§. Sect. 1 How the world seeketh to hinder our course in god∣linesse by af∣flictions and persecutions.
ON the left hand the World assaulteth vs with afflictions and persecutions, that it may hinder and discourage vs in the wayes of godlinesse. For first, it loadeth vs, as much as in it lyeth, with crosses and calamities, euen for righteous∣nesse sake, and then perswadeth vs, that we serue God not on∣ly in vaine, but euen to our losse: and therfore that it were our best course, to take our liberty, and to liue as others doe, seeing wee haue no other re∣wards for all our painfull seruice, our strictnesse of life, and abandoning of our pleasures, the vnpleasant exercises of mortification, and denying in all things our owne wills and delightfull lusts, but misery and afflicti∣on. And thus Dauid was assaulted, when hee was ready to conclude, that he had cleansed his heart, and washed his hands to no purpose in inno∣cency, seeing he was afflicted euery morning. And with the like tentation Iob was often discouraged, when as his three friends in so many places la∣bour to perswade him, that all his former labours in Gods seruice were vaine and of no worth, because of the extraordinary afflictions which he indured. And Ieremy likewise was so much troubled with the sight of the wickeds prosperity, and the sense of his owne miseries, that hee breaketh out into great impatiency. For the remouing of which impediment, wee are to know, that howsoeuer the world, and worldly men vse all their might and malice to hinder vs in our course of godlinesse, yet they are no wayes able to doe what they intend, seeing they are not the chiefe cau∣ses of our afflictions, but onely Gods instruments who ouer-ruleth them at his pleasure, and so ordereth and disposeth of all our crosses and cala∣mities which they inflict vpon vs, both in respect of their matter and manner, measure and time of continuance, as that they shall not any wayes hurt vs, but shall wholly tend to our good; not consume and destroy vs, but purifie and purge vs (like gold in the fire) from the drosse of our cor∣ruptions; not coole or quench our zeale and deuotion, but rather kindle and inflame them; and finally, not hinder vs at all in the duties of a god∣ly life, but further and make vs more forward and cheerfull in perfor∣ming them, causing vs, by these many tribulations, to goe more surely and safely, by the way of grace and godlinesse, into the Kingdome of heauenly ioy and happinesse.