ANS. 1. There is kindness in affliction, in that there is love in it. God's rod, and God's love may stand together, Heb. xii. 6, " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,"-whom he cockereth above the rest, so Mercer. As Abraham, when he lift up his hand to sacrifice Isaac, loved him; so when God afflicts his people, and seems to sacrifice their outward comforts, yet he loves them; the husbandman loves his vine, when he cuts it and makes it bleed; and shall not we submit to God? shall we quarrel with that which hath kindness in it, which comes in love? The chirurgeon binds the patient, and lanceth him, but no wise man will quarrel with the chirurgeon, it is in love, and in order to a cure.

all our trials, God hath left us promises which are like manna in the wilderness.

A. 4. This is great kindness, that all the troubles that befall us shall be for our profit, Heb. xii. 10, "He for our profit."

QUEST. But what profit is in affliction? ANS. 1. Afflictions are disciplinary, they teach us,-Schola crucis, schola lucis. Many psalms have this inscription,-Maschil,- a psalm giving instruction:' affliction may have this inscription upon it,-Maschil,

an affliction giving instruction; Micah vi. 9, "Hear ye the rod." Luther saith, he could never rightly understand some of the psalms, till he was in affliction ; Judges viii. 16, "Gideon took thorns of the wilderness, and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth :" God by the thorns and briars of affliction teacheth us.

(1). Affliction shows us more of our own

A. 2. There is kindness in affliction, in that God deals with us now as children, Heb. xii. 7, "If ye endure chastening, God deals with you as sons." God hath one Son without sin, but no son without stripes. Afflic-hearts than ever. Water in a glass vial looks tion is a badge of adoption; it is Dei sigillum, saith Tertullian; it is God's seal by which he marks us for his own. When Munster, that holy man, lay sick, his friends asked him how he did? He pointed to his sores, saying, Hæ sunt gemmæ Dei,-these are the jewels with which God decks his children. Shall not we then say, "thy will be done?" Lord, there's kindness in the cross, thou usest us as children? The rod of discipline is to fit us for the inheritance.

A. 3. There is kindness, that God hath, in all our afflictions, left us a promise; in the most cloudy providences, the promise appears as a rainbow in the cloud.

(1). Then we shall have God's promise with us, Ps. xci. 15, "I will be with him in trouble." It cannot be ill with that man with whom God is. I will he with him, i. e. to support, sanctify, sweeten ; God's presence is a sweetening ingredient into every affliction. I had rather be in prison, and have God's presence, than be in a palace, and want it. (2). Promise, that he will lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear, 1 Cor.

clear, but set it on the fire, and the scum boils up; when God sets us upon the fire, then we see that corruption boils up which we did not discern before. Sharp afflictions are to the soul as a soaking rain to the houses, we know not that there are such holes in the house till the shower comes, and then we see it drop down here and there; so, we before did not know that there were such unmortified lusts in the soul, till the storm of affliction comes, then we spy unbelief, impatience, carnal fear, we see it drop down in many places. Thus affliction is a sacred collyrium, it clears our eye-sight; the rod gives wisdom.

(2). Affliction brings those sins to remembrance which before we buried in the grave of forgetfulness. Joseph's brethren, for twenty years together, were not at all troubled for their sin in selling their brother; but when they came into Egypt, and began to be in straits, then their sin in selling their brother came into their remembrance, and their hearts did smite them, Gen. xlii. 21, "They said one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother." When a man is in distress, now his sin comes fresh into his mind; conscience makes a rehearsal-sermon of all the evils which have passed in his life; now his expense of precious time, his sabbath-break

ing, his slighting of the word, come into his remembrance, and he goes out with Peter and weeps bitterly. Thus the rod gives wisdom, it shows the hidden evil of the heart, and brings former sins to remembrance.

A. 2. There is profit in affliction as it quickens a spirit of prayer,-premuntur justi ut pressi clament. Jonah was asleep in the ship, but at prayer in the whale's belly. Perhaps, in a time of health and prosperity, we prayed in a cold and formal manner, we put no coals to the incense,-we did scarce mind our own prayers, and how should God mind them? Now, God sends some cross or other to make us stir up ourselves to take hold of God. When Jacob was in fear of his life by his brother, then he wrestles with God, and weeps in prayer, and would not leave God till he blessed him, Hos. xii. 4. It is with many of God's children, as with those who formerly had the sweating sickness in this land, it was a sleepy disease, if they slept they died; therefore to keep them waking, they were smitten with rosemary branches; so, the Lord, useth affliction as a rosemary branch to keep us from sleeping, and to awaken a spirit of prayer, Isa. xxvi. 16, "They poured out a prayer, when thy chastening hand was upon them;" now their prayer pierced the heavens. In times of trouble we pray feelingly; and we never pray so fervently as when we pray feelingly; and, is not this for our profit?

they have for their salvation, they were but in an ill case; but when an hour of trouble comes, we begin to look after our spiritual evidences, and see how things stand between God and our souls; and, is it not for our profit to see our interest in Christ more cleared than ever?

