The Comrtpleat Chrifian. . 5 looking uppn the affliction, and there fhould be a looking upon the mcrey too; This was Honours cafe , when he was vexed that Mardecay did not do him reve- rence, all his wealth and hishonoùrs could dohim no good: he had mtich wealth, and the glory ofhir ha fe Was increafed ; he had the favour of the King and was in- dining to have the honour of the Queen put upon him ; yet all thuaváilethme E. J. r3: nothing ( faith he) fo long as Ifee Mordecai the Jewfitting in the Kingsgate. He looks only on this particular that vexed andgrieved him, and not upon the refl. So it is with us, if there be but otseparticular affli&ion upon us; we fix our eyesupou that: Like a Flie that flieth about the glafs, and can flick no where till the come to fame crack : or as aGnat that cotneth about the body ofa heath, thatwill be lure to flick on thegalled part, or tome foreor other. So_ it is with thefe difquieted thoughts ofmen, that are ofnoother ufe, but to further Sathans ends to weaken their faith , and difcourage their own hearts ; men flick on the gall, on the fore of any affliftion; there theywill refit. It is true; God bath given us fuels and lath favours and mercies; path offered ns filch and filchopportunities; but what is this? this and that particular affliction is upon me. This is that that increafeth impati- ence, when a man will not look on the mercies he receiveth ; but only looks on that that he wanteth. Again, a fifthcourfe that men take to aggravate their forrows, and encreafe im- s. gq lookirg patience in themfelves is this. They look upon the inftrument of their fortdws and uniteinaru- al liclions s but never lookup to God that ruleth, and o'er-rsileth thefe things ; men, and not Men look uponfuch a perfon, fuch aman and no more. Ye fee how Davidwas on God. difquieted at this : 1f it had been an enemie that reproached him, then he could have born it ; butit was thou my friend, my equal!, my guide , my acquaintance, efal. sr. is. thatfate at my table, we took fuete counfel together , andwalked unto the kaufe of 13 Godincohspany ; This troubledhim ; and fee how hemultiplied his forrows,when helooked upon the inffrument, till he looked upon God, and then!woo dumb. I Plal 50 v opened not my mouth ; becaeife thou didf6 it. There is no quiet in the heart, when a man looks upon man,till he looks uponGodthat ordeteth all things by his wildom and connect. Laftly, men aggravate their forrows, and increafetheir impatience, by another courfe they take, that is , when-they look on their forrows and áf fictions only un b By lo (maild and not upon the benefit of affliction: they look upon that that flefh would and noton the avoyd, but not that which if they were ipiritual and wife they would delire. No benefi, of afiíïion ( faith the Apolile) is joyousfor the time, that is, to flefh and nature, but afffi Lion. rievose, nevertheleft, afterward it yeeldetb the peaceable fruit of rigbteoufnefs to Heb ,.n, hem which are exercifed thereby. Nowmen look Upon that only which is grie- vous in affliaion, upon the (mart of it, but not upon the profit ofaffliction, the quiet fruit of righteoafisefs that cometh by ir. Asa manwhen he bath aCorroding plailter put to a fore, he cryeth and eomplaineth of the finart it putteth him in , but takes no noticeof the healing that cometh by it, ,and the cure that followeth. that it is with men, they complain ofGod; as jibe envied them the comfort of their lives, 'as if he intended to rob them of all conveniencies, and to make them ut- terly miferable, to begina Hell with them on earth,when theynever look how God by this means fitteth themfor heaven, by this means purgingout corruption , and Itrengthening grace in them : we areaffltffed ofthe Lord, that we may not becon- t. Cor. It. 3 a. donned of theworld : Men look upon the affliction, not upon their freeedom from condemnation. Somuch for that. I come now to a fecond ufe. Youfee here the way whereby men aggravate affliction, and get eaufcs of imps- knee in themfelves, and if we feriouflyconfider it, we (hall find one of theft, the ordinary caufes ofall diftempers, and impatience in loffes,in fickneffes, in dittrefs öfmind, in croffes upon a mans name, or whatfoever befallethhim amifs in the world, that whichmakes him flic out, that whichmakes him, that he cannot fob- it untoGod, it is force ofthefe particulars here fpoken of. Let it therefore in the fecondplace,fkir usup everyone in the prefence ofGod to 'We-a.. et our felves upon this taskofChrifkianity, to labour for 'Patience, that we .mayr be uo r exhortan- perfeft
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