An expository comment, doctrinal, controversial, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…An expository comment, doctrinal, controversal, and practical upon the whole first chapter to the…

Thirdly, We may speak of afflictions when they are over, when we are delivered from them, and find the great good they have done to us, then we may call them light, and judge them nothing to the benefit we received by them. But

In the fourth place, I conceive that the most genuine answer is, That Paul doth here speak of his trouble according to the sense and apprehension of his flesh; even as afterwards he saith, It was above his strength, that is, his humane, natural strength, as will appear afterwards. If therefore flesh and blood be consulted with, then Paul saith, It is an affliction above measure; but then at vers. 17. of the 2 Cor. 4. as also in other places, he speaketh according to the workings of faith, and the operations of Gods Spirit within him. So that a godly man speaketh one thing according to the flesh, and another thing according to the Spirit. That is bitter and heavy to the flesh, which may be sweet ¹and welcome to the Spirit. From whence observe,

1. 1Godly men judge otherwise of their afflictions from sense and flesh, then from grace and reason.

That godly men judge otherwise of their afflictions by the principles of sense and flesh in them, then they do by the principles of grace and reason in them.