A28620:2308
The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatisesThe dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises
The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in several treatises ... : never before published / by Samuel Bolton ...The dead saint speaking to saints and sinners living in severall treatises ... : never before published / by Samuel Bolton ...
London: printed by Robert Ibbitson for Thomas Parkhurst, 1657
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
If God then afflict a man; why, will Faith say, It's for good. I have need of such Afflictions, to work out such a strong corruption.
Are the Afflictions many? why, will Faith say, I have need of many Afflictions, because I have many corruptions.
Are they long? why, I have need of that too: because sin and I are so hardly parted: It is so hard to make a divorce betwixt sin and my soul; and therefore the afflictions had need to continue long.
Faith sees that God aims at this, to wean us from the World, to win us closer to him, to exercise and increase our Graces, to weaken sin and corruption, to make us more fruitful. Therefore doth he prune us, that we might grow more. If a man lop Trees at sometimes, they will wither and dye: but if at other times, they will be made more fruitful. God useth to afflict the wicked at such time. But the Saints, when they may grow the more. Therefore God winnows us, fans us, to blow away the chaff: Therefore he puts us as Gold into the fire, that we may come out much more pure.
Faith sees that God aims at this, to wean us from the World, to win us closer to him, to exercise and increase our Graces, to weaken sin and corruption, to make us more fruitful. Therefore doth hee prune us, that wee might grow more. If a man lop Trees at sometimes, they will wither and dye: but if at other times, they will be made more fruitful. God useth to afflict the wicked at such time. But the Saints, when they may grow the more. Therefore God winnows us, fannes us, to blow away the chaff: Therefore hee puts us as Gold into the fire, that wee may come out much more pure.