That afflitti- ens,Jhough in their owne nu- toeguilt, turneto"the goodofGods . children. I 5S ?°enaporalla iiElion.r no truefignei ofgods hatrei. he doth not thus cbrreh, acre baítards andno jonne.r, verf.8. And to thefe wee may adde the examples ofGods children from timeto time, as ofAbraham, laco6, lofeph,Mofes, Dauid, lob, theApof+les, but efpeciallieour SauiourChrif+himfelfe, who washungrie,harbourleffe,defpifd,fcoWed,reuiled,buf- feted,fpit vpon,crownedwith thorne,and lafllycrucified;and yet euenwhilefl he fufferedal thefe affii6ions,he was theon lybegotten andbefl belcuedforme ofhis heauenly father. So that bothby teftimonies and examples it is manifef+, that afflictions are fignes ratherofGods loue,thanof his-ha. tred; and markes ofthechildrenofGod, rather than ofthe children ofwrath. But here the tempter will demand how this canbe, confidering that the Lord promifeth tohis chil- dren all good things ; whereas afiui&ions are euils, and pu.. nifhments inflióledon thewicked. To thiswle mayanfwere, that though in their owne nature theybe guilt, yet through the wifedome and gracious prouidence of our God, they turne to the goodofhischildren ; and though to the wicked they areplagues and punifhments, yet to the godly they-are but trials and:fatherlie chaflifements; for all their finnes are punifhed in Chrifl, neither will it Eland with Gods iuf+ice to punifh them againe in thefaithful:and therfore there isno other endofthembut themanifef+ationofGods glorie, and our fpirituall good and euerlafling faluation. For as they are trials they ferue toPhewveto all the world,andefpecially to our felues, our faith, hope patience,-obedience, confiancie, and the reí+ofthe graces ofGods fpirit, to the praife ofhis gloriewho hathbe(lowed them, and to the comfort ofour owne fouleswho haue receiued them. And as theyare cha- flifements they ferue for fharpe eye-fauues to cleere our dimme fight, fo as wemay fee our finnes, and truelie repent ofthem. They ferue for Power fauces,to bringvs out ofloue withour fweete finnes, and for fire and files,whereby we are purgedandfèoured from the droffe and ruf+ of our corrupti- 0.ns. Theyare fharpepruningkniues, to lop and trimme vs, that wemaybring forth plentiful! fruits ingodlineffe. They are fpurres to prickc '6 forward in the Chrif+ian race, and hedges to keepe vs from wandring out ofthe way. They are
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