3. We must distinguish between that which is really best for us, and what we judge best for us : Deut. viii. 15, 1(5, ' Who led thee through
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that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scor- pions and drought, where there was no water ; who brought thee out water out of the rock of flint ; who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not ; that he might humble thee, and that he might prove thee, to do thee good at the latter end/ Other diet is more wholesome for our souls than that which our sick appetite craveth. It is best with us many times when we are weakest : 2 Cor. xii. 10, ' When I am weak, then am I strong.' Worst when strongest : 2 Chron. xxvi. 16, ' When he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his own destruction.' Lot chose Sodom, a fair and pleasant situation, but you know what inconveniences he met with there. Many times the buffetings of Satan are better for us than a condition free from temptation; so is poverty, emptiness, better than fulness, loss of friends than enjoyment of them. Use 2. For information.
1. By what note we may know whether God chastens us in anger, yea or nay ; whether our crosses be curses. The cross that maketh thee better cometh with a blessing. It is not the sharpness of the affliction we should look to, but the improvement of it. The bitter waters may be made sweet by experiences of grace ; if we are made more godly, wise, religious, it is a good cross ; but if it leave us as careless and stupid, or no better than we were before, that cross is but a preparation to another ; if it hath only stirred up our impatience, done us no good, God will follow his stroke, and heat his furnace hotter.
2. It informeth us that it is our duty not only to be good in afflic- tions, but we must be good after afflictions. David, when escaped, saith, ' It is good for me that I have been afflicted.' Wicked men are somewhat good in afflictions, but as soon as they are delivered they return to their old sins ; as metals are melted while they are in the furnace, but when they are taken out, they return to their natural hardness ; but the godly are better afterwards.
3. That every condition is as the heart is. Afflictions are good if we have the grace to make a good use of them. Look, as the good blessings of God by our corruption are abused to wantonness, and so made hurtful to us, so crosses, that are evil in themselves, when sanc- tified are good. All things are sanctified to us when we are sancti- fied to God. Other things that would be snares prove helps and encouragements, are great furtherances. The creature is another thing to the saints ; if they are advanced, their hearts are enlarged to God ; if afflicted, they grow more humble, watchful, serious. All things work together for the worst to the wicked. If God make Saul a king, Judas an apostle, Balaam a prophet, their preferment shall be their ruin.- Haman's honour, Ahithophel's wit, and Herod's applause turned to their hurt — if in prosperity, they contemn God ; if in adversity, deny and blaspheme him : Prov. i. 32, ' For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.' As the salt sea turneth all into salt water, so a man is in the constitu- tion of his soul ; all things are converted to that use.
Use 3. To persuade us to make this acknowledgment, that affliction is good. There needs many graces before we can thus determine. 1. Faith. It is not present, but it must be believed, hoped, and
260 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. LXXIX.
waited for. It is not fit all should be done in a day, and as early as we would ; in the Lord's time the fruit will appear. The word doth not work by and by, so not the rod. Faith can see ,c;ood in that in which sense only can find smart : Phil. i. 19, ' I know this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ ; ' and ' We know that all things shall work together for good/ Eom. viii. 28. Though it doth not appear, yet we know.
2. Love. The children of God, out of their love to God and present submission to God, do count whatsoever he doth to be good : Ps. Ixxiii. 1, ' Yet God is good to Israel.' Though he seemeth to deal with his jjeople hardly, yet love pronounceth the dispensation to be good ; it can see a great deal of love in pain, and smart, and chastenings. I have read once and again of such a rabbi, that, when told of an affliction, would say. This is good, because it cometh from God.
3. Spiritual wisdom and choice to esteem things according to their intrinsic worth. A high value of holiness, profiting in sanctification, is more than enough to recompense all the trouble we are put to in learning it. This will make us yield to be lessened in our worldly comforts for the increase of spiritual grace : as Paul would cheerfully part with his health that he might have more experience of Christ : 2 Cor. xii. 10, ' I will take pleasure in infirmities, necessities, and dis- tresses, for Christ's sake.' Surely the loss of outward tilings should trouble us the less, and we should be the sooner satisfied in God's dis- pensation, if he will take away our earthly comforts, and make us more mindful of that which is heavenly ; if by an aching head God will give you a better heart, by the death of friends promote the life of grace.