world Gen. 19.6 and these troubles as the Angels on him lay hold on mee the Lord being mercifull vnto mee to bring me forth and to set me without the bounds of destruction I will therefore take in all that come for in doing this as other in their tents I may entertaine in this earthly tabernacle Angels vnawares Heb. 14. â—â— An Angell sent from God for some speciall good to me is my tribulation and this is my comfort in my affliction 8. By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions demonstrate faithfull and fruitfull branches Euerie branch of the vine that beareth fruit is purged that it may bring forth more fruit Io. 15.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 defractionem partium luxuriantium Aret. in loc Fert vberiorem fructum post refectionem Aret. vbi sup Vitis foditur circuÌ„ciditur sterceratur putatur aliisque multis exercetur laboribus c. Aret. vbi sup For as after the refection defraction of the parts luxuriant the branches of the vine yeeld more fruit so the faithfull in their afflictions which are as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rusticke purgations are the more fruitfull not pruned at ease and grow wilde apace or their grapes wilde but purged afflicted wounded within and bruised without euerie gift is stirred vp and set to work euery grace that is in them the lights put vnder a bushell before shine afterwards as in candlestickes set vpon hills What vse before of faith or of patience before what hope or ioy in the holy Ghost As the wine forced runs out of the presse and as the weights of a clocke turne all the wheeles about so the loads of afflictions presse out of them that are Christs the praises of Christ * 1 Pet. 2.9 and shew forth the hidden vertues of them that are the hidden ones of God * Psal 83.4 This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Pinched I am pruned and pared nigh yea cut to the quicke that I bleed in spirit but needfull the compunction it is the first degree of inward humiliation if a wound bee it is the second and not hurtfull nor the third which is the contrition it selfe Better is a conscience wounded D. Slater Salue for a wounded spirit than a conscience seared better a heart grownd to powder with the millstone of wrath turning about vpon it than one dedolent and past feeling of sin and wrath better a soule to be lopped in the passions of sinnes than to be obducted with ranke lusts or neglected and reiected Not meerely poenall the wounded spirit in the children of God as in Cain and Iudas the beginning of their hell but either castigatory for the chastisement of some particular disobedience as Dauids or probatory for triall as Iobs or percursory for preuention as Pauls thorne in his flesh lest through the abundance of reuelations he should be exalted aboue measure 2 Cor. 12. or purgatorie for the cleansing of vncleane and euill thoughts imaginations and reasonings touching Gods prouidence the word the profession the power of nature selfe-abilitie to conuert inherent righteousnesse good works freewill and security in the arme of flesh How such sparkles rise in vnswept chimneyes the fire blowne with the bellowes of hell who knoweth not that knoweth the deuices of Satan Phil. 2. Therefore I will through him that worketh the will and the good deed giue all diligence to search and try mine own wayes In euery crooked way I may finde a crosse * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 my crosses indigitate mine exorbitancies As I deprehend them I will amend them and bring forth fruit meet for repentance new obedience in all things the old things in mee shall become all new When I shoot forth Isai 27.8 the Lord will in measure debate with mee and stay the rough wind in the day of the East wind when I blossome and bud and fill the face of the world with fruit in its season for I will approue my selfe as the seruant of Christ 2 Cor. 6.5 6. in much patience in afflictions in necessities in distresses in tumults in labours by the word of truth by the power of God by the armour of righteousnesse on the right hand and on the left by honour and dishonour by good report and euill report as persecuted yet not profligated as chastened and yet not killed as sorrowfull and yet reioycing as pruned being pampinous too full of needlesse sprigges and superfluous