First, 1If they only be blessed whom God chasteneth and teacheth; then Affliction alone is not enough to evidence a man to be an happy man: no man is therefore blessed because he is chastened: blows alone are not enough, 2either to evince or to effect a state of blessedness: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, crieth repenting Ephraim; q. d. I have had blows enough, if blows would ⟨p. 181⟩have done me good: nay, but under all the strokes and smitings of thy displeasure, I have been as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; unteachable and untractable; thou hast drawn one way, and I have drawn another; thou hast pulled forward, and I have pulled backward; all thy chastisements have left me as they found me, brutish and rebellious: Surely blows only may break the neck sooner then the heart: They are in themselves the fruit of divine wrath, a branch of the curse, and therefore cannot possibly of themselves make the least argument of Gods love to the Soul. Bastards have blows as well as Children, and Fools because of their transgression are afflicted. 3And yet it is very sad to consider that this is the best evidence that the most of men have for Heaven; because they suffer in this world, they think they shall be freed from sufferings in the World to come; and because they have an hell here, they hope they shall escape Hell hereafter, they hope they shall not have ⟨p. 182⟩two hells: yes poor deluded Soul, thou mayst have two Hells, and must have two Hells without better evidence for Heaven: Cain had two Hells, and Judas had two Hells, and millions of reprobate men and women have two Hells; one of this life, in torments of body, and horror of conscience; and another of the life to come, in unquenchable fire: and so I say shalt thou, unless thou get better evidence for Heaven, then the present misery which is upon thee: the plagues and evils which are upon thee may be but the beginnings of sorrows: pain now in the body may be but a forerunner of torments hereafter in thy Soul: thou mayst have a prison on Earth, and a dungeon in Hell; thou mayst now want a crumb of bread, and hereafter a drop of water; thou mayst now be the reproach of men, 4and hereafter the scorn of men and Angels, and of God himself; And therefore be wise to Salvation, by working it out with fear and trembling, 5and giving all diligence, make your Calling and ⟨p. 183⟩Election sure.
First, 1If they only be blessed whom God chasteneth and teacheth; then Affliction alone is not enough to evidence a man to be an happy man: no man is therefore blessed because he is chastened: blows alone are not enough, 2either to evince or to effect a state of blessedness: Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, cryeth repenting Ephraim; q. d. I have had blows enough, if blows would ⟨p. 181⟩have done me good: nay, but under all the strokes and smitings of thy displeasure, I have been as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; unteachable and untractable; thou hast drawn one way, and I have drawn another; thou hast pull'd forward, and I have pull'd backward; all thy chastisements have left me as they found me, brutish and rebellious: Surely blows onely may break the neck sooner then the heart: They are in themselves the fruit of divine wrath, a branch of the curse, and therefore cannot possibly of themselves make the least argument of Gods love to the Soul. Bastards have blows as well as Children, and Fools because of their transgression are afflicted. 3And yet it is very sad to consider that this is the best evidence that the most of men have for Heaven; because they suffer in this world, they think they shall be freed from sufferings in the World to come; and because they have an hell here, they hope they shall escape Hell hereafter, they hope they shal not have ⟨p. 182⟩two hells: yes poor deluded Soul, thou mayst have two Hells, and must have two Hells without better evidence for Heaven: Cain had two Hells, and Judas had two Hells, and millions of reprobate men and women have two Hells; one of this life, in torments of body, and horror of conscience; and another of the life to come, in unquenchable fire: and so I say shalt thou, unless thou get better evidence for Heaven, then the present misery which is upon thee: the plagues and evils which are upon thee may be but the beginnings of sorrows: pain now in the body may be but a forerunner of torments hereafter in thy Soul: thou mayst have a prison on Earth, and a dungeon in Hell; thou mayst now want a crum of bread, and hereafter a drop of water; thou mayst now be the reproach of men, 4and hereafter the scorn of men and Angels, and of God himself; And therefore be wise to Salvation, by working it out with fear and trembling,
- 1Affliction alone cannot evidence a man to be blessed.
- 2Jer 31.18Ier 31.18
- 3Ps. 107.17
- 4Isai. 66.24 Prov. 1.24
- 5Phil. 2.12 2 Pet. 1.10
