Bodilyhealth and eafe fromTorments, 187 us that a fuffering Rate 'doth very much further humili- ationand mortification, and bring men to a deeper fenfe of fin, and help all the truths of God to work, and make them more fenfible and ferious then in profperity. Then we do not only hear but feel, that fin is evil; and that the world is vain, and that the threatnings of God are true. Why Chri- ftian , if thou clidit but know that thou fhouldit have more ofthe fpirit,and its graces,and lefs of fin, in a fuffering hate, then in eafe and plenty, wouldfl thou not even choofe it and be glad of it?Is not fin worfe then fuffering to thee,andholinefs better then cafeand peace?Alas, what fenfiefs carelefs perfons should we be, if it were not for the help offuffering I Grace ufeth to workbymeans : and this is the commonmeans. 4. Confider,that pain and fuffering we fhall have, whetherfor Chrifi or not:The worft men undergo ahnoft as much by ordi- nary fickneffes & loffes & croffes,as the Martyrs do that Puffer for Chrift;fin will bring fuffering: & its better have that which is fan6tified by the Intereft of Chrift , then that which is not. 5. And a Chriftian that hathfo mucha dal° curb and rule the flefhin.proJoerity,'me thinks fhould the more patiently bear ad- verfity, becaufe God fets in by it, and helps him to fubdue the flefh, and tame the body andbringit in fubjedlion : And as it is but this burdenfome flefh that fuffereth, which bath been the caufe of fo much fuffering to our minds ; fo our war- fare againft this flefh, which we mannage through the courfe ofour lives,goes onmoreprofperoufly in the time of its fuffe- rings,then in profperity. A weakned enemy is eafilier conque- red. Do not therefore too much take part with the fuffering fleth,but felf-denyingly juftifie the proceedings ofthe Lord. 6, And confider that the pains and fnferingwillbe but Aorta It is but a little while, and youwill feel no more then if you had felt nothing. And that whichPortly will not be, is next to that which it not. As it makes all the pleafiires and glory of the world, to be a dream and next to nothing , becaufe its but a while , and they are gone , and never return again: So it makes our fufferings next to nothing that they are pallingaway , andalmoft over. And then all tears will be wiped fromyour eyes 5 and pain will be forgotten, or re- b z mertbred
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