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God afflicts his Children for their good [ 890]
IT is the observation of an excellent Preacher yet living, who passing by on a dark night in the streets of London,* 1.1 and meeting a youth who had a lighted Link in his hand, who being offended thereat, because it burnt so dark and dim; and there∣fore the better to improve the light thereof, he beat, bruised, and battered it against the wall that the weike therein might be spread out, and the pitch with other combustible matter (which before stifled the light with its over-stifness,)* 1.2 might be loosened, which presently caused the link to blaze forth in a bighter flame: Thus God deals with our Souls, that they may shine the brighter before Men, he buffets and afflicts us with severall Temptations, to give us occasion to exercise those graces, which otherwise would lye dormant within us, and such corrections will in fine greatly add to our spirituall light and lustre.