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?'cmporatafflit?ionr
no
trae/igm.r
of
Gods
&itred.
i
y9
are (harp
falues
to
draw
out
our fecret
corruptions,and
bitter
potions.
to
cure
our defperate
difeafes.
They
are
that worrnc.
wood,
wherby the
Lord
weaneth
vs
fr6
the loue
of
world,
whole
pleating
delights
we
would
euer
fuck
without
weari
-,
nes,
ifour
mouthes
were
notdiflafled
with
fome
aflliIions.
They
are
roddes,wherewithbeing
fcourged,
wee
are
made
more
circumfpcáì in
our waies, and more
carefull
to
per
-
forme
obedience
vnto
all
the
commandements
of
our
heap.
ueniy Father. In
a
word,
they
are
the (irait path which
lea
-
deth to
euerlafling
happineffe,
and
a
bridle to
refiraine
vs
from
running headlong
in
the
broade way,which leadeth
to
endleffe
woe
&
miferie.And therfore feeing our momentany
affli
&ions
do
ferue
for
the manifefling
ofGods
glory,for
the
increafing
of
fpirituall
graces,and the
furthering odour
eter-
nal!
faluation,
let
not
Satan perfwade
vs
that
wee are
out
of
Cods
loue and fauour becaufe
of
our.afflilions, but rather
let
vs
repute them
as
they
are indeede- fignes
of
his
gracious
prouidence andfatherly
care
which
he
hath
ouer
vs.
,
But here the tempter will obic&
that
this
I
fpeake
is
true
4.SeE1.
3.
of
the
outward
afflilions
of
the bodie,:for thereby the
flefh
Satans
temp_
is
mortified and fubdued, and
the
fpirituall graces
ofGods
tationsgrorrt.
fpirit
exercifed and increafed in
vs
;
but
thy
affiiClions
(will
ded
upon
aar
he
fay)
are farre
different, for
thy
foule
is
filled
with horrour 5i
:jjs
au
41i-
and
feare,
thy
confcience
ismortallie
flung
withfinne,
and
the
waight thereof
ouerwhelmeth
thee;
thou-feefl
thy
felfe
fubiecl
to
the
curfe
of
the law, and
art
alreadie
tormented
with
the
paines
ofhell
;
thy
God.wholooketh
vpon
his
chil-
dren
with.
an
amiablecountenance, frowneth vpon thee like
a
feuere
Iudge,
and
thou
taflefl
ofnothing
but
of
his
heauie
wrath and
difpleafure
;
in
a
wordjthou
haft
not
one
fpaake
of
true confolation
wrought
in
thee
by Gods fpirit,with
which,
thofe
that
are
Gods
children
are
fully
rcplenifhed,and
wirer
-
by
they
are
incouraged patiently
to
abide all affli6hons,
but
thy
inward vexations
are
the torments
ofan
euil confcicnce;.
and
the-fiafhings
of
hell
fire
wherewith herafter
thou
(hait
eternally
be
burned.
To
this,
temptation
wemufl ánfwere,that
it
cannot
be
de-
nied
but
thatthe:afflid?ions
of
the minde
are farre
more
Brie-
cous.