And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world; men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with, to set their delight on, they never go to God. If a man go to God for comfort, it is (as it were) because he shuts every door else against him, he hath no passage else, that he must needs go that way, or no way. Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them, they do their utmost to seek it there; but when God takes away all things, and strikes away every prop, that he hath nothing to rest on: (as the Dove that Noah sent, that had no rest for the sole of her foot, till she returned to the Ark) this forceth a man of ⟨p. 347⟩necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy, coming to the right Physician, the Lord that made the wound, he can cure it, and comfort a man again. If a man have but a scratch with a pin, if he have an unskilful Chirurgeon, the wound goes on to rankle more and more, and at last it costs a man his life. On the other side, if a man have a wound that is dangerous, if he go to one that is skilful, this man recovers and lives in the world. So many times, many men live with disquiet minds, they go to the world and seek to be whole there, they seek their Physician there, and make the wound that is made worse, and the latter end is worse then the beginning. But now, though a man be never so empty of comfort, and be struck down, and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him, if he go to God and seek to him, the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again, and to revive his spirit, and bring him again from the grave. So we see that objection fully answered, that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions, we may be able and strong enough to bear greater. So much for this time.
And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world; men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with, to set their delight on, they never go to God. If a man go to God for comfort, it is (as it were) because he shuts every door else against him, he hath no passage else, that he must needs go that way, or no way. Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them, they do their utmost to seek it there; but when God takes away all things, and strikes away every prop, that he hath nothing to rest on: (as the Dove that Noah sent, that had no rest for the sole of her foot, till she returned to the Ark) this forceth a man of ⟨p. 347⟩necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy, coming to the right Physitian, the Lord that made the wound, he can cure it, and comfort a man again. If a man have but a scratch with a pin, if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion, the wound goes on to ranckle more and more, and at last it costs a man his life. On the other side, if a man have a wound that is dangerous, if he go to one that is skilfull, this man recovers and lives in the world. So many times, many men live with disquiet minds, they go to the world and seek to be whole there, they seek their Physitian there, and make the wound that is made worse, and the latter end is worse then the beginning. But now, though a man be never so empty of comfort, and be struck down, and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him, if he go to God and seek to him, the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again, and to revive his spirit, and bring him again from the grave. So we see that objection fully answered, that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions, we may be able and strong enough to bear greater. So much for this time.
