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APFLICTIO
S
TRY
CHRISTIAN
GRACES.
times more upon
me
if
he
pleased, and
yet
be
just
still
?"
There
is
nothing
gives
.us
a better
sense
of God's
superio-
rity
over
us,
and teaches
us to
walk more
like to such
a
doctrine
as
this
is,
than sore
affliction.
Then
we say,
it
is fit
worms should
be
patient
and submissive
under
the
hand
of
God, for it
is
fit he
should rule.
Let
us
ask
our-
selves
whether
we
have
learnt
any
of
this
doctrineby
any
of
our
afflictions,
whether
it
has
been impressed upon us
with
power,
more than the mere notion
of it
in our
heads
:
to know
it
practically, to know it
so as
to walk
conformably
to
it,
is
not
easily
learnt.
Reason
2.
Another great reason
why
God
afflicts, is
for the trial
of
the graces
of
his children
;
for
the trial
of
their
FAITH,
their
PATIENCE,
and their
HOPE
more
especially
;
though there
is
scarce
a
grace
that
a saint
has but
may be
tried under
afflictions.
Faith
is
tried,
for
whatever
belief
we
may have,
or persuasion
of
the
love
and
kindness
of God
towards
us
when all things
seem
smooth and
easy,
yet
it
is
hard
to believe
that God
loves
me
when he
is
still
striking
;
hard
to
believe
that
there
is
continued
love
lengthened
out
through
many
years of sorrow. You
find
good David ready
to faint
and
sink
under
this
temptation
;
he was
chastened every
morning
and therefore
his
foot
almost
slipped, he
Was
ready
to fall till he
entered into
the
sanctuary and there
was
made to
confess,
God
is
good to
Israel.
Job
some-
times
was,
in
a better
frame,
"
Though
he slay me
yet
will
I
trust
in
him."
This
is
a
trial
of
faith indeed, when
God
is
slaying
us
yet
to
trust
in
him,
to
bequeath our-
selves
into
his
hands,
whether
it
be for
life
or-death, to
believe:
that
he
will
accept
us
and deal
kindly with
us
:
one end
of
affliction
is,
"
That
the
trial of
your
faith,
being much more precious
than
of
gold
that
perisheth,
though
it
be
tried
with
fire,
might
be
found unto
praise,
and
honour, and
glory,
at
the
appearance of Jesus
Christ.
Keeping
faith
still
exercised,
by
believing
in his
love,
and
in
his promises,
and
kindness, you
cannot but
rejoice
though
yew
are
in
manifold
afflictions
;
then faith
shews
itself
bright
indeed
:
then the
eye
of
faith
appears
to
be
strong,
when it can look through the many dark
clouds,
.nd.see
the Sun
of
Righteousness shining and
smiling.
PAT
also
is
tried
under
afflictions.
God
has a
-wind,
sometimes
to
prove a
saint,
and
see how
long he