vrgeth and alwayes carieth a passiō therwith aboue the harts affection euen the entry of those torments which cānot be cōceaued at full as our nature now stādeth nor deliuered by report Here in this passion the cause is not feare nor passionate griefe but a torment procuring these affections and euen as the punishment of bodily racking is not the passion of the hart but causeth it only so the hart fareth vnder this sore of the mind which here properlie fretteth and straineth the sinnes of the soule wherefrom the heart taketh his grieuous discouragement and fainteth vnder Gods iustice Hitherto you haue described that which your soule feeleth not to instruct you but that other may more truly iudge of the case and the distinction betwixt melancholy it may be more apparant CHAP. XXXV The affliction of mind to what persons it befalleth and by what meanes ALthough no man is by nature freed frō this affliction in so much as all men are sinners and being culpable of the breach of God lawes incurre the punishment of condemnation yet is the melancholicke person more then any subiect therunto not that the humor hath such power which hath before bin declared to stand far a loofe of such effect but by reason the melācholicke person is most doubtfull iclous of his estate not only of this life but also of the life to come this maketh him fall into debate with him selfe to be more then curious who finding his actions not fitting the naturall or written line of righteousnesse wāting that archpiller of faith assurance in Christ Iesus our hope partly thorough feare findeth the horror and partly if it please God so far to touch feeleth the verie anguish due vnto the sinner in that most miserable condition falleth into flat dispaire This commeth to passe when the curious melancholy carieth the minde into the senses of such misteries as exceed humayne capacity and is desirous to know more thē is reuealed in the word of truth or being ignorant of that which is reuealed thorough importunate inquirie of a sudden falleth into that gulfe of Gods secret counselles which swalloweth vp all conceit of man or angell and measuring the trueth of such depth of misteries by the shallow modill of his owne wit is caught deuoured of that which his presumptuous curiositie moued him to attempt to apprehend Of melancholy persons especially such as are most contemplatiue except they be well grounded in the word of God remoue not one haire therfrom in their speculations are this wayes most ouertaken receaue the punishment of ouer-bold attēpt of those holy things which the Lord hath reserued to his owne counsell while they neglect the declared truth propounded for rule of life and practise in written wordes reuealed not remembring the exhortation of Moyses to the children of Israell the secrets are the Lords but the reuealed will appertaineth to vs our children And this in mine opinion is one cause wherefore melancholicke personnes are more prone to fall into this pitte then such as are in their organicall members otherwise affected Nowe contemplations are more familiar with melancholicke persons then with other by reason they be not so apt for action consisting also of a temper still and slowe according to the nature of the melancholie humour which if it be attenuated with heate deliuereth a drie subtile and pearcing spirite more constant and stable then anie other humour which is a great helpe to this contemplation As the melancholicke is most subiect to the calamitie before mentioned and especially the contemplatiue so of them most of all such whose vocation consisteth in studie of hard pointes of learning and that philosophicall especially of Nature haue cause in this case to carie a lowe saile and sometime to strike and lay at the anker of the Scriptures of God lest by tempest of their presumption they be caried into that whirle poole whereout they be in daunger without the especiall grace of Gods mercie neuer to deliuer them selues Such except they be well ballaced with knowledge of the Scriptures and assurance of Gods spirite are neuer able to abide the ouglinesse of their sinnes when they shall be once vnfolden and the narrowe point of reprobration and clection propounded vnto their melancholicke braines and hearts and most miserale polluted soules vnacquainted with Gods couenaunt of mercie and that earnest of his fauour the comfortable spirit of his grace Of such as haue some knowledge in the worde and practise of obedience the want of the true apprehending of gods reuealed wil touching election and reprobation and the right method of learning conceauing the doctrine causeth some to stumble and fall at this stone For as a sworde taken at the wrong end is readie to wound the hand of the taker held by the handle is a fit weapon of defence euen so the doctrine of predestination being preposterously conceiued may through fault of the conceiuer procure hurt whereas of it selfe it is the most strong rocke of assurance in all stormes of tēptations that can befall vnto bodie or soule The one part of predestination is Gods immutable will the cause and rule of all iustice and vttermost