Secondly, Afflictions keep us under restraint. He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks: afflictions hold us in, they are as a prison to us. Afflictions are a restraint two ways; First, to our corruptions; yea, through the grace of God, afflictions are more then restraints to corruption, they become the death of corruption, they are appointed (among other services) for the mortifying of corruption, that it may not live in us, much more are they a restraint to corruption, that it may not get out, nor work in us as before. Many times, when a good man hath the world at will, his corruptions think to have their will too; and when he is at liberty, lusts would grow licentious: Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks, that their lusts may be in the stocks too. Thus he told the Church (Hos: 2.6.) Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths. The thorn-hedge was as a stocks to stop them that they should not walk disorderly, nor act inordinately as they had done. This course God takes ⟨p. 225⟩with many, he puts them in the stocks, that he may keep them from the ways of sin, or give check to some unruly affection. When we need this discipline, we may look for it, and 'tis a mercy to be under it. Will you not keep order? (saith God) then you shall to the stocks. Secondly, afflictions are a restraint to our comforts, as well as to our corruptions. As this expression notes the taking of lusts short, so the taking of us short as to lawful liberties and enjoyments. Sickness upon the body sours all that this world hath, to us, and will not suffer us to use much of it, how much soever of it we possess. Many have enough to eat, who never eat in pleasure, as Job said (Chap: 21.25.) And when in our prosperity we run out and take unlawful liberty, God sends an affliction, as his stocks, to hold us from our lawful liberties. When we have had vain out-goings and excesses of spirit, all going well with us and comfortably in the world, we may expect the stocks next, or that things should go ill with us, yet for our good.
Secondly, Afflictions keepe us under restraint. He hath little liberty as well as little ease that is in the stocks: afflictions hold us in, they are as a prison to us. Afflictions are a restraint two wayes; First, to our corruptions; yea, through the grace of God, afflictions are more then restraints to corruption, they become the death of corruption, they are appoynted (among other services) for the mortifying of corruption, that it may not live in us, much more are they a restraint to corruption, that it may not get out, nor worke in us as before. Many times, when a good man hath the world at will, his corruptions thinke to have their will too; and when he is at liberty, lusts would grow licentious: Therefore God seeth it necessary to put his servants in the stocks, that their lusts may be in the stocks too. Thus he told the Church (Hos: 2.6.) Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thornes, and make a wall that she shall not find her paths. The thorne-hedge was as a stocks to stop them that they should not walk disorderly, nor act inordinately as they had done. This course God takes ⟨p. 225⟩with many, he puts them in the stocks, that he may keepe them from the wayes of sin, or give check to some unruly affection. When we need this discipline, we may looke for it, and 'tis a mercy to be under it. Will you not keep order? (saith God) then you shall to the stocks. Secondly, afflictions are a restraint to our comforts, as well as to our corruptions. As this expression notes the taking of lusts short, so the taking of us short as to lawfull liberties and enjoyments. Sickness upon the body sowres all that this world hath, to us, and will not suffer us to use much of it, how much soever of it we possesse. Many have enough to eate, who never eate in pleasure, as Job sayd (Chap: 21.25.) And when in our prosperity we run out and take unlawfull liberty, God sends an affliction, as his stocks, to hold us from our lawfull liberties. When we have had vaine out-goings and excesses of spirit, all going well with us and comfortably in the world, we may expect the stocks next, or that things should goe ill with us, yet for our good.