Hebrews 12:6

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Ver. 6. For whom the Lord loves] Whom he entirely loveth and cockereth above the rest of his children. That son in whom he is well pleased, saith Mercer onProverbs 3:12, whom he makes his white boy, saith Theophylact here. See my Love Tokens.

And scourgeth every son] Lays upon them hard and heavy strokes. When Ignatius came to the wild beasts, Now, saith he, I begin to be a Christian. Omnis Christianus crucianus, saith Luther. And he hath not yet learned his A B C in Christianity, saith Bradford, that hath not learned the lesson of the cross. When Munster lay sick, and his friends asked him how he did, and how he felt himself, he pointed to his sores and ulcers (whereof he was full), and said, Hae sunt gemmae et pretiosa ornamenta Dei, & c., These are God's gems and jewels wherewith he decketh his best friends, and to me they are more precious than all the gold and silver in the world. (Joh. Manl. loc. com.)