Rule 6

Rule 6. Carefully shun and avoid whatever may renew your sorrow or provoke you to impatience.

Do not increase your sorrow by the sight of or conversations about sad objects, but labor to avoid them as occasions presented by the enemy of your souls to draw out the corruptions of your hearts.

I told you before why Jacob would not have the child for whom Rachel died called by the name his wife had given — Benoni, the son of my sorrow — lest it should prove a daily occasion to renew his grief for the loss of his dear wife. Instead he called his name Benjamin.

Your impatience is like tinder or gunpowder. So long as you can prevent the sparks from falling on it, there is no great danger. But those who carry such dangerous material in their own hearts cannot be too careful to prevent it. Deal with murmuring as you do with blasphemous thoughts — turn your mind entirely another way and give no occasion.