thought of them Then feare not they shall not be layd to thy charge Assure thy selfe those sighes and groans which proceed from thy perplexed soul shall find so much grace and favor with God as they shall be able to prevaile with him for that blessing thou hast begd and standst in need of And although thou canst not pray as thou wouldst yet sigh and groane as thou shouldst and hee which knowes the secrets of all hearts will be able to understand the meaning of thy sighs and groans of the spirit within thee which doth plead and speak to God for thee Object But I feare the Lord doth abominate my sacrifice and service as loathsome hee may cast it as dung in my face and lay some judgement upon mee for offering up such a strange sacrifice unto him Answ If God hath given thee a heart to mourne for sinne he hath made thee able to offer him such a sacrifice as hee is well pleased with and therefore he can not but accept of thy person whatsoever thy failings have been Thy grieved soul and sorrowfull spirit is a sacrifice which casts a sweet savor in the Lords nostrills Psalm 51.17 And would God accept of thy sacrifice if hee had rejected thee No no assure thy selfe that God hath accepted of thy person if hee accepts of thy sacrifice The Lord had 〈…〉 and to his offering Gâ—â—e 4.4 The melting of thy soul and the kindly mourning over him whom thou hast pierced with thy sinne is a most infallible evidence of Gods love towards thee and of the saving presence of his holy Spirit abiding in thee Therefore let thy spirit rejoyce in that thou art able to mourne for sinne Those teares which proceed from a grieved soul and wounded spirit may be compared unto Aprill showers which bring on May-flowers although these showers wet where they fall Yet through the heat of the Sunne working with them they produce a great deale of sweetnesse in those plants and hearbs which they fall upon There is abundance of joy in all godly sorrow As the harvest is potentially in the seed so the harvest of true and sound joy growes out of this seed of sorrow Psalm 126.5 They that sow in teares shall reap in joy Why is thy soul then so troubled within thee why art thou still so sad so heavie and dejected Object Howsoever I grieve and mourn yet I can not beleeve that there is any truth of grace in mee in that I am not so fruitfull and profitable in my place and calling as I should and faine would bee I am a barren fruitlesse tree one that cumbers the earth fit for nothing but the fire Answ But is it not with thee as it fareth with some covetous earthly gripple-minded persons which spend their time in scraping and raking together these outward things pinch their bodies and are ever and anon whining and complaining that they have nothing when as their chests are full of good linnen their houses stored and stuffed full of utensills and their purse full of money but being blinded with the love of the world think they have nothing because they have not so much as their covetous eye would look over and therefore do neither thankfully acknowledge what they have received nor profitably improve any thing they do enjoy either to Gods glory their own comfort or others good Even so many afflicted souls being overladen with anguish of mind and deluded by Satan oft times complaine of the want of grace in the midst of plentie not seeing as the saying is wood for trees and thus do bely both God and themselves And it is just with the Lord somtimes to hold his children down with feares and doubtings because they have not been sufficiently thankfull to God for that rich grace they have received from him Our unthankfulnesse is not only as a great fogg and mist which doth exceedingly obscure and darken the grace of God in his children but is also as a worme or canker which eats into the sap and heart of grace so as it thrives not nor fructifies as otherwise it would do But such as are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God Psalm 92.13 Doth not the Prophet Jeremiah also tell us that those that trust in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is shall be as a tree planted by the water which spreadeth out her roots shall not care for the yeere of drought neither shall cease from yeelding fruit Jere. 17.8 Answ And is not this good fruit to bemoane thy barrennesse Admit that for the present thou dost not increase thy spirituall stock as thou desirest thou dost not perceive grace to thrive and grow in thee as thou dost behold it in others must it needs follow that thou are therefore utterly destitute and void of grace A man whiles hee is asleep makes no use of many good things hee hath a hand benummed with cold feels not that which it holds fast It may so fall out that grace may be somthing chilled in thee doth it therefore follow that it is quite killed in thee Thou must learn to put a difference betwixt no grace and grace some way infeebled for the present It fares with grace in the hearts of many of Gods children as it doth with the Moon somtimes in the full and somtimes in the wain or as with the Sea which somtimes flowes and sometimes ebbs even so through Satans malice and our own frailtie grace may seem somtime to ebbe in us and then no wonder if the heart be deaded and out inward peace disturbed through feares and doubtings Assure thy selfe this off and on this up and down this heat and cold ariseth from those principles of grace and corruption abiding in