Of Peace and Contentment of Mind, Book 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of Sadneſſe.
Sadnes is the dolour of the ſoule, and the beating downe of the ſpirit. This ſeemes to be the moſt natural of all Paſſions, as hereditary to man from his firſt parents: For to our firſt mother God ſayd, Gen. 3.16 I will greatly multiplie thy ſorows and thy conception; in ſorrow ſhall thou bring forth children. And to our firſt father, v. 17. In ſorrow thou ſhal eate thy bread all the dayes of thy life. No wonder then that ſorrow is the inheritance of all their poſterity. That firſt couple dejected with the ſenſe of their ſinne and puniſhment, left a calamitous progenie. Job. 14.1 Man that is borne of a woman is of few dayes and full of trouble.
But although this be a natural Paſſion yet it is an enemie to Nature, for it makes the flowre and vigour of body and mind to wither, and obſcureth that goodly light of the underſtanding with a thicke miſt of melancholy.
Some ſadnes is neceſſary in its end, as that which belongs to contrition, and the zeale of Gods glory. Some is neceſſary in its cauſe, as that which proceeds out of a ſharp bodily paine. There is a conſtrained ſadnes, when one is ſad out of good manners, and for faſhion ſake; Such is the mourning of heires, whoſe teares in funerals are part of the ceremony. Many times wee are ſad in good earneſt for being obliged to be ſad in ſhew. Then there is a wanton ſadnes which ſoft ſpirits love to entertaine, for weeping is alſo a point of curioſity and delicacy. No doubt but they find delight in it, for none ever doeth any thing of his owne accord, but for his owne content.
Of Sadnes neceſſary in its end, I have ſpoken in the chapter of Repentance, and muſt againe in this, after I have given ſome counſels for repreſſing the other ſorts of Sadnes. Thoſe are leſſe capable of counſel that are neceſſary in their cauſe; as when the ſenſes are pincht, for then no reaſon can perſwade them not to feele it, or hinder the mind to have a fellow feeling of the paines of the body. A Phyſician and a Surgeon will be fitter to abate that Sadnes then a Philoſopher, yet not then a Divine; for Divinity makes uſe of the very paines of the body to raiſe up the ſoule of the patient to God; In deed the counſels of piety do not take away the paine, but they overcome it by the ſweet perſuaſions of Gods love to us.
As for conſtrained and ceremonious Sadnes, wee muſt avoyd the exceſſe of it, and the defect alſo; chuſing rather gently to yeeld to cuſtome, then to be ſingular, and contradict all that wee approve not; keeping alwayes ſerenity within, in the midſt of theſe ceremonies, more grievous many times then the griefe that occaſions them.
Wanton and delicate Sadnes, cannot be juſtified by the allegation of heavy loſſes and great wrongs. For beſides that moſt part of the evils that men grieve for, are ſuch onelyonly in the imagination, as a diſdaine, a reproach, a ſlaunder, the loſſe of ſome goods that did them nothing but harme; ſuppoſe that all the evills that wee grieve for, be evills indeed, it followes not that wee muſt grieve for them according to their grievouſneſſe, unleſſe it appeare that they may be mended by grieving. But never any dead man was raiſed from the dead by the teares that his widow ſhed upon his herſe. Never was a wrong repaired by the ſadnes of the wronged party. Adverſity will caſt downe poore ſpirited perſons, but raiſeth the ſpirits of the generous, and ſets their induſtrie on worke. The deepe ſorrow that ſeizeth upon a weake woman at her huſbands death makes her incapable to overcome the difficulties where he leaves her: But a vertuous and wiſe widow hath no leaſure to weepe ſixe months cloſe priſoner in a darke chamber; rather ſhe comforteth herſelfe with following her buſineſſes.
Alſo ſince time drieth up the moſt overflowing teares, and a ſecond wedding will take down the great mourning vaile; it will be providently done to moderate ſorrow betimes, that the diſproportion may not be too eminent betweene Sadneſſe and Joy.
