Ibid. Nemo foelix est, qui judicio suo miser est. Salvian. de provid. lib. 1. Miser est, si cui sua non amplissima videntur. Epicur.
