Section 1. Showing That the Evil of Affliction Works for Good to the Godly

1. The evil of affliction works for good. There are two heart-quieting considerations in all the afflictions which befall us.

1. That God has a special hand in them, Ruth 1.21. The Almighty hath afflicted me. Instruments can no more stir till God gives them a Commission, than the Axe can cut of itself without a hand. Job eyed God in his affliction: therefore, as Austin observes, he does not say, The Lord gave, and the Devil took away; but, The Lord hath taken away. Whoever brings an affliction to us, it is God that sends it.

2. The second heart-quieting consideration, is, That afflictions work for good: Jeremiah 24.5. Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the Land of the Chaldeans for their good. Judah's captivity in Babylon, was for their good. Psalm 119.71. It is good for me that I have been afflicted. Which Text, like Moses his Tree, cast into the bitter waters of affliction, may make them sweet and wholesome to drink of. Afflictions to the Godly are medicinable. Out of the most poisonful Drug God extracts our salvation. Afflictions are as needful as Ordinances, 1 Peter 1.6. No vessel can be made of Gold without fire; so it is impossible that we should be made vessels of honour, unless we are melted and refined in the furnace of affliction. Psalm 25.10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy; his bloody paths are mercy. As the Limner intermixeth bright colours with dark shadows; so does the wise God mix mercy with judgement. Those afflictive providences which seem to be prejudicial, are beneficial: Let us take some Instances in Scripture. Joseph's brethren threw him into a pit, afterwards they sell him, then he is cast into prison, yet all this did work for his good: His abasement made way for his advancement; he was made the second man in the Kingdom. Genesis 50.20. Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it to good. Jacob wrestled with the Angel, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, this was sad; but God turned it to good, for there he saw God's face, and there the Lord blessed him, Genesis 32.30. Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen God face to face. Who would not be willing to have a bone out of joint, so he might have a sight of God? King Manasseh was bound in Chains, this was sad to see a Crown of Gold changed into Fetters; but it wrought for his good, for, When he was in affliction he besought the Lord, and humbled himself greatly, and the Lord was entreated of him, 2 Chronicles 33:11, 12. He was more beholding to his Iron Chain, than to his Gold Chain; the one made him proud, the other made him humble. Job was a spectacle of misery, he lost all that ever he had, he abounded only in boils and ulcers, this was sad; but it wrought for his good, his grace was more proved and improved; God gave a Testimony from Heaven of his integrity, and did compensate his loss by giving him twice as much as ever he had before, Job 42.10. Paul was smitten with blindness, this was uncomfortable, but it turned to his good; God did by that blindness make way for the light of grace to shine into his soul, it was the beginning of a happy conversion, Acts 9.6.

As the hard frosts in Winter bring on the flowers in the Spring; as the night ushers in the morning-star: So the evils of affliction produce much good to those that love God. But we are ready to question the truth of this, and to say as Mary did to the Angel, How can this be? Therefore I shall show you several ways how affliction works for good.

1. As it is our Preacher and Tutor, Micah 6.9. Hear ye the Rod. Luther says, he could never rightly understand some of the Psalms, till he was in affliction. Affliction teaches two things. 1. What sin is. In the Word preached, we hear what a dreadful thing sin is, that it is both defiling and damning, but we fear it no more than a painted Lion; therefore God lets loose affliction, and then we feel sin bitter in the fruit of it. A sick-bed often teaches more than a Sermon; we can best see the ugly visage of sin in the glass of affliction. 2. Affliction teaches us to know ourselves. In prosperity we are for the most part strangers to ourselves; God makes us know affliction, that we may the better know ourselves: We see that corruption in our hearts in time of affliction, which we would not believe was there. Water in the glass looks clear, but set it on the fire, and the scum boils up: In prosperity, a man seems to be humble and thankful, the water looks clear, but set this man a little on the fire of affliction, and the scum boils up, much impatience and unbelief appears. Oh says a Christian, I never thought I had had such a bad heart, as now I see I have; I never thought my corruptions had been so strong, and my graces so weak.

2. Afflictions work for good as they are a means to make the heart more upright. In prosperity the heart is apt to be divided, Hosea 10.2. The heart cleaves partly to God, and partly to the World; it is like a Needle between two Loadstones, God draws, and the World draws; now, God takes away the World that the heart may cleave more to him in sincerity. Corrigere, quasi cor rectum facere; Correction, is a setting the heart right and straight. As we sometimes hold a crooked stick over the fire to straighten it: So God holds us over the fire of affliction to make us more straight and upright. Oh how good is it, when sin has bent the soul awry from God, that affliction should straighten it again!

3. Afflictions work for good, as they conform us to Christ. God's Rod is a Pencil to draw Christ's Image more lively upon us. It is good that there should be a symmetry and proportion between the Head and the Members. Would we be parts of Christ's Mystical Body, and not like him? His life (as Calvin says) was a series of suffering, Isaiah 53.2. A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: He wept, he bled. Was the Head Crowned with Thorns, and do we think to be Crowned with Roses? It is good to be like Christ, though it be by sufferings. Jesus Christ drank a bitter Cup, it made him sweat drops of blood to think of it; and though it be true, he drank the Poison in the Cup (the wrath of God) yet there is some Wormwood in the Cup left, which the Saints must drink: Only here is the difference between Christ's sufferings and ours; his were satisfactory, ours are only castigatory.

