1 . First, If thy heart be drawn more out to the Lord by thy afflic- tions, then the afflictions are in love. If they are so sanctified as that they draw out thy soul to love the Lord more, and to fear the Lord more, and to please the Lord more, and to cleave to the Lord more, and to wait on the Lord more, and to walk with the Lord more, then they are in love. Oh, then they are the wounds of a friend indeed I1 It is reported of the lioness, that she leaves her young whelps till they have almost killed themselves with roaring and yelling, and then at the last gasp, when they have almost spent themselves, she relieves them, and by this means they become more courageous ; and so if the afflictions that are upon us do increase our courage, strengthen our patience, raise our faith, inflame our love, and enliven our hopes, certainly they are in love, and all our wounds are the wounds of a friend. But,
2. Secondly, // you are more careful and studious how to glorify God in the affliction, and how to be kept from sinning under the affliction, than how to get out of the affliction, then certainly your affliction is in love, Dan. iii. and v. 16, 17, Heb. xi. Where God smites in love, there the soul makes it his study how to glorify God, and how to lift up God, and how to be a name and an honour to God. The daily language of such a soul under the rod is this : Lord ! stand by me that I sin not, uphold me that I sin not, strengthen me that I sin not, John vii. 7-10. He that will not sin to repair and make up his losses, though he knew assuredly that the committing of such a sin would make up all again, he may conclude, that his affliction is in love.
I have read of a nobleman whose son and heir was supposed to be bewitched, and being advised to go to some wizard or cunning man, as they are called, to have some help for his son, that he might be un- witched again, he answered, Oh, by no means, I had rather the witch should have my son than the devil. His son should suffer rather than he would sin him out of his sufferings. He that will not break the hedge of a fair command to avoid the foul way of some heavy affliction, may well conclude that his affliction is in love. Christians! what say you, when you are in the mount ; do you thus bespeak the Lord ? Lord ! take care of thy glory, and let me rather sink in my affliction than sin under my affliction. If this be the bent and frame of thy heart, it is 1 Ps. xviii. 1-8, cxvi. 1-5, cxix. 67, 69 ; Isa. xxxviii. 1, seq.
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certain the affliction that is upon thee is in love. The primitive times afforded many such brave spirits, though this age affords but few.
3. Thirdly, If you enjoy the special 'presence of God with, your spirits in your affliction, then your affliction is in love, Ps. xxiii. 4-6. Isa. xliii. 2, ' When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee : when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee.n Hast thou a special presence of God with thy spirit, strengthening of that, quieting of that, stilling of that, satisfying of that, cheering and comforting of that ? Ps. xciv. 19, ' In the multitude of my thoughts,' — that is, of my troubled, intricate, ensnared, intertwined and perplexed thoughts, as the branches of a tree by some strong wind are twisted one within another, as the Hebrew word properly signifies, — ' thy comforts delight my soul.' Here is a presence of God with his soul, here is comforts and delights that reach the soul, here is a cordial to strengthen the spirit. When all things went cross with Andronicus. the old emperor of Constantinople,2 he took a psalter into his hand, and opening the same, he lighted upon Ps. lxviii. 14, 'When the Almighty scattered kings, they shall be white as snow in Salmon ;' which scripture was a mighty comfort and refreshment to his spirit. Now you are to remember that Salmon signifies shady and dark ; so was this mount, by the reason of many lofty fair-spread trees that were near it, but made lightsome by snow that covered it. So that to be white as snow in Salmon, is to have joy in affliction, light in darkness, mercy in miser)', &c. And thus God was to the psalmist as snow in Salmon in the midst of his greatest afflictions. When Paul would wish his dear son Timothy the best mercy in all the world, the greatest mercy in all the world, the most comprehensive mercy in all the world, a mercy that carries the virtue, value, and sweetness of all mercies in it, he wishes the presence of God with his spirit : 2 Tim. iv. 22, ' The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit/ in point of honour, in point of profit and pleasure, in point of safety and security, and in point of comfort and joy; it is the greatest blessing and happiness in this world to have the presence of God with our spirits, especially in times of trials : 2 Cor. iv. 16, ' For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' By the ' outward man,' you are to understand not merely our bodies, but our persons, estates, and outward condition in this world ; and by the ' inward mau/ you are to understand our souls, our persons considered according to our spiritual estate. Now, when the inward man gains new strength by every new trouble, whenas troubles, pressures, afflictions, and tribulations are increased, a Chris- tian's inward strength is increased also, then his afflictions are in love. When the presence of God is with our inward man, cheering, comfort- ing, encouraging, strengthening, and renewing of that, we may safely conclude that all these trials, though they are never so sharp and smart, yet they are in love.
I have read of a company of poor Christians that were banished into some remote parts, and one standing by, seeing them pass along, said
1 The bush, which was a typo of the church, consumed not all the while it burned witl fire, because God was in the midst of it.
2 [Richard] Knowlles's Turk. Hist. p. 1C4. [1G10, folio ; and 1638.— G.]
PS. XXXIX. 9.] UNDER THE SMARTING ROD. 343