§. 8. Of the means whereby Patience is wrought.: The whole-armour of God by William Gouge | AskReformation

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For the first,¹ most sure it is that nothing can make us miserable, but only sin: Sin is the very sting of all troubles and crosses: sin is it which maketh them to be heavy burdens: this maketh trouble of conscience to be intolerable: death and the grave to be most terrible: the devil which hath the power of death to be so horrible: yea, the Law of God, and God himself to be so full of dread and terror. Let sin be removed, and our conscience assured thereof; then may we, then will we comfort our selves in all troubles: for then shall we appear before the Throne of God, as before the mercy-seat of a gracious Father, and take his Law, as a direction to teach us how to please him. Then shall we esteem all crosses as corrections of the Lord for our profit, yea, as⟨p. 171⟩ his physic to purge out our corruptions, & as proofs of his graces in us. Then will our conscience rest quiet and well contented: then shall we think of death, as of a gate to heaven, and of the grave, as of a sweet bed to rest in, till the day of the consummation of our eternal bliss in body and soul: yea, then shall we not need to fear the devil, because he can have no power over us, much less hell and the torment thereof. Therefore doth ^aDavid annex blessedness to remission of sin: so that ^bupon this ground might Christ well say to the man sick of the palsy, Son, be of good comfort.

For the first,¹ most sure it is that nothing can make vs miserable, but onely sinne: Sinne is the very sting of all troubles aed crosses: sinne is it which maketh them to be heauy burdens: this maketh trouble of conscience to be intollerable: death and the graue to be most terrible: the diuell which hath the power of death to bee so horrible: yea, the Law of God, and God himselfe to bee so full of dread and terrour. Let sinne be remoued, and our conscience assured thereof; then may we, then will we comfort our selues in all troubles: for then shall we appeare before the Throne of God, as before the mercy-seat of a gracious Father, and take his Law, as a direction to teach vs how to please him. Then shall wee esteeme all crosses as corrections of the Lord for our profit, yea, as⟨p. 171⟩ his physicke to purge out our corruptions, & as proofes of his graces in vs. Then will our conscience rest quiet and well contented: then shall we thinke of death, as of a gate to heauen, and of the graue, as of a sweet bed to rest in, till the day of the consummation of our eternall blisse in body and soule: yea, then shall wee not need to feare the diuell, because he can haue no power ouer vs, much lesse hell and the torment thereof. Therefore doth ^aDauid annexe blessednesse to remission of sin: so that ^bvpon this ground might Christ well say to the man sicke of the palsie, Sonne, be of good comfort.

:893p. 171–172

For the second,¹ by the Gospel We know that all things work together for good, unto them that love God. For the Gospel assuring us of reconciliation with God, how can we but be assured that he tendereth us as his children, and with a fatherly affection seeketh our good in all things which by his good providence he bringeth upon us.^d The prosperity of those with whom God is reconciled is a blessing:^e afflictions are for their good: so is ^fdeath and the grave:⁵ yea, I may truly say that the sins of those who are accepted of God, do turn to their good: not that sin is any way good in it self, being in it self the greatest evil that is or can be, and the cause of all evil of punishment; but that God through his infinite power and wisdom (who can bring good out of evil, •s at first he caused light to shine out of darkness) doth⟨p. 172⟩ so order it: like unto a skilful Apothecary, who can so order and temper rank poison, as it shall prove very medicinable.

For the second,¹ by the Gospelc We know that all things worke together for good, vnto them that loue God. For the Gospel assuring vs of reconciliation with God, how can we but be assured that he tendereth vs as his children, and with a fatherly affection seeketh our good in all things which by his good prouidence he bringeth vpon vs.^d The prosperity of those with whom God is reconciled is a blessing:^e afflictions are for their good: so is ^fdeath and the graue:⁵ yea, I may truly say that the sins of those who are accepted of God, do turn to their good: not that sinne is any way good in it selfe, being in it selfe the greatest euill that is or can be, and the cause of all euill of punishment; but that God through his infinite power and wisedome (who can bring good out of euill, •s at first he caused light to shine out of darkenesse) doth⟨p. 172⟩ so order it: like vnto a skilfull Apothecary, who can so order and temper ranke poison, as it shall proue very medicinable.

12 That all things shall make to our good.
dPsal. 112.
e& 119. 71.
fReu. 14. 23.
5Mir• quodam modo etiam ipsum peccatum jufto in justitiā cooperatur. Ber. in Psal. 91. serm. 2.Mir• quodam modo etiam ipsum peccatum iufto in iustitiā cooperatur. Ber. in Psal. 91. serm. 2.