Ma:b. 'I· '8 Job·~ •s Job'· " ljoi~JJ :q. tS 1Peter4. 16 Ifa. to. 3 L~m. I. 12 \1{1{. 2. Coiof. t. 2 ~ 'i Tim. 2.12 ~atnts fnfftrtngs. them, whereby they become the more courageous; So it pleafeth the Lord fometimes to leave his children. Out ofthe depths have I cryed unto thee (faith D-.vid) and then, and not till then it follows, the Lord heard me. The Lord faw him linking all the while yet lets him alone till he was at the bottome, and then hearing him, David is ll:ronge; in faith. This is rhe height of fatth? and the _worth of faith; to have a ll:rong confidence in God, even in the worft of affhcbon, th1s IS thank.worthy: hope in aflare hopele!Je, a love to God when there u nothmg but fignes of hu heavy difpleafure , heavenly fhindedne!Je when all worldly ajfaires draw contrary way, is the c!.ief praifi: offaith. \Vhat made our Saviour fay to ihat woman of Cana~n , 0 womangrMt is thy faith ; but thjs, in that neither his tilence , nor his liar denyal_co~ld filence her? Such a faith had Job, though he k.jll n:e. yet Wtll I trufl tn htm. Here IS faith to the purpofe; to love that God who croffeth us, to kiffe that hand which {hikes us, to tru£1: in th1t power which kills us, this is the honourable proof of a Chrill:ian, this argues faith indeed. 9· Be we thankful to God fo_r our affidions.. Thus job was; no:withfranding he was bereaved ofh1s ell:ate, ofh1sch!ldren, andm a great meafure gtven up into the hands of Satan ; yet he bleffeth the Lord, The Lontgiverh, and the Lord tak;th 4 w-ry -~ ble!Jed be the name of the Lord. And this is the meaning ofthe Prophet, Wherifore g/ 0 • rifieye the Lord in the fires, even the name ofthe Lord God of Ifrael m the !flu ofthe Sen. And thus advifeth the Apoil:le, If "nJ manJujfcr as a Chriflzan,let him not be aJ,hamed, bHt let hrmglorifie Godon this behalf. And a little before, Ifye brreprMcht for the n~<meof Chrifl, happy are ye, for th1 fpirit ofglory, and of God rejleth on you. As Noahs Dove hovered over the water, and found no place to refi her foot on, until! lhe returned 10 the Arke; So dorh the Spirit of God, (as it were) hover over the fouls of men, it wanret11 reil:, and when it fees a foul that fuffers for the truth , there it lights, there it rell:s, The Spirit ofGod and •f glory there reflerh upon you, A Chrill:ian is more bound to be thankful for the opportunity of exercifing one grace, then for all the profperity in the world ; Now there are fome graces that cannot be exerctfed but only in affiiClion . the Saints in heaven never exerdfe patience, and without affiidion the Sain~ on earth have no opportunity to exercife patience: But what ? have we the opportunity of exercifing- that grace that we had not before? be we th11nkjul to God. ro. Let us with joy draw water out ofthe wells ofSalvation : Let us comfort our felves in our fuffering condition: We fhould not onely be thankful, bur joyful. Me thinks I hear fome flljfering Saint ligh and fay, What ? is it nothint to yo11, all ye thllt p'Ajfo by? I weep fore in the night, andmy tears are on my ,-heekJ; among all my Lovers there it nom to comfort me, •11 my friends have dealt treacheroufly with me, they h11ve heard that I Jigh, aiJd chcre is none to refrcjhme I j/andfor Chrifl , but there is none flands by me, I own him, but none owns me. Bleeding Chrill:ian, bear up, though men forfake thee, yet Chri£1: will own thee; though men as Swallow-lhallow friends do leave thee in the winter ofaffiiClions , yet Chriil: as a conil:ant friend abides; It is thy glory that thou fufferefi for Chriil:, rejoyce as Ptml did in thy fofferings, Jirh in them thou fitlejl up that which is behind ofthe ajfli[fions ofChrifl. Know this for thy comfort, that thou thatfof– ferefl with him, thou {h11Lt alfo raign with him. In the mean while what fweetnelfe doll: thou feel from Chrit1? lt is thy priyi!edge, and furely thou mayil:, I hope thou doll: expect more then ordinary fweetneffe from thy Saviour,feefi thou not heaven clear over thee? doth nor Chriil: lead thee genr!y,the cup in thy hand, though it tall:e bitter to the flefh, dot~ not the Spirit make it fweet? What's that in the bottome of thy bloody cup ? is it not love? are not thy draughts of fnjfering fweeter and fweeter? What glory is that which rell:s upon thee? is not Ghriil: with thee in the fire, and doth not he. paffe with thee through the water? in this thy tl:orm of wind and raine, doth not the Sun lhine ? Ah no, I fujfer for Ckifl, "ndyet I amwithout Chrifl, could I but h..ve hit prcfence, I Jhould flight perfecnpions; did he[mile, I jhould Laugh at myfoes frownu; wer< I but in the light ofhim, 1c011ldJing in this dark.!re!Je ;•did I b1tt enjoy the haft ofhifloJ.,e. I could triitmph in the flame oftheir wrath; but ah, alas,- woe, &c. Stay 0 foul, fpeak not our thy forrows too fpeedily,Chri£1: cannot be long,away,harke ! He comes leaping over the mountains, fee how the clouds flyaway: . furely the Sun will lhine prefent!y, he cannot be long away; thy very fms !hall nor,therefore thy fufferings ca,nn0t fe~al-ate between him and thee ; Whyfayeft thon 0 Jacob , ·andfpcak!;fl O _lfrael, my w•_r~~i'd from the Lord, haj/ tho11 not heard r haft thou not k_nown tl1e everL,.ftmg God, tbe r.or:J, the. Crea111re ofthe ends ofthHarth i' lie fainmhflor; hr·&i,;uhp•wer r.rhefainr. Smg ye •· fufferers,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=