all the Lords people Corruption somtimes prevailes and this royles and troubles these living waters within us and makes them thick and muddy so as little good appeares in us but anon when the wind of the spirit blowes againe with its holy blast it cleanseth and refineth these troubled waters whose cleernesse may again be seen and whose goodnesse may be tasted Object But my case is worse then ordinary for I have returned with the dogge to lick up my old vomit after repenting and cleansing yea covenanting with God for ever to renounce and abandon my former sinnes I have with the swine wallowed in the old mire of filthinesse and therefore I cannot think that ever grace was in truth begun in mee Answ If it be so thy case is the more lamentable and fearefull but yet it is not desperate For divers of the Lords people many worthie ones have relapsed have fallen back unto old sinnes and yet by the goodnesse and mercie of God have recovered themselves againe and gained the love and favor of God Did not Abraham sinne the matter of Sarah his wife hazarding her chastitie by a poore plot yea a sinfull pollicie exposing his wife to adultrey for his own outward peace
exhorteth us to shut the doore after us hereby he perswades us unto courage constancy or else to keep our selves close from Satans temptations that he may find no chink nor crevis open whereby he may enter into us to disturbe us for if our hearts lie but a little open so as he may have but the least advantage he is at hand to disquiet and perplex us And whereas he bids us to hide our selves he would have us to enjoy a secure freedom under Gods promise and pretection in faith and humility we should shrowd our selves under Gods wings that so he may keep us from inordinate fears and terrors untill the affliction be past which is but as a cloud or storm that will not last alwaies but will blowe over ere it be long and be at an end Therefore be cheerefull in thine afflictions Againe in that it is said As many as I love I rebuke and chasten not barely I rebuke and chasten you but I rebuke and chasten as many as are deere unto me or beloved of me this manner of speech is used for the confirmation of our faith in time of trouble and to keep us from sinking through grief or despaire For what argument can bee more forcible to perswade us to the quiet and patient bearing of our afflictions then to beleeve they be Gods love-tokens sent us for our good Whence mee may learne this Instruction that A great helpe to keep us from sinking and to enable us to beare up our heads with patience and cheerfullnesse in the time of affliction is to be perswaded of Gods love in afflicting of us This hath been in part touched before therefore I shall bee the briefer in the point How fearefull our nature is of troubles how unwilling the flesh is to taste of the cup of affliction yea how we labor to shift and avoyde it with a kinde of abhorring it common experience teacheth us And the mistrust of Gods providence and love wherewith naturally the best are infected makes us to shun and avoyd afflictions as much as possibly wee can lest wee should not bee able to grappie and encounter with them Wherein as wee bewray much weaknesse so do wee expresse great incredulity for hereby we do manifestly shew that wee thinke that God in afflicting doth not love us and that therefore hee cannot or will not helpe us to beare them that hee cannot or will not bring us fairely off them Therefore let us not give way to carnall reason nor heare what flesh and blood shall suggest unto us but what is delivered from the Word of truth which tels us that the Lord correcteth him whom he loveth even as the father doth the childe in whom hee delighteth Prov. 3.12 If wee give eare to carnall wisdome it will tell us surely if God loved us he would not thus afflict us As if our afflictions were a wall of separation twixt Gods love and us But what saies Paul Ro. 8.38 39. I am perswaded that neither 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 separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus This strong perswasion of Gods love carried Paul on cheerfully in his troublesome pilgrimage and made him joyfull in all his sorrowes and afflictions Thus strongly should wee bee perswaded of Gods love for hath not the Lord said Esay 54.10 The mountaines shall remove and the hils shall fall downe but my mercy and love shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace fall away as if hee should have said though the whole world be turned topsy turvy and heaven and earth do meet together yet standeth still my love and affection firm to theewards The change and alteration of our outward estate and condition causeth no change of Gods love for hee is still the same unto us and with us though the face and fashion of the world goeth away 1. Cor. 7.31 The things of this life are mutable and our condition is subject to daily change and alteration Times have their vicissitudes to day it is well with us to morrow ill to day at ease to morrow in paine to day we have something to morrow lesse it may be nothing to day in honor to morow in disgrace seldome continuing in one stay In which variable condition of ours and amids all changes and chances of this life here is comfort to the child of God that God is the same and changeth not but as he now loveth him so hee will for ever continue loving and gracious to him John 13.1 And hosoever