A. 5. Affliction is for our profit, as it is a means to take us more off from the world; the world oft proves not only a spider's web, but a cockatrice egg; pernicious worldly things are great enchantments, they are retinacula spei, TERTUL. They hinder us in our passage to heaven. If a clock be overwound, it stands still; so, when the heart is wound up too much to the world, it stands still to heavenly things. Affliction sounds a retreat to call us off the immoderate pursuit of earthly things; when things are frozen, and congealed together, the only way to separate them, is, by fire: so, when the heart and the world are congealed together, God hath no better way to separate them than by the fire of affliction.

A. 6. Affliction is for our profit, as it is a refiner; it works us to further degrees of sanctity, Heb. xii. 10, “He for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." The vessels of mercy are the brighter for scouring; you pour water on your linen when you would whiten it: God pours the waters of affliction upon us, to lay our souls a-whitening. The leaves of the fig-tree, and root are bitter, but the fruit is sweet; afflictions are in themselves bitter, but they bring forth the sweet fruits of righteousness, Heb. xii. 11: this may make us submit to God, and say, "Thy will be done;" there's kindness in affliction, it is for our spiritual profit.

A. 3. Affliction is for our profit, as it is a means to expectorate and purge out our sins, Isa. xxvii. 9, "By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged." Affliction is God's physic to expel the noxious humour; it cures the imposthume of pride, the fever of lust; and, is not this for our profit? Afflic- A. 7. There's kindness in affliction, in tion is God's file to fetch off our rust, his flail that there is no condition so bad, but it to thrash off our husks; the water of affliction might be worse: when it is duskish it might is not to drown us, but to wash off our spots. be darker. God doth not make our cross A. 4. To be under the black rod is pro- so heavy as he might; he doth not stir up fitable, in that hereby we grow more seri- all his anger, Ps. Ixxviii. 38. He doth not ous, and are more careful to clear our evi- put so many nails in our yoke, so much dences for heaven. In times of prosperity, wormwood in our cup, as he might. Doth "when the rock poured me out rivers of God chastise thy body? He might torture oil," Job xxix. 6,—we were careless in get-thy conscience. Doth he cut thee short? ting, at least clearing our title to glory. Had He might cut thee off. many no better evidences for their land, than make our chains heavier.

The Lord might

Is it a burning

11. There is kindness in affliction, in that it is preventive.

fever? It might have been the burning lake. | sink under it, the frown of a great man,Doth God use the pruning knife to lop thee? the fear of reproach: Peter was frighted at He might bring his axe to hew thee down. the voice of a maid, Matt. xxvi. 69. 0 Ezek. xlvii. 3, "The waters were up to the therefore, what mercy is it to have Christ ankles." Do the waters of affliction come strengthen us, and as it were bear the heaup to the ankles; God might make them viest part of the cross with us! One said, rise higher; nay, he might drown thee in I have no ravishing joys in my sickness, but the waters. This may make us submit quiet- I bless God, I have sweet supports: and ly, and say, "Thy will be done," because should not this cause submission to God's there is so much kindness in it; whereas will, and make us say, Lo, if thou art so God useth the rod, he might use the scorpion. kind as to bear us up in affliction, that we A. 8. There is kindness in affliction, in do not faint, put us into what winepress thou that your case is not so bad as others; they pleasest, "Thy will be done!" are always upon the rack, they spend their "years with sighing," Ps. xxxi. 10. Have you a gentle fit of the ague? Others cry out of the stone and strangulation. Do you bear the wrath of men? Others bear the wrath of God. You have but a single trial: others have them twisted together. God shoots but one arrow at you, he shoots a shower of arrows at others. Is there not kindness in all this? We are apt to say, never any suffered as we! Was it not worse with Lazarus, who was so full of sores, that the dogs took pity on him, and licked his sores? Nay, was it not worse with Christ, who lived poor and died cursed? May not this cause us to say, “Thy will be done?" There is kindness in it, that God deals not so severely with us as with others.

A. 9. There is kindness in affliction, in that (if we belong to God) it is all the hell we shall have. Some have two hells,-they suffer in their body and conscience, here is one hell; and another hell is to come, unquenchable fire. Judas had two hells, but a child of God hath but one hell. Lazarus had all his hell here; he was full of sores, but had a convoy of angels to carry him to heaven when he died. Say then, Lo, if this be the worst I shall have, if this be all my hell, I will patiently acquiesce, "Thy will be done!"

