A81235:42
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.
This is one end why God sends us thither, and the first Lesson we learn by Affliction, sc. Sympathy with, and compassion to, our suffering Brethren.
I come to the Second Lesson.
And that is, 1By Chastisements God doth teach us how to prize our outward mercies and comforts more, and yet to dote upon them less; to be more thankful for them, and yet less ensnared by them. This is a Mystery indeed to Nature, a Paradox to the World; for naturally we are very prone either to slight, or to surfeit; and yet (it is sad to consider) we can make a shift to do both at once; we can undervalue our mercies even while we glut our selves with them, and despise them even when we are surfeiting upon them. Witness that inculcated caution by Moses and Joshua, When thou hast eaten and art full, 2take heed thou forget not the Lord thy God. Behold, while men fill themselves with the mercies of God, they can neglect the God of their mercies: When God is most liberal in remembering us, we ⟨p. 14⟩are most prone to forget God. Now therefore that we may know how to put a due estimate upon mercies, God often outs us short, that we may learn to prize that by want, which our foolish unthankful hearts slighted in the enjoyment. Thus the Prodigal, who while yet at home, could despise the rich and well-furnished table of his father; when God sent him to School to the Swinetrough, could value the bread that the Hinds did eat; How many of my fathers hired servants have BREAD enough, 3and to spare! He would have been glad of the reversion of broken meat that was cast into the common-basket.