seeing there is nothing that God is more desirous to bestow, than that which will cure us of all our griefs.

Of these I shall say no more, and of the rest nothing at all, lest I should weary my other Readers, though not You, who have given me abundant testimony that I can do nothing to displease you, and thereby laid a perpetual engagement upon me to be,

The most affectionate of those

that love and serve you,

From your House

at Battersea,
Oct. 4. 59.

SYMON PATRICK.

** ** **

CONTENTS.

Page

AN Introduction, showing that all men's

desires are seeking for quiet. In the

Gospel only it is to be found. Christ

bequeathed it as a Legacy to his Dis-

ciples. The design of this Treatise.

Ch. 1. Two Reasons against trouble, drawn

from Christ's promises, and God's

Providence

2. Three other Reasons, which show

that we may be good, whatsoever

comes; and we may turn it into good;

and if we do not, it will be a double

evil

3. Some other Reasons, from the kind-

ness that may be intended us in every

thing, from the nature of the World,

and the nature of Virtue.

1

5

11

18

4. Where we must lay our foundation of

settlement; and how it must be laid. 24

5. Two Rules directing unto peace, by

understanding and doing and distin-

guishing of our Duty .

6. Two Rules more concerning the

choice of means and carelessness

about events

7. The knowledge of ourselves, together

29

36

with the consideration of the necessary

consequents of every thing, are two

other Remedies against trouble

8. It is of great import to consider well

what we enjoy, and we should cast

that in the Balance against our wants,

which is the substance of one Rule

more

9. Two Considerations more: one of the

wants of others: another of the uncer-

tainty of our own enjoyments

10. Three Directions more, showing how

we should shut the world out of our-

selves, and avoid self-flattery, and take

heed of rash anger at our ownselves.

11. Humility and self-annihilation; know-

ledge and judgment; simplicity and

purity; constancy and fixedness in

one thing, are four excellent means to

keep us from trouble.

12. A Caution and the Conclusion, show-

ing that these things suppose the

practice of some more general Rules;

and that we must not have these truths

to get when we have need of them

The Second Discourse.

§1. Wherein is shown the need of a Con-

solatory Discourse against the loss of

our Friends

2. Wherein is shown that we may grant

40

45

51

55

61

67

73

Nature leave to ease it by moderate

tears; and two Advices are given to

keep us from making an ill use of this

Grant

76

3. Which shows rather what might be

said, than what is said in this present

Treatise for moderating our sorrows.

But yet those Examples which we

have from others, may move us to

follow their Rules, and so a brief

touch is made upon them . . . . 82

4. Which teaches to consider what Death

is: First, Common; Secondly, Ne-

cessary; Thirdly, Good, And if we

thought more of it, we should not be

unwilling to part, neither doth the

manner of parting make any consider-

able difference

85

5. Which contains comfort against the

loss of Children, Parents, Consorts,

Friends, upon a due consideration

what every one of them is . . . . 102

6. Which directs how to quiet ourselves

by comparing ourselves, both with

ourselves and with others, and there

are five ways of comparisons insisted

. . 140

7. Several Reasons are given against

immoderate Sorrow, which are com-

prised in fourteen questions, which we

should make to ourselves. The rea-

son and spirit of them you may see

on ..