of all reason in his workes the other part is the execution of that will according to mercie or iustice sauing or condemning with all the meanes thereto belonging Christ Iesus in those of whom the Lorde will shewe mercie and the iust desert of a sinner on whome he is determined to shewe the iustice of his wrath If this most comfortable doctrine and the firme ancher of our profession be not in all partes equally apprehended we may not onely misse the benefite therof through our owne fault but receiue wounde and daungerous hurte thereby For if the consideration be bent vpon Gods will and counsel only without respect of the means it is impossible but the frailty of mans nature must needes be distracted into diuerse perilous and desperate feares finding nothing in it selfe that may answere his iustice and withstand the fearefull sentence of condemnation if it stay in the meanes of his iustice only and haue not eye vpon his mercy in his sonne Christ then likewise ariseth an assurance of eternall destruction to the consciēce defiled and the guilty soule deformed with iniquity if the meanes of his mercy be regarded without farther respect of his eternall decree and immouable iustice then is there also no assurance of his mercy vnto miserable man who melteth like snow and vanisheth like a vapour before his iustice and doubting of the continuance of his fauour alwayes hangeth in suspence All these considerations thus seuerally falling into the melancholick person moue doubt and care and either breed a resolute desperatnes or a continuall distrust tossing hither and thither the soule not established by knowledge and faith in Gods eternall counsell the most wise iust and mercifull meanes of his execution which being perfectly knowne according to the word
to be accōpted These two pointes being sufficiently proued establish euidently the simple and vniforme faculties of the soule For hereby it is most manifest that by reason of the simple nature thereof it cannot beare any mixture or be support of diuerse thinges neither that diuerse will so neighbour it together as to dwell in one indiuiduall subiect Then seing that they which of al the disagreers least disagree will not so nighly be linked neither can any diuersity of faculty in the minde in a nature so simple and impartible be coupled together where ther is no disagreemēt of substance nor dissent of mixture but euery parte like the whole and ech like other Againe these pluralities being essentiall can be but one seing essence is not many and nature alwayes farre vnlike the sword of Delphos which serued for diuerse vses euer employeth one to one and not to many otherwise wāt should enforce her which she abounding with sufficiency refuseth in all her actions Moreouer being in euery part like it selfe and ech parte like other no dissimilitude can arise by distinction of faculty Accidentall if they be then is the minde in daunger of loosing all faculty which it cannot do seing it is subiect to no force but of God himselfe that made it Now whatsoeuer naturall faculty in any thing fadeth it is by reason the thing first fadeth which enioyeth that faculty else would they alwayes continue wherefore the minde being euerlasting and exempt from chaunge and corruption her faculty is also essentiall and of like perpetuity I neede not yeeld reason why contrary faculties or such as we call disparates in logicke can haue no roome in a nature so simple as the soule is both in respect of the repugnance within themselues and vnitie of the subiect seing such as are diuerse only refuse that cohabitation and neighbourhood Thus much shal suffice to proue the simple faculty of the soule it followeth to proue the spirite and body to be wholly organicall by organicall I meane a disposition aptnes only without any free worke or action otherwise then at the mindes commādement else should there be mo beginninges causes of action then one in one nature which popularity of administratiō nature will none of nor yet with any holygarcicall or mixt but commandeth only by one souerainty the rest being vassals at the beck of the soueraigne commander The kindes of instruments are of two sorts the one dead in it selfe and destitute of all motion as a saw before it be moued of the workman and a ship before it be stirred with winde and hoised of saile the other sorte is liuely and carrieth in it selfe aptnes and disposition of motiō as the hound to hunt with and the hauke to fowle with both caried with hope of pray the hand to moue at our pleasure and to vse any other kinde of instrument or toole The second sort of these twaine is also to be distinguished in twaine whereof the one obtaineth power in it selfe and requireth derection only as the beast and fowle aboue mentioned and the other not only direction but impulsion also from an inward vertue and forcible power as the motion of the hand and the variety of the hand actions do most euidently declare Of these three kinds of instruments I place the spirit and bodie both to the mind as the saw or axe in the workmans hand or to the lute touched of the Musician according to the sundry