twigges yet not taken away as the fruitlesse branch nor cast forth nor withered nor gathered of men nor cast into the fire but purged for fructification Io. 15.6 and this is my comfort in my affliction 9. By the word of God through faith they vnderstand that afflictions are necessary exercises Heb. 12.13 a kind of wrestling betweene the Lord and his seruants Troubles on them his hands on them and theirs on him the right hand of faith 2 Tim. 2.5 Thus it is wrested and who preuaileth Alwayes the afflicted striuing lawfully The lawfull striuing learned of Iacob Hoseah his interpreter hee had power with God and preuailed for hee wept and made supplication vnto him Hos 11. so may all ouercome if the Lord may ouercome the heart yeelded vp the strife is ended humbled in the sight of God immediately lifted vp Iam. 5.10 teares seene hee yeelds supplications made he takes away his hand the victory with facility had grieuous the conflict for the present time yet ioyous afterwards Heb. 12.11 the Lord not let goe the blessing not obtained This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Is the euill vpon me the hand of the Lord Doth hee thereby wrestle with mee wretched man that I am who shall deliuer mee Rom. 7.24 Hee will himselfe hold mee downe with his left and vphold mee with his owne right hand my faith his gift Io. â— 2â— his worke that I beleeue in him beleeuing in him I cannot nor shall be cast downe of him or out of his sight Gen. 35.25 touched happily the hollow of my thigh as hee wrestleth with mee it may slip out of ioynt or the sinew may shrinke and I may halt vpon it but my faith shall not faile Therefore will I while the Lord with mee striue lawfully with him holding my selfe fast by him weeping before him and making incessant supplications vnto him exercised this shall bee my exercise vntill I preuaile and through him I shall preuaile with him he will hold me fast see my teares Psal 6.8 heare the voyce of my weeping Isai 38.5 giue mee the petitions that I desire of him blesse me with the new name Reuel 2.17 in the white stone giuen to him that ouercommeth I shall haue princely power with God and men Psal 118.6 I will not feare what men can doe vnto mee aduantagious the disaduantage the agitation requisite lucratiue the luctuation And this is my comfort in my affliction Lastly By the word through faith they vnderstand That afflictions precede the ioy of the Lord and glorie to come as the pleasures of sinne destruction and damnation To them that make their bellies their Gods Phil. 3.18 and that minde earthly things as the enemies of the crosse of Christ Rom. 29 10. Tribulation and anguish indignation and wrath but to them that lye amongst the pots in stocks in the dungeon in the briars and in the burning bushes induring the fierie triall of their faith fulnesse of ioy and brightnesse of glorie the triall of their faith being much more pretious than of gold which perisheth though it bee tried in the fire shall bee found vnto praise and honour and glorie at the appearing of Iesus Christ The Passouer of the great * Reuel 5.14 tribulation celebrated or the same passed ouer they shall wash their robes Phil. 3.21 and make them white in the bloud of the Lambe their vile bodies also be fashioned like vnto the glorious bodie of Iesus Christ shall shine as the firmament yea as the Sun in the height of his glorie This when I remember I powre out in me my soule thus Of a truth I perceiue Rom. 8.18 that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to bee compared to the glorie which shall be reuealed in me I reckon not the temporall euill but haue respect to the eternall good I faint not 2 Cor. 4.16 17. for though mine outward man perish mine inward is renewed day by day my light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for mee a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glorie Therefore vnder my pressures Rom. 2.10 I will by patient continuance in well-doing seeke for glorie and honour and immortalitie and eternall life for I am perswaded that neither tribulation nor distresse nor persecution nor famine Rom. 8 3â— nor nakednesse nor perill nor sword nor death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to preuent the ioy or to separate me from the glorie to come the spirit of glorie resteth already on me and full is my heart of ioy in the Holy Ghost The God of all grace hath by Christ Iesus called me into his eternall glorie and after that I haue suffered a while * 1 Pet. 5.10 will cause mee to enter into his ioy which is fulnesse of ioy and crowne mee with his glorie which is eternall glorie To him be glorie and dominion for euer and euer Amen FINIS