4. Afflictions work for good to the Godly, as they are destructive to sin. Sin is the Mother, affliction is the Daughter; the Daughter helps to destroy the Mother. Sin is like the Tree that breeds the Worm, and affliction is like the Worm that eats the Tree. There is much corruption in the best heart; affliction does by degrees work it out, as the fire works out the Dross from the Gold, Isaiah 27.9. This is all the fruit, to take away his sin. What if we have more of the rough File, if we have less Rust? Afflictions carry away nothing but the excrements of sin. If a Physician should say to a Patient, Your body is distempered, and full of bad humors, which must be purged out, or you die; but I will prescribe Physic, which though it make you deadly sick, yet it will carry away the dregs of your disease, and save your life: would not this be for the good of the Patient? Afflictions are the purging Pills God uses to carry away our spiritual distempers; they cure the Tympany of pride, the Fever of lust, the Dropsy of covetousness: Do they not then work for good?

5. Afflictions work for good, as they are a means to loosen our hearts from the world. When you dig away the earth from the root of a Tree, it is to loosen the Tree from the earth: So God digs away our earthly comforts, to loosen our hearts from the earth. We read of a Star, Revelation 11.8. The name of the Star is Wormwood. Have not we seen this Star appear? Do not we find this Star Wormwood in every condition? A Thorn grows up with every Flower.

Surgit amari aliquid quod in ipsis floribus angat.

God would have the world hang as a loose Tooth, which being twitched away, does not much trouble us. Is it not good to be weaned? The oldest Saint needs it. Why does the Lord break the Conduit-pipe, but that we may go to him in whom are all our fresh springs.

6. Afflictions work for good, as they make way for comfort. In the valley of Achor a door of hope, Hosea 2.15. Achor signifies trouble: God sweetens outward pain, with inward peace. John 16.20. Your sorrow shall be turned into joy. Here is the Water turned into Wine. After a bitter Pill God gives Sugar. Paul had his Prison-Songs. God's Rod has Honey at the end of it. The Saints in affliction have had such sweet raptures of joy, that they have thought themselves in the borders of the Heavenly Canaan; they have gathered Grapes of Thorns.

7. Afflictions work for good, as they are a magnifying of us, Job 7.17. What is man that thou shouldest magnify him, and that thou shouldest visit him every morning? God does by affliction magnify us three ways. 1. In that he will condescend so low as to take notice of us; that he will afflict us, rather than lose us. 'Tis an honour that God will mind dust and ashes: 'Tis a magnifying of us, that God thinks us worthy to be smitten. God's not striking, is a slighting, Isaiah 1.5. Why should ye be stricken any more? If you will go on in sin, take your course, sin yourselves into Hell. 2. Afflictions do magnify us, as they are Insignia honoris, Ensigns of Glory, Signs of Sonship, Hebrews 12.7. If you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as Sons. Every print of the Rod is a badge of honour. 3. Afflictions do really tend to the magnifying of the Saints, as they make them renowned in the world. Soldiers have never been so admired for their victories, as the Saints have been for their sufferings. The zeal and constancy of the Martyrs in their trials have rendered them famous to posterity. How eminent was Job for his patience! God leaves his name upon Record, Ye have heard of the patience of Job, James 5.11. Job the Sufferer, was more renowned than Alexander the Conqueror.

8. Afflictions work for good, as they are a means to make us happy, Job 5.17. Happy is the man whom God correcteth. What Politician or Moralist ever placed happiness in the Cross? Job does; Happy is the man whom God correcteth.

Quest. How do afflictions make us happy?

Answ. In that afflictions being sanctified, bring us nearer to God. The Moon in the full is further off from the Sun: so are many farther off from God in the full Moon of prosperity: affliction brings them nearer to God. The Loadstone of mercy does not draw us so near to God, as the Cords of affliction. When Absalom set Joab's Corn on fire, then he came running to Absalom, 2 Samuel 14.30. When God sets our worldly comforts on fire, then we run to him, and make our peace with him. When the Prodigal was pinched with want, then he returned home to his father, Luke 15.18. When the Dove could find no rest for the sole of her foot, then she flies to the Ark: When God brings a Deluge of affliction upon us, then we fly to the Ark Christ. Thus affliction makes us happy in bringing us nearer to God. Faith can make use of the waters of affliction to swim faster to Christ.

9. Afflictions work for good, as they do put to silence the wicked: How ready are they to asperse and calumniate the Godly, that they serve God only for self-interest; therefore God will have his people endure sufferings for Religion, that he may hang a Padlock on the lying lips of wicked men. When the Atheists of the world see that God has a people, who serve him not for a Livery, but for love, this stops their mouths. The Devil accuses Job of hypocrisy, that he was a mercenary man, all his Religion was made up of ends of gold and silver, Job 1.9. Does Job serve God for naught? Hast not thou made a hedge about him? etc. Well, says God, Put forth thy hand, touch his estate. The Devil had no sooner received a Commission, but he falls a breaking down Job's hedge; Aye, but still Job worships God, Chapter 1.20. and professes his faith in him, Chapter 13.15. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. This did amuse and silence the Devil himself. How does it strike a damp into wicked men, when they see that the Godly will iratum colere numen, keep close to God in a suffering condition, and when they lose all, yet will hold fast their integrity.

10. Afflictions work for good, as they make way for glory, 2 Corinthians 4.17. not that they merit Glory, but they prepare for it. As ploughing prepares the earth for a Crop; so afflictions do prepare, and make us meet for Glory. The Limner lays his Gold upon dark colours: So God first lays the dark colours of affliction, and then he lays the golden colour of Glory. The Vessel is first seasoned, before Wine is poured into it: The Vessels of mercy are first seasoned with affliction, and then the Wine of Glory is poured in. Thus we see afflictions are not prejudicial, but beneficial to the Saints. We should not so much look at the evil of affliction, as the good; not so much at the dark side of the Cloud, as the light. The worst that God does to his children, is to whip them to Heaven.