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That
afflitti-
ens,Jhough
in
their
owne
nu-
toe
guilt,
turneto"the
good
ofGods
.
children.
I
5S
?°enaporall
a
iiElion.r
no
true
fignei
of
gods
hatrei.
he
doth not
thus
cbrreh,
acre
baítards
and
no jonne.r,
verf.8.
And to
thefe wee may adde
the
examples
ofGods
children
from time
to
time,
as
of
Abraham,
laco6,
lofeph,M
ofes,
Dauid,
lob,
the
Apof+les,
but
efpeciallie
our SauiourChrif
+himfelfe,
who washungrie,
harbourleffe,defpifd,fcoWed,reuiled,buf-
feted,fpit vpon,crowned
with
thorne,and
laflly
crucified;and
yet
euen
whilefl
he
fufferedal thefe
affii6ions,he
was
the
on
ly
begotten andbefl belcued
forme
ofhis
heauenly
father.
So
that both
by
teftimonies and
examples
it
is manifef+,
that
afflictions
are
fignes
rather
ofGods
loue,than
of
his
-ha.
tred;
and markes
ofthe
children
ofGod,
rather
than
ofthe
children
of
wrath.
But here the tempter will
demand
how
this
can
be,
confidering
that
the
Lord
promifeth to
his chil-
dren
all
good
things
;
whereas
afiui&ions
are euils,
and
pu..
nifhments
inflióled
on
the
wicked.
To
this
wle
may
anfwere,
that though
in
their
owne nature theybe
guilt,
yet through
the wifedome
and gracious prouidence
of
our
God,
they
turne
to the good
of
his
children
;
and
though to
the wicked
they
are
plagues 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
the
faithful:and therfore there
is
no
other
end
of
them
but the
manifef+ation
ofGods
glorie, and
our
fpirituall
good
and euerlafling faluation. For
as
they
are
trials they
ferue
to
Phew
veto
all
the world,and
efpecially
to
our
felues,
our
faith,
hope patience,-obedience, confiancie,
and the
reí+ofthe
graces
ofGods
fpirit,
to
the
praife
of
his
gloriewho
hathbe(lowed
them,
and to
the
comfort
of
our
owne
foules
who
haue receiued them.
And
as
they
are
cha-
flifements
they
ferue
for
fharpe
eye-
fauues
to
cleere
our
dimme
fight,
fo
as
we
may
fee
our
finnes,
and truelie
repent
of
them.
They
ferue
for
Power
fauces,
to bring
vs
out
of
loue
with
our
fweete finnes, and for
fire
and files,whereby we
are
purgedand
fèoured
from
the
droffe
and
ruf+
of
our corrupti-
0.ns. They
are fharpe
pruning
kniues,
to
lop and
trimme
vs,
that
we
may
bring
forth
plentiful! fruits
in
godlineffe. They
are
fpurres
to
prickc
'6
forward in the Chrif
+ian
race, and
hedges to keepe
vs
from
wandring out
of
the
way.
They
are