J:look IV. AFFL ICTION COMPARED TO WORMWOOD. 933 our good and wholefome Laws, by which every Man's Property is fecured to him : and nor only fo, bur deprive us of rhe Gofpel, and blelfed Ordinances thereof, and drive our Miniflers inro Corners, or burn them to Afhes in Smithjield, and fer up Po– pery, and tyrannize it over our Confciences: This Affliction would be bitter, likl: Wormwood and Gall.-Which God in Mercy prevent.- +· When Afflictions are very heavy and fore upon us, and we cannot find out the Caufe and Ground why God contends with us, then they may be faid to be very bitter. It was thiS which made holy Job fo much difhelfed in his Spirit.-Shew me wherefore thou COIItendejl with me, rob x. 2. He did not doubt of the J uftice and Righteoufnefs of God m them, but as fufpectmg fame Evll m hunfelf, as yet unfeen, or not difco– vered to him. 5· When God afflicts his People, or a gracious Soul, very forely for Sin, for this or that Sin, which they know they are, or have been guilty of. 0 this goes ro their Hearts, to rhink they fhould provoke then· heavenly and dear Father againft them, ro chaftife them fo feverely. 6. When we are under great Afflictions, and God hides his Face, or withdraws himfdf from us, then Afflictions are bitter: Tliis is to be outwardly afflicted, and inwardly too. 7. When Afflitlions are lafting, or of long continuance, then they are very bitter. A fm all Burden or \¥eight, borne long, will weary a ltrona Man; but if it be very heavy and abiding, it is much more grievous. 0 8. When God afflicts a Man in Indignation, when he lets fly his tormenting Arrows againft ll!m, from the fiercenefs of his incenfed Wrath, forcing him to drink otr his Cup without mixture, it being all bitter, and no fweet. Thus God deals fometimes 'in a way of Judgment with wicked Men, though never fo with his own People, and to fuch, Afflictions are bitter indeed. N F E R E N C E ~ I. FROM hence we may perceive what an Evil Sin is, that God will not fpare his own Children, when they offend him. Sin is a bitter Thing, as appears by the Effects of i<; Afflictions are many Times the Fruits and Effects of Sin. II. It !hews us alfo, that there is a great Difference betwixt the Afflictions and Mi– feries of the Godly and the Wicked. f!i..,uejl. But fome may fay, How may a Chriftian comfort himfelf, or get fupport under fore and bitter Afflictions ? llnfw. 1. Confider, that all your Afflictions, though never fo bitter, are lefs thall your Sins deferve: He bath /lOt dealt with us after our Sins, nor rewarded us according tq our Iniquities. 2. Confider, that though God chaflife a godly Man very forely, yet it is not in a way of Wrath, to deflroy him, but contrarywife, for his great Good and Advantage. 3· Confider, there is not one Dram of Gall in the bittereft Cup thou doft partake of, but what God, the moft wife Phyfician, put inro it; and if lefs Gall would do, thy Potion lhould not be fo bitter. All our Afflictions are proportioned to us by the Al– miohry, both for Kind and ~antity. 4. Confider, thy Alllicl:ions are not fo bitter as the Afflictions of many of God's Chil– dren were, of whom ·we read, who were far more worthy and deferving than thee or I are: What are thy Afflictions compared with holy Job? 5· Confider the bitter Potion Jefus Chrift drank up for thy fake: He never offended, and yet fuflered, and his Sufferings were intolerable; no Mortal is able to exprefs the Natme of his Grief and Sorrow. Shall Chrift fuffer willingly for us, who finned nor? and fhall we be troubled at the Bitternefs of our Sufferings, who are fo grievoufiy de– filed with Iniquity, and many times fuffer for our Sins? 6. Confider, that all the Bitter a aodly Man meets with, or ever fhall, will be in this World. As wicked Men have all their Sweet here, and fhall have nothing but Bitter here– after: So godly Men have all theirBitter here, and !hall have nothing bur Sweet hereafter. 7. Confider, how aracious God is to his own Children, in intermixing all their Bitter with Sweet. It is n~t like the Bitter fome wicked Men have in this World: Hath he jinittm him, as he jinote thofc that Jillole him? Or is he jlain, according to the Slaughter of them that are flail! by him? Ifa. xxvii. ?· 8. Confider, all the Bitter thou meetell: with in this Life, will be turned into Sweet. re )hall be Jorrowful, but )'OUr Sorrow )hall be turned into Joy, John xvi. 20. u E A F F L I C-
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