(9.) In affliction the saints may rejoice, 1 Thes. i. 6., " Ye received the word in much affliction, with joy." Heb. x. 34., "Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods." Aristotle speaks of a bird that lives among thorns, yet sings sweetly, so a child of God can rejoice in afflictions. St. Paul had his prison songs, Rom. v. 3., " We glory in tribulation." The Greek word signifies an exuberancy of joy, — a joy with boasting and triumph. God doth oft pour in those divine consolations as cause the saints to rejoice in afflictions ; they had rather have their afflictions, than want their comforts; God doth candy their wormwood with sugar, Rom. v. 5. You have seen the sun-shine when it rains : the saints have had the shinings of (iod's face, when afflictions have rained and dropped upon them. Thus we may rejoice iu af- fliction, but we cannot rejoice in sin, IIos. ix. 1., " Rejoice not, O Israel, for joy, as other people, for thou hast gone a-whoring from thy God." Sin is matter of shame and grief not of joy. David having sinned in numbering of the j)eo|)h', his "heart smote him," 2 Sam. xxiv. 10. As the pricking of a vein lets out the blood, so, when sin hath pricked the conscience it lets out the joy.
(10.) Affliction is a magnifying of a per- son. Job vii. 17, 18., "What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him, and visit him every morning !" That is, visit him with affliction.
Quest. How do afflictions magnify us?
Ans. 1. As they are signs of sonship, Ileb. xii. 7., " If ye endure chastening, (iod
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OF THE SIXTH PETITION IN THE LORD'S PRAYER.
evil example may do much hurt, when a man is in his grave. Affliction at most can hut last a man's life, but sin lives and doth hurt when he is gone. Thus you see sin is far worse than affliction.
2. Sin is worse than death. Aristotle calls death ' the terrible of terribles,' and Job calls it, ' the king of terrors,' Job xviii. 14., but sin is more deadly than death it- self. 1. Death,* though it be painful, yet it were not hurtful but for sin ; it is sin that imbitters death and makes it sting, 1 Cor. XV. 56., " The sting of death is sin." Were it not for sin, though death might kill us, it could not curse us. Sin poisons death's ar- row, so that sin is worse than death, liecause it puts a sting into death. 2. Death doth but separate between the body and the soul : but sin, without repentance, separates be- tween God and the soul. Judges xviii. 24., *' Ye have taken away my gods, and what
have I more ?" Death doth but take away our life from us, but sin takes away our God from us : so that sin is worse than death.
3. Sin is worse than hell. In hell there is the worm and the fire, but sin is worse. 1. Hell is of God's making, but sin is none of his making ; it is a monster of the devil's creating. 2. The torments of hell are a bur- den only to the sinner, but sin is a burden to God, Amos ii. 13., " I am pressed under you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." 3. In hell-torments there is some- thing that is good, — there is the execution of God's justice, — there is justice in hell ; but sin is the most unjust thing, — it would rob God of his glory, — Christ of his pur- chase,— the soul of its happiness; so that it is worse than hell.
5thly, Look upon sin in the manner of its cure ; it cost dear to be done away ; the guilt of sin could not be removed but by the blood of Christ ; he who was God must die, and be made a curse for us, before sin could be remitted. How horrid is sin, that no angel or archangel, nor all the powers of heaven, could ])rocurc the pardon of sin, but it cost the blood of God ! If a man should commit an offence, and all the nobles should kneel upon their knees before the king for him, but no pardon could be had, unless the king's son be arraigned and suf-
fer death for him, — all must conceive it was an horrible fact that must be the cause of this, such is the case here, the Son of God must die to satisfy God's justice for our sins. O the agonies and sufferings of Christ ! L In his body ; his head crowned with thorns, his face spit upon, his side pierced with the spear, his hands and feet nailed — Totum pro vidnere corpus. — 2. He suffered in his soul. Mat. xxvi. 38., " My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death." He drank a bitter cup, mingled with curses ; which made him, — though he was sancti- fied by the Spirit, — supported by the Dei- ty,— comforted by angels, — sweat drops of blood, and cry out upon the cross, " ]My God, why hast thou forsaken me !" All this was to do away our sin. Viev/ sin in Christ's blood, and it will appear of a crim- son colour.