qualities conditions of the instruments of the body in the thirde sort but so as the spirit in comparison of the bodie fareth as the hand to the dead instrumentes Of the first sort they are not because they partake of life of the second they may not be because of them selues they haue no impulsion as it appeareth euidently in animall and voluntarie actions and although more obscurely to be seene in such as be called naturall For the spirit being either withdrawne from the outwarde parts by vehement passiō of griefe or ouer prodigally scattered by ioy or wasted by paine the outward partes not only faile in their sense and motion but euen nourishment growth therby are hindered and contrarily though the spirit be present except the part be also well disposed not only feeling is impaired such actions as require sense and motion but also concoction and nourishment Againe the spirit it self without impulsion of minde lieth idle in the bodie This appeareth in animall actions more plainly as the mind imploying vehemently the spirit an other way we neither see that is set before our eyes nor heare nor feele that which otherwise with delight or displeasure would vehemently affect vs. In naturall actions and parts it is more obscure either because the spirit can not be altogether so separated by the order of nature being rooted so in the part or because the verie presence of the soule in an organicall bodie without further facultie or action carieth the life withal and is not subiect to arbitrement and will as the royall estate of a Prince moueth silence reuerence and expectation although there be no charge or commaundement therof giuen nor such purpose of presence so life lieth rather in the essence or substance of the soule giuing it to a fit organed body rather then by any such facultie resident therein except we may thinke that lesse portion of spirit serueth for life onely then for life sense and motion so the parts contented with smaller prouision thereof are entertained with life though sense and mouing require more plenty But howsoeuer this be obscure in naturall actions the mind transporting the spirits another way by sudden conceit study or passion yet most certaine it is if it holde on long and release not the nourishment will also faile the increase of the body diminish and the flower of beautie fade and finally death take his fatall hold which commeth to passe not onely by expence of spirit but by leauing destitute the parts whereby declining to decay they become at length vnmeete for the entertainement of so noble an inhabitant as is the soule of stocke diuine of immortall perpetuity and exempt from all corruption Then seeing neither body nor spirit are admitted in the first or second sort of instruments they fall to the third kinde which being liuely or at the least apt for life require direction and also foreine impulsion foraine in respect of them selues destitute of facultie otherwise then disposition but inward and domesticall in that it proceedeth from a naturall power resident in these corporall members which we call the soule not working as ingens by a force voide of skill and cunning in it selfe by a motion giuen by deuise of the Mechenist but farre otherwise indued with science possessed of the mouer as if Architas had bin him selfe within his flying doues Vulcanne within his walking stooles and the mouing engine as it were animated with the minde of the worker therein excelling farre all
partes of the body of which the humours are neither and so vtterly secluded of nature from any peculiar actiō to any vse of the body For that they are said to nourish it signifieth only a passiue disposition by which through our nourishing power they receiue the Character of our nature and are altered into the substance of the same they themselues giuing ouer their priuate actiō and submitting to the naturall concoctiue vertue which destroyeth all particularities of nourishment and bringeth them to that vniformity which our nature requireth Then while the body is in health the humors beare no sway of priuate action but it being once altered and they euill disposed and breaking from that regiment whereunto they should be subiect are so farre of from subiection to the disposition of our bodies and strength of our partes that they oppresse them and as it appeareth in simptomaticall euentes in sicknes dispise that gouernment wherto by natures law they stand bound Thus then I hold humours to be occasions of disorderly perturbations euen as they are meanes of deprauing the instrument of perturbation and turning it otherwise then nature hath disposed whose gouernment when it hath shaken of it affecteth vs two maner of wayes the one by the corporall substance whereby it annoyeth the corporall masse of bodies and complexion and breaketh out into soares Emposthumes or other such anoyances the other by a spirit which it possesseth either contrary altogether or diuerse at the least from ours wherewith many wayes it disturbeth the orderly actions weakneth the vigor of the same now both by substance and by spirite it altereth complexion where it preuaileth