First: As for the Afflictions themselves, 1. They are part of Christs Purchase for you: Look upon Pauls Inventory, 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or things present, or things to come: So that Death it self, the King of Terrors and Afflictions, is here reckoned amongst the Goods and Chattels, which Christ hath purchased for you, and left unto you: and if Death be yours, then all Afflictions are yours; and who will be afraid of that which is his own? 2. They are the Gift of God; To you it is given, not only to believe, but to suffer, saith the Apostle. It was the Speech of a good man, now in Heaven, being once under great Afflictions; O Lord, these Afflictions are thy Pearls, and I will wear them for thy sake. 3. They are but seeming Evils; They are real Trials, and seeming Evils. Therefore the Apostle saith, Every Affliction seems grievous; but considering altogether, it is rather a Seeming, than a real grief: and therefore saith he, 2 Cor. 6.9, 10. We are as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and behold we he: as chastened, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing: as poor, yet making many rich: as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. In which words, as Austin observes, he puts a tanqu•m, sicut AS, upon his Afflictions; as if his Sufferings, were but as Afflictions, and not Afflictions. When a man takes any Physic, he is sick withal, yet because it is but Physic-sickness, you do not call it a sickness; it is as a sickness, but not a sickness. Now all the Afflictions of the Saints, are but their Physic, prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father; and therefore, though they be sick therewith, yet it is but as a sickness, not so indeed, all things rightly weighed. When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn, he saith, Why do they spoil the Corn? But those that know better, say, The Flail doth not hurt the Corn; if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it, there would be spoil indeed, but the Flail hurts not. Now there is no Affliction, or suffering, that a Godly man meets with, but is Gods Flail: And if you look into Isay, 28. ye shall find, the Lord promiseth, under a similitude, that his Cart-wheel shall not pass upon ⟨p. 270⟩those that are weak, ver. 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument;
First: As for the Afflictions themselvs, 1. They are part of Christs Purchase for you: Look upon Pauls Inventory, 1 Cor. 3.21. All things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the World, or Life, or Death, or things present, or things to come: So that Death it self, the King of Terrors and Afflictions, is here reckoned amongst the Goods and Chattels, which Christ hath purchased for you, and left unto you: and if Death be yours, then al Afflictions are yours; and who wil be afraid of that which is his own? 2. They are the Gift of God; To you it is given, not only to beleeve, but to suffer, saith the Apostle. It was the Speech of a good man, now in Heaven, being once under great Afflictions; O Lord, these Afflictions are thy Pearls, and I wil wear them for thy sake. 3. They are but seeeming Evils; They are real Tryals, and seeming Evils. Therfore the Apostle saith, Every Affliction seems grievous; but considering altogether, it is rather a Seeming, than a real grief: and therefore saith he, 2 Cor. 6.9, 10. We are as unknown, and yet well known: as dying, and behold we hee: as chastened, and not killed: as sorrowful, yet alwaies rejoycing: as poor, yet making many rich: as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. In which words, as Austin observes, he puts a tanqu•m, sicut AS, upon his Afflictions; as if his Sufferings, were but as Afflictions, and not Afflictions. When a man takes any Physick, he is sick withal, yet because it is but Physick-sickness, you do not call it a sickness; it is as a sickness, but not a sickness. Now all the Afflictions of the Saints, are but their Physick, prescribed and given them by the hand of their Father; and therefore, though they be sick therewith, yet it is but as a sickness, not so indeed, al things rightly weighed. When an unskilful Eye looks upon the threshing of the Corn, he saith, Why do they spoil the Corn? But those that know better, say, The Flail doth not hurt the Corn; if the Cart-wheel should pass upon it, there would be spoil indeed, but the Flail hurts not. Now there is no Affliction, or suffering, that a Godly man meets with, but is Gods Flail: And if you look into Isay, 28. ye shal find, the Lord promiseth, under a similitude, that his Cart-wheel shal not pass upon ⟨p. 270⟩those that are weak, ver. 27. For the Fitches are not threshed with a threshing Instrument;
