ALL men naturally Pro. 30. 8. desire to live peaceably, conten­tedly, and to be freed from all manner of Psal. 143. 11. troubles, afflictions and distresses ( Pro. 15. 10. which are so grievous to the senses,) but this happeneth to none, Job 5. 7. for every one have their crosses in some kinde or other, or at one time or other, in Psal. 38. 3. body or Gen. 26. 35. mind, or Job 6. 2. both, Psal. 144. 7. either in the having of that which they desire not, or in the Jam. 4. 2. want of that which they de­sire, Eccles 9. 2. all which is common both to the Psal. 34. 19. good and to the & 32. 10. bad, for who can say that his body hath beene alwayes freed from Mat. 9. 35. sicknesse, his soule from Psal. 13. 2. sorrow, his person from Heb. 11. 36. imprisonment or other inconveniences, his state from Psal. 69. 29. poverty, or his name from & 119. 22. contempt, &c? Or what man (though he Eccles 5. 10. enjoy the outward blessings of this life) can say Eccles 4. 8. his minde is satisfied and contented therewith, or that he is free from Jer. 6. 13. covetousnesse, Esther 6. 7. 8. 9. ambition, Esay 39. 2. vain-glory, 2 Tim. 3. 2. selfe-conceit, Pro. 20. 6. or some other such like Col. 3. 5. inordinate affections of the minde, with the which he Esth. 5. 9. 13. afflicteth himselfe, Eccles 6. 2. and is an evill disease? The other (happening by Gods providence to those that Psal. 103. 7. are acquainted with his wayes) Heb. 12. 6. are evident signes of Gods love towards them, which is the reason 1 Sam. 3. 18. they submit themselves so willingly to undergoe them, knowing that Psal. 119. 71 they are the seed, the occasion, the matter of well do­ing, Rom. 5. 3, 4, 5 and the discoverers of many excellent vertues which are not seene in them Deut. 6. 10, 11, 12. whilest they live in prosperity: And therefore although Dan. 9. 16. adversity be the punishment of sin, yet Acts 28. 4. God in punishing of men doth not alwayes John 9. 3. respect sinne, wherefore Luke 13. 2, 3, 4, 5. they judge rashly which either doe not wait for the Job 42. 12. end, or doe judge and Jam. 2. 2, 3, 4 esteeme of men according to prosperity or adversity. But when men Job 29 7, 8. that have lived in good reputation and credit Job 30. 11. are once fallen into trouble and [Page] misery, Psal. 88 18. then their beloved friends and acquaintance fall a­way from them, and Job 14. 13. the more Psal. 32. 4. heavie Gods hand is upon them, the more Job 16. 2. they neglect and Psal. 22. 6. despise them, but when they find by experience Psal. 60. 11. the helplesnesse of earthly things, they are then weaned 1 Joh. 2. 15. from the love of the world, and kept from Zeph. 2. 15. living carelesly, Hos. 5. 15. they draw the nearer to God, know­ing that Heb. 12. 7. they are tokens and pledges of their adoption. And considering with themselves that their Job 5. 6, 7. afflictions come not unto them by chance, 1 Thes. 3. 3. but from Gods decree and appoint­ment, and that the Rev. 2 10. continuance and Jer. 46. 28. measure of them is appointed by him, they then never Psal. 11 [...] 6. stand much upon the malice of men, or Rev. 2. 10. rage of Divels, but Psal. 5. 3. looke up principal­ly to him with this Dan 3. 17. assurance, that hee will deliver them Jer. 30. 11. when his measure is full, 2 Pet. 2. 9. in good time. In the meane while, their Heb. 11. 17. faith, Jam. 5. 11. patience, 2 Chr. 33. 12. humility, Heb. 11. 8. obedience, and such like noble Phil. 4. 8, 9. vertues are set a worke, and John 15. 8. God in them 1 Pet. 4. 14. glorified.

