without persecutions would never have been so much amplified and increased Againe what honour is it to be Gods instrument to cast down and overthrow all infernall and worldly powers to destroy principalities and powers that rebell against him And I beseech thee knowest thou not what is the cause of the ruine of Empires Kingdomes and Common-wealths it is because they make insurrection against Gods children persecuting them otherwise they might have subsisted longer for Jerusalem is a cup of trembling unto the people round about Zach. 12.2 The Church is like unto mount Sinah whereunto if a man or beast drawes neere is thrust through and killed with darts from heaven or an anvill whereupon all the hammers that strike or beat are broken into shivers so that the enemies of Gods truth cannot commit a greater measure of foolishnesse and prove more prejudiciall unto themselves then when they fight against Gods Church they undoe themselves thereby turning upside downe their thrones losing their Crownes and casting headlong their children and posterity into a miserable condition And thus much of the inestimable good things of the third sort of afflictions Seeing these things are so who seeth not that all the afflictions mentioned are not signes of Gods wrath and indignation but of his love forasmuch as they obtaine such a glorious end And thus the Holy Ghost himselfe giveth his verdict of chastisements in particular whom the Lord loveth hee chasteneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth If yee endure chastening God dealeth with you as with sonnes for what sonne is he whom the father chasteneth not and if ye be without chastisements whereof all are partakers then are you bastards not sonnes Heb. 12.6,7,8 Now if chastisements and punishments inflicted for sinnes are not signes of Gods wrath wee are to esteem no otherwise of the other sorts of afflictions When Satan therefore shall suggest unto thee what the Jewes said once to Christ if thou be the Sonne of God come down from the crosse Mat. 27.40 Answer him clean contrary because I am the child of God I will mount the crosse and through much tribulation enter into the Kingdome of Heaven Acts 14.22 Moreover since the afflictions of Gods children carry with them such good things and are signes of Gods fatherly love they are causelessely as they are commonly called evills but contrarily deserve to be stiled good things To this purpole the Prophet David speaks It is good for mee that I have been afflicted Psal 119.71 and Jeremy it is good for a man that he beare his yoak in his youth Lam. 3.27 Certainly hee that saith it is good to be afflicted declares likewise that afflictions are good and profitable which must not be understood as though they were good in their owne nature for if thou considerest all calamities in their first Originall they are the brood and off-spring of death whereunto all men were adjudged by God's sentence but now they became good things in regard of the metamorphosis or transmutation of their nature when incident to Gods children which are no otherwise then the Prophet Jeremy made a defenced City and an iron pillar and brazen wals Jer. 1.18 against which the darts lose their heads and are not able to doe any hurt That they doe change their nature Saint Paul inintimateth when hee saith wee know that all things work together for good to them that love God who are called according to his purpose Rom. 8 28. Of this change the crosse of Iesus Christ is the cause through whom God is our father This is the tree that takes away the bitternesse of the waters of Marah whereinto we fall in the wildernesse of this world This is that brazen Serpent whereupon if wee look afflictions invading us and as it were a Serpent biting our heeles our heart shall live and her head shall be bruised He that was present with the three children in the midst of the fiery furnace will be present with us also when we suffer-persecution for his name sake The tree of the crosse beareth excellent fruit especially those of righteousnesse whereof the Apostle speaketh Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse it yieldeth the peace of righteousnesse unto them which are exercised thereby Heb. 12.11 so that to stile the afflictions of Gods children then when their genuine nature is explicated evils infelicities calamities is nothing else then to imitate the negligence of a certain undiscreet Apothecary that leaves the inscription of Arsenick upon his boxe when as there is nothing else in it but Rubarb or Manna yea it is an adulterous false marke proper unto those with whom Christ hath no communion and unto whom punishments are not available but are tastes and harbingers of those everlasting torments which abide them after this life Hence it is manifest that the condition of Gods children is to bee preferred to the state of the children of this world wee have declared in the beginning of this Chapter that all afflictions are promiscuously common as concerning their outward forme so that there is not any adversity which may not as equally befall an obstinate sinner as a godly man The difference then consisteth herein that the wicked persevering in their sinnes can have no true consolation because they can gather no good thing out of their calamitie whereas the case is far otherwise with the afflictions of Gods children for they procure them inestimable good things and by the vertue of the crosse of Christ doe become a new kind of goodnesse whereupon they find therein true firme consolation so that certainly the apprehension and consideration of afflictions were there no other cause for a sinner to returne unto God go on in the way of salvation