Gill. Consideration, to make us submit to God in affliction, and say, " thy will be done," is, that in all our crosses God liath a kindness for us. As there was no night so dark but Israel had a jdllar of fire to give light, so there is no condition so clou- dy, but we may see that wliich givas light of comfort. David would '* sing of mercy and judgment," Ps. ci. 1. Tiiis may make our wills cheerfully submit to God's, to consider in every path of providence we may see a footstep of kindness.
Olest. jy/ait liiudness is there in ajfflie^ tiouy icheu (Jud seems most ujdiind ? 3R
498
OF THE THIRD PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
and shall we quarrel
Ans. 1. There is Ivindnoss in affliction, in that there is love in it. God's rod, and God's love may stand together, Heb. xii. 6., " Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth," — whom he coclcereth above the rest, so Mercer. As Abraham, when he lift up his hand to sacrifice Isaac, loved him ; so when God afflicts his people, and seems to sacri- fice their outward comforts, yet he loves them ; the husbandman loves his vine, when he cuts it and makes it bleed ; not we submit to God ? shall with thkt which hath kindness in it, which comes in love ? The chirurg-eon binds the patient, and lanceth him, but no wise man will quarrel with the cliirurgeon, it is in lov^e, and in order to a cure.
A. 2. There is kindness in affliction, in that God deals with us now as children, Heb. xii. 7., " If ye endure chastening, God deals with you as sons." God hath one Son without sin, but no son without stripes. Affliction is a badge of adoption ; it is Dei sigillian, saith Tertullian ; it is God's seal by which he marks us for his own. When Munster, that holy man, lay sick, his friends asked him how he did? He pointed to his sores, saying, II<s simt gemmoi Dei, — these are the jewels with which God decks his children. Shall not we then say, " thy will be done?" Lord, there's kindness in the cross, thou usest us as children ! The rod of discipline is to fit us for the inheritance.
A. 3. There is kindness, that God hath, in all our afflictions, left us a promise ; in the most cloudy providences, the promise appears as a rain-bow in the cloud.
(1.) Then we shall have God's promise with us, Ps. xci. 15., " I will be with him in trouble," It cannot be ill with that man with whom God is. I Avill be with him, i. e. to support, sanctify, sweeten; God's presence is a sweetening ingredient into e- very affliction. I had rather be in prison, and have God's presence, than be in a pa- lace, and want it.
(2.) Promise, that he will lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear, 1 Cor. X. 13. God will not try us beyond our strength ; either God will make the yoke lighter, or our faith stronger ; may not this make us submit our wills to God, when afflictions have so much kindness in
them ? In all our trials, God hath left lis promises which are like manna in the wii- derness.
A. 4. This is great kindness, that all the troubles that befall us shall be for our pro- fit, Heb. xii. 10., " He for our profit."
Quest. But what jjrojit is in affliction ?
Ans. 1. Afflictions are disciplinary, they teach us, — Sc/iola crucis, schola lucis. ]Ma- ny psalms have this inscription, — Maschil, — ' a psalm giving instruction :' affliction may have this inscription upon it, — Mas- cliil, — an affliction giving instruction ; Mi- cah vi. 9., " Hear ye the rod." Luther saith, he could never rightly understand some of the psalms, till he was in affliction ; Judges viii. 16., " Gideon took thorns of the wilderness, and briars, and with them he taught the men of Succoth :" God by the thorns and briars of affliction teacheth us.
(1.) Affliction shews us more of our own hearts than ever. W^ater in a glass-vial looks clear, but set it on the fire, and the scum boils up ; when God sets us upon the fire,- then we see that corruption boils up which Ave did not discern before. Sliai-p afflictions are to the soul as a soaking rain to the houses, we know not that there are such holes in the house till the shower comes, and then Ave see it drop doAvn here and there ; so, Ave before did not know that there were such unmortified lusts in the soul, till the storm of affliction comes, then Ave spy unbelief, impatience, carnal fear, Ave see it drop down in many j)laces. Thus affliction is a sacred coU^rium, it clears our eye-sight ; the rod giAes Avisdom.