To attaine that moderation we muſt take away that falſe excuſe of good nature, and love to the deceaſed perſon from immoderate mourning, for in effect it is no other love but the love of ourſelves that afflicts us, and not their loſſe, but ours.
The true cauſes of immoderate ſorrow for the things of this world are, theſe two great errours, againſt which I am ſo often neceſſitated to give warning to my readers, as the ſprings of all the folly and miſery that is in the world. The one is the ignorance of the price of things; for he that will value money, honour, and credit according to their juſt price, and no more, will not be much afflicted if he loſe them or cannot get them. The other is, that we ſeeke out of ourſelves that happineſſe and reſt which is no where to be gotten but within us, from God and ourſelves; and take thoſe things for ours which are none of ours, but depend of others, and thereupon runne towards thoſe objects thus miſtaken with a blind impetuoſitie. Theſe are the true roots of Sadneſſe, which roots if we could pluck out of our breaſts, we ſhould never be ſad for any thing of the world.
But it is very hard to pluck out that weed; for Sadneſſe is like a nettle, a malignant ſtinging weed ſpreading in the ſoyle where it hath once taken root, and ſucking all the vigour and ſubſtance thereof. It makes a man murmure againſt God, and envy his neighbours, alwayes diſcontented, alwayes needy, ſuffering neither himſelfe nor others to be at reſt, odious to God and men and to his own ſelfe.
The life of man being ſubject to occaſions of Sadneſſe, a wiſe man will not adde voluntary ſorrow to the neceſſary. And ſince by ſorrow of the heart the ſpirit is broken, Prov. 15.13. and a broken ſpirit dryeth up the bones, Prov. 17.22. ſo that Sadneſſe is the ruine both of body and mind; he will take ſo much care of the preſervation of both, of which he is accountable to God, as to baniſh from his breaſt with his utmoſt induſtrie that fretting conſumption.
The beſt courſe for that is to exerciſe ourſelves in the love and contemplation of God, and faith in his promiſes. By theſe Sadneſſe is caſt out of the heart, and the ſoule is ſet in a pleaſant and ſerene frame. Next, this wiſedome muſt be learned of Solomon, Eccleſ. 5.17. It is good and comely for a man to eate and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he takes under the Sunne all the dayes of his life which God giveth him, for that is his portion.
Obſtinate Sadneſſe is unthankfull to God, for it drownes the benefits of God in an ungratefull oblivion, and takes away the taſte of them even while we enjoy them. And what a double miſery is that for a man, to make himſelfe guilty by making himſelfe miſerable?
For two things voluntary Sadneſſe is lawfull and uſefull, for the evill that we commit and the evill that others commit. Sadneſſe for our owne ſinnes is contrition. Sadneſſe for the ſinnes of others, is the zeale of Gods glory, both commendable & neceſſary. He that hath not a ſad reſenting of his owne ſins, muſt not hope for pardon, and is ſo farre from finding it that he cannot ſo much as ſeek it, for he that feeles not his ſickneſſe ſhall never look for the remedy. Mat. 11.28. Come to me (ſaith Chriſt) all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reſt. None are invited by the Goſpell but ſuch as labour and are heavy loaden, none but they can finde reſt unto their ſonles. This comes to that I was ſaying lately, that we muſt be ſad for no evill but ſuch as can be mended by our Sadneſſe; Such is contrition for ſinne, for it helps to heal it, making us caſt ourſelves upon the great Phyſitian the Lord Jeſus, whoſe merit is the Soveraine remedy to that great ſickneſſe. So, that Sadneſſe ends in Joy.
We muſt grieve alſo for the ſins of others, for ſince we muſt love God above all things, we muſt be very ſenſible of the diſhonour offered unto his holy name. This made Daniel and Nehemiah to faſt and pray, and God ſhewed that their Sadneſſe was acceptable unto him.
