The practice of piety directing a Christian how to walk, that he may please…

1. That by afflictions God may not only^* correct our sins past, but also work in us a deeper loathing of our natural corruption; and so prevent us from falling into many other sins, which otherwise we would commit: like a good Father, ²who suffereth his tender Babe to scorch his finger in a candle, that he may the rather learn to beware of falling into a greater fire. So• that the Child of God may say with David, ^aIt is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn thy statutes, for^b before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep thy word. And indeed (saith St. Paul)^c We are chastened of the Lord, because we should not be condemned with the World. With one Cross God maketh two Cures: the chastisement of sins past, and the prevention of sin to come. For though the eternal punishment of sin (as it proceedeth from Justice) is fully pardoned in the Sacrifice of Christ, yet we are not (without serious judging of our selves) exempted from the temporal chastisement of sin: for this proceedeth only from the love of God, for our good. And this is the reason that when Nathan told David, from the Lord, that his sins were forgiven, yet that ⟨p. 378⟩the^a Sword (of Chastisement) should not depart from his house, and that^b his Child should surely die. For God like a skilful Physician, seeing the Soul to be poisoned with the settling of sin; and knowing that the reigning of the flesh will prove the ruin of the Spirit, ministereth the bitter Pill of affliction, whereby the relics of sin are purged, and the Soul •ore soundly cured; the Flesh is subdued, and the Spirit is sanctified. Oh the odiousness of sin, which causeth God to chasten so severely his Children, whom otherwise he loveth so dearly.