The Vanity of the Lives and Passions of Men, Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Of the vanity of the paſsion of Deſpair.
NOthing can be more hateful and odious unto God, who hath been pleaſed to create men after his own Image, then when they diſtruſt of his mercies and fall into deſpair, for in the ſecond of the firſt Table of his Commandments, he doth exalt himſelf, his Mercies above his Juſtice,Deut. 5.9.10. in theſe words, For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, viſiting the iniquitie of the father unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and ſhewing mercy unto thouſands of them that love me and keep my Commandements: Yet the Stoicks, the moſt preſumptuous Sect of all the ancient Philoſophers, honor the paſſion of deſpair above all other paſſions, for Seneca one of the greateſt Champions of it, doth exalt the criminal and abhorred act of Cato of Ʋtica (who ripped up his own bowels with his own hands,See Plutarch in the life of Cato. becauſe he would not be obliged to the clemency of Ceſar for his life) as the moſt heroical action that ever was acted.See Tacitus in the life of Nero. And notwithſtanding Seneca himſelf was ſtrucken with a certain fear and horror, when the meſſenger that was ſent unto him from Nero, told him, that it was the Emperors pleaſure, that he ſhould make choiſe of what manner of death he would, for die he muſt; whereupon, ſeeing there was no other remedy, he made, as they ſay, of neceſſity Vertue, and commanded his ſervant to heat a Stove, and cauſed his veines to be opened as he was in the Stews, that he might depart this life with the leſt torment and anguiſh that might be, out of fear that his Stoick conſtancy ſhould have failed him at his need.That the Academick Sect was the beſt of all the Heathen Philoſophers. But the Academicks, another Sect of the Heathen Philoſophers, maintain that it is rather a Puſillanimity then a true fortitude of courage for men to lay violent hands upon themſelves, to be free of the greateſt evil that can befall them in this life, and this opinion doth beſt agree with the principles of the Proteſtant Religion, for he that doth with conſtancy and patience endure the greateſt evils, torments, and anguiſhes of the body, that can be inflicted upon him by the cruelleſt Tyrants;That true conſtancy and fortitude, is more viſibly ſeen in the bearing of evils with patience then by laying violent hands upon our ſelves. and the grief and ſorrow of minde, which may proceed from the ſhame, reproaches, and ignominy that is done by them to his perſon in the publick view of the world, hath a far higher degree of fortitude and manly courrge, then they who to prevent the foreſaid evils, torments and anguiſhes, or ſhame and ignominy, lay violent hands upon themſelves, becauſe the longer the Dolour continues, the greater is the conſtancy and fortitude of men that endure the ſame; and it is daily ſeen, that the pains of violent deaths, are of no continuance: And this was the reaſon why the Emperor Tiberius Nero, See Tacitus in Tiberius life.one of the moſt cruel Tyrants that ever lived upon earth, did prolong the lives of thoſe he moſt hated, by keeping of them in dungeons with bread and water for many years together, ſaying to his friends that deſired to know the reaſon of it, becauſe they ſhall (ſaid he) feel daily the fears and apprehenſions of death, which is worſe then death it ſelf, and die for one death a thouſand deaths. Yet if men will dive into the nature and effects of this paſſion of Deſpair without partiality, they will finde that good uſe may be made of it, ſo it doth not attain to that exorbitant and horrid degree of Self-murdering. Give me leave therefore to extend my Diſcourſe upon theſe particulars.
