The vvay to heaven discovered: and, the stumbling-blocks (cast therein by the world, flesh, and devill) removed. Or, The ready way to true happines

IX.

The ninth stumbling block, is this, Surely if the Lord did love me and intend mercy to me, he would not continually follow me with afflictions, wrath, and misery, for so it hath been with me for a long time, as one hour passeth away, and another cometh, so doth one crosse after another come up∣on me like hail; and if the Lord doe intend good to me, why is it thus, and thus with me? was any sorrow like my sorrow?

Answ. Thou maiest be dearly beloved although sorely afflicted, for Gods house of Correction, is his Schoole of instruction; he had one Sonne without Corruption, but no Sonne without Correction, God had one Sonne without sinne, but no

Sonne without sorrow: the Almigh∣ty can look sowrely, and chide bitter∣ly, and strike heavily, and even where and when he loves dearly, for there may be true grace where there is not one drop of comfort, nor one dram of joy; It is true, the mercies are thine, but the time of giving them to thee, is the Lords: Was not Job, the justest man then alive, fought against by the ter∣rours of the Lord? Job 6. 4. Was not Da∣vid a man after Gods own heart, so wash∣ed with the grief of his heart, that his moisture was turned into the drought of the summer? Psal. 32. 3, 4. Must Hezekiah who walked before the Lord, in truth, and with a perfect heart, have the anger of the Almighty break his bones like a Lion? Isai. 38. 13. Nay, must the Sonne of God himself, by bleeding upon the Crosse, cry out in the bitternesse of his Spi∣rit, My Ged, my God, why hast thou for∣saken me? and doest thou think to bee brought out of the state of nature, into a state of grace, and grow up in that state without afflictions and temptations? Doest think that the Devill will let goe a pri∣soner, and send no Hue and Cry after him? or doest think he will lose one

of his goats, and not endeavour to look after him, and finde him, and bring him home again? No surely, he will leave no stone unturned, no means unattempted to betray thy soul, he will throw out his golden bait and hide the hook; and if that will not doe, then he throwes out his golden bait, and transformes him∣self into an Angell of light, that he might draw thee and others again into a state of darknesse, he doth spread his nets, and cast forth his baits, in all places, and in all companies, he hath snares for the wise and snares for the simple; snares for the rich, and snares for the poor; snares for the aged, and snares for the young: in a word, he try∣eth all opportunities to bring us back again, and to break our peace, to wound our consciences, to lessen our comfort, to impair our graces, to slurre our evi∣dences, and to damp our assurances; for he knowes if he can trip up our heels by yeelding to the least sinne willing∣ly, it will cost us more grief, sorrow, heart-breaking, and soul-bleeding: be fore conscience will be quieted, Di∣vine Justice satisfied, and our comforts and enjoyments restored, our evidences

cleared, and our pardon in the Court of conscience sealed, see Judg. 6. 13. and Gideon said, If the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? but the Lord was with Gideon notwithstanding, as appears in that Chapter; so that these and the like troubles is no signe of Gods hatred, but rather of his love; Isai. 48. 10. I have chosen thee, saith the Lord, in the furnace of affliction, so that afflictions are a seal of adoption, no signe of reprobation; for the purest corn is cleanest fanned, and the finest gold is oftnest tryed, the swee∣test grape is hardest pressed, and the tru∣est Christian heaviest crossed, &c. see Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8.