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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
love_n	child_n	heart_n	love_v	5,211	5	6.2414	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86695	A dry rod blooming and fruit-bearing. Or, A treatise of the pain, gain, and use of chastenings. Preached partly in severall sermons, but now compiled more orderly and fully for the direction and support of all Gods chastened that suffer either in Christ, or for Christ in these dayes. By G. Hughes, B.D. pastor of the church in Plymouth.	Hughes, George, 1603-1667.	1644 (1644)	Wing H3308; Thomason E48_9; ESTC R14529	125,445	138

Scourge checking within and smarting without nay in this case it is our heavenly Fathers stroke It must be then a fillall or child-like grief answering to the Fathers correction Now the notions of Father and Child in this matter the one inflicting and the other suffering must regulate both in their severall respects the one in smiting the other in bearing and grieving A child then smitten of his father may and must grieve as becomes himself a grief with shame a grief with feare a grief with subjection beseems a child 1. Rule 1. Shame and sorrow this for smart and that for sinne against a Father God requires in the case of Miriam n Num. 12.14 If her father had but spit in her face should she not be ashamed seven dayes Shame is as due for offence to fathers as grief for the smart we feele So n Jer. 31.18.19 Ephraim shames and mournes 2. Grief and feare sute well a corrected child toward his father grief with obstinacie and rebellion is murmuring not gracious bemoaning sin and smart and becomes slaves not sons It is the Apostles note o Heb. 12.9 Our fathers in the flesh corrected us and we gave them reverence It was indeed a dutie for children so to doe and is it not much more due to the Father of Spirits O let us grieve and fear for he is our Father 3. Submitting grief is sutable to a rebuking Father from the sonne of the rod. To cry and howle with sorrow and charge God foolishly or blaspheme him is a reprobate state Children will grieve submit and fall downe at the foot of a displeased father to honour him and be guided by him God looks for this at all times p M●● 1.6 If I be a Father where is my honour And reason yeelds it him especially while pleading against his children with the rod q Heb. 12.9 Shall we not be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live Thus Father rod and Childrens grief are sweetly suted let us do like sonnes 2. Rule 2. Chastening is the rod of love Grace or Love is the very differencing form of it that singles it out from all other evils Grief and love then is the answer to this affliction loving teares to loving checks God doth rebuke yet love God doth afflict yet love God whips and yet he loves Now we must thus return complaints and love remorse and love lament and love must be our rule This is the composure of the clouded Spouse Cant. 5.6.8 she weeps and loves and faints and loves and groanes and loves scourged with the absence of her desired yet displeased Lord. It was Davids posture under Gods chastening hand in his sad ascent to mount Olivet 2 Sam. 15.26.30 bare feet covered head weeping eyes and loving heart his pressures heavie and his love great to honour God with the nullifying of himself Here I am if he will have no delight in me let him doe what seems him good Let me be any thing or nothing so he be glorified in his will done It is Jobs strain under his pressures espying the love that put him to grief Iob. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Loves wounds and slaughter makes no enemies beleeve and weep and love are sweet returns to love chastising Grieve and love 3. Rule 3. Chastening is a profitable correction God doth it for our profit that we might be partakers of his holines this is the End the Rule then is It must be grief and good grief and amendment reforming grief turning to holinesse that answers such a rod. Moaning and turning are Ephraims work when God is chastening David relents and turnes to his affliction therefore in proof he sings It is good for me that I have been afflicted repenting teares and returning sorrowes are sweet characters of Gods chastened ones and duties to a chastising father 4. Rule 4. Chastening is but a present burden the shortest time if we look back to past or forward to that which is to come the Rule is just present smart should have but present grief and shortest scourgings shortest sorrowes The night may measure out our groanes the day must cut them off The nature of evils points out the affection due Matth 6.34 and their time its measure and if by divine Oracle Sufficient for the day be the evill thereof so Christ metes our affliction by the day not to over-presse his suffering members then sufficient for that day is the care and sorrow of it the length of the present day must make even both smart and grief God hath judged it a dayes space is measure sufficient for one and other It may be sullen stubbornnesse or childish frowardnesse to keep a sobbing when the rod is gone Deare Christian see the indulgence of thy heavenly Father and thy heart must love him it is but present smiting this dayes or houres smart that he inflicteth and it is no longer plaints of tears that he expecteth present not future succeeding wasting or consuming sighes that he requireth Manage the dayes trouble with proportion'd and sutable care and sadnesse Bring not the morrowes weight into this dayes burden The morrow shall take thought for the things of it selfe If providence lengthen out thy life so long it can command it to come in with joy but if must be gloomy cloudy too thy God will have the present trouble past before that shall come As he never did nor will Jerem. 