needfull And this corruption to be in the nature of all men generally euen by affliction to fall away from the loue and seruice of God Satan knew well enough and therefore thought to haue found it in Iob though he did not when he saide vnto the Lord Doth Iob loue or feare Iob 1.9 or serue God for nought as if he had said he doth not serue thee for thine owne sake or for any loue that hee beareth vnto thee but for the commoditie that he receiueth by thee for he addeth Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on euery side thou hast blessed the worke of his hands his substance is increased in the land but stretch out thine hand and touch all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face In which words he noteth that vice that men commonly are subiect vnto that is to hide their rebellion in prosperitie and in aduersitie to bewray it Therefore if we be free from this vice and so cease not in affliction to loue God and in loue to serue him we shall be sure that he will fulfil this promise of his vnto vs of turning all things to our good and causing all our crosses to make together for the best vnto vs so long as we loue God and this vnfained loue that we finde we beare in our hearts vnto God is a sure testimonie vnto vs of it and we ought thereby to be perswaded of the vndoubted truth of it so comfort our selues for the time present that God will doe vs good by this correction of his euen because wee loue him Moreouer seeing that the Apostles purpose here is to intreat of patience in affliction and to prepare vs for it this no doubt is most fit for the fame namely the consideration of that loue which we ought to beare vnto God whereby we might be mooued to take all things in good part that he sends vnto vs because we loue him and in loue are desirous to please him For we see daily in all worldly matters what great things all sorts of men will beare at the hāds of them whome they loue as how many grieuous things doth the mother put vp at the hands of her froward child whome shee tenderly loueth And the husband passeth ouer with silence many things that are offensiue proceeding from his wife because shee is deare vnto him and his loue towards her causeth him not to regard them yea for her sake he beareth with many things at the hands of others As it is said of Iacob Gen. 29.20 that he serued Laban a very hard master seuen years for Rahel during which time he tooke great paines day and night 31.40 for in the day he was consumed with heat and with frost in the night and his wages was changed ten times yet they seemed vnto him but a fewe daies because he loued her thus loue vnto men causeth vs to indure hard things for their sakes whome we loue and the more we loue them the more willingly to gratifie them doe wee chearefully vndergoe any hard seruice for them How much more then ought we patiētly to beare all things at the hand of God whom we know that he so loued vs that he spared not his owne sonne Rom. 8.32 but gaue him for vs all to death and therefore we ought to loue him aboue all other things yea aboue our selues againe And no doubt wee would thus beare all crosses laid vpon vs by God for our good a great deale more patiently then we doe if there were in vs that loue vnto his maiestie that there ought 1. Cor. 13 5. For loue seeketh not her owne things that is it is the propertie of loue not so much to seeke to satisfie their owne minde as to gratifie the partie whome they loue euē in things osten contrary to their own liking therefore let vs labour for that pure sincere loue vnto God which may abide in the greatest affliction so shall we not onely patiently beare them but be assured that they shall be turned vnto our good according to the saying of the Apostle here All things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God Rom. 8.28 When he addeth these wordes in the ende of the same verse which are called of his purpose as he doth in them further shew to whome this promise doth appertaine namely that all afflictions shall worke for their best euen vnto such as are effectually called vnto the knowledge of their saluation in Christ according to the good purpose and decree of God towards them So he sheweth the cause why all afflictions are made profitable vnto them especially and turned vnto their good in the ende which is not any worthines of theirs that they deserue it at Gods hands or any right behauing themselues vnder the crosse as though they were able to worke it out themselues for of themselues they are as weake and fraile and impatient vnder it as any other but the free loue of God towards them in Christ whereby before the beginning of the world he purposed to do them good and therfore in time effectually called them Which purpose of his nothing can alter but he maketh all things to further it yea sometimes contrarie to their nature as afflictions So that from the first vnchangeable cause of their saluation and of all good intented towardes them he sheweth the certentie of this that all afflictions shall worke together for the best to those that loue God for who can hinder or frustrate the determinate purpose of God in any thing None in the world no not the deuill himselfe and therefore afflictions can not hinder the good that he meaneth to his children because he hath purposed to doe them good Which purpose of his for their good hath alway appeared by their fruitfull and effectuall calling For when he had purposed to saue them by his sonne Iesus Christ he called them by the ministerie of the