1. On the definition of this paſſion of Deſpair.
2. On the diverſity of the Cauſes of it.
3. On the bad and good Effects of it.
4. On the Remedies to allay the fury of it.
There are divers ſorts of Deſpair, which may be reduced to theſe three: firſt, Worldly: ſecondly, Moral: thirdly, Spiritual. The worldly Deſpair is nothing elſe but a conceit of an impoſſibility in the acquiſition of the vain hopes of men, as it will appear in the Cauſes and Effects of that kinde of Deſpair. The definition of the Moral Deſpair, is according to the opinion of the beſt Moraliſts as followeth. Deſpair, ſaith Boujou, Theophraſt Boujou Lord of Beaulieu fol. 723.is a paſsion of the Soul, withdrawing men from ſome good much deſired, becauſe it is repreſented by the Senſes to their imagination, as impoſsible to be obtained. Senault in his uſe upon the paſſions, pag. 344.Deſpair, ſaith Senault, is a violent motion of the ſoul, that keeps men aloof from the proſecution of ſome good, in which they ſee no probability it can be obtained. Now this good is not always a real good, for the Senſes do oftentimes delude the Reaſon and Judgment of men; but ſuppoſe it be a real good, then it is Vertue it ſelf, or ſome vertuous Object, Action, or Deſign wch they conceive impoſſible to be obtained or performed, for Moral Hope hath no other object then Vertue, or vertuous and generous actions, and by conſequence Moral Deſpair muſt have the ſame objects,The definition of worldly, moral, and ſpiritual deſpair. for divers of the ancient Moraliſts held Self-murdering no Deſpair, (as I have given a hint of it in the laſt Diſcourſe) but an action of fortitude, and of magnanimity of courage. And this Moral Deſpair is the oppoſite, and great Antagoniſt of Moral Hope, and the ſecond paſſion incident to the Iraſcible appetite, which doth mitigate the extravagancy of mens Hopes, as it will appear in the inſuing Diſcourſes; yet men often times deſpair of things, in which they imagine impoſſibilities, when there is none, as it will appear by theſe two Inſtances, About ſixſcore years paſt, it was a thing thought impoſſible to ſail with a ſhip round about the circuit of the earth, and yet Magalen a Portugais, See the Spaniſh and Engliſh Hiſtory.and Sir Francis Drake an Engliſh man have ſhown by experience that it was poſſible to be done: ſecondly, In the days of Charls the ninth, Henry the third, and Henry the fourth, Kings of France; It was a thing thought impoſſible to take the City of Rochel by force or by famine, and yet the Cardinal de Riche-lieu by the Art of a French Enginere,See the French Hiſtory. hath ſhown by experience it was poſſible to be done, for by a floating bridge that he made over an Arm of the Sea, upon which he planted Ordinances, and erected two Towers, and with a land Army, Lewis the thirteenth King of France, took that City by famine in leſs then a year; whereupon I conclude, that men Deſpair of things by imagining impoſſibilities where there is none, and this proceeds from want of judgment, power, or experience, for it is daily ſeen, that which ſeems to be impoſſible to one man, is eaſie and facile to another. Spiritual Deſpair is nothing elſe but a diſtruſt of Gods mercy, which by the temptation of Satan, do intice men to be the murderers of themſelves, which is the next ſin to the ſin of the Holy Ghoſt.