33.20 while his covenant stands with day and night clap two dayes together into one neither will he joyn two dayes burdens into one upon thy back nor ask of thee two daies sorrowes at once one dayes grief well managed is enough at once I shall leave thee Christian heart with this note to chew upon the rest It is the hardest and sweetest work for Christians to keep close to present duty O then yeeld I will live I will love I will pray I will walk I will grieve as the present call from God commandeth Summe up all now and take we the dutie regulated The chasteneds grief to the chastenings rod Grieve we ought when God rebukes yet as children to their fathers scourge with shame with feare and with submission and as children to their fathers love with hearts enlarged and love redundant weep and love and as children to their fathers aim with holy change and fullest reformation and as children to their fathers bounds with eye to present time for present duty keep this compasse and it is well Present purging loving obedient childlike grief it is the dutie fitted to Gods present refining indulgent and fatherly chastenings on his people In all this ye shall not sin nor will it need to weep again over these teares nor grieve for thus grieving Expect your comforts hence and you shall have them SECT IX Comforting incouragements from the present truth IN the very worst of chastening there is some good

David and Jeremiah yea the Sonne of God in the flesh whom it pleased the Father to bruise or grinde with grief so that his evils named him the Man of sorrowes out of the number of his darlings For in the generations of men who have felt heavier strokes or more bitter pangs in body or spirit yet the Lord was with all these and though he grievously afflicted yet hee hated them not his love and pity was with his holy ones To satisfie this case three evidences of Gods love I shall shew alwayes with his in their greatest distresses which will sufficiently evince that the greatnesse of outward evill is not inconsistent with his love toward his chastened ones 1. His temperance alwayes observed in afflicting or chastening his own It is true wrath in taking vengeance doth over-match and over-beare the power of the creature who can stand when he is angry who can dwell with everlasting burnings Alas not one no not one among poore creatures but love in chastening doth support Grace metes out affliction to the strength of the poore soule and supplies strength to the measure of affliction Let me in Gods stead challenge all the generations of the righteous from Adam unto this day produce aninstance if you can did ever God over-match the spi●its of his people in chastening No he will not he cannot for he cannot deny himselfe and of him it is spoken in the everlasting Truth God is faithfull 1 Cor. 10.13 who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able It was his word to Jacob Jer. 30.11 Jer. 40.28 I will corvect thee in measure yet will I not cut thee off utterly or not altogether leave thee unpunished I conclude then hence the greatest affliction on Gods children is so tempered that it exceeds not their strength therefore very consistent with his love which alone tempers the Rod so sweetly for them 2. The presence of his Grace constantly with them in their sufferings at the greatest must evince his love and not his hatred would the God of heaven be familiar with any soule in any condition whom he doth not affect This cannot be It is a translation of ours which admitted describes the neernesse of God unto his chastened or if not it is a true Paraphrase of the letter Isa 63.19 Inchotib no● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Rec. ejus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them There is one Particle in this clause that by variety of pointing hath a very different signification one way it is a Relative he or his as our translators reade it In all their affliction was his affliction or he afflicted as before but the other way it is a meer Negative and so read here makes this sense In all their afflictions was no affliction to them and indeed how could there if he bore the burthen and took the affliction to himselfe as the former reading expresseth and this is warranted from the sequele The Angel of his presence or of his face which must needs carry favour in it saved them It was the Messenger or Angel then who could carry Gods face or presence to the afflicted Church by whose presence they were so saved that affliction became no affliction to them And this in Christ is not for the chastened Jew only but for the Gentile also Greater evils on the flesh cannot be than sword famine pestilence desolation in great part yet in these was the presence of the Lord so to diminish that they became no afflictions Gods saving presence is the undeniable evidence of his love but greatnesse of evill not of his fury unlesse absolute and over-pressing creatures to perdition 3. In the greatest pressure of his Saints as God tempers the rod and sweetens it with his presence so perpetually doth hee make it easie to them by his assistance and will God assist where he doth not love It is the great consolation which God gives unto his Church Isa 41.14 Feare not thou worm Jacob thou worm-Church that liest in harmes way under every mans foot nor yee men or indeed dead men