Secondly, And another reason hereof is in our frouard piettish natures. An unmortified nature is like a sore, everything pierces to the quick, besides that it vexeth itself.
Thirdly, And this is caused jjartly by too much passion in us, and partly by tvant of judgment, and ignorance or not remembering the end and issue of them. Where these causes are, there cannot choose but be such effects. In the darkness everything scares us.
Use 1. Therefore let us take heed of this infirmity and never excuse it, say- ing, men need not care for me, I trouble none but myself; for thou sinnest against God, and thou art a sinner against the sixth commandment by self- murder in troubling thyself as well as by troubling others.
Use 2. Secondly, Let u^ not be over much troubled at troubles. Poor souls are much troubled this way. If they find but a little duluess of spirit, then they conclude they want grace, they are none of God's children.
Censure not yourselves, nor vex not yourselves. It made Jonah almost quarrel with God ; and patient Job complain of his mother, of the day, of the night. Alas ! what hurt did they him. And if we see others in this estate of censuring, vexing, or troubling themselves, censure not them rashly. The children of God are not always alike, nor always in tune ; for a calm mind is a grace that God gives according to his good will and pleasure, and it ebbs and flows as he pleaseth. But to proceed ; in the next place, observe that the things of this life, meeting with a nature not mortified, are subject to trouble it, and the reason is, they are inferior in themselves, empty and vain, giving no content, but bringing vexation, and are subject to mutabi- lity, and therefore not able to give the soul content, being of an higher nature, and more constant enduring, and therefore requires comforts and contents suitable, which these things, not able to afford, when they fail, as ever they do, the soul is vexed and ofiended.
For use thereof we should take notice of the nature of these things, and take heed of /isg/^va/g /3/wr/xa7g, troubling ourselves about the things of this life. For it divides and weakens the soul ; and the dividing of a river must weaken the force of the streams ; and so Cyrus diverted the streams of Euphrates, and thereby took Babylon.* And the soul, when intent upon one thing, though then it be strong, yet being turned to many things, is * Cf. note a, Vol. II. p. 248.— G.
292 majry's choice.
much weakened, and the forces thereof scattered. And therefore we should meddle only with things that concern us, and so much with them as is fitting.
Yer, 42, ' But one thing is needful.' Christ doth not only reprove, but he doth instruct. He shews the disease and the remedy, to shew his love, and that his mind was not to gall or vex, but to heal and make peace. And this he doth by way of information, tolling her these businesses are full of trouble, and not necessary, and therefore she was not to spend herself in them, but turn her to thatjonc thing which is necessary, u'hich is to communi- cate ivitk God in tlie tise of all sanctified means of ijracc. It is necessaiy to come out of our natural estate, and to be settled further into communion with God ; and because holy means discovers our misery, opens a remedy, works grace in us to lay hold on Christ, therefore it is necessary also to attend on the means.
Quest. But it may be asked. What, are not meats and drinks, clothes and government in a commonwealth, are not these necessary ? Wherefore serve callings ? Nay, this whole life is a life of necessities, how then is there but one thing necessary ?
Ans. I answer, It is true these things are necessary in their compass and sphere, for this present life, but this life itself is nothing without a better being, and we had better not be than be and not be translated hereafter to a better life, and therefore Christ applies himself to these means, as to that which conducteth us to that better life, which is only absolutely necessary.
Ohj. But, it may be urged, is not Christ's righteousness, faith, God's Spirit, more than one ; and yet are they not all necessary ?
Ans. I answer, though they be diverse, yet they run all to one end. Even as many links make one chain, so all these tend to make a man one, that is a Christian ; and therefore a wise soul considers them as one thing, and runs over them all at one view. He considers the word and the Spirit as that which, by working faith in him, brings him to Christ, who brings him to eternal glory ; and therefore he doth not hear, to hear, but to be renewed inwardly, and so to have communion with Christ, and to attain to salvation ; and therefore the word is called the kingdom of God, the word of reconciliation, of grace, of the kingdom, for by it we are conducted thither ; and therefore, Acts xiii. 4G, they that did neglect the gospel, which was the power of God to eternal life, are said to neglect eternal life. ' And therefore if we will ever profit by holy means,' consider them as chained to salvation ; hear the word, and with it receive the Spirit, and with it faith, with it Christ, with him heaven and happiness. This is the one necessary thing, others are but accessary, and so we should esteem them. What is skill in reasoning, and not to be able to know the subtle sophistry of Satan ? And to what purpose is skill in healing of sickness of the body, and to have a soul sick to the death ? Tongues* are but the shell of knowledge ; what good will deep skill in the law do us, if we be not able to make our title to salvation sure ? What profit in ending controversies if we be not able to answer Satan's accusations and quarrels that he picks with us ?. And the reason is, all these are but for this life, short and un- certain. It would make the best of us ashamed, if we did but consider how little we live to God, or our own comfort, knowing many impertinent f things, and yet are ignorant of this our only main thing, and die before we live as we should. But, for the avoiding hereof, let us carefully observe these directions. * That is, ' languages,' = learning. — G. t That is, 'things not pertinent.' —G.