A81235:81
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.
We hear such things indeed in the Word, but we believe them not till our own experience convinceth us of our infidelity. A long time do we stick totally in the creature, knowing no other life then of Sense and Reason; Sacrificing to our own nets, and burning incense to our own ⟨p. 58⟩drags: and because the Word tells us much of living by Faith, we would fain patch up a life between Faith and Sense, which indeed is not a life of Faith: we do not live at all by faith, if we live not all by faith; though we may use means, we must trust God, and trust him solely: and therefore, to bring us to this, God suffers us to be tired and vexed with the mockery of second causes; and when we have spent all upon these physicians of no value, then, and never till then, we resolve for Christ. When David had experienced sufficiently the falseness and hypocrisy of Saul and his Parasites, They delight in lies, they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly, Psa. 62.4. then he resolves never to trust creature more: My Soul wait thou only upon God, He only is my Rock and my Salvation, Vers. 5, 6. Unmixed trust in God is the fruit of our experience of the creatures vanity: we never resolve exclusively for God, till with the Prodigal we be whipped home stark naked to our Fathers ⟨p. 59⟩house. When the Church had run her self *barefoot in following her Lovers, who answered her expectation with nothing but fear, and sent her away with shame in stead of glory, Isai. 20.6. then she can go home, and confessing her Atheism and folly, gives up her self purely to divine protection: Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods; 2for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.
We hear such things indeed in the Word, but we beleeve them not till our own experience convinceth us of our infidelity. A long time do we stick totally in the creature, knowing no other life then of Sense and Reason; Sacrificing to our own nets, and burning incense to our own