Chap. io. An Expofition upon the Bookofj O B. Fitt}, That fin is fated in us, and hath been aLfed by us. If we had no fin, we (hould know no forrow. Though Ionic ai li- Lions are not fent out direffly againft fin , yet every afßieiion is both aaonfequent and a teftimony of remaining fin. The bun- dle of rods at our backs, faith, there is folly and in bound up in our hearts : and when once we are purged from all lin, we fhall hear no more ofany afittion, ofany rod. We (hall be paft fùf- fering, as Coon as we are pall finning. Secondly, They are witnefhes in fpeciall, of that great fin, the ,pride ofour hearts and lives. If there were not fwelling and im- poflumations of pride in our fpirits , we thould not feel fuch Jancings. Paul hitnfelf acknowledges: that they were growing ,upon him, if God had not taken a leyere cour{e to keep there down,.I,elf Ifhouldbe exalted above meafure, through the abundance ofrevelations,there rnasgiven to me a thorn in the fftfh, the mef eenger of_Satan to buffet me (2. Cor. i 2.7.) Hence of ittions are called .humiliations, both becaufe an affhtted perfonis humbled, or laid 'low by the hand of God , as alto becaufe afflíGtións árefent to humble , and lay us low inour Pelves. Now, if one fpeciall bufi- =nets which afflitfion hath with us, be to humble us, then doubt- :lefs afl3irion witneffeth that there is pride in us. That. which is -lent to remove an evil, digws the prefenceof it. Thirdly,They are wirncihes,bybringing to our remembrance the adfing of forgotten fins. Afffierion is a help to memory_ That which we forget we have doneor fpoken , witnefhes coming in, make us remembers fo alto do our troubles. When the bre-, three of j ofeph had been put inward three dayes, and heard,him - demand one of them to be left, as an hoftage in prifon, till they brought Benjamin : This diflrefs caufed them to lay, We are ve, rily guilty concerning our brother, in that mefate the anguilh of his foul, when he befought us, andwe wouldnot hear, therefore is this .diftrefs come upon us {Ge.n.42. 21.) The guilt:of that fin was a- bout twentyyears old, but they felt, not the finart ofit, till them- felvs fmarted for it; their i:mprifonment let their memories at li- berty, and when they law themfelves in danger to become bond- men to the .lEgyptians, they had witnets enough of their felling Jofeph.for a captive to the ijhrnaelitei. Forarthly, Afit ions witnefs obífinacy' and refolvednefs in the :Wayesoffin, or, that afflit}ed perfensor Nations turn not for .fin. Every wound will open its . mouth as a witnefs, and Cccc2 rVery
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