---

I. WHEN SORROW IS OVERMUCH. It is notorious that Overmuch sorrow for sin is not the ordinary case of the world,

1. When it is fed by a mistaken cause. If a man thinketh that a duty which is no duty, and then sorrow for omitting it, such sorrow is all too much, because it is undue, and caused by error. Many fearful Christians are troubled about food, clothes, thoughts, and words, thinking or fearing that all is sinful which is lawful, and that unavoidable infirmities are heinous sins.

2. When it hurteth and overwhelmeth nature itself, and destroyeth bodily health or understanding. God would not have us hurt our neighbour, nor have us destroy or hurt ourselves.

II. HOW OVERMUCH SORROW DOTH SWALLOW A MAN UP.

1. It often overthrows the sober use of reason, so that a man's judgment is corrupted by it. A man in anger, fear, or trouble thinks not of things as they are, but as his passions represent them.

2. It disableth a man to govern his thoughts, and ungoverned thoughts must needs be both sinful and very troublesome. You may almost as easily keep the leaves of trees in quietness and order in a blustering wind, as the thoughts of one in troubling passions.

3. It would swallow up faith itself, and greatly hindereth its exercise.

4. It yet more hindereth hope.

5. It swalloweth up all comfortable sense of the love of God, and thereby hindereth the soul from loving Him. And in this it is an adversary to the very life of holiness.

6. It is a false and injurious judge of all the word and works of God, and of all His mercies and corrections. Whatever such an one reads or hears, he thinks it all makes against him.

7. It is an enemy to thankfulness.

8. It is quite contrary to the joy in the Holy Ghost. Yea, and the peace in which God's kingdom much consisteth.

9. It is much contrary to the very tenor of the gospel, which is glad tidings of pardon and everlasting joy.

10. It greatly advantageth Satan, whose design is to describe God to us as like himself, who is a malicious enemy.

11. It unfits men for all profitable meditation. The more they muse, the more they are overwhelmed. And it turneth prayer into mere complaint, instead of child-like, believing supplications.

12. It is a distemper which maketh all sufferings more heavy.

III. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF IT?

1. With very many it arises from distemper or weakness of the body, and by it the soul is greatly disabled to any comfortable sense.

2. But usually other causes go before this disease of melancholy. And one of the most common is sinful impatience, a want of sufficient submission to the will of God.

3. The guilt of some wilful sin; when conscience is convinced, yet the sin is beloved and yet feared. God's wrath doth terrify, yet not enough to lead to the overcoming of sin.

4. Ignorance and mistakes in matters which peace and comforts are concerned.

(1) Ignorance of the tenor of the gospel.

(2) Mistakes about the use of sorrow for sin, and about the nature of hardness of heart.

(3) Ignorance of ourselves, not knowing the sincerity which God hath given us.

(4) Failure to fetch comfort from bare probabilities, when we get not certainty.

(5) Ignorance of other men, many think, by our preaching and writing, that we are much better than we are.

(6) Unskilful teachers cause the perplexities of many.

IV. WHAT IS THE CURE?

1. Look not on the sinful part of your troubles, either as better or worse than indeed it is.

2. Give not way to a habit of peevish impatience.

3. Set yourselves more diligently than ever to overcome the inordinate love of the world.

4. If you are not satisfied that God alone, Christ alone, heaven alone, is enough for you, as matter of felicity and full content, go, study the case better, and you may be convinced.

5. Study better how great a sin it is to set our own wills and desires in a discontented opposition to the wisdom, will, and providence of God, and to make our wills, instead of His, as gods to ourselves.

6. Study well how great a duty it is wholly to trust God, and our blessed Redeemer, both with soul and body, and all we have.

7. If you would not be swallowed up with sorrow, swallow not the baits of sinful pleasure.

8. But if none of the fore-mentioned sins cause your sorrows, but they come from the mere perplexities of your mind, I will lay down your proper remedies, and that is, the cure of that ignorance and those errors which cause your troubles.

(1) Many are perplexed about controversies in religion. Directions:

(a)  See that you be true to the light and law of nature, which all mankind is obliged to observe.

(b)  As to God's supernatural revelation, hold to God's Word, the sacred Bible.

(c)  Yet use with thankfulness the help of men for the understanding and obeying the Word of God.

(d)  Take nothing as necessary to the being of Christianity, and to salvation which is not recorded in the Scripture, and hath not been held as necessary by all true Christians in every age and place.

(e)  Maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace, with all true Christians, as such, and live in love in the communion of saints.

(f)  Never set a doubtful opinion against a certain truth or duty.

(g)  Faithfully serve Christ as far as you have attained, and be true to all the truth that you know.

(2) If your trouble be about your sins, or want of grace, and spiritual state, digest well these counsels.

(a)  God's goodness is equal to His greatness.

(b)  Christ hath come to save us.

(c)  The condition of pardon and life is that we believe Him, and willingly accept of the mercy which He freely giveth us.

(d)  The day of grace is never so past to any sinner but still he may have Christ and pardon if he will.

(3) But if melancholy have got head, there must be, beside what is said, some other and proper remedies used.

(a)  Avoid your melancholy musings.

(b)  Let those thoughts which you have be laid out on the most excellent things. The infinite goodness of God; the unmeasurable love of Christ; the unconceivable glory and joy which all the blessed have with Christ.

(c)  When you pray, resolve to spend most of your time in thanksgiving and praising God.

9. If further the sorrow proceed from some bodily disorder, as it often doth, the physician must take the place of the preacher. This sorrow must be treated by medicine and diet.

(R. Baxter.)

---

---

KJV: But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.

WEB: But if any has caused sorrow, he has caused sorrow, not to me, but in part (that I not press too heavily) to you all.