Riches of mercy to men in misery, or, Certain excellent treatises concerning the dignity…

Or Lastly, to prevent an inward disease, and thus Saint Paul was afflicted, for when he was taken up into the third heaven, he had pride growing upon him, and began ¹to be exalted above measure, therefore the Lord sent a messenger of Satan to buffet him, and though he took it at the first somewhat amiss, yet when God had informed him that it was to heal a greater disease, he was well contented; in this case therefore God often afflicteth to prevent sin beginning, when his children begin to be stubborn, he teacheth them by affliction to be obedient. Christ himself learned obedience by affliction, so if his children begin to over-value earthly things, to delight over much in them, to wean them now from the world, and to teach them to know the vanity of the creature, he afflicteth them, still I say, either to bring them back to repentance, or to meet with them when they go about an evil enterprise, or to bring them to deeper humiliation, or when they fall into scandalous sins, or lastly to prevent a further sinning, except in these cases you are sure always to have mercy, for God is exceeding rich in mercy; And so much for this point.

Or Lastly, to prevent an inward disease, and thus Saint Paul was afflicted, for when he was taken up into the third heaven, he had pride growing upon him, and began ¹to be exalted above measure, therefore the Lord sent a messenger of Satan to buffet him, and though he took it at the first somewhat amiss, yet when God had informed him that it was to heal a greater disease, he was well contented; in this case therefore God often afflicteth to prevent sin beginning, when his children begin to be stubborn, he teacheth them by affliction to be obedient. Christ himself learned obedience by affliction, so if his children begin to over-value earthly things, to delight over much in them, to wean them now from the world, and to teach them to know the vanity of the creature, he afflicteth them, still I say, either to bring them back to repentance, or to meet with them when they go about an evil enterprize, or to bring them to deeper humiliation, or when they fall into scandalous sins, or lastly to prevent a further sinning, except in these cases you are sure alwayes to have mercy, for God is exceeding rich in mercy; And so much for this point.

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