Secondly, The cauſes of worldly Deſpair may be theſe: firſt, The death of a beloved party;See Bandel in his Tragical Hiſtories. Romelio ſuppoſing his beloved Miſtreſs Iuliete to be dead, when ſhe was but in a ſwound, ſlew himſelf upon her body, and when ſhe came to her ſelf again, ſhe ſeeing her Sweet-Heart had killed himſelf for her ſake, ſhe ſtabbed her ſelf with his Poynard: ſecondly, The infidelity in love is a cauſe of Deſpair;See Virgils Aeneads. Dido Queen of Carthage ſlew her ſelf, becauſe Aeneas a Trojan Prince forſook her and ſailed into Italy: but if this be a Poeticall Fable, hear a true Relation. A proper young maiden being ſecretly betrothed to a young man living here in London, who broke his faith, and married another; whereupon the maiden being tranſported with Deſpair poiſoned her ſelf, and died the next day, this hapned within this twelve monethmonth. I could relate a hundred ſuch inſtances, to prove that of all the paſſions, Love being abuſed, or extinguiſhed by death, doth ſooner then any other thing beget Deſpair, but I paſs them over for brevity ſake: thirdly, Avarice is the cauſe of Deſpair; A Merchant in London of good means, having had ſome loſſes at ſea, and having received the tidings of it on the Saturday; he being tranſported with Deſpair, hung himſelf on the Sunday morning when his ſervants were at Church; and it is a common thing among the Cormorant Farmers, when they have Monopolized all the corn of a County into their hands, to hang or drown themſelves, if the next year prove to be a fruitful year: fourthly, Famine is a cauſe of Deſpair,2 Kings 6.29. for in Jehorams days, ſuch a famine was in Samaria, that two women boiled a childe, and did eate the ſame, the mother of the childe out of Deſpair conſenting to it; and whoſoever will be pleaſed to read Ioſephus will ſee the horrid actions of ſome of the Iews committed out of Deſpair, becauſe of the great famine that was at Ieruſalem, when it was beſieged by the Romans: fifthly, The fear to fall into the hands of a cruel enemy cauſeth Deſpair, ſome of the richeſt of the Saguntines, rather then they would fall into the hands of Hanibal, and his cruel Carthaginian and Numidian ſouldiers,See Titus Livius in his third Decade. lib. 1. pag. 34. did carry all their wealth, with their wives and children into their Market place, and having made a great heap of their rich moveables they ſet the fire in it, and ſlew their wives and children, and having caſt them into the fire they ſlew themſelves afterwards: ſixtly, Shame is a cauſe of Deſpair; Cleopatra Queen of Egypt being informed that it had been reſolved in the Counſel of Auguſtus Ceſar, that ſhe ſhould be led as a captive after the triumphant Chariot of the ſaid Emperor, when he ſhould make his entry into Rome; out of Deſpair to avoid that ſhame,See Plutarch in Marcus Antonius life. ſhe applied two Vipers to her two breaſts, and ſo died. There are divers other cauſes of worldly Deſpair, but they are of another nature, for they attain not to that exorbitant degree of Self-murdering, but draw men off from their vain hopes, and raſh enterpriſes; of which I ſhall have occaſion to ſpeak in the Effects of this paſſion of Deſpair.
The Cauſes of Moral Deſpair proceed from the fatall events from generous and Martial achievements, or from the managing of affairs of State: firſt, after the Battel of Cannae, that Hanibal won upon the Romans, the young Nobility that fled and ſaved themſelves from the rout of it, were ſo tranſported with Deſpair, that they reſolved to fly out of Italy, and had done ſo, but for Publius Scipio, who hearing of their reſolution,See Titus Livius in his third Decade, lib. 3. came amongſt them, and after a ſharp cenſure for their puſillanimity made them ſwear never to forſake him till he had been avenged upon Hanibal for the ſhame the Romans had received at Cannae: And by their means was he elected by the voyce of the People to go as General into Africa, to inforce Hanibal by a diverſion of war, to withdraw his forces out of Italy: ſecondly, The Carthaginians were ſo tranſported with Fear and Deſpair