Tbe Rare Jer~el of ChrijliaN Contentm~nt. 17 J Secondly,It might have been a great de~l more,th::>u mighreft have been in Hell: And it is( as I remember) Sr. Bernards fpeec:b faith he , It is "" e~fier flllftter to b8 oppr~ft tha,n perifh. Thou mightell have been in Hell, and therefore the greatnefs of the thing fuould not make thee murmur, grant it be grear; · Thirdly, It may be 'ris the greater becaufe thy heart cloth fo murmur : for lhackles upon a mans legs, if his legs be fore, it will pain him the more; if the ilioulder be fore, the burden is the greater : It is becaufe thy heart is fo unfound , that thy affi icbo:1 is great unto thee. And that is the Sii.th Reafonir.g. The Seventh PLEA. But hQw{oever JOM m(ty le!fen my ~ffiWi,on , yet I ttm /ure it is far greaur than the ~tj]litlions of ctherJ. , Fidt, Itmay'be itis thy difcoment that makes it greater, when ( indeed ) it is not fo in ics,felf. . · Secondly,If it were greater than others; why is thy eye evil becanfe the eye of God is good ? Why lhoulde!l t!lou be difcon.:. tented the more, becaufe God is graciou! to others ? Thirdly, Is thy affiietion greater than others ? Then in th i~ thou bafi an opportunity to honor God· more than others : S'J thou lhouldefi confider, Doth God affiiet me more than oth er ' men ! God gives me an opportunity in this to honor him in thJs af6i6tion more than other men, to exercife more guce than other men ; Iet me tabor to do it then. : . · Fourthly, If all afflietions were laid upor. a heap together : Jt•sa notable expreffidn of Solon that wife Heathen (faith he) Suppofe all the afflietions that are in the World were laid upon an beap , and every man lhould come and take a proportion of thofeaffliClions,every one equally, there is fcarce any man but tYoold rather fay , Let me have the aflli6tions that I had before erelfe he were like to come to a 8reater lhare,a great..er afAichon if fo be he fuould equally iliar~ ~ith the whole wmld ; Now for you that are poor( that are not in extremity o( poverty) 1f all the ri~hes in the world were laid together, and you fuou!d have an equal iliare, you would be poorer, b\lt take all affli6tions and fortows whatfoever, if all the forrows in the worlg were laid together
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