There be some affections especiaUy, that are causes of over much trouble ;
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fear of evils to come, sorrow for evils that at present seize on us. Now, when these do hinder us from duty, or trouhle us in duty, they be exorbi- tant and irregular.
Natm-ally, affections should be helps to duty, they being the \\inds that cany the soul on, and the sphitual wings of the soul. So that a man with- out affections is Hke the dead sea, that moves not at aU. But then they must be regulated and ordered ; they must be raised up and laid down at the command of a spiritual understanding. When they be raised up of themselves, by shaUow and false conceits and opinions, they be iri'egular. When they be raised up by a right judgment of things, and laid down again when they ought to be, then thej' are right and orderly.
Now, besides the hm't that is in such affections themselves, Satan loves to fish in these troubled waters. The affections are never stirrred and raised up irregularly and exorbitantly but Satan joins with them. And therefoi'e we have need to keep our affections of grief and fear within their due bounds. Satan is a curious observer of any excess in our passions ; and in just connection, to speak the mildest of it, God lets loose Satan to join with that excess. And therefore the apostle saith wisely, ' Let not the sun go down upon yom- -VNTath, neither give place to the devil,' Eph. iv. 26, because as soon as ever we give way to any excess of affection, Satan fishes in these waters, and joins with that excess. He being a spirit of darkness, loves to dwell in the soul when it is in darkness. And there- fore, when it is clouded by passion, as all passions beyond then- due mea- sm-e are as clouds that darken the soul, Satan, that works in darkness, then seizes on the soul presently.
That was Saul's case. He was envious at David, being of a proud and haughty spirit, that could not endure competition ; and Satan took his time to work on him. And therefore it is said he was troubled with an exii spirit, 1 Sam. x\'i. 23.
But trouble of spirit is too large an argument. I will not now stand upon it ; only I wiU shew that we should not yield to excess of trouble any way. And the reasons are : — ■
First. We wrong our own selves when we give way to grief and sorrow, that is immoderate and inordinate. The soul is, as it were, put out of joint by it. We make actions difficult unto us. The wheels of the soul are thereby taken off. Joy and comfort are, as it were, oil to the soul. And therefore Nehemiah saith, ' the joy of the Lord is your strength,' chap. viii. 10. When, therefore, we give way to fear and grief, and such passions, it weak- eneth the soul in action. Arid then again they are, as it were, a cloud be- twixt God's love and us ; and so the soul is hindered of much comfort and enlargement. Joy enlargeth the soul, but grief straiteneth it. Comfort raiseth up the soul, gi'ief and soitow weigh down the soul. A Chiistian should be of a straight, upright, and enlai'ged spirit. When, therefore, the spkit is straitened, when it is pressed down and dejected, a Christian is not in his right mind, in his due and proper fi-ame.
Second. Besides, if we regard God himself, we should take heed that the soul be not thus distemjyered ; for by over-much sorrow and grief, what a great deal of dishonour do we to God, in proceeding from a mistake of his goodness and providence ! And with over-much fear and sorrow, there is always joined mimnuring and discontent, and a spii'it unsubdued to God, and his Spirit. There is a wronging, as of his care in providence, so of his graciousness in his promises. There is a grieving of his good Spirit ; a questioning of his government, as if he did not dispose of things as he
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should ; -when we ■will have it one way, and God will have it another way. There is likewise a gi'eat deal of pride in dejections and discontent. The most discontented spuit in the world is the devil, and none prouder. It argues a great deal of pride and sullenness to be aftectedly sad, and de- jected ; as if such worthy and excellent persons as we should be so afflicted : or there were greater cause for us to be dejected than raised up. Whereas if we balance our grounds of comfort, being Christians, as we should do, they would appear incomparably above the gi'ounds of our discouragements. So it is a -ttTong to God, and his tnith, and his gracious sweet government, to yield to a dejected sullen disposition.
It is hkewise a wrong to others. For it maketh us unfit for any office of love to them, when we plod and pore so much upon our discontent- ments, and drink up our spirits, and eat up our hearts. It disables the soul, taking away not only the strength, but also the willingness of the soul ; besides the scandal that it brings on religion, and the best ways; as if there were not enough in reUgion to comfort the soul.