(5) Observe further, that distrust is the cause of all disquiet. The soul allows itself by something here below to be drawn away from God but can find no rest until it returns to him. It is God's mer...  Read More

(3) When the soul finds no rest the Spirit of God awakens the soul and keeps it in the holy pursuit of stirring up the grace of faith to its proper function. It is not so much the having of grace, as...  Read More

What if neither the words of others nor the rebuke of our own hearts, will quiet the soul? Is there no other remedy left? That is when we must look up to God, the father and fountain of comfort. It i...  Read More

Some will show a great deal of humanity in comforting others, but little Christianity; for as kind men they will utter some cheerful words, but as Christians they lack wisdom from above to speak a gr...  Read More

It is a course that will have a blessing attending it, for friends to join in league, one to watch over another, and observe each other's ways. It is a usual course for Christians to join together in...  Read More

It is best to prevent, as much as in us is possible, the very first risings of sinful passions, before the soul be overcast. Passions are but little motions at first, but grow as rivers do, greater a...  Read More

God, when he will humble a man, need not fetch forces from without. If he but let our own hearts loose, we will have trouble enough. If there were no enemy in the world, nor devil in hell, we carry e...  Read More

Here is the life of a Christian in this world. (1) He is in great danger if he be not troubled at all. (2) When he is troubled, he is in danger to be over-troubled. (3) When he has brought his soul i...  Read More

When grieving for our sin becomes too much. (1) Excessive grieving for our sin is wrong when it takes the soul from minding what it should and distracts us from the duties of our callings. Christ upo...  Read More

No man is hurt but by himself first. We are drawn to evil and allured from a true good to a false by our own lusts; 'God tempts no man' (James 1:13). Satan has no power over us further than we willin...  Read More

We see here how to frame our complaints. David complains not of God, nor of his troubles, nor of others, but of his own soul; he complains of himself to himself. As if he said, 'Though all other thin...  Read More

We should set ourselves to have most care of that which God cares most for. That which he breathed into us at first, set his own image upon, gave so great a price for, and values above all the world ...  Read More

A godly man's care and trouble is especially about his soul. When God touches our bodies, our estates, or our friends, he aims at the soul in all. God will never remove his hand, until something be w...  Read More

Pride, with a desire of liberty, makes men think it to be a diminishing of greatness and freedom either to be curbed, or to curb ourselves. We love to be absolute and independent; but as it brought r...  Read More

We see here again that a godly man can make a good use of solitude. When he is forced to be alone, he can talk with his God and himself; one reason for this is that his heart is a treasury and storeh...  Read More

(5) Spiritual discouragement keeps beginners from progressing on and growing in the ways of God. It brings an ill report upon religion. It dampens, the spirits of those that walk the same way with us...  Read More

There is no reason, which the wisdom from above allows to be a reason, why believers should be discouraged. There is not only no reason for it, but there are strong reasons against it. Consider: (1) ...  Read More

(5b) Another source of spiritual discouragement is when we depend too much upon the opinions of other men. Often, even good men are too much troubled with the unjust censures of others. It is the vai...  Read More

(4l) One special cause of much disquiet is the lack of firm resolution in good things. The soul cannot but be disquieted when it knows not what to cleave to, like a ship tossed by contrary winds. 'If...  Read More

(4i) Some reap the fruit of their ignorance of Christian liberty, by unnecessary scruples and doubts. It is both unthankfulness to God and wrong to us, to be ignorant of the extent of Christian liber...  Read More

(4g) Another cause of disquiet is, that men seek for their comfort in much sanctification, neglecting justification, relying too much upon their own performances. Paul was of another mind, accounting...  Read More

(4e) One main ground is false reasoning. Thinking we have no grace when we feel none. Feeling is not always a fit rule to judge our states by. Thinking that God has rejected us because we are confuse...  Read More

(4) We need go no farther than ourselves to find causes of discouragement; there is a seminary of them within us. Consider these discouragements in ourselves. (4a) When there is a lack of true knowle...  Read More

(3) What Satan cannot do himself by immediate suggestions, he then labours to work by his instruments; as those in the psalm who cry, 'Down with him, down with him, even to the ground' (Psa. 137:7). ...  Read More