St. Paul himself was sorely against Christ, till Christ gave him a
great fall and threw him to the ground, and struck him stark blind.
And with that tribulation he turned to him at the first word, and
God was his physician and healed him soon after both in body and in
soul by his minister Ananias and made him his blessed apostle. Some
are in the beginning of tribulation very stubborn and stiff against
God, and yet at length tribulation bringeth them home. The proud
king Pharaoh did abide and endure two or three of the first
plagues, and would not once stoop at them. But then God laid on a
sorer lash that made him cry to him for help. And then sent he for
Moses and Aaron and confessed himself for a sinner and God for good
and righteous. And he prayed them to pray for him and to withdraw
that plague, and he would let them go. But when his tribulation was
withdrawn, then was he wicked again. So was his tribulation
occasion of his profit, and his help in turn was cause of his harm.
For his tribulation made him call to God, and his help made hard
his heart again. Many a man who in an easy tribulation falleth to
seek his ease in the pastime of worldly fantasies, in a greater
pain findeth all those comforts so feeble that he is fain to fall
to the seeking of God's help.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33