4 o 2Cor. 12. Fa. 2v. chryfoff. Lib.5. de jufi. cap. 23. Prov. 23.14. BiknovEar vúv 7rouAr veu ßavil/Co 7rsp.p3iveu. Nat, T r1v¡ïr Exod.r 5.26. Ztrè, citò, fine dolore. job 6. How mull we in all things give Thanks ? Seri!. ao. I i I. The Lord by aflli&i ng his People dot) prevent fin, and purg it. Therefore give thanks for it,for this is good,becaufe it frees us from the greateft evil. r. He prevents fin by it, 1,.557 (faith Paul) I could be exalted above mearure, there was given to me a thorn in the fle/l,, a meffenger of Satan to bJfpet me. 2. He purgeth fin by it ; by this (faith the Prophet) Jhall the iniquity of 7a(.o4 be purged. Now do we not thank and pay the Chirssrgeon that lets out our bad blood,that launceth our feared fores,that cuts out our proud & rotten flea) ? yes Purely we do thank him ; do a e not alto thank the Phyfrcian, that keeps us to a 4lric9 diet confines us to our chamber, gives us bit- ter pits and potions, and croffes our appetites? yes we do thank him, for hereby he cures a difcafe,defends and preferves both our health and life. Now what elfe I befeech you doth the Lord do more or lefs by all that we fuffer at his hands, and doth not he deferve our thanks, as well as the Phyícian and Chirurgeon ? When we are vexed and pinched, then ought we more efpecially to give the Lord thanks, who as a molt indulgent Father will not fuffer our corruptions to fpread further, but repreffes and corrals them by severe flroakes and fcourges: faiLh LaHantiata. Withhold not corre lion from the child, for if thou beatefl him with the rod, he Jhall not dye : thou fhalt beat him with the rod, and Jhall deliver hie Soul from HeliO bleffed rod that can do this! Gods rod doth it Purely. Then it's better to go to Gods houfe of corree`iion, than to the place of torment; happy children then who have the Lord for their Father and for their Phyfeian; this he takes for one of his eminent titles, the Lord thy Phyjician, Exod. i 5.26. he doth it skilfully, eafily, fafely, quickly, thoroughly, according to all the properties of the belt Artü;s, therefore thank him. I V. We mull thank the Lord for afliic`ling us, and for laying the crofs upon us, becaufe it is fo far below what we deferve at his hands. What is a drop of Wormwood fweetned, to the gall of bitternefs? to the Lake of fire and brimftone ? hear what Zophar tells : O that God wouldfpeak, and open kis lips againfl. thee,ej- that he would few thee the fecrets ofwifdom,tbut they are double to that which ù ! know therefore, that God exacieth of thee lefs than thine iniquity deferveth. The like faith holy Etra ; and then Purely we have much more taufe tg fay fo ; and is trot this ground of thankfulnefs. If thou fuffer
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