and thereby giueth greatest stroake to the organicall members Then seing all actions are performed both by spirite and corporall instrument and the humours exceeding the gouernment of nature and withdrawing themselues from subiection thereof affect vs both wayes spirite against spirite and corporall substance against his like we are to cōsider how by these two meanes our actions suffer through their disorder and where their operation taketh most place in working such phantastical perturbations wherewith we are deluded Of all partes of the body in ech perturbation two are cheifly affected first the brayne that both apprehendeth the offensiue or pleasaunt obiect iudgeth of the same in like sort and communicateth it with the harte which is the second part affected these being troubled carie with them all the rest of the partes into a simpathy they of all the rest being in respect of affection of most importance The humours then to worke these effectes which approch nigh to naturall perturbations grounded vpon iust occasion of necessity alter either brayne or hart if the brayne be altered and the obiect not rightly apprehended then is it deliuered otherwise then it standeth in nature and so the hart moued to a disorderly passion Againe though the brayne be without faulte and report delyuered to the hart sincerely yet that being distempered or altered in cōplexion by faulte of humour doth not aunswere in affection as the obiect requireth but more or lesse as the distemper misleadeth if both partes be ouercharged of humour the apprehension affection both are corrupted and misse of their right action and so all thinges mistaken ingender that confused spirite and those stormes of outragious loue hatred hope or feare wherewith bodies so passionate are here and there tossed with disquiet Now particularly the spirite of the humour being subtiler thinner and hoter then is meete maketh the apprehension quicker then it should be and the discretion more hasty then is meete for the vpright deliuery to the hart what to embrace or to refuse this causeth pronenes to anger when we are offended without cause commonly called teastines and frowardnes If the humour also with his spirite possesse the brayne then are these passions of longer continuance humour being of a more sollid nature then the spirite and so not easily dispersed which causeth fittes of such passiōs to be of longer continuance and thus the hart may be abused from the brayne not much vnlike as it falleth often out in communication of speach amongest vs a man of hasty disposition ready to aunswere and quick witted will make reply to that which should be said before the tale be halfe told whereby he faileth in his replication and aunswereth from the purpose which if he had bene first assured wherto to reply he should not haue missed This appeareth plaine in Cholericke persons or such as are disposed to anger such are offended where they haue no cause in truth but by mistaking and where they haue cause the vehemency of the apprehension and the suddēnes of the report from the brayne vnto the seate of perturbation inforceth double the passion especially when the hart is as flexible as the brayne is light then raungeth it into all extremity This commeth to passe not by any power of anger in the Cholerick humour but by reason the instrumentes are misordered either by vapour rising from that humour or the very substance of the same They are disordered in this sort through Choler The naturall spirit and complexiō of these partes become subtiler thinner and quicker proner to action then of their natures they should be through the heat which riseth of Choler and his spirit intermixed with ours by this mobility of vapour our spirit of a quieter and more stable disposition is either made more rare then is expedient for the vse of our bodies or else striuing as it were to subdue this bastard spirite and vnwelcome ghest can not giue that attendance vpon his proper duety which naturally it should and so the actions thereupon rise depraued and hauing wherwith it is encumbred within admitteth the cause of displeasure more easily which riseth abroad being an additiō to that which molesteth at home and these natures for the most parte are troubled with a Cholerick humour or fretting like to Choler about the mouth of the stomach which is of all the inward partes of quickest sense and feeling This causeth them especially fasting before the humour be mitigated and delayed with nourishment to be most prone to that angry passion The teasty waywardnes of sick persons such as are vexed with payne or feauer wherby the humors of the body become more fell maketh euident proofe hereof We see how small matters put them out of patience euery thing offendeth whereas in health the same occasions would litle or nothing moue The reason is because they measure all outward accidents by that they finde of discontentment within not that the humor that discontenteth is any instrument of passion or carieth with it faculty to be displeased but because it disquieteth the body and giueth discontentment to nature it is occasion why displeasures are made great and where there is no cause nature troubled within faireth as greatly displeased with that which outwardly should not displease the griefe within being added to an indifferēt thing without and drawing
