Lastly, From the whole text take notice of the purpose of God, what he hath in his heart, when he afflicteth his people, the righteous, for their iniquities and failings, for their faults and uneven walkings. The scope of God in all this, is not their hurt, but good; it is not to destroy them for their sin, but to destroy their sin; it is not to withdraw himself from them, but to draw them nearer to himself; all the hurt that the Lord intends us by any affliction, is but to get out our dross, and to fetch out our filth, to bring us off from those things that will undo and ruin us for ⟨p. 235⟩ever. And how great an argument of the goodness of God is it, that he designeth the evils which we suffer in these dying bodies, to heal the evils, and help on the good of our immortal souls! that's all the hurt that the Lord means us. And the Lords heart is so much in this design (the return of those he afflicts from their iniquity) that he seems confident of it, that when any are in affliction, surely they will return, (Hosea 5.15.) In their affliction they will seek me early, surely they will. And therefore the Prophet speaks of the Lord as defeated and disappointed of his purpose, when he seeth such as he hath afflicted continuing in their sin, (Isa. 9.13.) The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts: As if he had said, 'Tis a wonder, that being smitten they have not returned; what a strange, what a cross-grained people are these! What? doth the Lord smite you that you should run farther from him, and follow your iniquity closer, or hold it faster? you may be ashamed that you turn not unto him that speaks to you; but when you are smitten will you not return from iniquity? remember, the Lord therefore suffers you to be bound in fetters, that you may be loosed from your sins; he therefore suffers you to be holden in the cords of affliction, that you might let go your transgressions. Take heed you be not found disappointing him of his purpose. How well it will be with those who do not disappoint him, and how ill 'tis like to be with such as do, will appear further and fully in the two next verses.
Lastly, From the whole text take notice of the purpose of God, what he hath in his heart, when he afflicteth his people, the righteous, for their iniquities and faylings, for their faults and uneven walkings. The scope of God in all this, is not their hurt, but good; it is not to destroy them for their sin, but to destroy their sin; it is not to withdraw himself from them, but to draw them nearer to himself; all the hurt that the Lord intends us by any affliction, is but to get out our dross, and to fetch out our filth, to bring us off from those things that will undo and ruine us for ⟨p. 235⟩ever. And how great an argument of the goodness of God is it, that he designeth the evils which we suffer in these dying bodies, to heal the evils, and help on the good of our immortal souls! that's all the hurt that the Lord means us. And the Lords heart is so much in this design (the return of those he afflicts from their iniquity) that he seems confident of it, that when any are in affliction, surely they will return, (Hosea 5.15.) In their affliction they will seek me early, surely they will. And therefore the Prophet speaks of the Lord as defeated and disappointed of his purpose, when he seeth such as he hath afflicted continuing in their sin, (Isa. 9.13.) The people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts: As if he had said, 'Tis a wonder, that being smitten they have not returned; what a strange, what a cross-grain'd people are these! What? doth the Lord smite you that you should run farther from him, and follow your iniquity closer, or hold it faster? you may be ashamed that you turn not unto him that speaks to you; but when you are smitten will you not return from iniquity? remember, the Lord therefore suffers you to be bound in fetters, that you may be loosed from your sins; he therefore suffers you to be holden in the cords of affliction, that you might let go your transgressions. Take heed you be not found disappointing him of his purpose. How well it will be with those who do not disappoint him, and how ill 'tis like to be with such as do, will appear further and fully in the two next verses.
