First, A despising of God, as if he knew not what was fittest and best for you, and would send any trouble upon you that he knoweth not how to turn to good : Job xxxiv. 33, ' Should it be according to thy mind ? He will recompense it, whether thou refuse or whether thou choose.' Should our condition be at our own disposal ? and should God ask of us whether we like it or no ? Is it not better to be satisfied in his will, and say, Surely God would not send this affliction if he did not know how it should be good for me ? We would carve out our own condition, and have our will in everything ; but is this wise or just ? must God be subject to our passions and affections ? No, whether we will or no, he will take his own way.
Secondly, It is a lessening the value of holiness, as if this profit did not countervail our loss. We profess we esteem grace more than wealth, and spiritual things more than carnal ; but when we are put to the trial, we little regard holiness, but only mind the ease of the flesh, and therefore are so hardly reconciled to the cross. Surely that which doth us good should not be entertained with such impatient resentment ; it is worse in christians, who are more obliged to count all things dung and dross : Phil. iii. 7-10, ' But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord : for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith ; that I may know him, and the power of his resurrec- tion, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death.' But we may say as Moses to God, 'Behold, the chil- dren of Isi'ael have not hearkened unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me ? ' We cannot hope to convince a worldly man of this, that loss of estate or poverty is good ; the ambitious man, that it is good to be despised and contemned ; and the voluptuous man, that pain is sometimes better than ease, and sickness, that checketh the desires of the flesh, is better than health, that gratifieth them. Alas 1 the
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children of God are hardly convinced that mortifying affliction is better than carnal prosperity ; how then will the world believe it ?
[2.] What profit is there to be gotten by afflictions ? It is hard to instance in all particulars, because God hath several ends in our afflic- tions, according to the distempers that need cure ; but the usual profit of afflictions is seen in these things —
(1.) That the time of affliction is a serious thinking time: 1 Kings viii. 47, ' If they shall bethink themselves in the land of their captivity.' We have more liberty to retire into ourselves, being freed from the attractive allurements of worldly vanities ; and for the present there is some restraint on the delights of the flesh, which use to besot the mind, and hinder better thoughts. Adversity maketh men serious ; the prodigal came to himself when he began to be in want, Luke xv. 17. Sad objects make a deeper impression on our souls than delight- ful do ; they help us to consider our ways, and God's righteous dealings, that we may behave ourselves wisely, and suitable to the dispensation ■we are under : Eccles. vii. 14, ' In the day of adversity consider.' See from what hand it cometh, to what issue it tendeth, what is thy duty under it, how little thou canst mend thyself without submitting to God, that to hope to escape by ill means is but like an attempt to break prison. It is better to make supplications to our judge ; these provi- dences are not to be lightly passed over ; the author of them is God, the occasion sin, the end repentance.
(2.) It is an awakening, quickening time. Some are awakened out of the sleep of death, and are first wrought upon by afflictions. This is one powerful means to bring in souls to God, and opening their ears to discipline. Job xxxvi. 10 ; they had still slept in their sins if God had not awakened them by the smart discipline of the cross. But others are quickened and awakened to more carefulness of their duty, more watchfulness against sin ; and the graces of the Spirit, which lay dormant in us through neglect, are more set a-work. Sense-pleasing objects deaden the heart ; God's best children sleep when they have a carnal pillow under their heads : Ps. xxs. 6, ' And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.' But now, because they do not stir up themselves, God stirreth them up by a smart rod, that faith may be working, love fervent, hope lively, prayers carried on with warmth and zeal ; prayers otherwise are dead, thoughts of heaven cold, or none ; wherein all these graces are acted : Isa. xxvi. 16, ' Lord, in trouble they have visited thee ; they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them;' and Hos. v. 15, 'I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face ; in their affliction they will seek me early.' When our gust and taste of spiritual and heavenly things is recovered, then we are awakened and in good earnest.