Gospel in his good time some sooner some later vnto the knowledge of it and from the same purpose of his it came to passe that the word was made effectuall vnto them by the inward operation of his holy Spirit working in them faith and repentance and so became vnto thē The power of God vnto their saluation Rom. 1.16 as the Apostle calleth it that is the mightie and effectuall instrument of God to worke their saluation when it was altogether vnprofitable vnto others that heard it as well as they So then the Lord continuing the same purpose of his towards them it shall vndoubtedly come to passe that though al other men should not profit by their afflictiōs but waxe worse and worse as commonly the wicked doe as we see in the example of Pharaoh king of Egypt who after many grieuous plagues brought vpon him Exod. 9.35 and vpon the whole land one after an other
his soule worke his good that way But indeede herein lieth the point of this matter and this is all in all namely that the poore afflicted soule knoweth not that the Lord by his affliction will work his good and that maketh him so vnquiet and euer complaining for giue him this faith and the feeling of it that his affliction shall be turned vnto his good and lay vpon him whatsoeuer you will he is content to beare it Therefore for the satisfying of our selues herein let vs hearken to that which the Apostle saith Wee know Rom. 8.28 that all things worke together for the best to those that loue God which is as if he had saide though you because of your ignorance vnbeleefe and want of experience are vncerten what wil be the happie issue of all your afflictions yet we know very well that all shall worke together for our your good Which he speaketh confidently both as a teacher of the Church an Apostle and as a man of experience and therefore we ought to giue credit vnto him rather then to our selues Euen as the patient doth to the Physitian though himselfe had neuer experience of any such thing before when he saith vnto him I knowe that this will make for the health of your bodie and the preseruation of your life And in this thing wee ought to giue credit vnto the Apostle so much the more because vnto his own word and saying he ioyneth the testimony of many other saying Wee know meaning the rest of the Apostles and ministers and men of experience he saith that all of them knew it therfore this word beeing confirmed by the mouthes not of two or three witnesses onely but hauing as the Apostle speaketh so great a cloud of witnesses for it Hâ—b 12.1 it should be receiued without all gainesaying For it is all one as if the sicke patient fearing to take the potion that is prescribed vnto him lest it should make him more sicke he should haue not onely one but an whole counsell of Physitians saying vnto him that vndoubtedly this medicine is like to do you good we know the working of it very wel and haue had great experience of it in many you neede not to feare it take it vpon our credit This would much mooue and incourage him vnto it So no doubt this should correct the too much feare that is in vs of beeing hurt by the crosse when we heare so many excellent and famous men very skilfull therein to speake so boldly vnto vs of the benefit of it euen those whome seeing that we are most readie to beleeue in all other things why should we not giue credit vnto them in this also But that we might doe it the rather let vs a little consider in particular of the benefit of the crosse And though the Apostle name one great one here which might be sufficient yet before we come to it let vs see what other endes of it the Scripture affoardeth vnto vs. And first of all we shall finde it to be a speciall meanes to draw vs from the too much loue of this world that according to the saying of the Apostle 2. Cor. 7.31 they that vse this world might be as though they vsed it not that is that we might be so addicted to these worldly things that we set not our affections too much vpon them For such is the corruption of our nature that when wee haue all things at will we are so wedded to this world that we thinke it best for vs alwaies to abide here and here we would set vp our tabernacles for euer and wee are readie to say with the worldling in the Gospel Luk. 12.19 Soule thou hast much goods laid vp for many yeares liue at ease eate and drinke take thy pleasure and though heauen be a thousand times heauenly yet we desire it not at all or not so earnestly as we should but wee are still earthly minded and as it were groueling vpon the earth so hardly or not at all can wee come vnto that that we are exhorted vnto to seeke Colos 3. â— and to set our affections on those things that are aboue and not on things which are in the earth yet when by affliction we shal finde that there is no contentation in any estate here below it may mooue vs to despise all worldly things and to aspire vnto heauen Psal 16.11 where in the presence of God is the fulnesse of ioy at his right hand are pleasures for euermore For this cause the holy Patriarkes suffered so many afflictions in the daies of their pilgrimages as appeareth in their seueral stories in respect of which one of them said Gen. 47. â— That his daies were fewe and euill For wheras many earthly things were promised vnto them yet that they might not staie in them but from them as it were by certaine stairs they might ascend vnto the consideration of heauenly things which the earthly did shadow out vnto them and which they were especially to looke for he mingled his manifold