after the laſt overthrow that Scipio gave them not far from Carthage, where he routed Hanibal and Iuba King of the Numidians, that they loſt all hope and courage, and made a moſt ſhameful peace with the Romans, for they did deliver up unto them all their ſhipping: But contrarily after the loſs of three famous battels that Hanibal won upon the Romans; Hope inflamed their courage, and by it, from a conquered People, they became Conquerors; A good caveat for Princes or States, to diſſwade them from Deſpairing, in the diſmal events of war, but to foment hope in their breaſt in their greateſt diſgraces; for if Deſpair creap in mens hearts that hold the Helm of the ſhip of the Common-wealth,See Titus Iavius in his third Decade, lib. 3. all goes to wrack: thirdly, Charls the ſeventh, King of France, was for ſometime ſo poſſeſſed with Deſpair by the evil events that his men of war had daily with the Engliſh Armies that were under the Command of the Duke of Bedford, that he ſuffered his own, and publick affairs to go to ruine, till his Concubine La bella Agnes, by the perſwaſion of the French Peers,See du Halian in his French Hiſtory. and ſome of his chiefeſt, and moſt faithful Commanders of war infuſed Hope into his heart, by ſaying unto him, that ſhe was minded to leave him, for ſhe had been told, that ſhe ſhould be the Miſtreſs of the moſt valourous Prince in Chriſtendom, and ſhe ſaw nothing but puſillanimity in him, for he did ſuffer the Engliſh to rent his Kingdom in piecemeals: This coming from a woman, filled the King with indignation, and with the hopes that the Pucelle of Orleans, as they called her, gave him to raiſe the ſiege of Orleans, that was then beſieged by the Engliſh, he took from that time forward his, and the publick affairs to heart, and became a valorous Prince: fourthly, In the beginning of the reign of Henry the fourth King of France, the true French Nation was brought into ſuch a plunge of Deſpair by the conſpiracy of the Chatholick league, and the aſſociation it had with Spain, with the general revolt of the greateſt Cities in France againſt their lawful King, that had not God filled the heart of Henry the fourth with Hope, and undanted valour, that Kingdom had been rent and torn in pieces by forraign Princes: fifthly, Ahitophel fel into ſuch a deep Deſpair,2 Sam. 27.23. becauſe his Councel was rejected, and Huſhaies Councel was accepted, that he went and put his houſe in order, and then hanged himſelf: ſixthly, The Cardinal Ximines, See the Spaniſh Hiſtory in the beginning of the reign of Charls the fifth.who was Viceroy in Spain, during the minority of the Emperor, Charls the fifth, died with Sorrow and Deſpair, becauſe his faithful ſervices to the Crown of Spain were rewarded with an ingrateful diſmiſſion from the Court, and all publick afairs.
Firſt, Apoſtacy is the cauſe of ſpirtual Deſpair, for Saul, King of Iſrael, fell into Deſpair for diſobeying the Commandment of the Lord,Four cauſes of ſpiritual Deſpair. in not cutting off all the Amalekites, and for repairing to the Witch of Endor, in ſtead to ask counſel of God; and being wounded by the Philiſtins, and his Army routed upon Mount Gilboa, 1 Sam. 31.40.he fell upon his ſword and killed himſelf: ſecondly, Iudas Iſcariot, that betraied our bleſſed Saviour, fell into Deſpair for his Apoſtacy and diſloyalty, and brought again the thirty pieces of ſilver to the chief Prieſt and Elders, and ſaid, I have ſinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood, Mat. 27.3, 4.and ſo went out and hanged himſelf: thirdly, Franciſco Spira fell into Deſpair for his Apoſtacy, for having imbraced the Proteſtant Religion, he was by large promiſes of great preferments ſeduced to return to Popery, but the worm of Conſcience did ſo rack him,See the book of Martyrs. that he often cried out he was in in hell, becauſe the torments of hell, as he ſaid, could not be greater then thoſe that he did ſuffer: fourthly, The perſecuting of Gods children is a cauſe to beget a ſpiritual Deſpair in men, as you may ſee at large in a Treatiſe, called, The Iudgments of God upon Perſecutors.
