Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

And the Noble Potamenia being threatened to be cast into a Vessel of burning Pitch, begged,¹ That she might not be cast in all at once, but piece-meal, that they might see how much Patience the unknown Christ had given unto her; and doth he not make all work together for good? What are the issues of Affliction to Believers, but the purgation of Sins, trials of Grace, peaceable fruits of Righteousness, and inward joys and experiences of Gods Goodness? Let Faith but cast up the reckoning, and it will appear, That he afflict us in Love and Faithfulness, and therefore it must needs be well taken; the wounds of such a Friend being better than the kisses of ⟨p. 320⟩the enemy-World. Again, to advance this Grace, Faith makes a right judgment of Afflictions; to Sense these are grievous, but to Faith fit and congruous. The World in which the Believer lives, is a stage of Sin, and therefore fit to be a place of sorrow; how calm soever it was before Sin entered, it is now a troubled Sea, an Ocean of Evils, as Antoninus calls an Empire: Storms and tossing waves are proper in it, and to be expected by every Passenger; as much a Paradise as it was before, it is now a Wilderness, thorns and thistles of trouble grow naturally in it, and give many a scratch and sting to the poor Pilgrim in his way to Heaven. The Believer himself as a Man is born to trouble, and altogether vanity, all-Adam is all-Abel, or vanity, as it is Psal. 39.5. He comes into the World weeping, and very fitly, because by his Sin he hath set the whole Creation a groaning until now: and as a Believer he lives as a lily among thorns, so is his person in the World among wicked ones, which are as pricking briars on every side, and so is the Grace in his heart among the relics of Corruption, which are as thorns in the flesh: And whilst Sin is within, it is congruous that trouble should be without; nay, more than congruous, it is necessary upon many accounts. Affliction is purgative of Sin; it may be the Believers Heart may wax proud, and the tumour must be lanced, or light, and the vanity must be fanned away; it may be hard, and the furnace must melt it; or drowsy, ⟨p. 321⟩and the rod must awaken it. One ill humour or other is ready to grow upon us; and O felices tribulos tribulationum! Oh happy thorns of Affliction, which let them out!