344 G:n. 3S· 18 1 cor. 13. s Mat 8, 20 Mar~ 3 22 l•"" 8. 48 ~atnt.s fuffcrtngS'. Chap.1 6 Sea.~- ·-~ to the name ofG'od i bm 0 Lord,thou kpr:ejlit isfar otfmwrfc.n·ith 111\', 1 frcl a0_pdof murmltrmg, rmd vexmg, andfrcttz.ng n·uhm me~ evt_ry latie oojje puts me Cltt oftrmp"' aiJd frame offpirit ; Oh the boyjleroit[mfs of 111] {pmt! whr.t" deal ofc"Jil d&~h Godfee.in my heart l Oh the vexmg, and frcttwg, and murmurmg, and ;-cpimng thf!t is 'i?i. t-;;e! 2. Pore not too much bpon ourfufftrings. Many men have all their thougers t~kcn tip about their crolfes and affhchons, they are ever thinking or fpeaking o( them; when they awake in the mght then· thoughts are on them,and when they convcrfc with others (nay it 111ay be when they arc praymg to God) they are thinking on them. Oh, no marvai,lc though we ltvc d1fcontcnted ltves, 1four thoughts be alwaies poring oh fuch things, we fhould rather have our thoughts on thofe things that may comfort us. It is very obfervablc o! Jacob ' that when his wife dyed in child.birth, hJS wife called the child Bcnom; that IS a Jonne of forrows. Now 'Jacob he thought with himfelf. ir! fhould call this'child Bcnoni, every time that 1name him, it will put me in mind o'f the death of my dear wife, which will be a continual affliction unto me, and th9fefore I will not have my childe have that name: and fo the text faith , that j'acob ,:a/led his 11a,nc Benjamin, that is, the fonnc ofmy righr hP-nd. Now this is to fhew us thus much, \h' t when afflictions befall us we fhould uot give way to have our thoughts continuar,y upon them, but rather upon thofc things that may fiir up our thankfulnefs to God for his mercies. ft is the fimilitude of Balil, it is in rhis cafe as it is with men andwoMm that havefore eyes, now· it is not fit for thofe to be P.lwayes lod~.!."jjon the fire er on the biams of thefun, but on fomc things that arcfuitable, uponfmh ubjcEts as arc fit for one tht<t bath fore eyes , as upon green coluurs, or the II/.z!; So men or 1vomcn t hst ha1/C rveak.,fpin~ts"';;mft mt ever be looking upon the fire oftheir ajfiiftions, uponthofe thinu,- th.<t dejeCI rhcm •r cajl them doJ•n, buc they arc to lcok._upon thofc things rather tht<tway be fuitablefw the healing and helping of them. It Wtll be of great ufc and benefit to us if we lay it to heart, not to be poring alwaies upon afflictions,but upon mercies. 3. Let us make a good interprctation.9fGods waics towards us, ifpofftbly we can, Should our friends alwaies make bad interpretations of our waies towards them, we would take it ill. It is ill taken of the fpirit of God when \ye make ill interpretation of his waies towards us; and therefore if we can make any good interpretation of Gods waies towards us, let us make it. Ex. Gr. If any affliction befal us: let us think thus, it may be G'od onely intends to try"" by this? it may be G'od Jaw my heart too much Jet upon the creawre, and fo intends to jhew 1re what there is in my heart ; It may be God Jaw that if my cj/atc did continue 1Jhouldfall intofin, G'- fo the better my ejlate were, the worfe woul~ my foul be ; It may be G'od intended onely .to exlrClfe fon;.c grace in me; It may be God zpt'mds to prepare me for fomc great work._ whzch he hath for me to do; thus we lhould reafon. It is ufual with many othcrwife to interpret Gods dealings, jull: as they did in the wildcrnefs, God bath brought "-'hither to Fay w, or to fall by the firord, this is the worll: interpretation that poflibly we can make of Gods waycs : Oh why will we make thefe worfi interpretations when there may be better? Love thinkfth no c~·i!. Love is of that nature, that if there may be ten interpretations made of a thing, if nine of them be naught, and one good, love will take that which is good, and leave the other nine : and fo though there might be ten interpretations yrcfcntcd to us concerning Gods waies towards us, and if but one be good, and nine naught, we fhoula take that one that is good, and leave the other nine. Oh rctcinc good thoughts of God. Take heed of judging God to be an hard Mafter, make good inteprctation of his waies, and that will futher our contentment in all our afflictions. 4 , Let us look upon all our afflictions as fancrificd in Chrill:, and fancrified in a Mcdiutour. This is to fee all tbe fiing , and vcnome, and poyfon ofthem to be taken out by the venue of Jcfus Chrill: the Mediatour betw.ecn God. and man•. Ex. Gr. \Vould a Chrifiian have contentment? fay then, what IS my affl1ct10n ? Is 1t poverty that Goa firikes me withal? Chrill: had not an houfc to by his head in, the foxes had holes, and the fowles ofthe aire had nejis, but the fw ofman had not an hole to la{' his head in. 0 then how is my poverty fanct1fied? 1 fee by fa1th, the curfe, and fimg, and venome of my poverty taken out by the poverty of Jcfus c~·rifi. Chrifi was.poor.in this world to deliver me from the curfe of my poverty. Agam, am 1 d1fgraced, d1f· honoured? Is my good name take away ? Why Chritl had difhonourput upon him, he wns called Beelz.ebub a Samarir~<n, and theyfazd he had a dcvtl 111 hun. All the f.ful afperfions that could be 'were call: upon Chrift, and this was for me, that I might have , ~ •·
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