great blessings with manifold crosses in that land that was promised vnto them they had no certaine abiding that they might seeke after the kingdome of heauen As the Apostle saith vnto the Hebrewes Hâ—b 11.9 By faith Abraham abode in the land of promise as in a strange countrey as one that dwelt in tents with Izaack and Iacob heires with him of the same promise for he looked for a citie hauing a foundation whose builder and maker is God These men had none inheritance in the land of Canaan that they might not dream of a perpetuitie there but might thinke of heauen as of a better countrey where they should remain for euer confessing themselues continually to bee but strangers and pilgrimes on the earth Thus also the Lord dealeth with many before their death laying long and grieuous diseases vpon them as he did vpon his seruant Iob that they finding no rest in this world might be willing to goe out of it when hee shall send for them and say with olde father Simeon Lord Luk. 2.29 now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace yea that they might desire death most willingly which before as most ougly and loathsome they did abhorre and so saie with S. Paul I desire to bee loosed and to be with Christ Phil. 1.23 which is best of all So that as the mother by some vnpleasant thing weaneth the sucking childe from the breast now when stronger meate is more fit for it vpon which otherwise it would alwaies linger to the hurt of it so the Lord by the crosse weaneth our affections from the profits and pleasures of the world and so turneth it vnto our good and therefore if by experience we find that by any affliction we growe more wearie of the world or lesse in loue with it we are not onely to take it patiently but therein see the truth of this
as they should and might yet all this hindereth not but that the Lord by them seeketh their good they should labour to profit to be bettered by their afflictions and bee perswaded that they shall worke together for the best vnto them thogh they be full of cōplaints whiles they are in the middest of them For who euer complained more of their afflictions then these two men Iob and Dauid and yet who had more profit or gote more good by thē then they both of thē being thus tried in the triall found to bee most faithfull and patient and constant vnto the ende And concerning this pronenesse in vs to complaine we must consider that such is our nature that we must needes haue the feeling of our afflictions vnlesse our hearts were hardened like yron or steele and so wee were senslesse like stocks and stones and not as men And therefore seeing it is otherwise namly our hearts naturally are soft and tender and readie to be broken with affliction and some more and some lesse it cannot possibly be but that euery thing that befalleth vs should worke vpon vs and that we should bee mooued according to the nature and qualitie of it either to ioy or sorrow loue or hatred anger or feare and such like therefore tribulation must needes trouble vs and affliction must needs afflict vs and the crosse cannot but crucifie vs yet we may and ought for all that bee perswaded that it is for our good and looke for it from thence and pray to God in faith that we may finde it Euen as the sicke patient painfull languishing creature vnder the Physitians hand cannot as he is a naturall man indued with sense and reason but feele to his great griefe the launcing with sharpe kniues and the searing of his flesh with redde hotte yrons so complaine of them with much heauinesse and many teares yea crie out and roare for the extremitie of his paine though he knoweth it be best for him then thus to be handled and therefore though he be sometimes bound in the dressing both hand and foote or violently held by men yet after a sort hee doth most willingly suffer it And this is one cause of complaining in affliction though they are perswaded that it is for their good euen the infirmitie and tendernes of our nature whereby all crosses worke on vs as they doe But there is an other cause more principall then this which proceedeth from ignorāce or want of faith for many are too full of complaints in their affliction because they are not perswaded at all or not at that time when they are in temptation that aduersitie or the crosse is for their good or at least not that particular crosse and in that manner that it is vpon them which if they could come vnto whatsoeuer should be laid vpō them they would not greatly complaine of it for the hope of future good would mitigate and asswage all Therefore all such are to meditate vpon that which hath alreadie beene spoken concerning this matter namely how many waies by affliction the Lord doth vs good In the latter part of the verse whē he saith To them that loue God that is all things worke together for the best vnto them that loue God as he thereby restraineth this general promise because it is not made to all so he sheweth to whome it appertaineth namely to those that beleeue in Christ and are sanctified by his Spirit whereof this is one speciall fruit The loue of God For he intreateth here of the certentie of the saluation of those that belong vnto Christ as appeareth by the first words of the chapter Rom. 8.1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Iesus which walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit Where he also discerneth the true beleeuer from others by this fruit of faith namely sanctification here he doth name one principall of it which is loue Loue to God