"A childish kind of peevishness: when they have not what they would have, like children they throw away all; which, though it be very offensive to God's Spirit, yet it seizeth upon men otherwise gracious. Abraham himself, wanting children, Genesis 15:2, undervalued all other blessings. Jonah, because he was crossed of his gourd, was weary of his life. The like may be said of Elias, flying from Jezebel. This peevishness is increased by a too much flattery of their grief, so far as to justify it; like Jonas, "I do well to be angry even unto death," Jonah 4:9; he would stand to it. Some, with Rachel, are so peremptory, that they 'will not be comforted,' Jeremiah 31:15, as if they were in love with their grievances. Willful men are most vexed in their crosses. It is not for those to be willful that have not a great measure of wisdom to guide their wills; for God delights to have his will of those that are wedded to their own wills, as in Pharaoh. No men more subject to discontentments than those who would have all things their own ways."
"The casting down of ourselves is not from humility, but from pride; we must have our will, or God shall not have a good look from us, but as pettish and peevish children we hang our heads in our bosom, because our wills are crossed."
"Men lay up their comforts too much on outward things, which being subject to much inconstancy and change, breed disquiet. Vexation always follows vanity, when vanity is not apprehended to be where it is. In that measure we are cast down in the disappointing of our hopes, as we were too much lifted up in expectation of good from them. Whence proceed these complaints: Such a friend hath failed me; I never thought to have fallen into this condition; I had settled my joy in this child, in this friend, etc. But this is to build our comfort upon things that have no firm foundation, to build castles in the air, as we use to say. Therefore it is a good desire of the wise man Agur to desire God 'to remove from us vanity and lies,' Proverbs 30:8; that is, a vain and false apprehension pitching upon things that are vain and lying, promising that contentment to ourselves from the creature which it cannot yield. Confidence in vain things makes a vain heart, the heart becoming of the nature of the thing it relys on. We may say of all earthly things as the prophet speaketh, 'here is not our rest,' Micah 2:10."
"Therefore, in all our troubles we should look first home to our own hearts, and stop the storm there; for we may thank our own selves, not only for our troubles, but likewise for overmuch troubling ourselves in trouble. It was not the troubled condition that so disquieted David's soul, for if he had a quiet mind, it would not have troubled him. But David yielded to the discouragements of the flesh, and the flesh, so far as it is unsubdued, is like the sea that is always casting mire and dirt of doubts, discouragements, and murmurings in the soul; let us, therefore, lay the blame where it is to be laid." ~ Richard Sibbes