A. 10. There is kindness, in that God gives gracious supports in affliction. If he strikes with one hand he will support with the other; Deut. xxxiii. 27, "Underneath are the everlasting arms." There is not the least trial, but if God would desert us, and not assist us with his grace, we should

(1). God by this stroke of his would prevent some sin. Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was to prevent his being lifted up in pride, 2 Cor. xii. 7. As affliction is sometimes sent for the punishing of sin, so sometimes for the preventing of sin. Prosperity exposes to much evil; it is hard to carry a full cup without spilling, and a full estate without sinning. God's people know not how much they are beholden to their affliction; they might have fallen into some scandal, had not God set a hedge of thorns in their way to stop them. What kindness is this? God lets us fall into sufferings, to prevent falling into snares; say then, Lord, do as it seems good in thy sight, "Thy will be done."

(2). God by affliction would prevent dam. nation, 1 Cor. xi. 32, "We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." A man, by falling into the briars, is saved from falling into the river: God lets us fall into the briars of affliction, that we may not drown in perdition. It is a great favour when a lesser punishment is inflicted, to prevent a greater. Is it not cle mency in the judge, when he lays some light penalty on the prisoner, and saves his life! so, when God lays upon us light affliction, and saves us from wrath to come. As Pilate said, Luke xxiii. 16, "I will therefore chastise him, and release him :" so God chas tiseth his children, and lets them go, frees them from eternal torment. What is the drop of sorrow, the godly taste, to that sea of wrath the wicked shall be drinking of to ali eternity? O what kindness is here! May

not this make us say, "Thy will be done?" | thy word hath quickened me." The proIt is preventing physic. mises of the word are a shop of cordials. A. 12. There is kindness, in that God doth (2). God comforts by his Spirit. Philip, mix his providences; Hab. iii. 2, In anger he | langrave of Hesse, said, that in his troubles, remembers mercy. Not all pure gall, but Se divinas martyrum consolationes sensisse, some honey mixed with it. Asher's shoes he felt the divine consolations of the marwere iron and brass, but his foot was dipped tyrs. David had his pilgrimage-songs, Ps. in oil, Deut. xxxiii. 24. Affliction is the cxix. 54, and St Paul his prison-songs, Acts shoe of brass, but God causeth the foot to be iv. 25. Thus God candies our wormwood dipped in oil. As the limner mixeth with with sugar, and makes us gather grapes off his dark shadows bright colours, so the wise thorns. Some of the saints have such ravishGod mingles the dark and bright colours, ing joys in affliction, that they had rather encrosses and blessings. The body is afflicted, dure their sufferings than want their comforts. but within is peace of conscience; there is a O how much kindness is in the cross? In blessing. Joseph was sold into Egypt, and the belly of this lion is a honeycomb. May put in prison; there was the dark side of the not this make us cheerfully submit to God's cloud. Job lost all that ever he had, his will, when God lines the yoke with comfort, skin was clothed with boils and ulcers; here and gives us honey at the end of the rod? was a sad providence. But God gave a testimony from heaven of Job's integrity, and did afterwards double his estate, Job xlii. 10, "The Lord gave Job twice as much;" here was the goodness of God seen towards Job. God doth chequer his works of providence, and shall not we submit and say, Lord, if thou art so kind, mixing so many bright colours with my dark condition, "thy will be done."

A. 13. There is kindness in affliction, in that God doth moderate his stroke, Jer. xxx. 11, "I will correct thee in measure." God will in the day of his east-wind stay his rough wind, Isa. xxvii. 8. The physician that understands the crisis and temper of the patient will not give too strong physic for the body, nor will he give one drachm or scruple too much: God knows our frame, he will not over-afflict, he will not stretch the strings of his viol too hard, lest they break. And is there no kindness in all this? May not this work our hearts to submission? Lord, if thou usest so much gentleness, and correctest in measure, "thy will be done!"

A. 14. There is kindness in affliction, in that God often sweetens it with divine consolation: 2 Cor. i. 4, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulation." After a bitter potion, a lump of sugar. God comforts in affliction.

