Use. The use hereof, briefly, is thus much, to reform our judgments, to be comforted, not to be dismayed, nor condemn ourselves or others because of great afflictions. The afflictions of wicked men make them more proud ; but what afflictions bring out more prayers, and drive us nearer to God, these are happy afflictions. ' It is good for me,' saith David, ' that I have been afflicted, for thereby I have learned thy law,' Ps. cxix. 71. "When we are come thus far, then we shall be no more bruised. He knows how to deliver his own out of temptation, and how to moderate the cross when they have been humbled, and make a speedy and a seasonable end, even of great crosses. As a wise husbandman knows when to stay the wheel of his cart, when the wheat is, and when it is not, enough bruised ; as he is careful of the treading and bruising, so is he also of rest and ease, the work being done ; much more so is the Lord careful of his spiritual husbandry, not to overdo, but to give his children sufficient ploughing, in measure, and not beyond measure. Oh, but some for all this cry out. Oh, I have been long afflicted, things are worse and worse, I see no hope of any end ; the more I pray, all is one, no deliverance comes, I grow more impatient, not able to hold out. Sure, if this cross continue thus and thus, it will make an end of me. Oh the foolishness of flesh and blood ! What is the matter ? Knowest thou in whose hands thou art ? Look about thee, unto the experience and confession of all the saints, and unto which of them canst thou turn thee, who have not been the better by their afflictions, and come forth as the gold, as Job assured himself he should before his dehvery, Job xxiii. 10. Look upon^them, and see what end the Lord made. This is as much as for thee to say, the Lord is an ill husbandman ; he can, indeed, tread his corn, but he knows not when it is enough bruised, or he is careless of it, indiflerent whether it be broken or spoiled, or what come of it. Oh take heed, know thou that thy God, who gives the husbandmen all their discretion, much more doth he know the best time and fittest for thy deliverance. Which is now the next point to speak of.
' Bread corn is bruised, because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheels of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.' The point is this,
Doct. 9. God almighty knows best, and he appoints what shall be the means, time, and measure of the trials of his children. He knows what is the fittest instrument to purge his grain with. The husbandman, he knows
148 THE DISCREET PLOUGHMAN.
the fittest instruments to purge his corn with : ' The fitches are beaten with a staflf, and the cummin with a rod, the wheel going over the wheat ;' much more God will have the fittest rod, to do all in love, and for our good. Thus he corrects all he loves. I note this so much the more, because, in a groat cross we are ready to fly out, and say, Oh, if it had been any cross, any trouble but this, I could have borne it, but oh, this, this, I know not how to bear it. Why, what's the matter ? Know, none was so good or fit for thee as this. Might the patient appoint the potion or plaster to be applied and taken, it is like he might perish, or the wound rot ; he would endure no corrosive to eat out the proud* and dead flesh, nor anything to make him sick, and purge out his bad humours. So, if we might have what instru- ment or cross we list to appoint, our corruptions would never be mastered and cured. If a child should see his father use the wheel to bruise and fit the wheat for purging and winnowing, and should come and say, Father, why do you use this instrument? this were better; would not we judge such a one to be a foolish, rash child, and that a frivolous, idle question ? Surely so is the case with us, when we cry out. Oh, were it any other instru- ment, or any other cross but this, I could bear it. No ; thou deceivest thyself; we cannot, without him, bear the least, and supported by his strength, we shall be able to bear the gi'eatest. Job had many and strong crosses, and many creatures against him, — the Sabeans, Chaldeans, wind, and fire from heaven, — yet he would not do them that credit, as to think or say, it was the Sabeans or Chaldeans that destroyed his substance, but this, * The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh, blessed be the name of the Lord,' Job i. 21.
Use. The use hereof is. Since the Lord himself appoints the instrument, time, measure, and ending of our afflictions, therefore never fear, ive shall not he overpressed or overborne by them, as Isa. xxvii. 8, ' In measure he will contend with us, he stayeth his rough wind in the day of his east wind' ; and Job xxxiv 23, it is said, ' He will not lay upon man more than right, that he should enter into judgment with God ;' and the apostle says, 1 Peter i. G, that ' these afflictions are but for a season (if need be), otherwise we should not be in heaviness through manifold temptations.' Therefore, always think and be persuaded of this, that his instrument is the best. Every one shall be beaten with the fittest rod, and not too long nor too much. He who is able to make a good and a holj' use of a former afflic- tion, having his ground made plain and fit for good seed, he shall have the cross mitigated or removed, with a comfortable issue of all his troubles.