Thirdly, The worſt effect of Self-murdering Deſpair is, that it deprives men of Repentance, and by conſequence of ſalvation, for Repentance is a gift of the free grace of God, neither can men repent when they will,Six pernitius effect of De-Deſpair. ſith it is not their own gift but Gods, and how can they repent when their Underſtanding, and their Will which are the nobleſt faculties of their ſoul are perverted, and ſo diſtempered with this furious paſſion of Deſpair, that they are rather like mad then rational men, and worſe then the bruit creatures, for none of them will deſtroy their own kinde, much leſs themſelves;Repentance is a gift of God, and is not at mens diſpoſing, and muſt be attained by prayers, and not to be deferred to the hour of death. for Self-murdering is an action contrary to the Law of Nature, for Nature ſtrives in all its Effects to preſerve its own beeing: beſides, it is expreſly prohibited by the Law of God: that one man ſhould murder another: but ſuppoſe he do, yet if he murder the body of a man, he cannot murder his ſoul; but he that murdereth himſelf, doth murder his owne body, and his own ſoul, and therefore deſerves a far greater puniſhment then a common murderer: ſecondly, This kinde of Deſpair proceeds from a diſtruſt of Gods merciemercy, and what greater injury can be done to God by man then to diſtruſt of his infinite mercy, and to be a wilful rebel to his bleſſed Commandments? thirdly, It deprives men of all Reaſon, Judgment, Compaſſion, and Humanity, for they are more cruel to themſelves then their greateſt enemies can be to them, as it will appear by theſe three inſuing effects of Deſpair: fourthly, In the time of the civil wars,See Plutarch in Syllaes life. between Sylla and Marius: Sylla beſieged Preneſte, a ſmall, but a very ſtrong City of Italy, becauſe it had ſided with Marius; and after a long ſiege he took the ſame, and commanded that all the Inhabitants ſhould be put to the Sword, and the City ſet on fire, onelyonly he charged that his Hoſt and his Family ſhould be preſerved, becauſe in former time he had ſhewed him much love, and good hoſpitality; ſo at the firſt entrance of the Town, an Officer with a band of ſouldiers were ſent to this Hoſts houſe to preſerve it from plunder: but he hearing of Syllaes cruel decree againſt the City, was ſo tranſported with Deſpair, that he ſlew himſelf, ſaying, He would not be obliged for his life to the deſtroyer of his native Countrey: See Plutarch in Ceſars life.fifthly, in the civil war between the Ceſarean and the Pompeian faction, a Centurion, or Captain of Ceſar, and ſome thirty common ſouldiers were taken in a fight, and brought before Cornelius Scipio, that was then Governor of Africa for the Pompeian party, who condemned them all to death, the Centurion excepted, who ſeeing the cruelty of Scipio, drew out his ſword, and ſlew himſelf in his preſence, ſaying, He would not be obliged for his life to ſo cruel an enemy of Ceſar: ſixthly, In the war that fell out between the Romans and the Iews, in the days of the Emperor Veſpaſianus: See Joſephus in the war of the Iews.Titus his ſon laid ſiege, and incompaſſed Iopata, a ſtrong City of the Iews, with trenches, and a powerful Army; and after a long ſiege, and great reſiſtance, thirty of the chiefeſt Magiſtrates of Iopata ſeeing no probability that the City could hold out any longer, hid themſelves in a private Vault, into which they conveied victuals for three days, before which time the City was taken by a Storm, and the greateſt part of the people put to the ſword, and ſuch ſtrickt watch ſet to the gates that none could eſcape, ſo that theſe thirty in the Vault muſt either yield themſelves to the Romans or famiſh; whereupon tranſported with Deſpair, they reſolved rather to kill themſelves, then to die a lingering death, or to yield themſelves to the mercy of the Romans: a deſperate, mad, and barbarous reſolution! for the fury of the ſouldiers being over, they had undoubtedly obtained mercy: and ſo they caſt lots who ſhould be killed firſt, till there were but two left alive, and that was Ioſephus and another, who abhorring this Selfmurdering, perſwaded his fellow to yield themſelves to the Romans, to which he conſented, and having diſcovered themſelves they were brought before Titus, who having heard of the merit of Ioſephus, ſhewed him mercy, and at his intreaty ſaved the life of his fellow.