(1). Partly by his word, Ps. cxix. 50, "This is my comfort in my affliction, for

A. 15. There is kindness in affliction, in that God doth curtail and shorten it. He will not let it lie on too long, Isa. lvii. 16, "I will not contend for ever, for the spirit should fail before me." God will give his people a writ of ease, and proclaim a year of jubilee; the wicked may plough upon the backs of the saints, but God will cut their traces, Ps. cxxix. 4. The goldsmith will not let his gold lie any longer in the furnace than till it be purified. The wicked must drink a sea of wrath, but the godly have only a cup of affliction, Isa. li. 17, and God will say, "Let this cup pass away." Affliction may be compared to frost, it will break, and spring-flowers will come on, Isa. xxxv. 10, "Sorrow and sighing shall flee away." Affliction hath a sting, but withal a wing,— sorrow shall fly away,—this land-flood shall be dried up. If then there be so much kindness in the cross, God will cause a cessation of trouble: say then fiat voluntas tua, “thy will be done."

A. 16. There is kindness in affliction, in that it is a means to make us happy, Job v. 17, "Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth." This seems strange to flesh and blood, that affliction should make one happy. When Moses saw the bush burning and not consumed, "I will (saith he) turn aside and see this great sight," Exod. iii. 3: so here a strange sight, a man afflicted, yet happy. The world counts them happy who

can escape affliction, but happy is the man | Heb. xi. 36. Christ's kingdom is regnum whom God correcteth. crucis, this is the way God hath always gone QUEST. But how do afflictions contribute in: such as God intends to save from hell, yet to our happiness?

ANS. 1. As they are a means to bring us nearer to God? The loadstone of prosperity doth not draw us so near to God, as the cords of affliction; when the prodigal was pinched with want, then saith he, "I will arise and go to my father," Luke xv. 18. The deluge brought the dove to the ark: the floods of sorrow make us hasten to Christ.

he doth not save from the cross. The consideration of this should quiet our minds in affliction, and make us say, "thy will be done." Do we think God will alter his course of providence for us? Why should we look for exemption from trouble, more than others! Why should we think to tread only upon roses and violets, when prophets and apostles have marched through the briars to heaven?

8th. Consideration, God hath done that for thee, Christian, which may make thee content to suffer any thing at his hand, and say,

A. 2. Afflictions make us happy, as they are manuductions to glory. The storm drives the ship into the harbour: happy is that storm which drives the soul into the heavenly har-"thy will be done." bour. Is it not better to go through affliction to glory, than through pleasure to misery? Not that afflictions merit glory,-no cross ever merited, but that which Christ endured, -but they do disponere, and prepare us for glory. Think, O Christian, what affliction leads to, it leads to paradise, where are rivers of pleasure always running; may not this make us cheerfully submit to God's will, and say, Lord, if there be so much kindness in affliction, if all thou doest is to make us happy, "thy will be done!"

7th. Consideration, it is God's ordinary course, to keep his people to a bitter dietdrink, and exercise them with great trials. Affliction is the beaten road all the saints have gone in; the lively stones in the spiritual building have been all hewn and polished; Christ's lily hath grown among the thorns, 2 Tim. iii. 12, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." "Tis too much for a Christian to have two heavens, that is more than Christ had. It hath been ever the lot of the saints to encounter with sore trials: both of the prophets, James v. 10, "Take my brethren the prophets for an example of suffering affliction:" and of the apostles, Peter was crucified with his head downward, James beheaded by Herod, John banished into the isle of Patmos, the apostle Thomas thrust through with a spear, Matthias (who was chosen apostle in Judas's room) was stoned to death, Luke, the evangelist, hanged on an olive-tree. Those saints, of whom the world was not worthy, did pass under the rod,

(1). He hath adopted thee for his child. David thought it no small honour to be the king's son-in-law, 1 Sam. xviii. 18. What an honour is it to derive thy pedigree from heaven, to be born of God? Why then art thou troubled, and murmurest at every slight cross? As Jonadab said to Amnon, 2 Sam. xiii. 4, "Why art thou, being the king's son, lean?" So, why art thou, who art son or daughter to the king of heaven, troubled at these petty things? What! the king's son, and look lean! This may quiet thy spirit, and bring thy will to God's; he hath dignified thee with honour, he hath made thee his son and heir, and will entail a kingdom on thee.

(2). God hath given thee Christ. Christ is communis thesaurus,—a magazine or store. house of all heavenly treasure, a pearl of price to enrich, a tree of life to quicken,he is the quintessence of all blessings: why then art thou discontented at thy worldly crosses? They cannot be so bitter as Christ is sweet. As Seneca said once to Polybius, "Why dost thou complain of hard fortune, salvo Cæsare! Is not Cæsar thy friend!" So, is not Christ thy friend? He can never be poor who hath a mine of gold in his field; nor he who hath the unsearchable riches of Christ. Say then, Lord, "thy will be done;" though I have my cross, yet I have Christ with it. The cross may make me weep, but Christ wipes off all tears, Rev. vii. 17.

(3). God hath given thee grace. Grace is the rich embroidery and workmanship of the Holy Ghost; it is the sacred unction.