Troubles and vexation of spirit, not to be allayed by wrong means and waies. [ 1252]
IT is said of Cain, that being in trouble of mind, and terrour of conscience, for his bloody sin of fratricide,* 1.1 he went to allay it, by building a City, Gen. 4. And there was no way to drive away Saul's melancholy, but by David's tuning of his Harp. Thus it is with most of people, when they are under trouble of mind, or vexation of spirit, they use sinfull and wrong means to quiet themselves; they run to merry meetings, to musick, to building, to bargaining, to buying and selling; but they run not to God on the bended knees of their hearts, who is the onely speedy help in such a time of need. It cannot be denyed, but that a merry meeting, musick, or the like, may allay the trouble of mind for a while, but it will recoil with more terrour then before: A sad remedy, not much unlike to a man in a seavou••, that lets down cold drink, which cools for the present, but afterwards increaseth the more heat; or like a man rubbing himself with Nettles, to allay the sting of a Bee; or not much unlike to one, that hath his house a falling, and takes a firebrand to uphold it, whereby the building is more in danger.