we cannot tell what shall bee to morrow James 4.14 wee know our beginning as the old saying is but we know not what our end shall be as Paul went up to Jerusalem but knew not what things should come unto him there Acts 20.22 Yet such is our happinesse and comfort that come what will come no event whatsoever can keepe back or turne away Gods love from us and though our state be changed yet Gods love to us is not changed but still the same as true and as intyre as over it was My enemies may take away my liberty my goods my good name my deare friends and that which of all other things is most deare unto me even my life but I have one Jewwell all the devils in hell all the powers of darkenes all the rage and malice of the world can never spoile me of they cannot rob me of the love of my God This confidence and perswasion of Gods love and favor beares up the godly from sinking under the burden of their affliction and makes them cheerfull when as the wicked wanting this assurance are either sencelesse or else faithlesse and impatient under the crosse The faithfull making God and his favor their portion and happinesse enjoy this priviledge in time of adversity as well as in the day of prosperity and therefore their hearts or their desire is to bee as joyfull when they are in trouble and afflictions as if they were most free from them Whereas the wicked placing their whol felicity in these earthly things their profits pleasures c. When their wealth and worldly things faile their joy their hope and comfort ends with them These have nothing but nature to helpe them beare their burdens Whence it commeth to passe that infidelity and impatience do make them more grievous and burdensome whereas the faithfull having the perswasion of Gods love and the presence of his Spirit to support them take comfort in their troubles during the time of their tryall and wait for a seasonable and cumfortable issue and deliverance out of them So that it is a truth not to be questioned that the perswasion of Gods love in afflicting of us is a great help to keepe us from sinking under afflictions and to enable us with patience and cheerfullnesse to undergo them this
perswasion will carry us on comfortably in our pilgrimage it will make us willing to beare whatsoever the Lord shall be pleased to lay upon us and to want that which wee see hee is not willing wee should injoy Wee rejoyce in tribulations saith Paul Rom. 5.3 because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given us verse 5. Reason 1 And that first of all because he that is perswaded of Gods love cannot but beleeve that God will helpe him to beare his crosse and to undergo his affliction bee it what it will For God is faithfull and will not suffer his to be tempted above that they are able to beare 1. Cor. 10.13 Object But I am weake saith one and I shall never bee able to beare such or such trials if the Lord laies any more upon mee I shall never beare it Answ Comfort thy selfe God will either make thee able or else hee will lighten and lessen thy affliction Thy God who loves thee will put to his hand hee will helpe at a dead lift his power is made perfect through weaknesse 2. Cor. 12.9 Hee loves thee and therefore will not overloade thee His grace shall bee sufficient for thee Therefore say as did Jeremy O Lord thou art my force and my strength and my refuge in the day of affliction Jer. 16.19 Reason 2 Secondly the perswasion of Gods love will be helpfull unto us to the cheerfull bearing of affliction because if wee beleeve that God loves us wee know that he intends our good in afflicting of us yea will do us good by our affliction For hee chasteneth all his children for their profit Heb. 12.10 It is good for me saith David that I have been afflicted Psal 119.71 Haply wee can see no good that is like to come unto us out of this affliction or that trouble but rather evill or hurt yet through the goodnesse and wisdome of the Lord good shall bee extracted out of this evill as the best treacle is made of deadly poyson When we are in a course of Physick at the first wee see not we feel not any good it doth us but it makes us rather worse then wee were before and causeth many a sicke qualme many a fainting fit and we wish the Physick had never been prescribed unto us or not taken of us but when wee consider of whom wee tooke it even from him whose judgement and knowledge we approve of whose care and love wee doubt not of then we are the more quieted and pluck up our spirits in expectation and hope of ease ere it be long It may be thou findest no good thine affliction hath yet done thee it being now working upon thee Yet if thou canst but rest a while and bee perswaded of the wisdome and love of God who hath administred this physick unto thee thou wilt bee contented and looke for good to follow it When rhe sonnes of Zerviah would faine have been doing with that dead dogge Shimei for cursing their Lord and Master no no saies David suffer him to curse it may be the Lord will looke upon mine affliction and do mee good for his cursing this day 2. Sam. 16.11 12. But the Apostle Paul being more full of faith putting the question past peradventure hee puts it out of question resolves and builds upon it wee know that all things worke together for the best to those that love God Rom. 8.28 Now wee know that every one that loves God is beloved of God for wee love him because he loved us first Iob 4.19 