Answ. Gods love and his anger towards his children, Answ. are not opposita, but diversa; they may stand together, he is angry in love. Rev. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; we have as much need of afflictions as Ordinances: A bitter Pill may be as needful for preserving health as a Julep or Cordial. God afflicts with the same love as he adopts; God is most angry, when he is not angry †; his hand is heaviest when it is lightest*; affliction is an argument of son-ship. Heb. 12.7. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. Oh saith one,* sure God doth not love me, I am none of his child, because he doth follow me with such sore afflictions: Why, it is a sign of childship to be sometimes under the Rod; God had one son without sin, but no son without stripes; God puts his children to the School of the Cross, and ⟨p. 322⟩there they learn best*. God speaks to us in the Word, Children be not proud, do not love the world, walk circumspectly*: But we are dull of hearing; nay, we stop the ear: Jer. 22.21. I spake to thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst I will not hear. Now saith God, I shall lose my child if I do not correct him; then God in love smites, that he may save; Aristotle speaks of a Bird that lives among Thorns, yet sings sweetly; Gods children make the best melody in their heart, when God hedgeth their way with thorns, Hos. 2.14. Afflictions are refining: Prov. 17.3. The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold*. Fiery Trials make golden Christians; afflictions are purifying. Dan. 12.10. Many shall be tried, and made white. We think God is going to destroy us, but he only lays us a whitening: Some Birds will not hatch but in time of thunder. Christians are commonly best in affliction; God will make his children at last bless him for sufferings; the eyes that sin shuts, affliction opens*; when Manasseh was in chains, then he knew the Lord was God, 2 Chron. 33.13. Afflictions fit for heaven first; the stones in Solomons Temple were hewen and polished, and then set up into a building. First the Saints (who are called lively stones*) must be hewen and carved by sufferings, as the corner stone was, and so made meet* for the celestial building; and is there not love in all Gods fatherly castigations?
Answ. Gods love and his anger towards his children, Answ. are not opposita, but diversa; they may stand together, he is angry in love. Rev. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; we have as much need of afflictions as Ordinances: A bitter Pill may be as needful for preserving health as a Julip or Cordial. God afflicts with the same love as he adopts; God is most angry, when he is not angry †; his hand is heaviest when it is lightest*; affliction is an argument of son-ship. Heb. 12.7. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons. Oh saith one,* sure God doth not love me, I am none of his childe, because he doth follow me with such sore afflictions: Why, it is a sign of childship to be sometimes under the Rod; God had one son without sin, but no son without stripes; God puts his children to the School of the Cross, and ⟨p. 322⟩there they learn best*. God speaks to us in the Word, Children be not proud, do not love the world, walk circumspectly*: But we are dull of hearing; nay, we stop the ear: Jer. 22.21. I spake to thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst I will not hear. Now saith God, I shall lose my childe if I do not correct him; then God in love smites, that he may save; Aristotle speaks of a Bird that lives among Thorns, yet sings sweetly; Gods children make the best melody in their heart, when God hedgeth their way with thorns, Hos. 2.14. Afflictions are refining: Prov. 17.3. The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold*. Fiery Trials make golden Christians; afflictions are purifying. Dan. 12.10. Many shall be tryed, and made white. We think God is going to destroy us, but he only layes us a whitening: Some Birds will not hatch but in time of thunder. Christians are commonly best in affliction; God will make his children at last bless him for sufferings; the eyes that sin shuts, affliction opens
- *Deus irascitur, cum non irascitur. Bern.
- *Hos. 4.14.
- *Correctio est effica• virtutis gymnasium.
- *Ephes. 5.15.
- *[Greek or Hebrew]. Chrysost.〈non-Latin alphabet〉. Chrysost.
- *Oculos quos peccatum cl•u dit, plena aperi•.
- *1 Pet. 2.5.
- *Col. 1.12.