resembling in vse the leather of a paire of bellows being ioyned roūd about to the sides of the chest which aunswereth the two boords of the bellowes This also draweth the consent of the lippes and cheekes the muscles thereof agreing with the midriffe in their nerues which make like contractiō to that in laughter after a counterfet manner in paine and ache that one presently feeleth or feareth The other kinde which is of griefe of minde as that of Hanniball for the distresse of Carthage and his present calamitie is of a mixed cause compounded of some ioy which riseth of considence of remedie or reuenge which causeth a dilatation of ioy entermeddled with contractiō of griefe so a man that hath receaued a displeasure of his enemy and assured howe he may be euen with him will laugh though he haue indignation at the displeasure vpon hope of requittance whereof riseth a certaine ioye mixed with griefe that forceth out a Sardonian bitter laughter short and ouertaken with more griefe which with vapor and spirit through that dilatation of the hart silleth the cheekes and causeth their muscles to be withdrawne to their heads shew their teeth and fashion the countenance into that kind of grinning which is apparant in laughter Thus much by the way of laugter by occasion of that weeping which falleth vnto such as vpon cause of ioy breake out into teares If you desire to knowe more of this merie gesture I referre you to a treatise of laughter written by Laurence Ioubert of Mountpellier a Philosopher and Phisitian in my iudgement not inferiour to any of this age The cause why weeping endureth not all the time of the sorow but most commonly at the first brunt onely of griefe tears are shed is partly by reason time acquainteth the hart with the sorowe so is the contraction lesse the daunger not being so straunge Againe that moysture is partly emptied which ministreth matter vnto teares reason in time dealeth with the affection which peraduenture moderateth the griefe whereby it lesse vrgeth The finger is vsually put in the eye in weeping by reason the teare falling into the eye with his saltnesse procureth a kind of itching about the carnell of teares which requireth ayde of the singer to be expressed at their first fal afterward the part acquainted with that qualitie and one teare drawing on another such expression is not so necessarie Besides this cause of rubbing the weeping eye a strange matter therin requireth wyping which also moueth the finger to hast to the eye watered with teares but this is after a while the other before almost anie teare fall as though they were expressed with rubbing And thus much touching the causes of teares which beare the greatest part in weeping nowe ye shall vnderstand howe other partes of that gesture are perfourmed and by what meanes CHAP. XXVI Of other partes of weeping why the countenance is cast downe the forehead loureth the nose droppeth the lippe trembleth the cheeks are drawn and the speech is interrupted IN weeping the countenance is cast downe by reason the spirits are retracted which are the authors by tonicall motion of erection as a maste corded on all sides standeth erect which in sorow being withdrawē from the muscle causeth them to yeeld to the poyse of the head and so bendeth it downeward wherto it is more enclined then backeward by reason the rowells of the neckbone with their snaggs hinder that inclination The forehead lowreth after a paraliticall fashion being destitute of his spirites and all the former partes filled with that excrementitious moisture of teares before mentioned which is in that aboundance in persons moist of braine tender and rare of poores that not finding sufficiēt way at the eyes it passeth through the nose as the other part by the palate into the mouth and so filleth all full of teares and slauer The lipe trembleth because the spirite which should vphold it in his right position is now in greatest measure departed so that the waight of the lippe striuing with the imbecillitie of the parte causeth a trembling which is betwixt erection and plaine declination as if a man hold a thing too heauy till he beginne to be weary though at the first he hold it steady at the lēgth striuing aboue his power to beare it maketh his hand to quake and tremble the remnaunte of strength striuing with the weight The vpper lippe remaineth steadie and still because it hangeth and requireth no proppe of erection yet appeareth it somewhat longer then before being fully stretched out with the weight and not borne vp restrained by the spirit The cheeks are drawen much like as in laughter not by any influence of the liuely spirite which in laughter replenisheth the countenance and causeth the eyes to sparcle and filling the muscles of the cheekes with a subtle vapour causeth them to strayne for the auoydance as in streaking the muscles are contracted to exclude a vaporous excrement but