willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men. Either the heart
is too much set upon the world, or Religion is too much neglected
in thy Family, or some thing. There is a Snake in the grass, a
Worm in the gourd; some sin in thy bosom, for the sake of which God
doth thus deal with thee.

Thirdly, This thus done, let that man again consider thus with
himself: Perhaps God is now changing of my Condition and state in
the world; he has let me live in fashion, in fulness, and abundance
of worldly glory, and I did not to his glory improve, as I should,
that his good dispensation to me. {100a} But when I lived in full
and fat pasture, I did there lift up the heel: Therefore he will
now turn me into hard Commons, that with leanness, and hunger, and
meanness, and want, I may spend the rest of my days. But let him
do this without murmering, and repining; let him do it in a godly
manner, submitting himself to the Judgment of God. Let the rich
rejoyce in that he is made low. {100b}

This is duty, and it may be priviledg to those that are under this
hand of God. And for thy encouragement to this hard work, (for
this is a hard work) consider of these four things. {100c}

1. This is right lying down under Gods hand, and the way to be
exalted in Gods time: when God would have Job embrace the
Dunghill, he embraces it, and says, The Lord giveth, and the Lord
hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. {100d}

2. Consider, That there are blessings also that attend a low
condition, more than all the world are aware of. A poor condition
has preventing mercy attending of it. The poor, because they are