from whence ariseth loue vnto men for his sake and from them both all duties to God and man And thus the Apostle also in an other place ioyneth faith and loue together as those that are inseparable when he saith Gal. 5 6. that in Iesus Christ neither circumcision nor vncircumcision auaileth any thing but faith which worketh by loue where his meaning is that no outward thing or seruice of God though commanded by him as circumcision was commendeth vs to God or maketh vs acceptable vnto God but onely Christ and his obedience which we take hold of and so make ours by faith which faith is then effectual and liuely when it breedeth in vs a loue which loue appeareth by the fruits and effects of the same So then the Apostle here vnder one fruit which is loue comprehendeth all godlines and sanctification But hee taketh this thing rather then any other The loue of God as that that is most fit for his purpose for speaking of affliction he saith that by this we shall trie our faith if our loue to God continue euen then so that wee cease not to loue God though he afflict vs. For whereas the very wicked will pretend to loue God in prosperitie and as long as all things goe well with them they will professe that they loue God as much as any yea and that they were worse then the bruit beasts if that they did not loue him and that with all their heart who bestoweth all things vpon them so liberally and many such glorious words they will vtter but in aduersitie and when God layeth affliction vpon them their loue is changed yea they fall into open hatred and defiance with God yea euen vnto plaine cursing and banning as appeareth by the example of Iobs wife who saide vnto her husband Iob 2. ◠Doest thou continue still in thine vprightnesse blaspheme God and die But he that loueth God truly loueth him not for his backe and belly as we say but because he is goodnes it selfe and therefore principally to be beloued for himselfe and so their loue continueth though all outward blessings be taken away And herein the wicked too manifestly bewray vile mindes and seruile natures that like as seruants loue not their masters nor maidens their mistresses if they once beginne to correct them for their faults so grow wearie of them and are readie to run away from them as the maid seruant Hagar the Egyptian did from her mistresse Sarai Gen. 16.6 But the godly doe this way as apparantly shew their liberall nature and ingenuous disposition in that as no correction or stripes of the father or mother can make the child to change his loue to them wholly to alienate his minde from them much lesse can they driue him cleane away from them but he will abide in their house and in all his neede resort to them for succour so will they still in affliction loue God and depend vpon him for all things
that and so caused him to goe vp into mount Nebo chap. 34 ◠vnto the top of Pisgah where he shewed him all the land and there he died and so entred into the kingdome of heauen and tooke possession of it for euer whereof this land was but a type figure and so the Lord denying him that particular euē to come into the land of Canaan gaue him that that was farre better whereby he was more confirmed in the same of God and in the truth of his couenant euen to enter into the kingdome of heauen and so gaue him according to the meaning of his Spirit But further touching this matter we are more generally to vnderstand that the Apostle saith not onely that the crosse shall turne to our good but that this shall be verified of all the crosses that euery way come vpon vs be they neuer so strange or vnlooked for whether it be sicknes pouertie imprisonment banishment losse of husband wife children father and mother friends and kinred losse of name and credit or any thing els as sorrow and griefe of minde and affliction of the spirit Which is wisely to be marked of vs least at any time we might be deceiued to think when the Lord shall lay his hand vpon vs as it pleaseth him that if it were some other affliction then that which now is come vpon vs we could haue some good hope in it but this is so great it toucheth vs so nearely that we can not possibly see how or which way it should bring vs any good And as the Deuill is readie to assault vs with this temptation so we by reason of our corruption are too prone to yeild vnto his perswasion therein and so by impatiencie to be wearie of the crosse as not able to looke for any good from it We therfore that wee might comfortably withstand this temptation of his besides that we must holde our selues fast to the words of the Apostle who saith that all things worke together for the best to those that loue God Gal. 1.9 he speaketh of all not of this or that against which if any yea an Angel from heauen should perswade vs we must hold him accursed We must cōsider that this good commeth frō all affliction not as though it were naturall proper vnto it for indeed it is otherwise that of it selfe it maketh men worse as the sunne hardeneth the clay and it driueth men from good as the rodde driueth the child away from the mother And this is that which Satan aimeth at in all men Iob. 1.11 as hee did in righteous Iob though he preuailed not when hee said of him to the Lord Stretch out thine hand touch all that he hath and see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face And thus he preuaileth with the wicked in all crosses that come vpon them as wee see in the example of Pharaoh king of Egypt who by the ten plagues that God sent vpon him was made more hard