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A64968 A present for such as have been sick and are recovered, or, A discourse concerning the good which comes out of the evil of affliction being several sermons preached after his being raised from a bed of languishing / by Nathanael Vincent. Vincent, Nathanael, 1639?-1697. 1693 (1693) Wing V417; ESTC R27040 62,262 136

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Saints to God and strengthen their Resolutions to abide with God! Thus have I demonstrated that Saints are afflicted for their good In the Second Place I am to specifie that good which accrews to the Saints by Affliction 1. One good consequent of Affliction is a greater Power of Spiritual Discerning Prov. 29. 15. The Rod and Reproof give Wisdom If Mans Rod does so then it follows that the Rod of God does it much more Gods Teaching accompanies his Chastning and who Teaches like him Afflictions clear the Eye of the Soul so that it is more Single and Piercing It sees now plainly through the deceitfulness of Sin It sees the Worlds emptiness and Vanity and an End of all its Perfection It sees the Subtilty of the old Serpent and how much it concerns all neither to believe nor follow him It discerns the Insufficiency Weakness and Wickedness of Self and that 't is neither to be trusted in sought or pleased It sees the greatness of that Salvation which is in Christ and what an All-sufficient and Eternal Portion the Lord Jehovah is And the Afflicted Saints Knowledge of all this is more than Notional He knows by Experience as well as Speculation the Evil of Sin and the unsuitableness of the World is plain to his Spiritual Sense and so is the Power of the Grace of Christ In Affliction the other World opens and the Eye looks into it and what a Cypher then is this whole Globe of Earth and Waters The Apostles outward Man perished He was exercised with Affliction and what clear views had he then of things unseen 2 Cor. 4. 16 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish our inward man is renewed day by day While we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen for the things that are seen are Temporal but the things that are not seen are Eternal 2. Another good Consequent of Affliction is a more Pure and tender Conscience How great a Misery is it to have a stupid Conscience that is without or past feeling When a man has all his own Guilt and the Wrath of God abiding upon him not a Promise in the Bible belonging to him all the threatnings full charged with Curses and Woes just ready to be discharged at him And He himself is upon the very brink of Hell just ready to tumble in every Moment and yet is altogether unsensible of any danger Such a senseless Conscience is a deadly Sign it argues Spiritual Death to have full Power and Eternal Death to be at the door In the depths of Despair there is more Probability of Salvation than in the heighth of Presumption But Affliction startles the Conscience how quick is its Sight and Sense then The Saints have recourse to the Blood of Christ to purge their Consciences from all the Dead works in which they have been formerly employed And that Blood is sufficient for their Purgation and Peace Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered up himself without Spot to God purge your Consciences from dead Works to serve the Living God! And afflicted Saints are exceedingly afraid of making new wounds in their Consciences since the Smart of former wounds in their Spirits was so intolerable Lam. 3. 19 20. Remembring my Affliction and my Misery the Wormwood and the Gall my Soul has them still in remembrance and is humbled in me 3. Another good Consequent of Affliction is the Mortification of the Sin of Pride Pride is a Sin hateful to God it strikes at his Glory which God aims at in every thing he does And Pride is very hurtful to man 't is the hindrance of the Help which Divine Grace affords for God who gives Grace to the Humble instead of assisting does resist the Proud 1 Pet. 5. 5. And this Pride is the forerunner of falls into Sin and Ruine therefore says Solomon Pride goes before Destruction and an haughty Spirit before a fall The Lord cannot endure this Pride in his Saints and Affliction is sent to kill it The Troubles which the Israelites met with in the Wilderness when they were encountred with Fiery Serpents and Scorpions and Drought and many other Calamities the end of them all was to Humble them and Prove them and to do them good in the latter end Deut. 8. 15 16. A Saint who comes out of the Fire of Affliction with a Meek and humble Spirit his high Conceits and Thoughts of himself all cast down seeing himself to be nothing but what he is by the Grace of God this man looks like Silver coming out of a Furnance of Earth purified seven tunes and what a shining brightness and lustre is upon him 4. Another good Consequent of Affliction is a more perfect Subjection of the whole Man to God There is a Submission to Him by a Penitential Acknowledgment of Offences against him and justifying of him in his severest Dispensations Neh. 9. 33. Howbeit thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done Right but we have done Wickedly There is a Submission to his Righteousness a great sense that 't is by the Righteousness of One onely the second Adam that the Free Gift comes upon all that are in him unto Justification of Life Rom. 5. 18. So Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth There is likewise a Subjection of Body and Soul unto the commands of God which reach the whole man and require service from the whole And Affliction quickens Desires after Grace to keep these Precepts better so that there may not be a wandring from them Psal 119. 10. With my whole Heart have I sought thee oh let me not wander from thy Commandments Sin 's service becomes more irksome the Law of Sin more grievous but the Lords service is accounted Liberty and Life Rom. 6. 22. But now being made free from Sin and become Servants to God ye have your Fruit unto Holiness and the end Everlasting Life 5. Another good Consequent of Affliction is greater Exactness and Spirituality in Duty and Obedience Affliction causes Saints to Eye their Hearts more which God does Eye Principally Lip Labour Bodily Exercise outward Ceremonies are perceived to be when alone altogether insignificant Afflicted Saints give God their very Hearts The Strength and Vigour of their Spirits and Affections 't is very evident to them that He alone is Worthy of them And Christ not Self has their Confidence Phil. 3. 3. We are the Circumcision who Worship God in the Spirit rejoice in Christ Jesus and have no Confidence in the Flesh Afflicted Saints lift up their Souls to God in his hand they are safe and this is the Way to have them satisfied and fill'd with Joy Psal 86. 4. Rejoice the Soul of thy Servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my Soul Duties to God are performed with more Grace