of Israel so opprest as even past hope of life why should not these feare who more in danger or lesse able to resist than the worme who more hopelesse than the dead yet feare not for I will help thee saith the Lord and thy Redeemer the Holy one of Israel So theu where God helps he loves but his help is not withdrawn from greatest troubles cast not then away your comforts upon this ground God doth help his people at hardest straights and therefore must needs love them in their greatest miseries 2. Case 2. Another of Gods chastened though hee can beare up against a brunt be it never so great yet repetition of evils and frequency of bitter scourgings are ready to kill the heart of him so that his cry is this God hath set me as his mark to shoot at he breaks me with breach upon breach from morning to evening he is making an end of mee one blow followes another if God did love in chastening his rod would not be so often upon my back his hand is stretched out first on goods and then on name and then on children and then upon my flesh Gods frequent strokes strike off my comfort This was Jobs wearinesse sometimes that made him bitterly complaine And is all this sufficient to expunge Gods love from comforting his chastened in their paines Answ I must determine contrary Frequency in scourging is no sure argument of Gods wrath against his owne One or two instances will cleare this that wee may proceed The sweet Psalmist was a tender one in Gods eye yet heare him tell how severely God useth him beyond his very slaves the wicked of the world They saith hee prosper in the world they increase in riches c. But all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning or my rebuke and chastisement was in the mornings that is every morning or morning after morning as if hee had said I was as sure to be rebuked and whipt by God every morning as I did rise And this began to shake him also into perverse conclusions he was saying Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain but that he should therein have sinned against the generation of Gods children with whom such was his custome to deal therefore no argument to conclude a child of wrath Number the dayes of sorrow upon Gods own Son from the Manger to the Grave and stifle this objection Nay rather conclude good then evill from frequent chastenings These sweet benefits intended in and effected by them are forcible for that purpose 1. The often and daily awakening of the soule hereby upon sins the weakening of it and barres against it this is no signe of God Isa 50.4 5. hatred to his people He wakeneth me morning by morning was the Prophets

That God tenderly accounts the burdens of his people heavie may be evident from the notice and observation he takes of them which is exact and full if any expressions after the manner of men may helpe us to conceive this we have variety that God useth and yet all fall short of that which God doth in this respect because the observation of God is beyond the expression of man yet if f Exod. 2.25 seeing considering and looking upon the afflictions of a people argue tendernesse or if g Ier. 31.18 hearing hearkning to their groanes prove a carefulnesse h Psal 56.8 or if telling the Pilgrims wandrings or botling or booking the mourners teares shew a right valuing of their sad condition this God hath done this he doth this he will doe for his people 2 Hee doth not o●ely note thus the griefs of his people but is sutably affected towards their sufferings in his owne way above creature comprehension because he cannot suffer from any object his affection is all act and to bee discerned by the effects upon the creature yet these things in the language of men are spoken of him 1 His pity to his chastised he speakes himselfe of mourning Ephraim i ●●r 31.20 My bowels sound or are troubled for him and it is said of him his soule was grieved for Israel straitned or shortned put to distresse or paine from them strange expressions for God and strangely true beyond our imagination nay as if beeing God he could not be pitifull enough because he could not suffer he sends his Son k Heb. 2.17 to bee made like unto his brethren in the flesh that hee might bee feelingly mercifull to the tempted 2 His care to measure and moderate the afflictions of his people that they exceede not their strength and to make way for escaping when they overcharge l 1 Cor. 10.13 Hee is faithfull in this and therefore tenderly yeelding to the moanes of his afflicted 3 His tender bearing with kind interpretation of and gratious pleading for all the hasty words froward and unseemingly carriages of his children under their sad pressures which fellow-creatures would scarce indure So God pleads for Job against Satan m Iob 2.3 Seest thou my servant Job still holdeth his integrity although thou moovest mee against him to destroy or swallow him without a cause so hee excuseth all Jobs hasty language which by his unfriendly comforters were turned to his reproach and charged as brands of his hypocrisie yet after all God giveth him this witnesse against his mistaken friends n Iob 42.7 Ye have not spoken of me the things that is right as my servant Job hath It is Gods returne as was Elisha's to his servant about the Shunamite in her sad unseemely passionate carriage holding the Prophet by his feet Gehazi is presently at her to deale roughly with her and thrust her away but Elisha is more tender o 2 King 24.7 Alas let her alone for her soule is bitter or vexed within her This is a Spirit from God like himselfe yeelding to the infirmities of a