hearted and waxed still worse and worse and would not heare the commandement of God to let the people of Israel goe But with the children of God it is not so the goodnesse of God towards them ouercommeth the malice of the deuill against them And as in the wildernesse the sting of the fierie serpēts were healed in the bodies of mē by looking vp to the brasen serpent Num. 21.8 so the venime and poison of all crosses is taken away in the children of God by vertue of the crosse of Christ so that contrarie to the nature of it it worketh good as also by the death of Christ 1. Cor. 15.55 the sting of death is taken away so that it cannot hurt any of his but doth them the greatest good beeing thereby made for them a passage into eternal life The which that it might not seeme strange vnto vs much lesse impossible namly that afflictiō hurtfull in it selfe to the wicked should work for the best to those that loue God wee must remember that euen men by their wisdome are able to make those things serue for the benefit of man which of themselues are most hurtfull vnto him For the Physition through his skill can cure a man by Gods ordinance and blessing and so make him stronger then hee was before by taking away some part of his blood euen that wherein the life consisteth and by taking away other humors so diminishing a great part of his flesh and the Chyrurgion by cutting and piercing the flesh with an hotte yron or eating it away with some corrasiues is able by these woundes and hurtfull things to preserue the state of the members of the bodie Then the Lord much more by that which in it selfe would hurt our soules is able to cure them and to doe them good And if the Apothecarie can so temper that which in it owne nature is poyson as the Vipers flesh so temper it I say with other wholesome ingredients and correct it with those that be cordiall that of it hee will make a most soueraigne Treacle and such an wholesome confection as shall expell poyson and driue it from the heart and so make that which of it selfe would cause death to bee a speciall preseruer of life Shall not the Lord by his infinite wisedome goodnesse and almightie power the Lord I say 2. Cor. 4.6 which caused the light to shine out of darkenesse contrarie to the nature of it and who calleth the things that bee not as though they were and so causeth thē to be and which bringeth good out of euill euen his owne glorie out of the sin of man shall not he bee much more able by the most grieuous crosses that can befall vs to worke the greatest good for vs that may be Therefore when we would looke for good from our afflictions and so be comforted in them patiently bearing them in hope of the blessed fruit that we shall reape by them wee must not so much looke to the things themselues how fit they bee for vs nor to our selues how wee bee fitted for them as to the truth of Gods promise made vnto vs concerning this matter so be sure that the Lord wil worke our good thereby because he that is true and al-sufficient hath said said it And this one perswasion no doubt should worke in vs great patience in all our afflictiōs yea it should make vs cheerefully and with our heads lifted vp not hanging down to beare them for how many grieuous things will naturall men indure willingly if they see that they will make for the bettering of their estate As what will not the sicke patiēt suffer at the hands of the Physitiō or Chirurgion by launcing purging fearing diet c. when he is perswaded that they will procure his bodily health should not a Christian man and woman much more indure hard things at the hands of God seeing he hath said that they shall procure the health of
promise we know that all things worke together for the best to those that loue God Rom. 8.28 Moreouer by affliction the Lord bringeth vs to a more thorough repentance and sorrow for our sinnes and worketh that in vs therby which the word did not before when wee finde by woefull experience what great miseries our sins haue brought vs vnto and how iust and true God is in all his threatnings 1. Cor. 11 31 For if when we haue sinned we would iudge our selues before hand God would not iudge vs but when wee are iudged wee are chastened of the Lord that we might not bee condemned with the world whereunto agreeth the saying of the Psalmist which is fouÌ„d to bee true by daily experience that whether the Lord laie vpon men sickenesse or imprisonment or pouertie and want or banishment or such like Psal 107.11 when he huÌ„bleth the heart with heauinesse they crie vnto the Lord in their trouble so that affliction bringeth men to humilitie for their sinnes and to pray vnto God to be pardoned and to be deliuered As we see in the example of the prodigall childe who by great miserie came to repent him of his riotous life for when he had spent all Luk. 1â— there arose a great famine in that land and he began to bee in necessitie which afterwards was so great that hee would faine haue filled his bellie with the huskes that the swine ate but no man gaue them him then he said I will rise and goe to my father and say vnto him Father I haue sinned against heauen and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hired seruants Thus wee see by affliction vnto what measure of humiliatioÌ„ and repentance for his sinnes confession of them he was brought vnto a most excellent fruit of the crosse The like may bee said of the brethren of Ioseph who after that they had sold him into Egypt and made their father beleeue that hee was torne in pieces of some