and live in the feare of God should sufficiently move him to be at rest in the day of adversity Lastly if there be such good and excellent things in afflictions If their ends bee so glorious and happy why art thou therefore devout soule dejected and sorrowfull in affliction which doth now possesse thee Thou wilt say because it is grievous to flesh and blood that is true but the case is of like nature in a Medicine the taste whereof doth not argue it to be wholsome but its vertue and operation otherwise thou mayest take Poyson instead of Medecine and embrace death for life that thou mayest not injure and deceive thy selfe in the consideration of afflictions set before thy view their fruit and end which is very excellent and of greater value than one is able to conceive This is it which thou shouldest think upon in thy present affliction Now since thy containe and procure thee such good things as wee have demonstrated it behoves thee to bee of a joyfull mind which St. James requireth of thee My brethren count it all joy when yee fall into divers temptations Ja. 1.2 and especially when thou sufferest for the testimony of Gods truth and constant profession of the
world Joh. 5.4 But what is it to overcome it It is not for one to make himselfe a slave thereunto neither to stoop to adversities on the one side nor to place his felicity therein on the other Hee that doth this may assuredly perswade himselfe to be borne of God and to enjoy Gods benevolence and grace whereby the world is vanquished Contrarily one by being sorrowfull plainly testifieth that he is desperately in love with this world Moreover it openeth a gap to the devill to assault him with divers temptations and bring him into thousand evills and hainous sinnes The murtherer Cain may serve for an example whose anger was not onely kindled but his countenance fell assoone as God disrespected his sacrifice which moved him to kill his brother It induces him to become an Apostate or revolter from the true Religion subscribing and consenting to the lies of Satan when calamity is set before his view as Poverty banishment imprisonment and death which hee is bound to suffer for the confession of truth It makes him dispaire and to lay violent hands upon himselfe and ministreth an opportunity to the devill to set aside his proper shape and appear unto such as give themselves thereunto visibly as it hapned to the Egyptians in times past which were as the wise man witnesseth scattered under a darke vaile of forgetfulnesse being horribly astonished and troubled with strange apparitions Wisd 7.3 It gives way to the envious man the devill to perswade him to make a covenant with him and renounce his baptisme as witches are wont to doe which being done hee possesseth vexeth and tormenteth him after a wonderfull manner Behold the mischiefes thereof behold the off-spring the sorrowfull man breedeth in his bosome who seeth not that the grievousest plague is that of the heart Eecl 25.13 And it cannot be but it should produce the greatest miâ—fortune and misery it being the grievousest punishment and curse which God threatneth to the transgressors of his Law The Lord shall give thee a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind Deut. 28.65 I will distresse Jerusalem and there shall be heavinesse and sorrow it shall be unto me as Ariel Esay 29.2 Thus saith the Lord of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the land of Israel they shall eat their bread with carefulnesse Ez. 12.19 Remove farre from thee this most dangerous disease and embrace Godly mirth which as hath been said doth not onely become Gods children but affords excellent commodities It represents to the joyfull mans view the happy successe of future things causing him to beare all things patiently and to follow his businesses or employments or forgoe them having regard to time and other circumstances And howsoever all things fall not out according to his mind yet he is contented with his condition Hee handles worldly things as they are in their owne nature fading and indifferent and being not clogg'd by them he goes on lustily in the way of life till hee hath prosperously finished his journey Hee leads his life as quietly as hee can in this world neither aggravates it with new miseries being burthensome enough of it selfe His understanding is sound and perfect in that hee judgeth not according to his affection but as reason directeth him his body is recreated and refreshed thereby Hee knowes experimentally what Solomon speakes of a merry heart doth good like a medicine Prov. 17.22 A merry heart hath a continuall feast Prov. 15.15 and againe The gladnesse of the heart is the life of man and the joyfulnesse of a man prolongeth his dayes Eccl. 30.22 Moreover one endued with this sanctified joy is most assured of Gods love and throughly furnished against Satan so as he cannot exercise his power and force upon him In briefe the blessing of the heavenly father resteth upon him and in that hee rejoyceth it is the worke of grace and because he rejoyceth in God it is an infallible signe that God hath pleasure in him Wherefore be not sorry for the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8.11 and say I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyfull in my God Esay 61.10 CHAP. III. The third ground or reason why the faithfull man should abandon it and be joyfull is drawn from Gods spirituall grace in Iesus Christ THere is nothing which should beget a greater measure of joy in the faithfull man than the contemplation and enjoyment of spirituall benefits which God hath conferred upon him for thereby he is freed from the grievousnesse of his misery and translated into