the contraction of the cheekes in weeping seemeth to me not to rise of any other cause then by an excrementitious vapour which passeth with the humiditie of teares frō the braine into the cheekes and forceth nature to make contraction to discharge it selfe of that vapour ioyned with the cōsent which is betwixt the muscles of the iawes and lipps with the midriffe whose remission and slackening being hastened by the contraction of the harte in griefe contracteth also the foresaid lipps and cheekes with which it consenteth by the fourth and sixt paire of nerues deriued into both partes from the marow of the chine bone of the neck These are also the causes of the whole deformitie of the face in weeping which chiefely contracteth the visage in expiration in which the heart hath more power ouer the mydriffe being slakened then in inspiration wherein by dilating of the chest for vse of breath it is extēded The speach is interrupted in weeping because the chest in expiration doth not fall and sinck by gentle declination equally but hindred by that contraction of the heart remitteth his extension as it were by stroakes as if a man would take a paire of bellowes and not suffer them being enlarged and full of aire to shutt of themselues but by an vnequall pressing of the handes cause them to puffe by fittes and part the blowing into sundry blastes which at once might be auoyded So the voyce rising of the ayre expired as that is voyded in like sort the voyce is fraimed which causeth those that weepe to speake more indistinctly and diuided sentences then when they are free from that affection Moreouer speach doth require not onely the yeeldinge of the chest through the poyse but standeth in neede also of the intercostall muscles and those of the top of the windpipe with thē of the bely which throgh griefe or feare being now not so replenished with spirites the authors of motion of those muscles can not deliuer the voyce smoth and vniforme as before more
and sealed vp in the christian heart by the worke of Gods spirite is so farre of from disquieting the spirit or breeding doubt that the children of God in all temptations finde the immutability mutability of Gods counsell and the testimony of his fauour in their consciences by his spirite to supporte them in all stormes of temptation and to be the rocke against which no violence of Sathan or his ministers or whatsoeuer their owne infirmity offereth of discouragement can preuaile Besides these such as read the word of God with passionate humour fall into this inconuenience especially if without guide and instruction they carie any presumption of minde and are not modest and warie in their collections such being melancholicke may easily fall into distrust of Gods mercy perish in dispaire So that ignorance and infidelity are the chiefe causes of this miserable estate whereinto many haue fallen especially such as haue neuer bene able to be recomforted which for the most part are they who with neglect of Godds feare and hardnes of heart against their conscience and knowledge haue with desperate purpose gathered strength in the wayes of sinne and haue cast of all remorse til the Lordes vengeaunce in this sort ouertake them or haue fallen into that sinn whereof the Apostle speaketh of that none should pray for and which our Sauiour calleth the sinne against the holy Ghost Other some ther be of which number I know you deare M. that fearing the Lord with sincerity of hearte haue bene notwithstanding this way distressed the weight of their sinnes exceeding for a time the strength of their faith whose case I take to be thus farre other then such as I haue before mentioned euen as in stormie tempest the ship stirreth at euery blast and sourge of the sea to be in daunger of wrack and the yong ash bending to euery blast of winde seemeth in perill of breaking rooting vp whē both the ship kepeth her constant course the tree yet hath his rooting so in you those of your disposition in this case the tempest and storme of this temptation raysed partly by your owne weakenes and partely through Sathans tempestious malice causeth your faith to bend and seeme feeble yeelding to this force while notwithstanding you be built on the rocke planted with the hand of God in the Eden of his gracious election remayne a plante for euer in his paradise of eternall felicitie Such as you your self herm offend that you measure your selues by your infirmities which hath so farre vse in vs to breed a watchfull care ouer our owne wayes not to discourage vs consider that we are as the Lord esteemeth who is more glorified in shewing mercie thē in executing of his wrath whose word declareth vnto vs that he loued vs being ennemies and found vs whē we were lost and loathed not our polution but for himselfe onely offered his mercy so that we must stand in that reckning of our selues which the Lord will haue vs to doe in his mercie else shal we be wrōg iudges of the wayes of the Almighty Euen as one that hath not had experience of trauaile by sea feareth euery wea uing of the ship doubteth of perill where the nature of the trauailer is such without