chastened soule 3. His carriage to the very adversaries of his people the instruments of their sorrowes speakes his tender indulgence towards his burdened ones and argues that he grants the rod is smart and painfull see it and judge of it in these particulars 1 In his limiting and restraining the Adversaries which are his rod that not a stroke more shall bee laid on but what hee commands himselfe for his childrens good p Psal 76.10 The wrath of man shall praise him so farre therefore he will use it but the remainder of wrath that which takes away his praise he will constraine So he bounds Satan in afflicting Job first touch not his body then touch not his life God yeelds there is bitternesse in the afflictions of his servants therefore he will not suffer them to overflow 2 In his reproving of men for their unkind and mercilesse carriage to his chastened people see how hee handles Eliphaz Bildad and Zophar for dealing so harshly with his afflicted Job q Iob 42.7 8. he chargeth them they spake not right and no lesse then a sevenfold sacrifice can purge away their sinne or folly and that too by the intercession of despised Iob sure he is contrary to what hee reproves and if mans folly thinke afflictions light Gods wisedom accounts them heavie 3 In discovering his wrathfull displeasure upon the persuers of his afflicted what matter were it how afflictions were multiplied if there were no burthen in them but God is angry with them that increase the sorrowes of his chastened therefore he must thinke them grievous Heare what hee speakes for poore afflicted Zions and Jerusal●ms sake r Z●ch 1.15 I am very sore displeased with the heathen that are at ease for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction Gods displeasure then upon the distressers of his people declares his grant that their chastenings are grievous 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Why God giveth this Judgement of indulgence and alloweth this carriage under their chastenings the two great causes Efficient and Finall will soone determine Reason 1. 1 The Efficient is God-Love himself who from eternity hath purposed the discovery of himself in the notion of his good wil and pleasure to these soules whom he thus indulgeth This love being declared in giving them to Christ in accepting them into Covenant in calling them out of the world by his Word and Spirit in chastising them as children must now looke to the perfecting of his purpose in their appointed glory therefore needes must it worke so towards them in all conditions that they may be furthered in all to their determined end hence it is that hee chasteneth them when they neede chastening and supports them when they neede help pitieth them when they are pained and indulgeth them when they begin to faint and discovereth thoughts of compassiō to their griefs when they think themselves forsaken This love made him fal upon Ephraim neck in the midst of his bemoanings under the rod s Ier. 31.20 Ah poore Ephraim ah deare child the son of my delights how hast thou been chid and whipt and yoaked and distressed and none regard thee I remember thee since I spake against thee I know thy burthen is heavie surely I will have mercy on thee Love makes God of this minde 2. Reason 2. The End which God aimes at no lesse necessitates this present judgement and in respect of us is twofold onely that I shall now touch 1 More generally for all to leave a rule of truth unto his creatures therby to order their judgements and affections what to think and what to doe to their brethren in like case of afflictions for God doth not judge so because it is truth but it is truth because hee doth judge so he makes truth in his creatures he findes none

else to steere himselfe by nothing more cleare then this that God laieth himself a rule to his creatures in his Attributes and workes As in that t Levit. 11.44 Be ye holy as I am holy so in this u Luk. 6.36 Be ye mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull otherwise vaine creatures are apt to call heavie light and bitter sweet and put off thereupon all bowells towards the Lords chastened God saith chastenings are heavie yet we might know it and say so too and subscribe unto it and expresse sutable indulgent affections to our afflicted brethren 2 More speciall for his chastened ones and that is to bee a standing comfort to them at every crosse when lovers and friends may stand fa●re off and none regard their sad condition though creatures thinke our burdens nothing and shew no pity to the afflicted it is no small refreshing that God knowes our sorrows and judgeth them grievous sit for his compassions David was often put to the use of this and sound no little comfort when an exil'd pilgrim hee wanders heavily driven from house and home and sprinkles his steps with teares and yet no man pitying or taking him in then he is comforted with this thought v Psal 56.8 Lord thou tellest my wanderings and bo●llest up my teares Againe when his spirit is overwhelmed with grief and hee lookes on the right hand and beheld and no man would know him no man cared for his soule then he can see and say x Psal 142.3.4.5 O Lord thou art my portion and my refuge thou carest for me and countest my burthen heavie Thus therefore God sheweth his certaine judgement of his peoples chastenings that in case of creature comfort failing to shew himselfe to be above all that it might be a standing cordiall to the afflicted soule SECT VI. Some Corollaries or inferences for instruction VVIthin the bosome of this sentence past by God