But few men have this great gift & priviledge to Jam. 1. 12. suffer af­flictions patiently. Every Job 1. 9, 10. hypocrite will serve God whilest he prospereth and blesseth him, 1 Sam. 28. 15 but when he falls into trou­bles he is then led by the divel to impatiency, Pro. 19 3. fretting, Ex. 15. 23, 24 mur­muring, Psal. 59. 15. grudging, Esay 57. 17. frowardnesse, 1 Sam. 18. 20 and most painfull pen­sivenesse, Esay 9. 1. all which doe vexe him more by many degrees, then the troubles themselves, and when he Esay 65. 14. cries for helpe, it is either paine or Fx. 10. 16, 17 feare that causeth him so to doe, so that Jer. 6. 10. he cannot rest upon Gods word with Jer. 16. 5. peace. The childe of God Job 3. 3. 20. may likewise be Jer. 20. 14. &c very impatient in his afflictions, & utter Job 30. 21. dangerous speeches, by which means he may for a time have Gen. 37. 35. no comfort in trouble, but John 14. 18. God leaves him not so to himselfe always comfortlesse, but hath a time to Psal. 39. 13. reco­ver himselfe againe, and Psal. 118. 21 then he praiseth the Lord who often times Psal. 89 31, 32 inflicteth upon his children temporall afflicti­ons, 2 Cor. 4. 17. that hee may deliver them from eternall destruction. And herein doth the wisedome and Psal. 27. 13. goodnesse of God ap­peare, for 2 Cor. 1. 8, 9. by afflictions we come to the knowledge of our selves, and repose Mic. 7. 5. no confidence in any creature, and like­wise [Page] wise to the 2 Chr. 33. 13 knowledge of God, reposing all 2 Sam. 22. 3. Nah. 1. 7. trust and con­fidence in him, and thus Psal. 119. 71. affliction begetteth understanding in those that are afflicted, in so much that the Mar. 8. 34, 35 crosse is to the children of God mercy, and Mat. 10. 39. losse is gaine, Phil. 3. 7. afflictions are their schooling, and Psal. 31. 7. adversity their best Universitie, by which they learne how to Pro. 4. 14, 15. avoid the dangerous Mat 7. 13. broad way of the wicked of this 1 John 2. 16. world, which is so Eccles 2. 8. pleasing to flesh and bloud, and are turned into the Mat. 22. 16. Pro. 15. 24. right way to heaven, which in regard of its Mat. 7. 14: narrownesse and straitnesse, so few desire to walke therein. This being Psal. 50. 22. considered, there are none able to goe through the Psal. 86. 17. troubles and crosses of this life with comfort, Mar. 3. 34. but such as utterly mistrusting 1 Cor. 10. 12 their owne assurednesse and Psal. 146. 3. all worldly ayd and helpe of man, & 37 7. doe wholly depend upon Psal. 62. 2. Gods defence. But there are some which complaine of the Psal. 13. 1. tediousnesse of their afflicti­ons, because they are afflicted almost Gen. 47. 9. all the dayes of their lives even to the very death. To such Esay 41. 10. God will testifie his holy presence another, way namely by 1 Cor. 10. 13 giving the distres­sed parties power and strength to beare their afflictions. But how can we 2 Cor. 4 17. count our afflictions so tedious and long, Job 14. 1. see­ing our lives are so short? howsoever Neh. 1. 3. let them be never so great and tedious, they are Ezra 9. 13. far inferiour to our sinnes; yet every man by nature Psal. 40. 17. & 69. 17. desires Gods ready helpe in his neces­sities and troubles, but few attain unto it, because they Mat. 30. 31. want faith to beleeve it, Mar. 11. 24. prayer to obtaine it, and 2 King. 6. 33 patience to wait for it. But on the contrary, if they James 5. 11. endure their affli­ctions quietly, Psal. 13 5. trust in Gods mercies firmly, Esay 40. 31. and tarry his good pleasure obediently, then although they seeme to bee Psal. 57 3. swallowed up in misery, they shall finde Psal. 46. 1. the Lord ready at hand to deliver them. Now 2 Cor. 4. 8. howsoever the child of God be afflicted he shall finde Psal. 23. 4. many comforts therein, in regard they are like unto a Esay 25. 4. storme that commeth and goeth. Let no man therefore that is afflicted Esay 41. 11. struggle under Gods hand, for then it will be the worse for him, for Jer. 50▪ 24. there is no striving or wrastling with him Exod. 32. 10, 11, 14. but by Gen. 32. 9, 10. 11. prayer: hee there­fore [Page] that with Col. 1. 11. pleasure and joy endures adversity Rom. 8. 36. for Christs sake, may thinke he hath found the Luke 17. 21. Kingdome of Heaven here on earth, Psal. 149. 4. and God will delight in him. Cant. 7. 6. For as the fish is sweetest that lives in the saltest waters, Psal. 72. 14. so those Psal. 49. 8. soules are most precious unto Christ who are most Heb. 12. 11. exercised and Heb. 12. 6. afflict­ed with his Crosse.