and Bashan they will not heare m Ier. 22.21 nor seeke as the rebellious children the face of the Lord but in their affliction they will heare him gladly and seeke him early n Hos 5. vlt the mountaine made strong and security crying within I shall neuer be moued decryeth other cryes the people whom the Lord hath formed for himselfe will not in such a case shew forth his praise Iacob would not nor would Israel call vpon him but was weary of him o Isai 43.21 22. yet the Lord gone his way and returned to his place or his face hid trouble came and the their cry was heard Come and let vs returne p Hos 6.1 Correspondent to the Prophets counsell q Cap. 14.2 Take with you words and turne to the Lord and render vnto him the Calues of your lippes 2. Sanctified partakers of afflictions by the hand of the Lord partakers also of his holinesse r Heb. 12.10 made holy thereby Å¿ Non quod nos propriè sanctificent sed quod adminicula c. Caluin Hosm yet not properly for Christ is the sanctification but exercised to the moritification of the flesh consequently prepared hauing escaped the corruption which is in the world through lust as well to be receiued of the Lord as also to receiue the Lord to be sanctified in their heart * Isai 8. â—3 their feare their dread and their sanctuary yea Consortes esse to be consorts of the diuine nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not of the substance but of the image of God after him created in righteousnesse and true holinesse 2 Pet. 1. â— or of diuine qualities conferred and predicated as the vertues of him who calleth out of darknesse into maruellous light t Pet. 2.9 the simile is obuious u Perkins aur armil As the needle to the threed so the Crosse makes way to sanctity or amendment of life 3. Purged Resty the Saints grow rusty turne againe vnto folly gather blacknesse and filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit foolish lâ—t alone as Ephraim to his Idols x Hos 4.17 ioyned to the froward froward as they to the ignorant ignorant as they to the brutish brutish as they yea as beasts before God y Psal 73.22 Behold the man on the mountaine in the wildernesse of Maon as a dead dogge in the sight of the aduersary that sought his life z 1 Sam. 24.14 but vpon the roofe of the Kings house as a pampred horse looking and neighing after his neighbours wife * 2 Sam. 11.2 Iâ—r 5 8. not powred out from vessell to vessel Moah like men settle on their lees Peace abused defileth and rest corrupteth those who by reason of their rest haue not their senses exercised to discerne good and euill Is the prophecie hard in Dan 11.35 touching men of vnderstanding may wee not heare it surely such men fall sometimes yet suffer no losse a Vt radicula hoc est herba lanaria qua a fullonibus haec and is velibus adhibetur plurimum confert ad munditiem canderem lana seu panni ita persecutio atque afflictio subigit ecolesiam c. Polan in Dan. 11.32 but are as soyled wooll with sopeweed or fouled cloth with Fullers earth purged by meanes of the later blot from a former spot a secret fault before not vnderstood Who can vnderstand the error of his way without a fall or will wash or purge no filth of the flesh seene to put away nor felt ill humors in the body to expurge Remember the Patriarks Gen. 42.22 and 50.15 4. Preuented or subtracted from two great euills which other dimitted or left to themselues precipitate or headlong cast themselues into namely transgression and condemnation Obstacles to these the thornes of afflictions in Hosea 2.6 I will hedge vp thy way with thornes saith the Lord to be vnderstood b Zanch. in loc Non posse intelligi nisi de electis c. Sapè enim etiam electi inducunt in animaÌ„ c. not of the children of whoredomes but of the Elect for euen the Elect either of ignorance or of infirmity or according to the notions of carnall wisdome and motions of the flesh determine with themselues to follow oftentimes after strange louers lying vanities forbidden pleasures things vnseemly and