Sadneſſe then is of good uſe for theſe ends, ſo that we never ſeeke merit nor praiſe in it, remembring alwayes that Sadneſſe is evill in itſelf, & good onelyonly by accident. Sadneſſe of contrition and zeale is good as Purges and letting of blood, which are good onelyonly becauſe there is ſome evill in the body; If all were well, there would be no need of them. As then we muſt take heed of too much purging and blood-letting, ſo we muſt of too much Sadneſſe either for contrition or zeale. The uſe of Sadneſſe in contrition is to make repentance ſerious, and to humble the ſpirit, that it may be capable and thirſty of the grace of God. The uſe of ſadneſſe in zeale is to ſympathize with Gods intereſſes, and thereby beare witneſſe to God and our owne conſcience that we aknowledge our ſelves Gods children. For theſe ends it is not required at our hands to grieve without tearme and meaſure; For ſince the greatneſſe of Gods mercy is as high above our ſinnes, as Heaven is above Earth, (it is Davids compariſon) our faith and joy in Gods mercy muſt alſo be very much above our ſadneſſe for our ſins. And as God ſaith that our ſins are caſt into the ſea, Mich. 7.19. meaning the deep Ocean of his infinite mercy, likewiſe our ſorrow for our ſins muſt be drowned in the joy of his ſalvation. Whereas alſo the blaſphemies and oppoſitions of Gods enemies, by his great wiſedome and power turne to his glory, our ſadneſſe for theſe oppoſitions muſt end in joy for that almighty power and ſoveraine glory of our heavenly father, to which the greateſt enmity of Satan and the world is ſubject and tributary, for by pulling againſt it they advance it.
The conſideration of the ſubjects of Sadneſſe ſheweth more then any other, that man knoweth not himſelfe, there being nothing in which one is ſooner deceived. For many times we think ourſelves to be ſad for one thing, when we are ſad for another, miſtaking the pretence of our Sadneſſe for the cauſe. Many will impute their ſadneſſe to the ſenſe of their ſinnes, but the true cauſe is in their hypoconders ſwelled and tainted with black choller, oppreſſing the heart, and ſending up fuliginous vapours to the braines. No wonder that ſo often all the reaſons of Divinity and the ſweeteſt comforts of godlineſſe cannot erect a ſpirit beaten downe with ſadneſſe; the plaiſter is not layd to the ſore, for ſpiritnall remedies purge neither the ſpleene nor the gall nor the braines, whoſe peccant humours breed all thoſe doubts and feares whereby melancholy perſons ſo pertinaciouſly vexe themſelves and others.
Indeed the reſolution of a ſerene and religious ſpirit will preſerve body and ſoul in a ſound and quiet ſtate: But that reſolution, which is excellent for prevention of the evill, will not overcome it when the humours of the body are generally dyed and infected with melancholy. Wherefore let us beware betimes that Sadneſſe ſettle not in our heart; for the indulgence ſhewed to willfull Sadneſſe will in ſhort time ſowre all the humours of the body, and vitiate the whole maſſe of the blood, and the magazine of vital and animal ſpirits with melancholy: Then when the mind hath made the body melancholy, the body doth the like to the mind, and both together contribute to make a man miſerable, timorous, miſchievous, ſavage, lycanthrope, and a heavy burden to himſelfe. When that habit of melancholy begins by the ſpirit, it is more grievous; when it begins by the body, it is more incurable.
To draw a man out of that deep gulfe, all ſpirituall and materiall helps are of ſmal vertue, unleſſe it pleaſe God himſelfe to fetch him out of it by ſtrong hand and a ſtretched out arme; And of him, before and after all remedies, we muſt begge the remedie againſt Sadneſſe: Melancholy is the ſeat and faſtneſſe of the Devill, whence none but God alone can thruſt him out. Every time that Sadneſſe offers to deject our ſpirits, let us raiſe them againe preſently, chiding ourſelves as David did, who three times in the XLII, and XLIII Pſalmes tooke up his drooping minde with this encouragement, Why art thou caſt downe, O my ſoul, and why art thou diſquieted within me? Hope thou in God for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.