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And for this cause the Lord is often times provoked to put on (as it were) a contrary face, & to lock us up in a prison of adversity, to restrain us from the liberty of our sins, which Satan fain would make us violently to rush into. And surely though the wisdom of the flesh persuadeth us that nothing is better then to be spared and not to be espied when the Lord calleth us to reckoning; yet the spirit showing our desperate estate, without the fire of affliction, and bolter of adversity, teacheth us that we cannot of all the blessings of God sufficiently esteem this, being the mother of humility, and nurse of true repentance. Again, the Lord fitteth us often by inward temptations and outward crosses, to flit us from the stake of security and untowardness to good works; least in time we should loose the experience of our knowledge and faith in Christ, and seek some easier kind of life for flesh & blood. Neither can we truly repent, until by some cross we know this world to be a place of sorrow, and not of mirth and delight. For so long as we make our prosperity a bulwark to beat down all harms, we are to look for adversity to beat down the ⟨p. 78⟩high sail of our proud hearts, whereby we gad after our own lusts, and leave the anchor of peace, which is our trust in God. Let us learn• then, when the world beginneth to favour us, and we have as it were an hundred thousand soldiers, to bear us up; not to be secure; for there is nothing more easy for a man, then for to make him self believe that he shall always continue in happy estate, and think he shall die in the nest. But we must be as birds on a bough, to remove at Gods pleasure, and that without resistance when the Lord shall visit us. And because we are given to much to think that we have the things in our own right, which we hold of the free goodness of God: we are taught in affliction how heinous unthankfulness it were to bind the Lord continually to entertain us in this life at so full Charge and cost, without respect of his free & undeserved gifts: or to hold plea against, and sue him as it were by an obligation, at whose hands we ought to beg daily; and at whose gate we receive all our maintenance: or to make a rent charge of all that which he giveth of his he liberality.

And for this cause the Lord is often times prouoked to put on (as it were) a contrary face, & to locke vs vp in a prison of aduersitie, to restraine vs from the libertie of our sinnes, which Sathan faine would make vs violently to rush into. And surely though the wisdome of the flesh perswadeth vs that nothing is better then to be spared and not to be espied when the Lord calleth vs to reckoning; yet the spirit shewing our desperate estate, without the syre of affliction, and boulter of aduersitie, teacheth vs that we cannot of all the blessings of God sufficiently esteeme this, being the mother of humilitie, and nource of true repentance. Againe, the Lorde fitteth vs often by inward temptations and outwarde crosses, to flitte vs from the stake of securitie and vntowardnes to good workes; least in time we should loose the experience of our knowledge and faith in Christ, and seeke some easier kinde of life for flesh & bloud. Neither can we truely repent, vntill by some crosse we know this world to be a place of sorrowe, and not of mirth and delight. For so long as we make our prosperitie a bulwarke to beate downe all harmes, we are to looke for aduersitie to beate downe the