to lis. Afflictions understood with this notion, that they are as necessary for our waftage to glory, as water is to carry the ship to her port, (which may as soon sail witliout water, as a saint land in heaven, without the subserviency of afflictions ;) this well understood, would reconcile the greatest afflictions to our thouglits, and make us delight to walk in their company. This knowledge Parisiensis calls i'nus cle seplnni radiis doni scienfifc — one of the seven beams of divine knowledge ; for the want of which we call good evil, and evil good ; think God blesseth us, when we are in the sunshine of prosperity, and curseth when our condition is overcast with a few clouds of adversity ; but hope hath an eye that can see heaven in a cloudy day, and an anchor that can find firm land under a weight of waters to hold by ; it can expect good out of evil. The Jews open their windows when it thunders and lightens, expecting, they say, their Messiah to come at such a time to them. I am sure, hope opens her window widest in a day of storm and tempest ; Zeph. iii. 12 : ' I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the Lord.' And [Micah vii. 7 : ' Therefore will I look unto the Lord ; I will wait for the God of my salvation : iny God will hear me.' See what strong hold hope's anchor takes, and it is remarkable, if you observe the place ; because all things were at so desperate a pass in the church's aflairs, ' therefore,' saitli the saint, 'I will look, I will wait.' Indeed God doth not take the axe into his hand to make chips ; his people, when he is hewing them, and the axe goes deepest, they may expect some beautiful piece at the end of the work. It is a sweet meditation Parisiensis hath upon Rom. viii. 28 : ' We know that all things work together for good to them that love God ;' — UOi mag'is intrepida, mac/is pensaia esse dcbes, quam inter co-operatios meos, et coadjutores meos ? Where, O my soul, shouldst thou be more satisfied, free of care and fear, than when thou art among thy fellow-labourers, and those that come to help thee to attain thy so much" desired salvation, which thy afflictions do ! They work together with ordinances and other providential dealings of God for your good, yea, thy chief good ; and thou couldst as ill spare their help as any other means which God appoints thee. Should one find, on rising in the morning, some on his house- top tearing off the tiles, and with axes and hammers taking down the roof, he might at first be amazed and troubled at the sight, yea, think they are enemies come to do liim mischief; but when he understands they are workmen sent by his father to mend his house, and make it better, which cannot be done without taking some of it down, he is satisfied to endure the present trouble, yea, thankful to his father, for the care and cost he bestows on him : the hope of what advantage will come of their work, makes him very willing to dwell a while amidst the ruins and rubbish of his old house. I do not wonder to see hopeless souls so impatient in their sufferings, sometimes even to distraction ; alas ! they fear presently, and have reason so to do, that they come to pull all their worldly joys and comforts down about their ears, which gone, what, alas ! have tliey left to comfort them, who can look for nothing but hell in another world ? But the believer's heart is eased of all this, because assured from the promise, that they are sent on a better errand to him from his heavenly Father, who intends him no hurt, but good, even to build the ruinous frame of his soul into a glorious temple at last, and these afflictions come among other means, to have a hand in the work, and this satisfies him, so that he can say. Lord, cut and hew me how thou pleasest, that at last I may be polished and framed according to the plan which love hath drawn into thy heart for me. Tliough some ignorant man would think his clothes spoiled when besmeared with fuller's earth or soap, yet one that knows the cleansing nature of them, will not be afraid to have them so used.
CHAPTER VI.
WHEREIN IS SHEWN, THAT GOD STAYS LONG BEFORE HE PERFORMS SOME PROMISES, AND THAT IT IS HOPe's OFFICE THEN TO KEEP THE CHRISTIAN IN A WAITING POSTURE.
The fourth and last office of hope propoimded, is to quiet and compose the heart, when the good things of the promise (so much longed for by the Chris- tian) stav long before they are performed. Patience, I told you, is the back on
KQQ AND TAKE THE HELMET OF SALVATION.