To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
ADam had no sooner transgress'd in the Garden, but Shame ran him into a Corner. The Light was too bright for him. He hid himself. He thought, he was Out of God's Eye, but he found, he was not out of His Call. Adam where art thou? It is his pleasure still to put The Question to His
People; And for whom He hath Love, He most strictly examines. Does He whip thee? yea, scourge thee, till the bloud comes? Thou answear'st Him by thy Patience, or Re∣pining. Does He command thee crosse to thy will? Thou answer'st him by thy Obedience, or Perversenes. Does He open the Door of thy Knowledge, by Revealing Some things, and Shutting it up Close in Others? Thou answear'st Him by thy Humility, or Curiosity. All, that He does, is for Thy Good: But He will Not doe it Thy way. Thou art His Creature. Thou must be guided by Him. Heaven is the Place of Joy; And Thine in Designe: But Thou must not goe Laughing Thither.
There is a Great Difference betwixt Creatures, Though of the same Species; In their Outward Forms; In their Inter∣nall Dispositions; which are distinguisht by their Race, and Kinds. That we call their Nature. One Cock crowes, and Soundes to the Battel; Another reioyceth upon his Dung∣hil. There is no Lesse Difference by their Education; which may well be stil'd A second Nature. One Dog (of the same Litter) pursues the Hare; The Other runs to the wheel, or the Port; The One prefers his Chace; the Other his Break∣fast. There are Joyes of Heaven; and Joyes of Earth. Both are Joyes; Of the same Name; But not of the same Na∣ture. The Mirth of this world is Folly; And the Laughter of it Madnesse. With Such unwholsome Cates the World glutteth her Darlings. In matters belonging to Heaven the Course is Clean contrary.
For thy better Health, thou must be fed with course Fare; And be kept to a strict Diet. Wu'dst thou have A Blessing? Take up the Crosse! Wu'dst thou reioyce Indeed? Learn Lachrymae! Or Sing the Lamentation of A Sinner! Put on Mourning. It is lined with Scarlet. Thy Joy is Inward. It is wiser, than to make a Noise. What hast thou of thine Owne, that Thou should'st expect a Better Crop, than Thistles?
But, though thy Heart has a Feaver, meddle not with Helle∣bore, Despaire Not!
My Friend! Yea, My Brother, that art so perplexed! Has Sorrow broke over thee, like A raging Tide? Or is A Shelf between Thee, and Thy Desires? Thou wud'st have, what thou canst Not; Peradventure, what wu'd hurt thee. And this Vexation is intollerable. Recollect thy Self! Thou art A Christian; Thou art Not to receive Thy Portion Here. It is Black money. But upon Exchange. Thy Silver; Thy Gold; Thy Bank is in Heaven. And, where Thy treasure is, let Thy mind be also!
Pine not to death then for the Losse of A Husband! A Wife! A Brother! A Sister! A Friend! A Mistris! A Sweetheart! Thy Fame! Thy Goods! Thy Liberty! or the Like! What wud'st thou? God hath His will; His time. Be not precipitate! Be Not impatient!
Art Thou betray'd? So was Thy Master. Art thou con∣temned? Thou deserv'st it. Why should Man regard Thee, when Thou respect'st not God? If at all; Not, as Thou should'st.
Thou understandst not the language of God's mercy in Thine Afflictions. He corrects Thy Sins, past; And by Them works in thee a deeper Loathing of Thy Natural Cor∣ruption. So prevents thee from Falling into many Other Sins, whereunto thy Disposition is too prone.
Does He afflict thee? Thou art His Son. He seals unto Thee thine Adoption: Thou art else A Bastard. Remember, what became of Eli's Sons! The purest Corne is Cleanest fanned. The finest Gold is oftest tried. The sweetest Grape is hardest pressed. And the truest Christian is heaviest Cros∣sed. In blurred characters read The Beauty of God's Love. Thus hast Thou Tribulation sent to thee, as A token. It is thy Summons too. Thou art cited to Heaven.
Art thou Afflicted? Thy Heart is hereby weaned from
Falling too much in Love with the world. Thou art hereby reclaymed from thy Dotage upon It's Vanities. It is to shar∣pen thy Desires as well, as to sett them right, that They may shoot Upward, as to heat, to inflame thy Longing for Eter∣nall Life. What Comparison is there between the Ioyes of this world, and Ioyes Everlasting? The world is Thy Step∣mother. Shee misuseth Thee. Shee striketh Thee. Love her Not.
Doth God afflict Thee? He musters thee, He takes notice of thine Arms, His Graces. He doth exercise thee; that thou maist the Better use them. He trieth thy Faith. Re∣ioyce in thy Tribulation!
Doth God send thee Affliction? He gives thee His Livery. The Crosse is His Badge, and thy Cognisance. He shewes to the world His Children's Love, and Service. Sanctified Affliction is the Conduit-pipe to thy true Conversion, and Repentance. David's troubles, Hezekiah's sicknesse, The Prodigal's Misery fac't them about, and led them weather∣beaten home upon their Knees. That is the comfortable Po∣sture; that Creeping Climbs Heaven.
In Affliction how is thy Heart softned with Pitty! How is it melted with Compassion! Thou art Partner with Ano∣ther in Distresse, and Misery. Thou art moved to condole His and so lessenest thine Own.
The Bearing of Afflictions are the means, the Examples, that like Trumpets proclaim and manifest the Faith, and ver∣tues, which God hath bestowed upon His Children; that strengthen, that enliven, that give courage to those, which have not received so great a measure of Faith.
By Afflictions He makes thee conformable to the Image of Christ. He being the Captain of our Salvation was made perfect through Sufferings. So fight! So overcome! So re∣ceive A Crown!
Doth God humble the Godly by their Afflictions, in re∣spect
of their state and misery? He glorifieth Himself by His deliverance of them, when they call upon Him. He afflicteth not Alwaies for Sins, Sometimes for His Own Glory.
What is it then, that so much troubles thee, that thou art weary of thy Life? Mark! How God hath blessed thee; How He hath protected thee; And that should put a Hymn into thy mouth; and fetch Bloud in thy Cheeks. Thy Fear made thee seem more wretched, than thou art. Thou didst not know the Honey, that is within the Carkasse of the Lyon. Bath in the brinish Sea! It will heal thy Soares. It will cure thine Itch. Though It smarts; It is wholsome. Through many Tribulations you shall enter into the Kingdome of Heaven.