Fourthly, The good effects of the paſſion of Deſpair may be theſe: firſt, It annihilates and turneth to ſmoak, all the vain and extravagant hopes of men that are fixed upon impoſſibilities:Four good effects of Deſpair. ſecondly, It doth quench the burning flames of love, and clips the wings of preſumptuous Lovers, who fly too high with their deſires, that would otherwiſe rack and torment their mindes, and make them daily ſigh and groan, becauſe they could not obtain the enjoyment of that object, that is too rare and excellent for their degree; but Deſpair coming on, makes them deſiſt from the proſecution of things in which there is no probability they can be obtained: thirdly, it mitigates the ambitious hopes of Princes, who would conceive nothing impoſſible to them becauſe of their might and power, if this faithful counſellor of Deſpair did not reſpreſent unto them the difficulties there may be to attain to the fruition of their Hope. The Emperor, Charls the fifth,See du Bailys Commentaries in the life of Francis the firſt King of France. being ready to paſs out of Italy into France with a very potent Army, led by approved Commanders, and compoſed of old and experienced ſouldiers, cauſed this Army to be ranged in Battel array, and when it was Marſhalized in the beſt order it could be, according to the Art, and Rules of War, he ſent for a French Noble man, that was his Priſoner, to ride along with him to view this Army; and after they had ridden through the ſame, and viewed all the Squadrons of it; The Emperor did ask the Noble man, what he conceived of this Army? He anſwered, that it was a gallant one, and well diſciplined; I hope, ſaid the Emperor, to ride with this Army thorow the heart of France, without impediment of any moment, and come to the very walls of Paris ſafe; Sir, ſaid the French Noble man, mitigate your Hopes with Deſpair, for I can aſſure you, if you had three ſuch Armies, you will not come to Paris before you are well beaten; and ſo it fell out, for he went no furthen then Marſellies, and there loſt thirty thouſand of his men, and was inforced to raiſe his ſiege, and to return with ſhame and diſhonor into Italy: fourthly, As Deſpair makes men fly, and takes away their courage; ſo, when it isextream, and that there is no hope left for the preſervation of their lives, it inflames their courage,See the Engliſh Hiſtory, and du Halian in his French Hiſtory. and makes them fight like Lyons. The Black Prince having entred France with an Army of ſome ten thouſand men, and taken divers ſtrong holds in Poytou; Iohn then King of France, came againſt him with an Army of thirty thouſand men; the Prince ſeeing himſelf over-matched, by the means of the Popes Nuncio deſired to come to a Treaty, and offered to the French King to reſtore unto him all the ſtrong holds he had taken, and to make good the damages he had received, ſo he might peaceably retreat with his Army into Aquitain, that did then belong to the Kingdom of England; but King Iohn, a raſh and inconſiderate Prince, required greater things, which ſtood not with the Princes honor to grant, and ſo was inforced out of Deſpair to fight whether he would or no; and being an excellent ſouldier, ſeated his Camp in a high ground full of thorns and buſhes, which he lined with his Archers, and cauſed in the night time a deep ditch to be caſt up about his Camp, to break the fury of the French horſe; the French in the morning, in ſtead to ſend their foot to make a paſſage through this ditch, ſent their horſe, who falling atop of one another in the ditch were ſlain by the Archers, and the battel of the French diſordered; whereupon the Prince came upon them with his whole Army, and obtained a famous victory, and took King Iohn and his youngeſt ſon Philip le Hardy, that was afterwards Duke of Burgundy priſoners, and a great number of the French Nobility; which confirms that extream Deſpair makes men fight like Lyons, and that wiſe Princes are rather to make golden bridges for their enemies to retreat, then by deſpair to enforce them to fight. To conclude, Deſpair is a dangerous paſſion, and Self-murdering Deſpair is to be abhorred of Chriſtians, for it doth not onelyonly deſtroy the body, but it doth alſo caſt mens ſouls into the pit of eternal wo. There is alſo another ſort of Deſpair, which I have not as yet ſpoken of, which proceeds from natural infirmities, as from burning Feavers, Frenzies, and Madneſs; but the evil effects which proceed from theſe, are rather to be imputed to keepers of the Patients, then to themſelves, or to the fury of the diſeaſe, and therefore cannot come within the compaſs of Self murder. The Remedies againſt which horrid ſin are contained in the inſuing Diſcourſe.
