A81235:91
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.
And, 2. As we are prone to presume of our own strength, so we are very apt to idolize our own wisdom; to lean to our own understanding, and think by our policy to wind our selves out of any labyrinth of trouble and perplexity. But we find it otherwise; when we come into the snare, we then are forced to cry out with the Church, He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out, 1he hath made my chain heavy: Like a malefactor that hath broke prison; he thinks to run away, but he hath an heavy chain upon his heel, that spoils his haste; and being fenced in round about, he goeth to this corner, hoping to find some gap, but there he finds the hedge made up with thorns; and to another corner, and there also the briars stop him, &c. I, but mark ye, that is not all; read on in the ⟨p. 71⟩Churches complaint, and you shall find greater obstructions: Verse 9. 2He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stones. Suppose a man would venture the scratching of his flesh, to break through an hedge to save his life, (skin for skin, and all that a man hath will he give for his life,) yet that would not do, God had taken away the hedge, and built a wall in stead of it; a wall so high, that they could not clamber over; a wall so thick, that they could not dig through: The meaning is, Man in affliction thinks to make his way through by his own art and cunning, but upon the attempt he finds difficulties arising still higher and higher, so that when all is done, escape is impossible, without an immediate rescue by the arm of omnipotence. This was Pauls case: 3When we come to Asia, we were pressed out of measure beyond strength, in so much that we despaired even of life: A great strait, (what it was in particular you may read Acts 19. from 22. so forward; in all probability it was that uproar ⟨p. 72⟩at Ephesus, wherein Paul was like to have been pulled in pieces, for it was a trouble that befell him in Asia, vers. 8.) I say, it was a great strait, a strait wherein the Apostle was at his wits end: