in the evil day. door. Let no manJaz whenhe it tempted, I n tempted of God, for God cannot be temptedwith evil, neither tempteth be any man, James 1. 13. Secondly, if affliaion were thus intreecally evil, it could in no refpeCt be the object of our defire, which fometimes it is and may be. We are to choofe afflidion rather then fin, yea, the greateft afflietion before the leaf} fin. A4ofes chofe affli- dionwith the people of God, rather then the pleafures of fin for a feafon. We are bid?rejoyce when we fall into divers temptations, that is, afiliftions. But in what refpeas then may theday of afflidion be called evil? Firft,as it is grievous to fenfe in Scriprure,evil is oft put as can- r. tradiftinC1 to joy and comfort: We lookedfor peace and behold no good. A merry heart is called a goodheart, a facffpirit an evil - fpirit, becaufe nature bath an abhorrency to all that oppofeth its joy, and this everyaffliftion doth more or idle. No affliftion, mb, while prefent is joyous, but grievous; it bath like Phyfick, anun-- pleafing farewel to the fenfe. Therefore Sahmon, fpeaking of, the evil dayes of fickneffe, expreffeth them to be fo diftafleful to nature, that we than fay,wehave go 'leaf:ire in them. They take away the joy of our life. Natural joy is a true flower of the Sunof profperity, it opens and fhuts with it. fis true in- deed, the Saints never have more joy then in their affli6tion, but this comes in upon another fcore ; they have a good God that fends it in, °relic they would be as fadly on it as others. 'Tis no more natural for comfort to fpring from affl,dtions, then for grapes to grow on thornes, or Manna in the wilderneffe. The Ifraelites might have look 't long enough for fuch bread, ifhea- ven had not iniraculaufty rained it down. God choofeth this feafon tomake the Omnipotencyof his love the moreconfpicu- oils. As Elijah to adde to the miracle, firft caufeth water in a- bundance to be poured upon the wood and facrifice, fo much as to fill the trench, and then brings fire from heaven by his prayer, to lick it up : Thus God poures out the flood ofaffliaion upon his children, and then kindles that inward joy in their bofornes which licks up all their forrow, yea, he makes the very waters of affliaion they float on, adde a further fweetneffe to the mufick oftheir fpiritual joy, but ftill it is God that is good_, and affii- don that is evil. Z z 353 ...
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