Afflictions fall not out by casualty, but by counsel. Job v. 6. Eph. i. 11. by this counsel of God they are ordained as means of much spiritual good to saints, Isa. xxvii. 9. " By this shall the iniquity " of Jacob be purged,'' &c. Heb. xii. 10. " But he for our profit,"' &c. Rom. viii. 28. " All things work together for good." They are God's workmen upon our hearts, to pull down the pride and car- nal security of them ; and being so, their nature is changed ; they are turned into blessings and benefits, Psalm, cxix. 71. " It is good " for me that I have been afflicted." And sure, then, thou hast no reason to quarrel with, but rather to admire that God should con- cern himself so much in thy good, to use any means for the accom- plishing of it. Phihp. iii. 11. " Paul could bless God, if by any " means he might attain the resurrection of the dead. My brethren, " (saith James) count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations," Jam. i. 2, 3. My father is about a design of love upon my soul, and do I well to be angry with him ? All that he doth is in pur- suance of; and in reference to some eternal, glorious ends upon my soul. O it is my ignorance of God's design, that makes me quarrel with him ! he saith to thee in this case, as to Peter, " What I do *' thou knowest not now, but hereafter thou shalt know it."
Help 2. Though God hath reserved to himself 'a liberty of cifflicting his people, yet he hath tied up his own hands by promise never to take away his loving-kindness from them. Can I look that scrip- ture in the face with a repining, discontented spirit, 2 Sam. vii. 14. " I shall be his father, and he will be my son ; if he commit iniquity, " I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of
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" the children of men : Nevertheless, my mercy shall not depart " away from him." O my heart ! my haughty heart ! dost thou well to be discontented, when God hath given thee the whole tree, with all the clusters of comfort growing on it, because he suffers the wind to blow down a few leaves ; Christians have two sorts of goods," the goods of the throne, and the goods of the footstool ; moveables, and immoveables : If God have secured these, never let my heart be troubled at the loss of those ; indeed, if he had cut off his love, or discovenanted my soul, I had reason to be cast down ; but this he hath not, nor can he do it.
Help 3. It is of marvellous efficacy to keep the heart from sinking under affliction, to call to mind, that tliine oicn fatUer hath the or- dering of them: Not a creature moves hand or tongue against thee, but by his permission. Suppose the cup be a bitter cup, yet it is the cup which thy father hath given thee to drink ; and canst thou sus- pect poison to be in that cup which he delivers thee ? Foolish man, put home the case to thine own heart, consult with thine own bowels; canst thou find in thy heart to give thy child that which would hurt, or undo him ? No, thou wouldest as soon hurt thyself as him ; " If " thou then being evil knowest how to give good gifts to thy chil- " dren," how much more doth God ? Matth. vii. 11. The very consideration of his nature, a God of love, pity, and tender mercies, or of his relation to thee as a Father, Husband, Friend, might be se- curity enough, if he had not spoken a word, to quiet thee in this case ; and yet you have his word too, Jer. xxv. 6. / xcill do you no hurt. You lie too near his heart to hurt you ; nothing grieves him more than your groundless and unworthy suspicions of his designs do ; Avould it not grieve a faithful, tender-hearted physician when he hath studied the case of his patient, prepared the most excellent receipts to save his life, to hear him cry out, O he hath undone me ! he hath poisoned me ; because it gripes and pains him in the operation ? O when will you be ingenious !
Help 4. God respects you as much in a lozc, as in a high condi^ Hon ; and therefore it need not so much trouble you to he made low : nay, to speak home, he manifests, more of his love, grace, and tenderness, in the time of affliction, than prosperity. As God did not at first choose you because you were high, so he will not forsake you because you are low : Men may look shy upon you, and alter their respects, as your condition is altered. AVhen pro- vidence hath blasted your estates, your summer fi'iends may grow strange, as fearing you may be troublesome to them ; but will God do so ? No, no ! "• I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee," Heb. xiii. 5. Indeed if adversity and poverty could bar you from access to God, it were a sad condition ; but you may go to God as freely as ever. " My God (saith the church) will hear me," Mic. vii. 7. Poor David, Avhen stripped of all earthly comforts, could yet encourage himself in the Lord his God ; and why can-
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not you ? Suppose your husband or child had lost all at sea, and should come to you in rags ; could you deny the relation, or re- fuse to entertain him ? If you would not, much less would God : Why then are ye so troubled ? Tl^ough your condition be chang- ed, your Father's love and respects are not changed.
Help 5. And what if hy the loss of outward coiiiforts^ God will pre^ serve your souls from the ruining 'power of temptation ? Sure then, you have little cause to sink your hearts by such sad tlwughts about them. Are not these earthly enjoyments the things that made men shrink and warp in times of trial? For the love of these many have for- saken Christ in such an hour, Matth. xix. 22. "He went away sorrow- " ful, for he had great possessions." And if this be God's design, what have I done in quarrelling with him about it ? We see mariners in a storm can throw over-board rich bales of silk, and precious things, to preserve the vessel and their lives with it, and every one saith they act prudently ; we know it is usual for soldiers in a city besieged, to batter down, or burn the fairest buildings without the walls, in which the enemy may shelter in the siege ; and no man doubts but it is wise- ly done ; Such as have gangrened legs or arms, can willingly stretch them out to be cut off, and not only thank, but pay the chirur- geon for his pains : And must God only be repined at, for casting over what v/ill sink you in a storm ? For pulling down that which would advantage your enemy in the siege of temptation ? For cutting off what would endanger your everlasting life ? O inconsiderate, un- grateful man ! are not these things, for which thou grievest, the very things that have ruined thousands of souls ? Well, what Christ doth in this, thou knowest not now, but hereafter thou mayest.