22 VE'R.s·.3! .. An~Bxpojititm,.w_ith.Nore$ . .e:w.Jt-ts ~ T ! ~ -- . ~cf"C;hr..i;_iJ.r.uppe~ring: 1G~dwilLjufrifieiaith befor~ all· ~he w~ildl and.the.crowt:J ofF'aWmc;t: IS fe~ upon a~Je.:evers head· m•tha.nfo-;. lem[l dayq£<qhtifr :Sbaifee the·reafons whyiOod -Gr'yeth~ ' r• Vft. - W.elrth(ln~: It teacheth us to bearaffiid-iqns with-conllancy a:rid patience; God tryeth llS by there things: For-your comfort confider four th!ngs. , r. Gbds aym in your afflictions is nC?t-defirucrion bur tryal; ~s gold isput into the .furnace to be jir1ed;not confumed: wicked merls ~pifery is an evU,andan only evil, Ezek-7·1· In their cup there is no mixture,and their plagues are not tofan, but deftroy. Eut' t0 godly men miferies have another property and habitude; Dan:I ~:3:5· Ther jhi1lltf...zfl to t~y,m1d topur-ge,and to m~k! white; thac: ts,m umes 0f p1anyperfecuttons,, as was that ofAntzochUJ, ·th: figure ofAnti9huifi: ( '·IZ•· The time of tryal is appoint~d,Dan.I r~3 )• They foal/ fail to t<ry; and.t'O purge, a"!d to makyWhtte, even to the time o{the.end; Becaufe -it u yet for a time appointed: You are not in the furnace bychance, or at the will of your enemies, the time u Hppaim~d,fet by God. ?· God fit_tethby the furnace pryingand looking after his nll:ttal, Mal.3·3· He foal/fit M a refiner andpuri~ fier offilv.er. It notes his comfl:ant and affiduous care,that the fire be not too hot.,that n.othingbe fpilt and loft: 'Tisa notable expreffion that ofl[a.48•9,IO, li_or my prai[e'»ill I refrain; 1 have refined thee, but not M fiiver; .that i5, not fo throughly; filver orgold is · kept in the fire till the drofs be wholly wrought out of it : if we tl1ould be fined as Glver, when tbould.we.come out ofthefurnace? TherefGre God faich,he wal choofe 1# in thefurnace J thoughmuch drols fl:ill remain. 4· -Confidt!r, This tryal is not only to approve, bnt to impr-ove, we are tryed M gold, refined when tryed: So 1 Tet. I ·7· That the t.ryal Q,f rour faith being much mor~ precio;u t.hmgold thi.lt. perifoeth; or more clearly in Job 23·Jo. when he hath trJedme,• 1fo~lcome forth M gold: Thedro!fyand fcorious pare or matter is fevered, and the corruptions that cleave dofe to us are purged and eaten out. Obfervat. 3· -;. horn rhat [Your Faith J The chief grace which is tryed in perfecucion isfaith: So in t Pet. r. 7~ That the tryal of yrmr Faith, being morepnciru"" ,&c. Of aUgraces Satan-hath a fpire ' at FaitiJ; and of aU gra-ees God del ighteth, -chat the perfection of it Lhould be difcovered : ?airh is,rryed, partly becaafe 'cis the radical Gr-ace that keep~eh in the lifi ofa ChrifHa11; Hab.tk. 2. i• ThB·juft-foailti'llt l!j Faith: \Ve1W!Jrk.. by lqve, but live by · faith.
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