a most happy condition which thou faithfull soule being in misery and sorrow which now boils within thee and is fixed in thy breast shouldst especially take into consideration That thou maist cleerly perceive as thou oughtest Gods grace and judge more rightly of the excellency of his benefits Consider with me I beseech thee these three things to wit thy state past present and to come What is man in respect of his past estate but naturally the child of wrath and eternall condemnation for whereas he was originally created after the image of God now hee is deprived thereof by his incredulity and rebellion which is the cause that by the most just sentence of God hee is adjudged to death that is to all manner of miseries spirituall and corporall temporall and eternall wherein hee involved all his posterity Hence it is that man is conceived and borne in sin and so being deprived of righteousnesse he inclines to all vice his understanding darkned his will maliciously bent all his affections depraved and out of order Out of this corrupt fountaine it cannot be but an infectious and corrupt streame should flow to wit perverse abominable thoughts words answerable to the abundance depravation of his heart actions altogether unsavory to Gods will Briefely he is dead in sinnes and so cursed in the sight of God unto whom that speech of Martha may be applied Lord by this time he stinketh for he hath beene dead foure dayes Jo. 11.39 for whereas once hee was the temple of God how he is become a noisome den and sinke whereinto that infernall soule disburthens his filth Nay hee rebells against God and enters into acts of hostility the wrath of God is thereupon revealed from heaven against all his unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Rom. 1.17 Being left then to himselfe by Gods judgement he followes his own wayes he is given to a reprobate sense whereupon he feeles divers curses inflicted by God who either punisheth him in his goods in his body in his honours or in such as are deere unto him one while hee armes the heaven to be his enemy otherwhile the Elements otherwhile beasts otherwhile he makes men to fall out amongst themselves At length he cuts him off from the land of the living whom vengeance dogges no lesse than before for his soule no sooner forsakes the body but it endureth infernall paines untill the resurrection at what time the
for thee and enter into that joy which cannot be taken from thee The consideration I say of thy present past and future condition should induce thee to bee contented with that state and station which God hath allotted thee Let others rejoyce that they are rid and recovered from some dangerous disease poverty or some other adversity wherewith thou art now possessed Thou hast through Gods grace escaped thousand dangers and miseries which without comparison surpasse all the calamities of this world Let others boast in the multitude of their riches others wax proud of their gay apparell and dignities what are all these things compared with the Majesty of the child of God and coheire with Jesus Christ Let others feed themselves with vaine hopes that of glory and future happinesse will never give thee the lurch wherefore take heed of murmuring against God beware thou sayest at any time that hee deales severely with thee Doth he deale severely with thee who hath conferred upon thee such honours who heapeth upon thee so many benefits doth hee deale roughly with thee who reserves for thee for the time to come such ample felicitie Let that speech therefore of our Saviour to Saint Paul sound continually in thy eares or rather in thy heart my grace is sufficient for thee 2 Cor. 12.9 and in all adversities which daily happen in this world seeke ease refreshment and comfort by contemplating Gods grace for a Kings favour I say the King of Kings favour is as dew upon the ground Prov. 19.12 CHAP. IV. The fourth ground or reason consists in the corporall benefits conferred by God THe ineffable dignity of spirituall grace as hath been said should bee just cause to remove from thee sorrow wherewith thou art possessed But wee have not as yet mentioned all Gods benefits bestowed upon thee his grace and goodnesse resting not in the above-mentioned benefits but tending and extending themselves further for with his right hand of spirituall benefits he imbraceth thee his left of temporall being under thy head so that thou hast experience of what the spouse of Christ wisheth to her selfe saying His left hand should bee under my head and his right hand should embrace mee Cant. 8.3 Neither is hee satisfied to quicken thee with spirituall life and provide thee food and rayment as also communicate with thee unspeakable benefits and honours but hee goeth further he deales with thee as a loving earthly father doth with his children in their minority suffering them to play and use all manner of ratles that they may with more pleasure passe away their infancy Thy heavenly father deales no otherwise with thee for he bestows upon thee so many temporall benefits the sweetnesse whereof should exhilarate thee and overcome that bitternesse of spirit which now pines thee away The benefits that thou enjoyest are of two sorts some particular strictly so called which howsoever many doe enjoy yet they are not conferred upon each singular person and some common which concern all that can read this little book so that none hath cause to complain or cast an envious eye upon his brother Hath God I beseech thee more especially honored thee than an infinite multitude of men Art thou perchance through his grace sprouted out of a royall illustrious famous noble stock or at least of an honest family or neerly