How cheerfully do wee use to welcome those that bring us but tidings of good but if any one brings us any great benefit we thinke wee cannot bid him too welcome Is affliction come unto thee Welcome it for certainly if thou beest the Lords I dare boldly as David said of Abimaaz the sonne of Zadock Hee is a good man and commeth with good tydings 2. Sam. 18.27 say of affliction it is a good thing and bringeth not only tydings of good but good it selfe unto thee For no sooner comes affliction to Gods children but if it be welcomed good will bee at the heels thereof to follow after it Reason 3 Thirdly it cannot bee but the perswasion of Gods love will make us cheerfull in affliction because being beloved of God no misery can make us miserable Art thou in Gods favor then thou art ever in his eye he lookes after thee and is carefull that no evill shall befall thee Nay thou art unto him as the apple of his eye Zach. 2.8 tender and deere unto him and therefore whatsoever danger doth beset thee the Lord will bee at thy right hand to uphold and comfort thee Being in Gods favor thou art sure of his protection for thou Lord wilt blesse the righteous and with favor wilt compasse him as with a shield Psa 5.12 Noah was safe enough in that great and deadly deluge because the Lord prepared an arke for him and shut him up Daniel was safe enough amongst the Lyons because God sent his Angel shut the Lyons mouths that they could not hurt him Dan. 6.22 The Lord hath made a gracious promise that When thou passest thorow the waters he will be with thee and thorow the floods that they do not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire c. Esay 43.2 from whence is this it followes in the 4. verse because thou wast precious in my sight and thou wast honorable and I loved thee Therefore if God love thee thou art happy thou canst not be miserable Nay shall I speake boldly unto thee I tell thee if thou wert if possible in Hell in the deepest gulfe of calamity that can bee yet for all this being beloved of God thy estate and condition is happy hee will gaine glory and thou shalt get good by all that evill which hath or shall befall thee Reason 4 Fourthly and lastly the assurance of Gods love will make us willing to bear our affliction because we know that nothing can separate us as was said before from this love of God but being once beloved of him we shall so continue for ever It is not all the wit or will the cunning or subtilty the power or pollicy of all the creatures on the face of the earth or underneath the earth let there bee a confederacy amongst them yea let them all cast in their lot and make one common purse Prov. 1.14 to do thee mischief let them all plod plot combine and bandy themselves against thee they shall never bee able to winde thee out of Gods love or favor if once beloved of him It is possible that thou mayest lose the love and favor of the World and the more because thou art beloved of God for the World loves none but her owne brats Joh. 15.19 It is a very stepdame or rather beldame to all that are beloved of God It is possible that thy friends may become thy
to rob thee of that good hee sees thine affliction is like to do thee and that thou art not so distrustfulll of Gods love nor so unbeleeving as the Devill doth beare thee in hand thou art But admit it bee so and that thou art as thou speakest of thy selfe wilt thou judge of the good effect of thy bodily physicke or the skill and love of thy Physician by the sick and painfull working of the Physick What wise man would so do This were all one as if a man should judge of his future strength or a woman of her beautie by their present condition of sicknesse Therefore howsoever no good by affliction may appeare at first but the contrary rather there being much impatience infidelity c. Yet know thou that no mans grace is to be judged of in the time of temptation for certainly many even of the Lords deare children when the hand of God is upon them especially if it lie more heavily and longer then ordinary do doubt of Gods love and favour and do bewray much corruption by their unadvised and inconsiderate words by their sowre and lumpish cariage in the time of their afflictions The Scripture commendeth Moses for faith and obedience yet being perplexed and vexed with the dogednesse and rebellion of the Israelites hee so offended the Lord by his unbeliefe that the Lord did cut him short of Canaan and would not suffer him to set foot on that promised land Because yee beleeved mee not to sanctifie mee in the presence of the children of Israel therefore yee shall not bring this people into the land that I have given them Numb 20.12 Admirable and invincible was the patience of Job Yet when the hand of God was first upon him how did hee curse the day of his birth wishing that hee had died as soon as he was born Let that day perish wherein I was born c. Job 3.3 And afterward againe Oh that God would destroy me that he would let his hand go and cut mee off Job 6.9 Was not David beloved of God and a man after his own heart yet hee was so overwhelmed with the cloud of afflictions and so battered with the storme of adversity that he could not discerne the love of God towards him but hee cries out Will the Lord absent himselfe for ever and will hee shew no more love or favor Psal 77.7 And againe Lord why dost thou reject my soul and hidest thy face from mee Thine indignations go over