CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

¹5. God hath made the world a troublesome world in all Conditions, in all Relations, so that none can find this place any other then a Valley of Tears; The Apostle 1 Cor. 7. showeth the condition of Married Persons, that they shall have trouble in the Flesh; The Married Condition hath it's trouble, the single hath its Trouble: There is trouble in Husbands, Wives, Children, in all Callings, The Husbandmans, The Citizens, God will not let us have a Paradise in this world, lest we do as the Reubenites that desired to sit down in a Country fruitful for Cattle, and cared not to enter into Canaan; It was Basils Opinion that the Earth before Mans Fall brought forth no Thorns or Thistles, and that the Rose did grow without pricks; But here is no such Blessedness now; Out of the same Fountain comes bitter and sweet, From the same Root grow Figs and Thistles, Grapes and Thorns: There is no Mercy or outward Comfort but hath its Insufficiency, and there are as many drops of Gall as there are of Honey; Which made Job say, That man who is born of a Woman is full of Trouble, even as the Sparks fly upward, Job 14. It's as natural as for the fire to ascend, so that as it would be a miraculous and wonderful thing to see the Fire descend downward, no less would it be to see a man without some Trouble or other: We read of one Polycrates that never had any Adversity in his Life time, and he endeavoured to put himself upon some Loss, but could not, for once he threw a Ring of a vast price into the Sea, intending to lose it, yet afterwards it was found in a Fishes Belly, and he had it again; But though he had no trouble for a long season, yet at last he was taken by an Enemy and put to Death with most exquisite torments; Though wicked men have the good things of this life, yet these good things are not merely and universally good; They have a Sting as well as Honey; They have Trouble as well as Comfort: The Godliest men have acknowledged that their days have been few and evil in this world: Oh then expect not a Summer always in this world; God hath subjected all these created Comforts to changes after a Glorious day to have a dark Night; Thou shalt have this Condition, this Relation, this Comfort thou desirest, but thou shalt also have the burden, and the trouble of it which thou dost not desire, Onus transit cum honore.