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fulfil it: and yet a little while, and he that shall come, will come, and will not tarry, Heb. x. 23, 37.

Secondly, When the soul begins to be disquieted, consider how unworthy you are of any blessing, how worthy you are of all God's curses, yea, of eternal damnation in hell; and that justly, because of the sins of your nature, of your heart, and of your life. When you do thus, your heart will be quiet and contented, you will say with the church, whatsoever your trouble be, I will bear the indignation of the Lord, for I have sinned against him, Micah vii. 9. He who acknowledges that he has deserved to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, for an offence against the king, if the king will be so merciful that he shall escape only with a severe whipping, to remember him of his disloyalty, though he smart terribly with those lashes, yet in his mind he can bear them patiently and submissively. If you think thus, "I deserve more punishment in this kind, nay, in any other more grievous than this; my punishment is less than mine iniquities deserve, Ezra ix. 13, for I might have been long since despairing in torments, and past all means and hope of salvation; but I live, and have time and means to make a good use of my afflictions;" these thoughts will cause you to say, Why do I, who am a living man, complain for the punishment of my sin, Lam. iii. 39, which is so much lighter than my desert? And you will say, with the church, in all your distresses, It is God's mercy it is not worse. It is God's mercy I am not utterly consumed, Lam. iii. 19 - 22.

Thirdly, When your soul begins to be impatient under afflictions, whether in soul, body, or estate; consider the nature and use of them. To the eye of sense they are evil as poison, hurtful and dangerous, Heb. xii. 11; but to the eye of faith, they are good and useful, as physic, most healthful to the soul, and saving, 2 Cor. iv. 16 - 18. God, the skilful physician, has quite altered the nature of crosses to his children; he that brings light out of darkness, so orders afflictions, that they become good antidotes and preservatives against sin, and good purgatives of sin, Isa. xxvii. 9.