allied thereunto As for thy calling and state God perchance hath singled thee out to be a leader and King over his people and subjected to thy empire and power nations and chosen thee to bee his vicegerent and assistant here on earth or art in the number of the Gods that is to say a magistrate to distribute judgement and justice to those that are committed to thy charge to protect the innocent defend the widow orphan and stranger to condemne the guilty and punish the evill doer In briefe or perchance hee hath given thee that honour whereby many are become subject unto thee But if thy function bee not politicall God perchance hath constituted thee to be Christs steward in his house the Church to distribute to his family heavenly food to preach his word to be an overseer of his flock a very eminent honour and good work as the Apostle speaks or art perhaps of some other honest calling as employed in merchandise factorship or some other lawfull occupation or art of good odour through Gods favour not onely amongst thy owne Countrey-men but amongst forreiners in respect of magnanimity strength vertue wisdome or learning for a good report maketh the bones fat Prov. 15.30 Because he that is in good esteeme reapeth pleasure and profit And therefore a good name is father to bee chosen than great riches Prov. 21.1 Or hath hee over above these things bestow'd upon thee the goods of this world commonly so called to wit riches commodities lands possessions vineyards fields houses or the like blessings which continually hee poures upon thee And if thy yearly revenues be not answerable to thy will God like that good Caleb deales with thee for after he hath given thee barren land hee gives thee the upper and nether springs Judg. 1.15 hee blesseth thy labours and employments for thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands O well is thee and happy shalt thou be Psal 128.2 And hee filleth thee with the finest wheat Psal 147.14 Hee gives thee not onely so much as sufficed the Apostle to wit food and rayment which will nourish thee and thy family but hee bestowes upon thee more than thy necessities require yea oftentimes in abundance so that he deales graciously with thee so as thou mayest not onely live without penury and want but succour thy poore brethren with almes proportionable to thy power aswell to the advancement of Gods glory as to the good of thy countrey Hee communicates with thee riches and meanes whereby thou mayest not onely bring up thy children in good and honest discipline and sciences but especially in the feare of God advancing them to bee thy equalls in dignity or to a higher pitch of honour leaving them after thy decease in such sort as they bee not constrained to depend upon other mens mercies or compelled by poverty to want education and so become miserable men Or hath hee blessed thee in a happy matrimony by joyning thee to a meet helpe I mean thy bedfellow no lesse fruitfull than honourable inriched with divers endowments of the body but especially those of the soule vertue wisdome stayednesse and modesty Or hath hee made thee a father or mother to a family so that thy wife is as a fruitfull vine by the sides of thine house thy children like olive plants round about thy table Psal 128.3 Or are they strong in body and sound in understanding increasing in stature dayly before thy eyes but especially in the feare of God as tender plants of Gods garden And doe they profit by thy instructions chastisements and corrections yeelding thee comfortable hope for the future Or are they
father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they Consider the lilies of the field how they grow they toil not nor doe they spinne And yet I say unto you Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these wherefore if God so cloath the grasse of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the oven shall hee not much more cloath you O yee of little faith Matth. 6.26,28,29,30 And againe are not two sparrowes sold for a fathing and one of them shall not fall to the ground without your father but the very haires of your head are all numbred feare yee not therefore yee are of more value than many sparrowes Mat. 10.29,30,31 Thou canst in no wise doubt then of his gracious providence unlesse perhaps thou art fallen into wickednes and blasphemy as to think God to be more unjust worser and more unwise than earthly fathers who verily take care of their cattell much more of their children Hither may be referred the promises of Gods fatherly care towards his children whom hee alwayes honoureth and never purposeth to withdraw his helping hand from them so that hee enjoynes the faithfull man wholly to rely upon his providence Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and hee shall bring it to passe Psal 37.5 call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee thou shalt glorifie mee Psalm 50.15 because hee hath set his heart upon me and I will answer him and I will bee with him in trouble I will deliver him and with length of dayes will I satisfie him and shew him my salvation Psal 91.14,15,16 be conrent with such things as yee have for hee said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13.5 whence it followeth that not onely benefits and prosperity happen according to Gods providence to his children but miseries and adversities proceed from the same fountaine Now since God continually watcheth over his children his eyes being with singular care fixt upon them it is certain that adversities cannot escape the sight as I may so say of his wildome but are laid upon the godly according to his will and providence and seeing they happen unto us according to the will