The Godly Man's Picture

4 Perhaps God is correcting thee for a fault, and it so, it becomes thee to be patient; it may be thy friend had more of thy love than God, and therefore God did take away such a relation, that the stream of thy love may run back to him again. A gracious woman having been deprived, first of her Children, then of her Husband, Lord (saith she) thou hast a plot upon me, thou intendest to have all my love; God doth not like it, to have any Creature set upon the throne of our affections, he will take away that comfort, and then he shall lye nearest our heart. If an Husband bestow a jewel upon his Wife, and she doth so fall in love with that jewel, as to forget her Husband, he will take away the jewel, that her love may return to him again; a dear relation is this jewel, if we begin to idolize it, God will take away the jewel, that our love may return to him •gain.

4 Perhaps God is correcting thee for a fault, and it so, it becomes thee to bee patient; it may bee thy friend had more of thy love than God, and therefore God did take away such a relation, that the stream of thy love may run bak to him again. A gracious woman having been deprived, first of her Children, then of her Husband, Lord (saith she) thou hast a plot upon me, thou intendest to have all my love; God doth not like it, to have any Creature set upon the throne of our affections, hee will take away that comfort, and then he shall lye nearest our heart. If an Husband bestow a jewel upon his Wife, and she doth so fall in love with that jewel, as to forget her Husband, hee will take away the jewel, that her love may return to him again; a dear relation is this jewel, if we begin to idolize it, God will take away the jewell, that our love may return to him •gain.

5 A Godly Relation is parted with, but not lost, that is lost, which we are out of hope ever of seeing again; religious friends are but gone a little^† before. A time will shortly come, when there shall be a meeting without parting,