wilde beast though we may presume of theÌ„ that they beeing brought vp and still liuing in the house of their godly father Iacob they did secretly repent theÌ„ of their ill dealing towards their brother Ioseph yet many yeares after euen twentie or thereabout wheÌ„ they were in aduersitie the memorie of it renued it selfe afresh and thereby they were brought more seriously to iudge themselues for it for they said one to another Gen. 42.21 We haue verily sinned against our brother in that wee sawe the anguish of his soule when he besought vs and wee would not heare him therefore is this trouble come vpon vs. Thus this crosse was turned to their good in that it brought them to a further sight and feeling of their sinne and to a more voluntarie and free confession of the same So that affliction in this respect is compared to fire that purgeth the gold and consumeth the drosse of it and vnto a file that scowreth off the rust of yron and maketh it bright vnto a purgation that expelleth the corrupt and superfluous humors out of the bodie Therefore euen as the fire doth not hurt the gold in consuming the drosse neither the file hurteth the yron in taking away the rust neither doth the purgation hurt the bodie in expelling of ill humors So afflictions causing vs to abhorre and leaue some sinne or other which if we continued in would destroy vs may truely be said not to hurt vs but to worke our good of what nature or kinde soeuer they bee according to the saying of the Apostle All things worke together for the good of those that loue God In the third place this is the benefit of affliction that it preserueth vs from many sinnes which otherwise through our owne corruption and the temptations of the world and Satan we might fall into but that being vnder the haÌ„d of God as it were vnder the rodde we are thereby kept in more awe So that as Physicke serueth not only to cure vs of the diseases which we are alreadie fallen into but also and especially to preuent them and to keepe vs in some tolerable estate of health So the crosse recouereth vs out of sinne when we are fallen into it and preserueth vs from many which otherwise might creepe vpon vs. And therefore as some sickly bodies are driuen to diet themselues and are in a continuall course of physicke to preuent that which their corrupt estate would otherwise necessarily pull vpon them So others by reason of the corruptions of their soules and the manifold offences that they liue amongst are alwaies or the greatest part of their liues in the diet of affliction as it were the physicke of their soules not so much to bring them from grosse and grieuous sinnes which they are as yet free from as to keepe them froÌ„ falling into them which the Lord foreseeth they are most readie to do in respect of their ages callings and places that they liue in If then the Lord at any time deale with vs as men do with vnruly coâ—â— or vntamed heyfers which are kept from straying out of their pastures with hedges and ditches so that they can not break out without their own hurt so the Lord puts thornes and bryars as it were in our waies that is laieth affliction vpon vs and so stoppeth the way against vs that wee might not breake forth by any kinde of disobedience either on the right hand or on the left to our own hurt must we not needs say that euen this way as well as any other the Lord worketh by affliction our singular good And this is that which God promised to his owne people among the idolatrous Israelites namely that by his afflictions he would so keepe them in and bring them to such straitnes that they shold haue no lust to play the wantons and to fall away from him by idolatrie after the example of others when he faith I will stoppe thy way with thornes Hos 2.6 and make an hedge that shee shall not finde her paths So that their affliction should be an hedge of sharpe thornes to pricke them least they should breake out and stray froÌ„ Gods commandements And this as it is a singular ende of affliction so Dauid pronounceth theÌ„ blessed that are partakers of it to that ende and can make that good vse of it to themselues saying Blessed is the man whome thou chastisest O Lord Psal 94.12 and teachest in thy law that thou maiest giue him rest from the daies of euill whiles the pit is digged for the wicked So that it is a blessed thing to be so corrected that he is taught the right vse of it euen to walke more carefully in the obedience of Gods law that so he may escape those punishments which shall come vpon the wicked for their sinns to their destruction And this vse David made of his affliction as he professeth of himselfe 116.
of his hands and his substance is increased But stretch out now thin hand and touch all that he hath to see if he will not blaspheme thee to thy face and then the Lord said vnto Satan Loe all that he hath is in thine hand and thereupon Satan destroied in one day all that he had and yet he continued in his vprightnes and was the same man that he was before by this great triall it appeared that that was true that the Lord had saide of him before that hee was an vpright and iust man indeede and one that feared God vers 10. and eschewed euill for all these great afflictions could not make him to fall from his former course And thus lastly by triall appeared the great weakenes of the Apostle S. Peter and the rest of the Disciples who though as a most resolute man he had said Mat. 16.13 Though al men be offended by thee yet will I neuer bee offended and then Iesus said vnto him Verily