God's furnace,* by which he cleanses his people from their dross; and makes their virtue shine; it is a potion to carry away ill humours, better than all the Benedicta Medicamentum, as physicians call them. Aloes kill worms; colds and frosts destroy vermine; so do afflictions the corruptions that are in our hearts. The Jews, under all the prophets' thunderings, retained their idols, but after their Babylonish captivity, it is observed, there have been no idols found amongst them.

Again, afflictions are sweet preservatives to keep the saints from sin; as Job spake, Job xxxiv. 31, 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not teach thou me; If I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Once I have spoken foolishly, yea, twice, but I will do so no more.' The burnt child dreads the fire; ah! saith the soul under the rod, sin is a bitter thing indeed, and for the future, I intend by the strength of Christ, not to buy repentance at so dear a rate.f

The Rabbins to deter their scholars from sin, were wont to tell them, That sin made God's head ache;' and saints under the rod have found

*In times of peace our armour is rusty, in time of war it is bright.

† Salt brine preserves from putrefaction; so do afflictions the saints from sin.

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by woful experience, that sin makes not only their heads but their hearts ache also.

Augustine by wandering out of his way, escaped one who lay in wait to do him mischief. If afflictions did not put us out of our way, we should many times meet with some sin or other that would hurt our precious souls,

Again, they will make the saints more fruitful in holiness; Heb. xii. 10, 11, 'But he afflicts us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. The flowers smell sweetest after a shower; vines bear the better for bleeding; the walnut tree is most fruitful, when most beaten; saints spring and thrive most internally, when they are most externally afflicted: Afflictions are called by some the mother of virtue; Manassah's chain was more profitable to him, than his crown.-Luther could not understand some scriptures, till he was in affliction. God's house of correction is his school of instruction.'* All the stones that came about Stephen's ears, did but drive him closer to Christ the corner-stone. The rising waves did but lift Noah's ark nearer to heaven. Afflictions lift up the soul to more clear, and full enjoyments of God. Hos. ii. 14.

Behold I will allure her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her,' (or rather as the Hebrew hath it) I will earnestly or vehemently speak to her heart. God makes afflictions

*The School of the Cross is a School of light."

inlets to the souls more sweet and full enjoyment of his blessed self.* When was it that Stephen saw the heavens open, and Christ standing at the right-hand of God? But when the stones were about his ears, and there was but a short step between him and eternity. And when did God appear in his glory to Jacob? but in the day of his troubles, when the stones were his pillow, the ground his bed, the hedges his curtains, and the heavens his canopy, Then he saw the angels of God ascending and descending in their glittering robes.' The plant in Nazianzen being cut, flourisheth; it contends with the axe, it lives by dying; so saints by their afflictions that befall them, gain more experience of the power of God supporting, of his wisdom directing, of his grace refreshing and chearing, and of his goodness quieting and quickening of them, to greater love to, and a greater delight in holiness, and to more eager pursuit after it.

I have read of a fountain, that at noon-day is cold, and at midnight grows warm; so many a precious saint is cold God-ward, and heavenward, in the day of prosperity, who grows warm in all these respects, in the night of adversity.

It is reported of Tiberius the emperor, that passing by a place where he saw a cross lying on the ground upon a marble stone, and causing the stone to be digged up, found a great deal of treasure under the cross. So many precious saints have found much spiritual and heavenly treas sure, under the crosses they have met withal.

Again, afflictions serve to keep the hearts of the saints humble and tender, Lam. iii. 19, 20. 'Remembering my affliction, and my misery, the wormwood and the gall; my soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled, or bowed down in me.' So David, when he was under the rod, could say, 'I was dumb, I opened not my mouth; because thou didst it.'

I have read of one, who when any thing fell out prosperously, would read over the lamentation of Jeremiah, and that kept his heart humble and low. Prosperity doth not more contribute to elate the soul, than adversity doth to bow it down; this saints find by experience, and there- ́ fore they kiss and embrace the cross, as others do the world's crown.

Again, they bring saints nearer to God, and make them more importunate, and earnest in prayer with God. Ps. cxix. 67, 71. Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I have kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes.' Hos. v. 14, 15. ' I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a young lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away, I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face; in their affliction they will seck me early.' And so they did. Chap. vi. 1, 2. Come,' say they, and let us return unto the Lord, for he hath torn, and he will heal

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us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us, in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. So when God had hedged up their way with thorns, then they said, 'We will go and return to our first husband, for then was it better with us than now.' Ah the joy, peace, comfort, delight, and content, that attended us, when we lived in close conversation with God, incline us to return to God again. We will return to our first husband, for then was it with us better than now.'

When Tiribazus a noble Persian, was arrested, he drew his sword and defended himself; but when they told him they came to take him to the king, he willingly yielded: so, though a saint may at first stand out a little, yet when he is reminded, afflictions are to carry him nearer to God, he yields and kisses the rod. Afflictions are like the thorn at a nightingale's breast, that awakes and puts her upon her sweet and delightful singing.

Again, afflictions revive and recover decayed graces, they inflame love that is grown cold, they quicken that faith that is decaying, they put life into those hopes that are withering, and spirits into those joys and comforts that are

The more precious odours, and the purest spices, are beaten and bruised, the sweetest scent and savour they send abroad. So do saints when they are afflicted. Hos. ii. 5, 7.