lyeth this usefull truth Vse 1. Inst 1. God indulgeth yet grieves his children As God that chastens his owne judgeth their sufferings grievous so he himselfe spares not to put his holy ones to griefe He knowes the rod is smart and yet he laies it on though he pity hee will not spare to grieve his children Hee that knowes its griefe himselfe inflicts it Hee chastens yet pitieth them for their paine he pities and yet he chastens and sets on sorrow It doth not gainesay Gods gratious indulgence to afflict his people Three things God eyes Their sinne Their profit His owne Covenant all which inforce the unin of Gods indulgence and correction 1. God indulgeth yet scourgeth sons with an eye unto their sin not for satisfaction this were a detraction from Christ who alone can make it And what can the pain of the body recompence for the sin of the soul but for correction having marked former errors and miscarriages in them It is no lesse then Atheisme to deny God such a sight of sin in his children testified by his chastenings and intended not so much to afflict the soul as sin as may appeare in these aims of God therein 1. Every chastening respects sin To render sin more evident to the creature which perhaps before lay hid and unobserved or mistaken to be better then it is but when the deserved rod comes and grieves the flesh this discovery is presently made All the grief is sin which either hath provoked this painfull chastisement or at least made a way for it that the glory of God may appeare in the manifestation of sins bitternesse by it None knowes the fire better then he that hath been scorched nor can any better tell what cold is then he that hath been frozen and benummed by it and no man can speak of sin so well as he that knowes it in the smart It is a truth unquestionable y Lam. 3.39 Man suffers for his sin sin then is his suffering and its malignity in the smart of this z Compare Gen. 34.30 and Gen. 35.1 Jacob never so smelt the stench of his sin in the neglect of his vow at Bethel as when it made him stink amongst the inhabitants of the land a 2 Chron. 33.11.12 Manasseh never thought sin so burdensome as he found it by the iron chains in Babylon b Psal 38.3 So David seeth his sin to be the racker of his bones And c Rom. 7.24 Paul acknowledgeth it his death Thus sometime God teacheth men the knowledge of sin by its bitter evils d Iudg. 3.16 as Gideon taught the Elders of Succoth with thorns 2. To render sin more odious to his people doth God put them to grief He that loves wine its likely he doth not love poyson and if one cannot be had without the other if reason be left in the man the loathsomnesse of this will marre the pleasantnesse of that and make both equally odious It is usuall with God to put gall and wormwood upon sins desired Teat to wean his peoples affections from it that they might feel it the bitternesse of their soules and hate it e Hos 2.6.7 When thornes and adulterating seducing lovers are bound together the Church forsakes both these and them when Idols have no better companions but f Isai 30.20.22 bread of adversity and water of affliction they shall have a quick dispatch from the chastened souls with indignation they shall say Get ye hence 3. To render sin lesse pernitious or destructive and to give the speedier and the surer death unto it God grieves the soule which he so much tenders Flesh and sin are so neerly related and united that one cannot be but the other must be also neither can that lie weakned or afflicted but the other likewise suffers when the chastening hand of God laieth on the corrosive upon the Flesh when this weakens flesh it weakens sin and when it kills flesh it kills sin that it may save the soul from sins malignity in reigning and in killing It is the Apostles sure word g 1 Cor. 11.32 We are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world The life and power of sin brings condemnation in the world Gods chastening kills that life and prevents that condemnation in his own afflicted See then indulgence and severitie in Gods rod towards his own in respect to sinne it is great mercie to lance that he may not kill With these purposes did God intimate his care of correcting the promised seed h Psal 89.30 31 32 33. If his children forsake my Law c. then will I visit their transgressions with the rod and their iniquitie with stripes yet I will love them too though I make it smart See chastening and yet indulgence love and yet the rod laid on 2. God puts his children to grief though he count it grievous Chastening looks to childrens profit with an eye to their further profit the full successe is given in that expression

as Judgement also a right stroke upon the creatures default to require the abuse of so right a covenant The rod then doth speake though it be a word in a blow for God who sends it therefore is the chastened soules duty to heare that is to listen to study out and understand and to beleeve what the Lord speakes in his chastenings But what cryeth the rod more distinctly These three words plainely are uttered in every scourge and must be so heard by the wise soule that would be fruitfull under the rod. 1. The stroke cries aloud unto the soule Thou hast sinned thou hast sinned affliction could never fall upon a creature where sinne had not made entrance for it and however God seeth not iniquity in Jacob so as to lay to Iudgement to the rule to cast away his people for ever and forget his covenant of grace to them yet in every rod hee notes their corruptions to convince of them to lay strokes of death upon them