mee and thy feare hath cut me off Psal 88.15 16. I alledge not these examples for the fostering of any in their impatience and unbeliefe nor that any should take libertie from hence for the like behavior in the time of affliction but I speak this the rather partly to uphold and comfort weak beleevers that they listen not to Satans temptations who will be ready to buâ—e it into their eares that none of Gods children do question his love in the time of triall or shew any impatience under the rod and partly to stop the mouthes of the wicked and to stay their uncharitable censure from going too farre they being so ready to measure the child of God either by his afflictions or by his behavior in them Objects But may Gods children be sad and heavie in time of affliction Answ No doubt they may for doth not Saint Peter say now for a season if need require yee are in heavinesse through manifold tentations 1. Pet. 1.6 but in our heavinesse these cautions must be observed First our sorrow must be greater for our sinne which brought the affliction then for the affliction it selfe Secondly wee must not bee excessive but moderate in our heavinesse Object But how may wee know that our sorow for afflictions is moderate Answ First if it exceed not the measure of our sorrow for sinne If our sinnes bee our greatest heart-smart our sorrow for affliction is moderate Secondly if our sorrow for affliction hurt us not that is drieth not up our bones impaireth not our strength or make us unfit for publique imployment Thirdly and lastly if it withdrawes not the heart from God and the dueties of his worship and service Object But the weake beleever will still object and say If my troubles and afflictions were only bodily and outward I make no question but I should see Gods love in them but my wound and griefe is inward and spirituall I cannot finde or feel the sweet comforts of Gods Spirit I see the angry countenance of God bent against me for my sinnes God mee thinkes lookes not now upon mee with the amiable countenance of a loving Father but with the face of a severe and strict judge ready to take vengeance upon mee for my sinnes how can I then be perswaded either or Gods love or that my case is good or that good is intended mee by this affliction Answ Howsoever these inward and spirituall afflictions be the sorest of all trials for the spirit of a man may sustaine his bodily infirmities but a wounded spirit who can beare Prov. 18.14 Yet I would have thee know that even these inward and sad afflictions are no other then are incident unto the best of Gods children and wherewith the Lord in love doth afflict them For the Lord seeth as wee have spoken before what his children stand in most need of out of his deep and unsearchable wisedome hee singles out and makes choice of those tryalls which shall make most for our spirituall good the Lord ever pitcheth upon that affliction which shall worke best upon us and serve most punctually to humble and awe us Some he afflicts with varietie of worldly crosses as in their children or outward estate Some he doth extraordinarily exercise with spirituall conflicts and troubles of conscience thus sorting out unto his children those severall crosses and corrections which out of his unsearchable wisedome and their spirituall necessitie hee sees most expedient for them Therefore of what nature soever thy crosse be do thou take it up seeing it pleaseth our wise God to exercise thee with it as thy portion It may be thou thinkest that no outward and worldly crosse could go so neere thee as doth this inward tentation but who knowes what thou wouldst be if this tryal were removed It may bee the Lord sees that without it thou wouldest grow worldly or waspish or secure or proud now high spirits must be abased low and the Lord sees that these inward and spirituall conflicts are the best and surest way to humble us and to bring us out of love with sinne and our selves and more in love with his majestie He breaks up hee rents and teares the heart and conscience with fears and terrors that so it may bee made more plyable and gentle more fit to receive and to retaine that seed of grace which the Lord is now casting into them Therefore assure thy selfe that it is not for any want of love that the Lord doth lay so heavie
unto Gods will and then whatsoever thy sinns have been whatsoever thy tentations distractions feares or doubtings be if thou wilt beleeve the Lord will graciously accept of thee for his sonns sake The Lord stands not upon thy sinns nor thy unworthynesse as I have formerly said he bids thee beleeve therefore tho thou beest unworthy of Gods favor and mercy yea beleeve because God commands thee and he is worthy to be obeyed By beleeving Christ and his righteousnesse become thine and having Christ neither sin nor the law shall be able to hurt thee for faith reprives us from the law and puts us under grace Therefore beleeve else never looke to have any sound joy or true peace to thy soul the heart is filled with joy and peace in beleeving Rom. 15.13 Where there is doubting of Gods love or our own salvation there can bee neither joy nor peace but anxiety trouble vexation and griefe Faith pacifies and quiets all For being justified by faith we have peace towards God through our Lord Jesus Christ and rejoyce under the bope of the glory of God neither do we so onely but also we rejoyce in tribulations Rom. 5.1 2 3. True