of our heavenly father it cannot be but that he layeth them upon us to our good and profit and the rather for that they proceed from his love towards us so that not to relie upon Gods providence is incredulity disobedience to deny his wisdome goodnesse justice truth and providence it is ingratitude towards him contempt detracting of his divine honour and in effect not to account him for thy father nor thy selfe for his sonne But thou wilt say it is true I confesse and acknowledge God hath singular care of his godly children but as for me I have too grievously offended and provoked him to anger by my sins and therefore farre be it from me to think I have cause to confide in his providence nay cleane contrary I have reason to expect rather his wrath and indignation and horrible judgement Whereunto I answer that God notwithstanding thy demerits is thy heavenly father not as thou art in thy selfe but as thou art his adopted sonne in Christ Jesus who hath done thee good in this life and in that which is to come Isaac blessed not Jacob in his owne person but in his elder brothers in whose garments he was invested and whose name he borrowed renouncing his owne Bee most assured then of Gods love notwithstanding thy iniquities whereby thou drawest upon thy selfe his chastisements but to thy profit and salvation And herein hee resembleth a father that devesteth not himselfe of his fatherly affection neither ceaseth to benefit his child though hee be angry with him and chastiseth him in regard of his foolishnesse and lewdnesse wherefore seeing thou art reconciled unto God thou mayest not represent him to thy selfe as a judge punishing the guilty but as a father chastising his sonne thereby testifying what great care hee hath of him and how dearely hee loves him for by correcting him hee prevents his ruine and destruction And the answer is easie to what thou sayest further if the Lord loves me why doth hee visit mee with this or that affliction and with Gideon who being as yet well catechised said unto the Angell heare O my Lord if the Lord be with us why is all this befallen us Jud. 6.13 which is the genuine language of a sonne feeling the rod and thereupon concludes that his father sets aside his nature and affection towards him which is all one as if one should complaine of his father for giving him bread which is so necessary for him or if a patient should taxe the Phisitian of inhumanity and hatred for ministring him a potion hee that deemeth that God loves him not and that his fatherly care is alienated because hee chastiseth him doth no otherwise than if he should say God loves me not because hee does mee good for chastisement wherewith his children are exercised is a most needfull and necessary benefit during the nonage of their life but hereof in the following chapter It now being sufficient to declare that hee will alwayes take care of thee seeing thou art his sonne in the whole course of thy life by his providence and meet help hee will bee really carefull of thee so farre that thou mayest possesse thy mind in tranquillity for the present and time to come Certainly if thy state and condition did not depend upon the providence of thy good and best father but blind fortune as Atheists deeme verily thou shouldst have alwayes just cause of sorrow terrour disquiet feare and anguish But now seeing there is nothing befals thee but according to Gods will and providence thou mayest say by right with and to thy selfe Returne O my soule into thy rest Psal 116.7 And hence it is manifest how much happier thou art than the Ethnicks and other infidels who are altogether ignorant of Gods providence or know it not to be of that nature as thou art taught by his word And therefore it cannot bee but these wretches should be exposed to horrible perturbations of mind among so many turmoises and troubles of this life But thou that art brought up in Gods schoole and art not ignorant that all things are ruled and ordered by the providence of God thy heavenly father mayest enjoy a quiet calme mind no otherwise than the heaven which is cleer and serene though the ayre be covered with thick clouds and tossed up and downe with wind and tempest so that by right thou mayest crie with the best of the fathers O thou omnipotent good who carest for every one of us so as if thou didst onely for us and of us all as of each of us in particular Aug. confess l. 3. c. 11. Away then with all sorrow since God will be carefull of thee for the future and as for the present adversity that thou feelest it hath no
my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Hope in God for I will yet praise him who is the helpe of my countenance and my God Psal 42.12 CHAP. VI. The sixth ground or reason is that afflictions themselves yield matter of joy BUt what doe I say not onely the benefits but the evils of this life commonly so called that is to say adversities which thou endurest as long as thou dwellest in these tents of Kedar yield matter of joy which is a riddle which the Philistines of this world cannot resolve The Nazarites and children of God are onely sensible that there is hony in the Lion and sweetnesse in affliction This lesson is very necessary to every one and in it selfe most excellent for thereby wee are taught to look upon afflictions undauntedly and entertaine them not onely with contempt as the Philosophers teach but with a merry countenance with pleasure and gladnesse which without comparison is farre more laudable and excellent than stoicall contempt and prond disdaine which cannot long endure the brunt of greater evils but will in short space be foiled and put to flight with shame Now mans understanding is not capable of