Hence ariseth a notable difference, between the godly and the wicked, in the suffering of afflictions. A Reprobate the more the Lord layeth his hand on him, the more hep murmureth & rebelleth against God: it is contrary with the true Christian: none feeleth more the power and rebellion of sin then he: none is more assaulted by Satan then he, and oftentimes it cometh to pass that God withdraweth the signs of his favour from him, & lets him feel his wrath. And this is the greatest temptation of all other, when a man shall see the Lord to be his enemy, and to his thinking to arm himself against him to his destruction. As qHezekiah did, who saith, that the Lord did crash his bones like a Lyon. Or ras Job saith, that the arrows of the almighty were in him, and the venom thereof drunk up his spirit, and the terrors of God did fight against him. Yet the true Christian when the world, the flesh, and the devil, and God himself too are against him, doth even then most of all rest in the Lord, and by faith cleave to him. sThough God should destroy me, yet would I trust in him (saith Job.) tAnd David saith, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? When he saith that God had forsaken him, it may seem to be the complaint of a desperate man, not having so much as one spark of faith: yet then he saith, My God, my God: which words contain a confession proceeding from true faith: so that in David it appeareth, that the faithful when they feel themselves forlorn, and utterly rejected of God, according to the sense and judgement of the flesh, yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercy, and behold it a far off in the glass of his promise. And so they do often show contrary affections in their prayers as David doth. uJacob when he wrestled with the Angel for life and death, never gave over: and when he was foiled he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him. This his wrestling is a type of the conflicts which the faithful are to have with the Lord himself, who useth to bring his own children (as it were) to the field: and he assaileth them with the one hand, and with the other he holdeth them up, that so he may prove and exercise their faith. And for this cause the Church xis called by the name of Jacob. An example may be had in the woman of Canaan. yFirst, our Saviour Christ gave her faith, and by that faith she was moved to seek to him:
Hence ariseth a notable difference, betweene the godly and the wicked, in the suffering of afflictions. A Reprobate the more the Lord laieth his hand on him, the more hep murmureth & rebelleth against God: it is contrary with the true Christian: none feeleth more the power and rebellion of sinne then he: none is more assaulted by Satan then he, and oftentimes it commeth to passe that God withdraweth the signes of his fauour from him, & lets him feele his wrath. And this is the greatest temptation of all other, when a man shal see the Lord to be his enemie, and to his thinking to arme himselfe against him to his destruction. As qEzechias did, who saith, that the Lord did crash his bones like a Lyon. Or ras Iob saith, that the arrowes of the almightie were in him, and the venime thereof drunke vp his spirit, and the terrours of God did fight against him. Yet the true Christian when the world, the flesh, and the deuill, and God himselfe too are against him, doth euen then most of all rest in the Lord, and by faith cleaue to him. sThough God should destroy me, yet would I trust in him (saith Iob.) tAnd Dauid saith, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? When he saith that God had forsaken him, it may seeme to be the complaint of a desperate man, not hauing so much as one sparke of faith: yet then he saith, My God, my God: which wordes containe a confession proceeding from true faith: so that in Dauid it appeareth, that the faithfull when they feele themselues forlorne, and vtterly reiected of God, according to the sense and iudgement of the flesh, yet by faith they can apprehend his hidden mercie, and behold it a farre off in the glasse of his promise. And so they doe often shew contrarie affections in their praiers as Dauid doth. uIacob when he wrastled with the Angel for life and death, neuer gaue ouer: and when he was foild he would not cease before the Lord had blessed him. This his wrastling is a type of the conflicts which the faithfull are to haue with the Lord himselfe, who vseth to bring his owne children (as it were) to the field: and he assaileth them with the one hand, and with the other he holdeth them vp, that so he may prooue and exercise their faith. And for this cause the Church x
- pExod. 8.
- qEsa. 38.
- rJob 6.34.Iob 6.34.
- sJob 13. 15.Iob 13. 15.
- tPsal. 22. 1.
- uGen. 32.28
- xPsal. 130.
- yMat. 15. 22,23,24, 25,26,27.