hazard or daunger So you such as are in like case afflicted imagine euery puffe of this kinde of tēptation to be nothing else but the gate of destruction when as notwithstanding it is the verie course way where through God doth lead his dearest children whose counsells are not to be measured by our infirmities nor by that we cast forecast or doubt but as he himselfe hath pronoūced of his own wayes as many of his children haue proued before vs. Here the melācholie taketh aduantage and Sathan prosecuteth a maine with bēding your affectiōs to feare doubt distrust stoppeth that consolation the mercy of god affordeth which his childrē are ready to minister vnto you And these are melancholickes of another sort who notwithstanding they endeuour to feare God yet not aduised through this base vile humor receiue discouragemēt in thēselues more then through Gods mercie they haue need til such time as the cōfort of his spirite by due means alteration of their body by cōueniēt remedy of the godly phisician raise thē vp againe These are melācholiks most disposed by reason of the euill temper of their bodies to this affliction not by power of the humor which resteth in their bodies toucheth not the minde but by reasō they are more curious distrustfull thē other cōplexiōs which being ioyned with ignorance or a preposterous knowledge cast thē into these laberinthes of spirituall sorow whereout very hardly are they at the length able to dispatch themselues without great mercy of God and diligent and carefull applying of his meanes But you may say vnto me can a man by his owne power drawe on this kinde of crosse which you haue before declared to be the hand of God yea verily if Gods only mercie be not his stay euen as our first parents voluntarily gaue their neckes and in them all their posterity vnder the yoke of Sathan and as the vengeance of Gods iustice alwayes burneth against the wicked his sword continually employed which nothing cā quēch but the water of his grace flowing from the sids of his Sonne and that spiritual complet armour where of S. Paul speaketh of so should euen all of vs in this life taste of the heate feele the dint of that sword if his mercy in his Sonne for his Saintes cause on the earth he staied not the ielousie of his wrath His anger our sinnes pull on but his mercy is only for himselfe Thus you haue heard what manner affliction this of the minde and conscience of sinne not comforted by assurance of pardon is how it differeth from melancholy how melancholicke persons are most subiect therunto and by what meanes this calamity is procured with the diuersity of persons thus afflicted hereafter you shall vnderstand which is your chiefe desire my counsell and cure both in that state of minde wherin you stand and whereof the Lord graunt you speedy and comfortable release and also in what your crased body surgayned with melancholy and all his vncomfortable accidentes doth of naturall phisick help of medicine require But first my deare M. giue way to my wordes of comfort and for the old friendships sake and sweete society we haue had in times past alwayes seasoned with heauenly meditations and spirituall conferences denie me not that interest which shal be both comfortable vnto you and ioyfull to many of your friendes whose prayers are with sobbes powred out for your release especially beware least vnaduisedly you dishonour god in this kind of sorow who is the God of peace and comfort CHAP. XXX A consolation vnto the afflicted conscience YOu feele you say the wrath of God kindled against your
they be his plantes and ingraffed oliue braūches in his sonne who take not their ful perfection at once but according to the nature of a plāt require dayly watering dressing wherby by degrees they attaine in the ende a full stature in Christ So that you may not accompt your selfe voyde of grace because you are not perfect for in this life both faith and knowledge and loue are all imperfect and shall partly be furnished and partly receaue perfectiō elsewhere but you are godly wisely to consider the secret worke of Gods spirite and grace and take comfort of the smallest crumme and drop of this heauenly sustentation and attend your time of perfect growth according to the good pleasure of God You can not at all times feele and followe with your conceir and naturall capacitie the worker of this mysterie more then you are able to discerne where the wind riseth and where it lighteth You know we that are called are borne againe and as the growth and increase of our bodies is not perceaued of vs though we do increase the birth is not apprehended of the infant borne bred euen so is it with vs in the heauenly birth and spirituall regeneration the spirit worketh without our leaue and acquainteth vs not with his maruelous working more then is expedient at his pleasure when and in what measure for our comfort much lesse can a body ouercharged with melancholy drowned in that darke dungeon see the comfortable beames of his daystar brightnesse of the cheerfull Sunne of God aboundant mercie and a mind whose actions are hindered by meanes thereof whereby it neither