this doctrine unlesse it hath first knowledge of the goodnesse lying hid under the deformed vizard of afflictions which conâ—…sts herein that the affictions which God layeth upon his elect are the meanes whereby they obtaine the possession of eternall happinesse and those unspeakable good things which are prepared for them so that their end is most excellent of inestimable value even heavenly life and glory which neither eye saw nor eare heard nor the heart of man can conceive That thou mayest perfectly understand this doctrine it is necessary that thou consider the divers sorts of afflictions which God sendeth to his children wherof commonly they make two one sort is of those afflictions which are common to the godly with the children of this world as diseases poverty or the like The other sort is of those afflictions that are proper unto such as undergo the crosse of Jesus Christ or persecution where with the faithfull for the profession of the Gospell are assaulted by their enemies but to speak properly if we look upon afflictions as they out wardly appeare unto us there is not any affliction proper all are common but if we consider their intrinsecall forme which gives them their being and essence there is not any common but all are particular and proper for their extrinsecall forme consisteth in that which is grievous and carries with it anguish of heart as poverty as hath beene said diseases banishment imprisonment all which are common to the godly with the children of this world insomuch that there is not any affliction which may not as equally befall them both for what have we not common saith one of the Fathers as long as we are in this world with the children therof and as long as wee are here below wee are joyned with other men by the bonds of this corruptible flesh but in spirit we are separated from them so that till this corruptible shall bee clothed with incorruption and this mortall shall put on immortality we ascend to God the father all the discommodities of the flesh are common to us with them If the earth be barren famine makes no distinction between any if a City or Town be surprised by the enemy all are brought into captivity and when the clouds with-hold their raine all are compelled to endure this drought and when the rocks split the ship asunder all without exception endure the same wrack failing of eyes burning agues and the perfect health of all the members are common to us with them as long as we are clothed with the same common flesh in this world As touching that which gives essence to the afflictions of Gods children it is opinion according to Philosophy But Gods word corrects this opinion teaching us that it cannot give unlesse an imaginary and putative essence thereunto Their true essence then is that which God himselfe gives them who wills that some serve for to chastise his elect correct their vices some serve for to trie their faith and other vertues and others tend to this end that they may beare witnesse to his heavenly truth Now as there is not any affliction of Gods children but hath reference to one of these so they are of that nature that they never befall the wicked since hee is not their father neither trieth hee them in that whereof they are destitute neither honoureth them so faire as to make them witnesses of his truth which they are ignorant of or cannot away with To speak properly then the faithfull man hath not any affliction common with the unregenerate if wee respect as wee ought its true being neither any particular affliction if we consider its outward forme and species And this wee must observe by reason of the fruit and consolation which redound thereby to God's children as shall bee seen hereafter There are three sorts of afflictions wherewith God exerciseth his children chastisement triall and Martyrdome of all and each of which we say that they procure to the godly inestimable good things glory especially and eternall life That the verity hereof may the better be perceived let us first as to what concerne chastisement compare prosperity and adversity Who knoweth not that whereas prosperity should be a spurre to excite and hasten us with more alacrity to the marke of our high calling and to render thankes unto God in such sort as is meet that is to worship and love him with more affection and to glorifie him in all our thoughts words and actions who knoweth not I say what it doth instead of all this It corrupteth us the blame is ours and brings forth such effects as it ought not to produce It is true the godly man offends God in his adversity through murmurings diffidence and other sinnes but hee recollects and returnes unto himselfe assoone as with David hee entreth the sanctuary but this is little or nothing to that he doth in the time of prosperity for if adversity hath kill'd her thousand certainly prosperity hath kill'd her ten thousand It is prosperity that breedeth carnall security forgetfulnesse of God confidence in humane affaires pride prophanation love to this world contempt of Gods word and sacraments It suffocates godly zeale and extinguisheth fervency of prayers it burieth and hideth the fire of faith under the ashes of carnall concupiscences and affections In a word the summer of prosperity engendreth a numerous swarme of flies that is to say vices which waste and make desolate the garden of the Lord This point needs no proofe the Scripture being plentifull herein and every mans experience witnessing it to be the way to eternall condemnation and not to life wherfore that God may bring into the right way one that is as a miserable wandring sheep hee takes him his pastorall staffe not smiting him on this side otherwhile on