A81235:143
Correction, instruction or, a treatise of afflictions
Correction, instruction or, a treatise of afflictions: first conceived by way of private meditations: afterward digested into certain sermons, preached at Aldermanbury. And now published for the help and comfort of humble suffering Christians. By Tho. Case, M.A. sometimes student of Ch. Ch. Oxon. now preacher of the Gospel in London.Correction, instruction or, a treatise of afflictions: first conceived by way of private meditations: afterward digested into certain sermons, preach'd at Aldermanbury. And now published for the help and comfort of humble suffering Christians. By Tho. Case, M.A. sometimes student of Ch. Ch. Oxon. now preacher of the Gospel in London.
London: printed by J.M. for Luke Fawn, 1652London: printed by J.M. for Luke Favvn, 1652
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
In our prosperity we stick in the Creature, 1and dote upon the Creature, the things and persons in this present world, as if there our happiness ⟨p. 122⟩and comfort were bound up: but in the day of adversity, God convinceth us of our mistakes, by causing us to see the emptiness and vanity of all sublunary contentments: we begin to find the world to be but gilded emptiness, a mere nothing. Then ask the soul what it thinks of the World and all the elements thereof, the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life, as the Apostle sorts them, which formerly did so glitter in its eyes, 2and the answer will be with the Prophet, all flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof as the flower of the field: vanity of vanities, all is vanity. The afflicteth soul saith of all Creature-excellency, It is not; it looks upon them as so many non-entities: 3so many Nots: Not that which it seems: Not that which is promiseth: Not that which we expect, and flatter our selves with. Riches profit not in the day of wrath. 4Whatsoever it is that a man makes his riches, whether friend, or wealth, or parts, or Creature-interest ⟨p. 123⟩whatsoever, they profit not, i. e. they cannot deliver out of the hands, either of death or judgment. And besides, the soul finds by experience the unsuitableness and dissatisfaction that is in all these seen things; that there is no proportion between an invisible soul and visible comforts, 5between an immortal soul and perishing contentments, between a spiritual being, and an earthly portion; that the wind which a man takes in by gaping, will as soon fill an hungry belly, as Creature-comforts will satisfy the Spirit: In the hour of temptation the soul says, miserable comforters are ye all, Physicians of no value, upon which a man may bestow all that he hath in expectation of a cure, and find himself no whit better, but rather worse; surely the world in all its bravery is to the afflicted soul no better then the Cities which Solomon gave to Hiram, which he called Cabul, that is to say, displeasing or dirty: