Secondly, Outward afflictions are burdensome, because they do hinder us much in doing Service, that Service that we were born for, that we were born to do in this world, they do hinder us of many opportunities of doing Service for God, outward Afflictions do. As now sickness of body, what a Burden is it? Because it doth hinder those that are continually sickly from doing the Service that God requires of them to do, and indeed that makes it to be most burdensome to one that is gracious, it is not such a Burden to one that hath a sickly body, because of the pain that he feels, but because by this means my Soul is hindered in those operations that I would be glad to be exercised in for God, and doing good in the place I am set in. And so poverty, is therefore a burden, not because I cannot live so bravely as others do, and have as fine Houses, Clothes, and Diet as others have; No, but because I must spend all my time merely in getting provision for my family that I have little time for Gods Service; others can spend time in Gods Service, hear, pray, and meditate, but the chief time that I have to spend is spent to get bread; now this is a burden: And besides because of poverty I have little opportunity to do Service for God, those that have Large estates, they have opportunity to do God Service, they are called forth to public Services, but I am not so as others are, now this is that that to one that hath any beginnings of Grace in his Heart is a great Burden. And by the way, it were a good argument of true Grace, if you that are under the Burden of affliction, if you felt the burden where it lies, I appeal to you that complain of the Burden of affliction, poverty, and the like, that you feel, I put this Question to you in the name of God, what is it that makes your affliction most burdensome? It is true, it is painful to Nature, Oh! But the Lord knows, this is that that makes it grievous, and burdensome to me, that by means of this ⟨p. 114⟩affliction, I am fain to spend so much time about mean works that I have little time to do good in my generation: others that have greater estates, I count them happier in this, that the Lord hath given unto them Larger opportunities to do him Service, then I have;
Secondly, Outward afflictions are burdensom, because they do hinder us much in doing Service, that Service that we were born for, that we were born to do in this world, they do hinder us of many opportunities of doing Service for God, outward Afflictions do. As now sickness of body, what a Burden is it? Because it doth hinder those that are continually sickly from doing the Service that God requires of them to do, and indeed that makes it to be most burdensom to one that is gracious, it is not such a Burden to one that hath a sickly body, because of the pain that he feels, but because by this means my Soul is hindred in those operations that I would be glad to be exercised in for God, and doing good in the place I am set in. And so poverty, is therefore a burden, not because I cannot live so bravely as others do, and have as fine Houses, Clothes, and Diet as others have; No, but because I must spend all my time meerly in getting provision for my family that I have little time for Gods Service; others can spend time in Gods Service, hear, pray, and meditate, but the chief time that I have to spend is spent to get bread; now this is a burden: And besides because of poverty I have little opportunity to do Service for God, those that have Large estates, they have opportunity to do God Service, they are called forth to publick Services, but I am not so as others are, now this is that that to one that hath any beginnings of Grace in his Heart is a great Burden. And by the way, it were a good argument of true Grace, if you that are under the Burden of affliction, if you felt the burden where it lies, I appeal to you that complain of the Burden of affliction, poverty, and the like, that you feel, I put this Question to you in the name of God, what is it that makes your affliction most burdensom? It is true, it is painful to Nature, Oh! But the Lord knows, this is that that makes it grievous, and burdensom to me, that by means of this ⟨p. 114⟩affliction, I am fain to spend so much time about mean works that I have little time to do good in my generation: others that have greater estates, I count them happier in this, that the Lord hath given unto them Larger opportunities to do him Service, then I have;
