t II A Saint or.; Brutto' . ar~ " . 6. The very Bodily infirmitieJ of Believers, are a confia.nt _ help .to .keep them humble. ~hey have all this trca{Hrebutin earthen veffel.r, 2 Cor. 4· 7. Tbetr fouls are here fo poorly lodged in corrupuble Tabernacles of earth, and fo meanly cloathed with frail, dift'afed J monal fldh, that it is madnefi to be proud. . · 7. And rhe many and great afflictions ef tl:~e godly, are medicines that are purpofely g[ven (hem by their Phyficion tO cure Pride, and keep them humble. Wt1y elfe ml:lfl: thvir fuffcrings be fo many ? and wb..ymufi they d~ily bear the Crofs? but that they may ,., be confdtmed ro rhe image of Chrifi. 8. · And to the fame.end it is thar: God doth let loofe vpon them fo manyenemiu. All Sa tans temp :ations ·, and the worlds allure– ments and vexations, and all their difappoimments here, ancl all the fcorns and mock~> of the ~an godly, and the cenfures and flan– ders of wicked congufs~ a.nd ofren bitter perfefcutions, what are , they but the bitter medicines of God (permitted andordered by him, though caufed by the Devil and wicked men) to fave the fervams of ·the Lord, from rhe fin and clanger of being lifred up? Doyou fay that their Honour will make them proud ? Why you that thus oppofe them and_defpife them, are curing them of their pride , and do not know tt : as Scullions fcoure the rt.I<ll: off the veffels {or their Maller!l ufe ; and <ts Leeches draw out the blood that caufeth the difeafe; and as the Jews by their fin pro– moted the Redemption of the world by the death of Chrift When God feerh his fervants in danger of being lifted up above meafure, he oft fendeth a rne.ifenger of Satan (who may b~ an Executioner of Gods chafiifements) to buffet them, ( 2 Cor• . .1 2. 7. ) Sometimes by flanders, fometime by reproaches , forne– tirne by imprifonrnents or greater fuffcrings, and fmnetirnes by horrid troublefom temptations. . . 9· Thevery j11rejigh_t of de~tth it (elf is fl h~tmb/ing means ·: and . the !aft enemy Death, ts yet unconquered, and Ol!lr Bodies muft ~orrupt in dull: :1nd darknefs, and be kept in thegrave as common earth, till the Refurrec1:ion, that (he foul maynot grow proud that bath fuch a body. I I. And the DdJ of 1udgement is fo defcribed to us in the · Sc:ipture, as tends to keep the foul in a~e · and in Humility . .To . thmk of {uch a d.ty, andfuch ~ reckgning , b~fore fuch 11 God, me thinks ihoMldhumble us. . .. . -- Ili. And
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