faith tho never so little is able to keepe thy soul from sinking under any affliction be it never so great or grievous When Peter was strong in faith he could cast himself into the Sea but his heart and faith failing he began to sink little and weak faith will be able to keep us from drowning but not from beginning to sink When Peters faith was weakest Christ was nearest at hand to helpe him Christ who never did nor will reject the weakest beleever put forth his hand and saved Peter but yet withall reproved him for doubting O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Mat. 14.31 Doubt not therefore but beleeve And be perswaded that if the Lord intended not to shew mercy unto thee he would never haue given thee an eye to see thy sinnes a heart to grieve and mourn for them or a tongue to desire the pardon and forgivenesse of them Therefore assure thy selfe that a grieved spirit a sorrowfull heart a wounded conscience is no sure argument of a forlorn condition or of the want of the love of God Vse 2 Againe is it so is this the best way for us to bee patient and cheerfull in affliction to bee perswaded of Gods love Labor wee then to get our hearts setled in this perswasion and thou shalt finde the anguish of thy affliction much alaied thou shalt feel the smart of it much abated Holy Job was brought to a low and pittyfull condition when he desired to he let alone whiles he might swallow his spittle Job 7.19 Yet even then Job wondred at the goodnesse and favor of God that he would think him worthy the melting and trying What is man that thou dost magnifie him and that thou settest thine heart upon him And dost visit him every morning and triest him every moment Job 7.17 18. Being then undoubtedly perswaded that when God comes neer thee with affliction he is neer thee in affection that when he corrects thee he loves thee for until the heart of man be thorowly perswaded hereof hee shall never take comfort in nor pick any good out of his affliction Imagine with me a man who hath every day his full feed of the best and what outward comfort he will call for what true content can hee take in these things when hee knows that hee is under the displeasure of his Prince and so in danger every day of being cast into prison whereas if through the rage and malice of some of his enemies hee were cast into prison if he were perswaded of the Kings love hee would rest contented knowing and beleeving that the King will honor him for his reproach and ere it be long set him free againe Even so it is with every one that is perswaded of Gods love in his affliction Therefore as at all times so especially in the time of affliction Gods children should live by faith Affliction is like to do us little good if it be not tempered with faith As that meate which we take into our stomack concocteth not if the native heat be defective and wanting even so that affliction which is administred unto us will profit us little if faith be wanting unto us Faith stilleth the heart even in our sorest and greatest afflictions perswading us of Gods love in correcting us and that the Lord intendeth our great good by this affliction which lyeth upon us the love and care which parents have of their childrens good and wellfare doth not wholy consist in providing of meat drink and apparel for them but partly in correcting of them for their good and partly in providing of physick for them when they are any way distempered Even so almighty God our mercifull and loving father doth no lesse love us when he corrects afflicts us which as you have heard is the physicking of our soules then when he provideth outward necessaries for us and this faith doth perswade the heart of For faith judgeth not of things by sense or outward appearance but as the truth is in Jesus Christ justifying the Lord in all his waies alway magnifying the wise and holy proceedings of our good God as the only best and most profitable for us It is only the apprehension of some losse the feare of some evill or the sense of Gods wrath and displeasure in our affliction which makes the heart so sad and the spirits so lumpish in the time of affliction then set thy faith on work and it will blow over all these clouds it will answer all carnall doubts and reasonings and so settle the heart in a constant perswasion of Gods love that we shall rejoyce and be thankfull for our afflictions because we know and beleeve that God in afflicting of us loves us And to put the matter out of all doubting I will lay down a few but sure and certain evidences of Gods love in correcting of us Dost thou desire to know whether God in afflicting of thee loveth thee whether his stripes bee the blowes of an enemy or the chastisement of a loving father thou mayest know it by these tokens First when God gives thee a heart to be contented and a minde to be willing to beare whatsoever he shall lay upon thee and to want whatsoever thou seest the Lord is not willing thou shouldst injoy Hee that doth not rest content with the love and favor of God in the want of outward yea the best of outward things doth not rightly prize the love of God in that the want of other things doth more affect him and take up his minde then the consideration of Gods love and he more discontented in the missing of the one then contented with the possession of the other He that cannot be content to part with any earthly benefit when God shall call for it it is to