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The sting and curse of the cross, which remains to the wicked, is by Christ's patient suffering, and God's mercy, taken quite away out of the afflictions of believers. Afflictions to the godly, are not properly punishments, serving to pacify God's wrath for sin; but are only chastisements to remove sin, and are exercises of graces, and means of holiness. For they serve either to prevent evil, or to reform it; either to prepare way for grace, to quicken and increase grace, or to discover and give proof of it. God is a wise and skilful refiner, he knows how to purge his gold, by casting it into the fire of affliction, 1 Peter i. 7; which fire is not the same to the dross, that it is to the gold; it consumes the dross, but refines the gold, that it may be fit to be made a vessel of honour. Fire serves to try gold, as well as to purge it; for pure gold, though it remain in the fire many days, the fire cannot waste it; when it is once pure, it will hold its weight still for all the burning. Hence it is that the Psalmist saith, It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn thy statutes, Psa. cxix. 67, 71; and the apostle saith, All things work together for good to them that love God, Rom. viii. 28. He is a froward and foolish person, who, being sick of a deadly disease, does not patiently and cheerfully bear the gripings and sickness of stomach, when he knows this sickness, caused by bitter physic, is for his health.

You will say, if you could find that your afflictions did you any good, you should not only be patient, but cheerful under them.

I answer, Whatsoever you feel, faith in God's word will tell you, that they now do you good, and hereafter you shall feel the benefit of it. The benefit of physic is not always felt the day you take it, but chiefly when the physic has done working. The chief end why God tries and purges you by afflictions, is, that he may humble you, and prove you, to do you good at your latter end, Deut. viii. 15, 16. You should therefore be patient in the mean time.

Fourthly, If yet your heart remain disquieted, be-