Gods husbandry

For the first,¹ the servants of God are, and must often be chastised, that they may be whited. These corrections are fit to stir up sorrow in those to whom they befall; which sorrow, by grace, is turned into godly sorrow, the most effectual corrosive to eat out the dead flesh of the soul, and so the fruit of them is, as the Prophet speaketh, the taking away of sin. Afflictions make us to feel the dangerousness of sin: they testify Gods dislike of wickedness; they manifest our own frailty and baseness; they convince us of the vanity of the world; they pull down the pride of our stomach, so eating out the proud flesh that grows within us, that the medicine of the Word may come near the sore; they quicken us to prayer; they drive us to examine our selves, and enforce us to consider of our ways, that at last we may be able to profess with the Prophet, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but ⟨p. 113⟩now I keep thy righteous judgements. There is scarce any thing more needful for Gods children, then these Fatherly chastisements: they do break open the heart, to make a free passage for the Spirit of God to enter in at. They do plough up the heart, to make it capable of the seed of life, the holy doctrine of the Word of God that is spoken to them. In prosperity, many times, the soul is dull of hearing, and scorneth to be reproved: It is sated with outward contents, and takes no delight in remembering the death and blood-shedding of Jesus Christ: It taketh pleasure in vanity, and cannot have while to think of things spiritual and most profitable. But afflictions awaken the heart out of the deep sleep of security: they distaste the sweet meats of the world, and bore the ear, and cover the pride of heart, and make a man, in whom the Spirit of God is, to hearken and attend unto the motions of the Word, and of the Spirit. The truth is, that afflictions, of themselves, and in their own nature, as being fruits of sin and evil, are not of this force to purge the heart, but through the wisdom of him that is able to turn all things to the best, and by the working of the Spirit, which taketh advantage of all seasons and opportunities, they do become most happy instruments of our cleansing:

For the first,¹ the seruants of God are, and must often be chastised, that they may be whited. These corrections are fit to stirre vp sorrow in those to whom they befall; which sorrow, by grace, is turned into godly sorrow, the most effectuall corrosiue to eate out the dead flesh of the soule, and so the fruit of them is, as the Prophet speaketh, the taking away of sinne. Afflictions make vs to feele the dangerousnesse of sinne: they testifie Gods dislike of wickednesse; they manifest our owne frailty and basenesse; they conuince vs of the vanity of the world; they pull downe the pride of our stomacke, so eating out the proud flesh that growes within vs, that the medicine of the Word may come neere the sore; they quicken vs to prayer; they driue vs to examine our selues, and inforce vs to consider of our wayes, that at last wee may be able to professe with the Prophet, Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but