and keepe from them for time to come It was the cry of Israels fall before Ai to Joshua Jos 7.11 Israel hath sinned and no lesse Davids family troubles and Kingdom shakings sound in his eare did the matter of Vriah every chastening speakes the same to Gods Sonnes 2. Another note the whip sounds out God is displeased God is displeased though in love God take up the rod to keepe his children from the worlds condemnation yet every stroake shews a frown upon their sin Though David be Gods deare and Solomon his beloved one and Ephraim his joy yet his displeasure is against their sin God loves his Saints Num. 12.14 but not their sins and were he not displeased he would not smile God sparing Miriam shewed that hee loved her but spitting in her face argues his indignation against her folly Notably doth this appeare Psal 44.24 when the cry of Gods afflicted returnes Why hidest thou thy face from us 3. The plaine voyce of the rod to the chastened soule is Returne Returne because you strayed abroad God sent out his appointed scourge after you to call you home and to set you right in the way of life againe when Ephraim was unruly in this kinde the scourge pursues him and whips and cries Come backe Ephraim come backe and at last he heares it Jer. 31.18 replies Turne me my God and I shall be turned Thus every rod cryes repentance to the chastened child and his worke it is to heare to understand to be convinced and beleeve all this revelation by the rod if ever that excellent fruit of righteousnes appeare 2. Bearing-worke There is bearing worke also for Christians in reference to the rod The necessity of this patience is urged by one and the perfection of it advised by another Apostle Heb. 10.36 James 1.4 to give men possession of the promise and render them intire wanting nothing The Church commends it to her children It is good for a man to beare the yoake in his youth good to beare Lam. 3.27 and to beare betimes and she resolves to do it in conscience of her owne guilt deserving it Mich. 7.9 I will beare the indignation of God because J have sinned against him this is the way to that desired gaine He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his righteousnesse see the successe of bearing smart But how must we beare to be sure of this Quest Three words will direct safely Answ 1. We must beare feelingly that is feele and beare or else what patience here little hope of whipping a dry post into greene alas there is neither life nor sense in it the Anvile-bearing may make worse and harder never soft nor better It is stupidity not patience where there is want of sense no thanke for bearing Job 1.20.21.22 where no paine is felt poore Iob feeles and beares and takes all kindly from the hand of God in this hee did not sinne 2. Wee must beare freely and willingly forced suffering against our wills is not worth the name of patience over-powered strength may beare in policie when it must yeeld of necessity but little thanks for such a bearing in respect of God to choose to beare rather than not when God chastiseth and his will is so to take up the crosse when flesh might finde the way to shift it Christ calling thereunto this is action and truth of duty not dull passion or patience perforce Correct me O Lord and that in judgement Ier. 10.24 measur'd by the rule of thy saving truth was the desire of a gratious soule rather then bee left unrebuk't and hated 3. We must beare waitingly also if we expect the fruit to grow weary after some strokes born 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost in text 26.8.9 is but to forfeit all former paines to losse to hold out and indure bearing to the utmost point of the wil of God is the onely way to get the crowne It is therefore a true paraphrase of the condition in the text by an Antient to bee exercised is to beare and to hold out The practise of that good Prophet and people of truths sutes sweetly with this rule yea in the way of thy judgements O Lord have we waited for thee that is in all the journey round or circuit of Gods scourges though he take rod after rod and leade them from fire to fire and from water to water they keepe him company throughout the way and waite unweariedly till the fruit do come that they may be exactly skil'd or learn'd in righteousnesse No hope of healing the wound if the plaister lye not long enough nor expectation of harvest by the husbandman till winter bee past and the season come thus beare the rod and the rod shall beare his pretious fruit 3. Doing-work There is yet more doing worke about the rod to compleate this exercise and helpe on the desired gaine to heare and beare the rod will prove but idle worke without doing or bestirring our selves in action sutable to its demands these three Acts I shall commend for compleating your exercise about the rod and inlarging the intailed fruit 1. Kisse the rod in your Fathers hand no storming no snatching nor biting at it if you consult your peace Aske ye what I meane by kissing the rod I shall shortly tell you Honour it as the Scepter of God set up above you Feare it as the sword of God sent to require all failings against his Covenant Love it as Gods medicine appointed for healing your sores and preventing death and condemnation the kisse is but the token of love and homage due 2 Chron 33.12 Manasseh did thus under the iron rod in Babylon and prospered 2. Cast away the sinne that hath provoked God say unto it what ever it be Get thee hence and within your selves parly What have we any more to doe with evill Isa 30.22 Hos 14 8. Iob 34.31.32.2 Sam.