conceiueth nor iudgeth sincerely and vprightly as the case requireth and neither so only affected but blinde folded by the humour and brought into this darknesse of feare is buffited also and beaten with Sathan on all sides whereby being distracted it obtayneth no respit and release of due and iust consideration howe can it discerne rightly of these thinges Wherefore your case being such yeelde not so much to the enemy as to iudge of your selfe according to his sentence who is a lyer from the beginning and the father of lyes but according to those olde testimonies which you haue felt in your owne conscience and haue giuen comfortable shewe of to others in the course of your life heretofore Oh but you feele not the testimonie of Gods spirit which might assure you Neither do any of Gods children at all times feele it Dauid cōplained of the want hereof Iob complained likewise so haue diuerse of Gods children in all times made mone hereof Sufficient it is if at any time that assurance be giuen and if it be the will of God for a time to withdraw it that you may feeling your owne frailty with more earnest desire call to him for his wonted grace Who are you to interrupt the wayes of God and to preuent his counselles and for your comfort be assured that the former grace you haue receaued is of that nature that it neuer decayeth but remaineth an euerlasting seed of immortalitie proceeding from the Father of eternitie and with whom there is no chaungeablenesse nor shadowe of turning who doth nothing to repent him of but is only wise stable sure and hath no neede to correct anie thing of his owne workmanship And if he with hold the comfort of his spirite from you for a season it is that you may with greater appetite seeke after it and hauing found it more ioy therein and praise his mercie with thankfulnesse of hart and readinesse of vtterance to found out the aboundance of his mercie If the Lord withhold it not but the frailtie wherein you stand diminish the sense thereof or the temptation presse so farre vpon you that you are not free to iudge aright or the perill which the temptation carieth with it moue you to distrust knowe that nothing befalleth you straunge herein more then to other of Gods children before you and that to wade through these violent streames patience and constancie is most needfull with a resolute mind to abide the Lords wil who in the end wil come and will not tarie This is the broken contrite heart which the Lord will not despise this is the poore spirit on whome the Lord pronounceth blessednesse and this is the affliction whereof the Spirit of God is called the comforter so that although before the Lord hath vouchsafed you many graces yet were you neuer meete to receaue diuerse other which he will nowe bestowe vpon you before this present and so shall you in the end receaue the cup of saluation in steed of the bottell of vineger and teares and in steed of the bread of affliction the heauenly Manna and the bread of life from the table of God Christ Wherefore suspect these thoughtes to be of the enemie and not of your selfe cast into your mind of him and not springing of incredulitie I am out of Gods fauour I am reprobate from his kingdome there remaineth no hope for me I haue no faith For such are his temptations of old daily they be the points he laboureth in against Gods childrē if not to wring frō thē their hope at the least to weary their dayes with heauinesse and discomfort Neither esteeme your selfe presently by that you feele but by that you haue felt when nothing hath ouershadowed that light of knowledge faith and zeale but the full brightnesse of these graces hath broken forth For why haue not these doubts risen vnto you before time and where is nowe the auncient assurance They before time rose not because the temptation was far of and that assurance although by tempest of temptation and by this spirituall storme it seeme to bend and to giue backe yet is it inuincible and recouereth thereby more strength then euer it had before Is the souldier worse appayed that sustaineth the combat and standeth in the face of his enemie though the terrible thunder of shot beat his eares and he in perill of hitting though he maintaine the heate of the battell against the force of his enemie with perill not a whit he becommeth hereby more valiant he learneth experience his skill increaseth and his courage doubleth vppon him So in this spirituall battaile you must not be discouraged like a milk soppe or a fresh souldier vntrained or vnacquainted with warfare but set the victorie before your eyes which is alreadie attained and purchased for you and so much the more are you to endure with Christian valiance in that here is no feare of ouerthrowe the battaile is broken and the enemies scattered and onely the captaine requireth to be followed of you for whome he hath obtained the crowne of victorie if the stragling tayle of the enemie annoye they may shewe their malice and hostilitie but their force is foyled and take heart onely and endure and you shall see them vanquished and submit vnto that power of Christ which inableth you You must