,af 170 Chap.30, .fr Expofti,n eepsn the Book of Jo Z. Vxrf.17. anon tells us, ( Pro. i8, 4.) The #irit of than will fuffaine btu Irfi, hies ; that is, the fielenefï'es and weakneffes, the paints and troubleswhich fail upon hisoutward mar,. Though a man have many fores and forrows upon his @efh, yet he maybe borne up by the ttrength of his fpirit under them all. For though I like not at all thofe vaine opinions of forne ancient Philofophers, who held and pretended ro maintaine, That the paines of the body were nothing to the foule , or that the foule wa not at all of Meted with or concern'd in them ; yet this is a noble folid truth, that the foulebeing ferene and free , will, to admiration, fupport the body, witha patient and infuperable refolurion, under the great& bod} ly paines and preffures. And if a man having his fpirit wounded, hashyet his body and worldly eftate untoucht, this-is tome kinde ofcafeor reliefe tohim, though (I confeffe ) a very fmal I one ; but when the mind is troubled, and the body difeafed, when at once the fpirit of a man is wounded, and all outward comforts fcatter'd who can tell the' fadneff'eof that manscondition ! yet as all thefe evills poffibly may, to they of ten a&uallyhave met andcenter'd in the fame man, andhewor- thily reckoned among the betl of men. Let then therefore Confider the goodneffe of God, who though they have affl &ion dayes of many kinder, yet have not affli&ion dayesof both or ofall kinds:As few have ever attained robs graces, fo few have ever felt ?vibe tryalls, either as to kind and number, or as todegree and meafure at the fame time. It may be your bodyes are fickly and pained, but are you made a heapeof bones ? are your bones pierced ? are your finews reft lefe ? or ifyour affliétion pierceth to the bones, yet are your fpirits wounded ? is the peace of your foules broken'? if you have quietnes there, and all be wel within, you are within a little ofwell.'ris (paring mercy when our afiiitttiondayes leave fome- what wholeand untoucht, but 'tis great mercy when inafflietion dayes our heft part, our foule is left whole and untoucht; 'Tis (paring mercy when all forts offorrowful evils came not at once, or alltogether, efpecially when ( though wehave many, yet) we arealltogether freed from the evills of inward terror , and of a troubledcottifcience,which are worft of all, TQB -®,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=