What is the reason that many professors are no more holy and humble, but waspish and peevish and harsh, and of a rugged disposition, but because they have not studied the gospel more
the Sabbath day is our market day, and then after we have bought our market on the Sabbath, we should roast it by meditation on the week. We do not go to the market on the market day to buy meat into the house only for the market day but for all the time until the market day comes about again. Indeed, Solomon says of the sluggard that he is so sluggish and slothful that "he doth not roast what he hath taken in hunting." The Sabbath day is the hunting day for souls wherein the venison is taken; on the weekday we are to roast it and to live upon it by meditation and otherwise. And what is the reason that many do not live upon their venison that they have taken on the Lord's Day? But because they do not roast it by meditation on the weekday.
Idleness breeds temptation. Our vacation is the devil's term; when we are least at work for God, then is Satan most at work about us. By doing nothing men learn to do evil. Yea, idleness is the burying of a living man.
Seek not great things for yourselves in this world, for if your garments be too long, they will make you stumble; and one staff helps a man in his journey when many in his hands at once hinders him.
What if God will that His people should have a taste of hell in this life, that so they may be sensible of and very thankful for their deliverance from hell and the wrath to come? There are three things in hell: torment of body, horror of conscience, loss of God. By our pains and torments, gouts and stone, we think of the torments of hell, or may think. By the horror of conscience that we meet withal, we may think of the horror of conscience there. And by God's withdrawing and God's departing from us here, we may think of the loss of God forever there.
Afflictions likewise strengthen us—by the exercise our graces. As our limbs and natural powers would be feeble if not called to daily exertion—so the graces of the Spirit would languish, without something which was provided to draw them out to use.
Lastly, afflictions are honorable, as they advance our conformity to Jesus our Lord, who was a man of sorrows for our sake. Methinks, if we might go to heaven without suffering, we would be unwilling to desire it. Why should we ever wish to go by any other path to heaven—than that which Jesus has consecrated and endeared, by his own example?
Prayer is the Christian's element, and as the fish lives in the water as in its element and dies when it is out of it, so a Christian lives in prayer as in his element, and his heart dies when he is out of it.Lifting Up
Oh! what a merciful providence is it that, though God bruise his people, yet, while he is bruising them, he is doing them good! It is as if one should throw a bag of money at another, which bruises him a little, but yet it enriches him. Affliction enriches the soul, and yields the sweet fruits of righteousness.The Ten Commandments, 32
Afflictions on the godly make them better, but afflictions on the wicked make them worse. The godly pray more; Psa cxxx i. The wicked blaspheme more.The Ten Commandments, 30