inconuenient or not acceptable vnto the Lord therefore the Lord walls vp their wayes sets bryars in their pathes sends crosses so thicke that as Saul c 1. Sam. 23.27 â—8 from pursuing Dauid by the Philistines inuading the land theyâ— are turned from their intended euill courses into the way vnto excellencie Their first husband i. the Lord their maker found to be the best d Hos 2.7 consequently kept backe from the great transgression e Psal 19.13 likewise from condemnation for when they are iudged they are chastened of the Lord that they should not be condemned with the world f 1. Cor. 11.32 The whole world lieth in wickednesse g 1 Ioh. 5.19 but they that are of God are called and called out and commonly come out thorow the fornace of Affliction h Isai 48.10 Esay 48.10 Thus for their owne profit followeth for the glorie of the Lord The Lord glorified In his Power and Prouidence By their Faith and Obedience 1. In his power His power made perfect in their weaknesse i â— Cor. 12.9 weake they they are strong in him or falling through infirmitie he vpholdeth them with his hand k Psal 37.17 24. In his hand they are and no man shall pluck them out of his hand l Ioh. 10.28 29. The mightie man may boast himselfe in mischiefe but the power of the Lord as his goodnes endureth continually m Psal 52.1 thornes may be in the flesh of the faithfull the messengers of Satan buffeting them but the grace of the Lord which is with them is proued sufficient for them n 2 Cor. 12.9 2. In his prouidence drawne vnto him with the cords of a man and bands of loue he taketh by the armes his deare children o Hos 11.3 4. and teacheth them to goe feedeth them clotheth them stirreth vp others to sustaine their soules As Rauens ministred to Eliah so supplyes are sent by them whom hee will send In the dayes of famine they eat and haue enough p Psal 37.19 for as Hezekiah and his people Hierusalem beleaguered q Isa 37.30 they either eat such as groweth of it selfe and that which springeth of the same Or else as the Captiues of Iudah r Dan. 1.15 fed with pulse their countenance appeareth fairer and fatter than other which eat the portion of the Kings meat Sometimes by small meanes sometimes by no meanes sometimes against meanes in sustaining and preseruing them * 1 Pet 5.7 that cast their care on him he beyond expectation or mans apprehension declareth his care of them and demonstrateth his prouidence so luculently
that all cry out as the Magitians in Aegypt This is the finger of God Å¿ Exod. 8.19 Exod. 8.19 3. By their faith proued and found vnto praise and honour t Deut. 8.2 knowen in the tentation what is in the heart viz. vprightnesse and readinesse to draw neere vnto God u Psal 73. vlt. and to cleaue vnto the Lord with full purpose of heart x Psa 42.8 prayer made to the God of their life c. Christ followed the crosse taken vp themselues denied yea y 2. Cor. 1.8 9. pressed out of measure and aboue strength the sentence of death receiued in themselues that they might not trust in themselues but in God which after two dayes z Hos 6.2 although he kill raiseth the dead magnified and glorified in their bodie their Lord and their God whether by life as in Dauid a Psal 18.17 18. or by death as in Peter b Ioh. 21.19 In the end of their faith is the end of the Lord his owne glorie in their saluation c Psal 50.23 corporall and spirituall temporall and eternall according to his word Psal 50.15 * Saepè hic innocintes pereunt recti sunditùs delentur sed tamen ad aeternam gloâ—iam percundo seruantur Greg. lib. 5. Mor. cap. 14. 4. By their obedience honoured as a father of his sonnes d Mal. 1.6 submisse in their affliction and a master of his seruants corrected obsequious and not answering againe e Tit. 2.9 Had not Satan considered Iob the seruant of God f Iob. 1.8 in his prosperitie Enough he did to his owne shame and the glorie of the Lord in his aduersitie for as Iesus Christ though he were a sonne learned obedience by the things which he suffered g Heb. 5.9 so Iob and all the sonnes of God by faith in Christ Iesus h Gal. 3.26 learne of him to be lowly in heart i Matt. 11.29 and by the things which they suffer obedience to their father which is in heaven Better this than sacrifice k 1 Sam. 15.22 Bullocks with hornes and hoofes not required but obedience from the heart to the forme of doctrine