this night before the cocke crowe thou shalt denie me thrice Peter said to him againe Though I should die with thee I wil in no case denie thee and so said also all the disciples 47. yet when they saw a great multitude with swordes and staues from the high Priest and Elders of the people and Iudas with a kisse betraied him into their hands and so they tooke him led him away then all the Disciples fledde And whereas there seemed to be a little more courage in Peter then in the rest 58. for hee followed Christ though a farre off so came into the high Priests hall and sate downe with the seruants to see the ende yet when he saw greater danger like to ensue he was charged to be one of Christs Disciples at the voice of a maide he grew to be so timerous and fearefull that hee sware and forsware with cursing and banning denying Christ 74. euen that euer he so much as once knewe the man Neither himselfe nor any other would haue thought that so much weakenes should haue broake out from him before he came to this triall but thereby it was laid open Therefore if it bee good for vs not to be ignorant of our selues as indeede hath beene thought to bee a point of greatest wisdome for a man throughly to know himselfe that so he might not be deceiued with an ouerweening of himselfe if it be good I say for any man to see his wants weaknesses that he may be humbled by them and seek to haue them supplied if it be good to know certainely that we haue receiued such such graces of the spirit of God in that measure that wee haue that so wee may be thankfull to God for them comforted in our selues ouer them Then seeing that affliction and the crosse bringeth forth all this fruit at once and by triall wee finde what faith hope loue patience obediēce c. is in vs and what not insomuch that whatsoeuer we seemed to be before to our selues and to others yet now we know certainly that wee are thus and thus and no otherwise it cā not be denied but that affliction worketh much good vnto vs and wee ought vpon experiēce to say that we know it to be so euen as the Apostle doth here We knowe that all things worke together for the best to those that loue God Which also wee may so much the more cōfidently say when we shal see omitting to speake of many moe vses that the crosse hath that last and greatest of all which is spoken of in the verse following in these words For those whom he knew before Rom. 8.20 he also predestinate to bee made like to the image of his sonne that he might be the first borne of many brethren where he sheweth this one ende of the crosse namely that thereby wee might bee made like vnto Christ in his sufferings But before we come to that we must remember that hitherto we haue seene that there is great vse of affliction and that it worketh much good and therefore wee must consider that in euery crosse besides the present bearing of it the Lord offereth great cōmoditie vnto vs and worketh it in vs thereby according to the words of the Text All things worke together for the best to those that loue God So that as in all other things there is not onely the present possession enioying of them but there is the vse and comfort of them insomuch that men may haue great store of goods and possessions and yet haue no vse of them as Salomon by his great wisdome obserued and set it downe in the booke of the Preacher saying There is one alone Eccles 4.8 and there is not a second which hath neither sonne nor daughter yet is there none ende of his trauaile neither can his eie bee satisfied with riches neither doth he thinke for whom doe I trauaile and defraud my soule of pleasure Euen so many haue great and long crosses vpon them but make no good vse of them neither doe labour after the fruit of them but God worketh by them their good in those that bee his Seeing then afflictions are common both to the good and the bad and God layeth them vpon them both alike and they must beare them whether they will or no the one must labour for the good which the Lord offereth to them therby which the other not once so much as looke after of which dutie of theirs when Gods children are somewhat more carelesse of then they should then no doubt the Lord in wisdome and in mercie continueth his rod vpon thē longer yea and often increaseth thē because his purpose is to doe them good thereby and so herein dealeth with them as a most louing and tender father as indeede he is who spareth not the rod vntill his childe bee thereby humbled and brought to the confession and amendment of his fault because his purpose is by his fatherly correction to doe him good Wherein parents often put a difference betweene their children and their seruants for often they let their seruants alone and leaue them as incorrigible when they will not profit by words or a few stripes as not caring for them because they purpose not alwaies to be troubled with thē but their children because they see that they cannot cast off naturall affection from them therfore they leaue them not after once or twice correction but still follow them with the rodde till they amend So the Lord when he spareth the wicked in their sinnes and reserueth them for a further and more heauie iudgement at the last correcting his owne children in the meane season againe and againe he sheweth that his purpose is thereby to doe them aboue all other much good Therefore let no man in the continuance of his afflictions though long and grieuous be too much discouraged as though the Lord were continually angrie with him or had a purpose