Fifthly,Six remedies againſt Deſpair. The Remedies to prevent the evil and moſt pernicious effects of this dangerous paſſion of Deſpair, which is one of the ſtrongeſt temptations of Satan, may be theſe and ſuch other paſſages of ScriptureaPſal. 5.2. Hearken unto the voyce of my cry, my King and my God, for unto thee will I pray; for conſtant and fervent prayers are able to caſt back this temptation like filth in Satans face, and to obtain of the Lord theſe ſupernatural graces, whereby Chriſtians will be inabled to defie and overcome Deſpair: firſt, Faith, as a ſhield wherewith men ſhall be able, ſaith St. Paul, to quench all the fiery bEpheſ. 6.16.darts of the wicked. And to ſay with Iob in the greateſt tribulations that can befall them in this life, Though he ſlay me, yet will I cJob 13.15.truſt in him: ſecondly, Repentance, for it is a pretious Antitode againſt the venom of Deſpair; What had become of St. Peter for denying his Lord and Maſter three times before the CockdMatth. 26.75. crowed once, if by the bitter tears of Repentance he had not obtained mercy? Nay, the very temporal and fained Repentance of Ahab King of Iſrael moved God to transfer, or remove the execution of his wrathe1 Kings 21.27, 28, 29. from him to his children: And it is conceived by the beſt Divines, that if Iudas, who betraied our bleſſed Saviour had repented of his horrid ſin, he had not faln intofMatt. 27.5. deſpair, for the compaſſions of the Lord are incomprehenſible, and his mercies are infinite, as it appears by his towards Manaſſeh g2 Chron. 33.12, 13.King of Iudah, who had committed all the wickedneſs that could be imagined by the hearts of men, for he cauſed the Prophet Iſaiah to ſuffer a moſt cruel death, by ſawing his body in the midſt with a Saw, and he turned aſide from the Lord to commit Idolatry, and cauſed his ſon to paſs through the fire, and dealt with Familiar Spirits, and made the ſtreets of Ieruſalem to overflow with the innocent blood he cauſed to be ſpilt; and yet when he humbled himſelf by an unfained Repentance before the Lord; God was ſo gracious as to ſhew him mercy, and from a miſerable Captive he reſtored him to his royall dignity: thirdly, Patience is a ſpecial remedy againſt Deſpair, for it preſerved Job in the midſt of his greateſt temptation, nay, when his wife, that ſhould have been his greateſt comforter, ſaid unto him, Doſt thou ſtill retain thy integrity? Curſe hJob 2.9, 10.God and die; He anſwered with an admirable meekneſs of Spirit, Thou ſpeakeſt as one of the fooliſh women ſpeaketh, What? Shal we receive good at the hand of God, and ſhall we not receive evil? And this onelyonly conſideration, That all things work for good to them that iRom. 8.28.love God, ſhould keep men from Deſpair, when they are in a maner overwhelmed with the greateſt afflictions that can befall them in this life: fourthly, Confidence in God, is an excellent remedy againſt Deſpair; for ſuch as truſt in the Lord, may ſay with the Prophet David, I will not kTſal. 3.6.be afraid of ten thouſands of people that have ſet themſelves againſt me: fifthly, Hope is a powerful remedy againſt Deſpair; for if men ſay with the Prophet David, The Lord is my Rock lPſal. 18.2.and my Fortreſs, and my Deliverer, for my mPſal 39.7.hope is in thee: ſixthly, Fortitude is an excellent remedy againſt Deſpair, for it is able to daſh and overcome all the evil apprehenſions that beget Deſpair, and check mens puſillanimity with theſe words of the Prophet David, Why art thou caſt down, O my ſoul, and why art thou nPſal. 42.11diſquieted within me? hope thou in God, for I ſhall yet praiſe him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. By theſe and the like paſſages of Scripture men may prevent the dangerous effect of Deſpair: Nay, draw unſpeakable comforts out of the very Cauſes that beget Deſpair, which paſſion is full of vanity and vexation of ſpirit, &c.