which is deliuered l Gal. 5.17 strange flesh not to be offered but a mans owne flesh to bee sacrificed which in euerie act of obedience is done * Per victimas aliena caro per obedientiam jam verò propria caro mactatur c. Gr. sup 1 Reg. c. 15. Obedire est contra audire scilicet contra proprium sensum propriam voluntatem Vt. Perald Sum. Tom. 1. par 10. c. 2. in fin crucified the flesh which lusteth against the Spirit m Rom. 6.17 in which it is performed obeyed the word which commeth and the Lord therein riding prosperously n Psal 45.4 This causeth honour to God in his Maiestie yea many yet without to glorifie him in the day of visitation o 1 Pet. 2.12 The causes of afflictions efficient and finall thus discouered I proceed to the Vses which shall be For 1. Reproofe 2. Correction 3. Information 4. Admonition 5. Instruction 6. Instauration Vnto which shall be added a word of Exhortation 1. For reproofe to the vile Barbarians which seeing a viper on a Pauls hand or a crosse laid on a Simons shoulder cry out they arc murtherers or malefactors and vengeance will not suffer them to liue at ease or to prosper as other men but these the brutish amongst the people fooles alas when will ye vnderstand p Psal 94.8 The time is come that iudgement must begin at the house of God and if it first begin with them that professe and obey what shall the end be of them that obey not nor professe the Gospell of God q 1 Pet. 4.17 18. If the righteous scarcely be saued where shall the vngodly and the sinner appeare If this be done vnto the green trees which bring forth fruit according as God hath dealt the measure of the spirit what shall bee done vnto the dry which digd about and dressed yeare after yeare continue yet fruitlesse as the cursed fig-tree If the way vnto Heaven bee strewed with crosses bee full of tentations and tribulations what shall be found in the way vnto hell or in the end thereof r Pro. 14.12 There is a way which seemeth right vnto a man as the wiâ—l of the Gentiles vnto themselues Å¿ 1 Pet. 4.3 lasciuiousnesse lusts excesse of wine reuellings banquettings and abominable idolatries but the end thereof are the wayes of death Remember ye not the words of the Lord Iesus how he said Luk. 6.25 Woe vnto you that now laugh for ye shall weepe weep when the righteous at whose troubles they laugh shall be deliuered out of all and they come in their stead Doe yee thinke that the Scripture saith in vaine The righteous is deliuered out of trouble and the wicked commeth in his stead u Pro. 11.8 Againe The wicked shall bee a ransome for the righteous x Pro. 21.18 Dan. 6.24 and the transgressor for the vpright Instances before experience had the oracles had of God Haman and Mordecai y Esth 7.10 Hezekiah and the Aethiopians z Isai 43.3 Daniel and his accusers Peter and his keepers * Act. 12.19 But Barbarians are blinde and cannot see afarre off The iudgements of God are far aboue out of their sight a Psal 10.5 on other seene not ouer themselues themselues in the condemnation vnto which before they were ordained of old they finde not not made to suffer euill with the Saints in the earth but for the euill day b Pro. 16.4 Vse 2 2. For correction to them that refuse correction c Isa 1.3 4. Such was the sinfull nation the people laden with iniquitie the seed of euill doers the children that were corrupters That had forsaken the Lord and prouoked the holy one of Israel vnto anger not only by going away backward but by refusing to returne The one knoweth his owner and what the pricke of the gâ—ad meaneth but Israel did not know neither did they consider therefore the Prophet to them d Ver. 5. Why should yee bee stricken any more yee will reuolt more and more Ieremiah e Ier. 5.3 hath the like complaint O Lord thou hast smitten them but they haue not grieued thou hast consumed them but they haue refused to receiue correction they haue made them faces harder than a rocke they haue refused to returne It is so with many Many there bee that being afflicted know it not As Ephraim had gray haires here and there vpon him yet knew it not f Hos 7.9 nor that his strength was deuoured of strangers so wrath is on some from before the Lord yet they feele it not or if they feele it they are humbled no more than the King of Israel by the famine in Samaria Behold hee cryed g 2 Reg. 6.33 This euill