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 spiâ—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
i Heb. 12.10 That they might be partakers of his holinesse But this falls in the second part of the treatise touching the gain of chastening I shall therefore reserve it for that place 3. God weighs the smart and yet he whips his children Chastening serves to fulfill the covenant with respect to his covenant made in Christ with them The sum thereof is to be k Gen. 17.7 God to them that is to be all good to them the goodnesse of their End their Portion Inheritance eternall life and glory and no lesse their goodnesse in the way their guide their rule their strength to bring them to their appointed end Now in drawing the lines to glory one constant passage both to his naturall Son in the flesh and his adopted ones in affliction Christ taught this of himselfe to his misconceiving Disciples l Luke 24 26. Ought not Christ first to suffer and then enter into his glory The Apostle no lesse for the generall state of Christians affirmeth m Acts 14.22 We must through much tribulalation enter into the Kingdome of God It is then a clause in the covenant as the Lord will perform all good to his people so to let them tast the good of the rod he knowes they will need it as much as daily bread and therfore though it smart yet will he so manage it that it shall work together with his love the good of his promises to their poore souls so farre then and no further will he afflict but to shew himselfe faithfull in his covenant to his own Therefore in the midst of all the stripes he speakes of to be laid on the seed of David the children of promise he orders and measures all by his covenant and truth to them However I visit them with scourges n Psal 89.33.34 I will not suffer my faithfulnesse to fail nor make void my faithfulnesse to lye My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing which is gone out of my lips I must chasten them upon their failings yet no otherwise then that thereby my covenant of grace may be accomplished to them Gods Amen-covenant implies the rod as usefull to its end when God corrects he saith not Nay nor contradicts his Yes to love and save his people the scourge saith Amen to save the soul as much as the staffe of bread or comfort David sweetly acknowledgeth this and accepts of his chastening thankfully o Psal 119 75. I know O Lord that thy judgements are righteousnes and that thou in faithfulnesse hast afflicted me To prove thy Amen or setled truth in thy promises of grace hast thou chastened therefore is it good for me Learn this then Christian and be encouraged thy God who knowes and grants thy burden heavie and pities thee he he inflicts it and puts thee to present grief for future comfort his Amen-covenant assures this 2. Instr 2. Another inference floweth from the former truth if chastenings be grievous to the souls whom yet God indulgeth dreadfull astonishing confounding and intolerable must judgements be upon the souls that God abhorreth pack these considerations together and then see if their burden be not inexpressible Their rise is the wrath of God a consuming fire their rule by which they are executed is the curse of God a word and sentence more bitter then gall or wormwood their subject all the outcasts of Gods family their end Gods glory in vengeance upon and perdition of ungodly creatures Woe then to those inhabitants of the earth upon whom judgement is powred forth before the Lord no wonder if Cain cry out p Gen. 4.13 My punishment is greater then I can beare Heare and fear sinners lest wrath implacable beat you as stubble before the whirlewind and judgement unsufferable seize on you and smite you to everlasting torments Judgements here in the flesh are but earnests of greater to come and in their time to be revealed upon the workers of iniquitie There is no striving with the Judge Iob doth but think himselfe the mark of his displeasure and is in horror but ye are indeed the very But he shoots at in his fierie indignation except ye return no more is left for you Repent or die SECT VII Conviction of sin to divers from the light of this truth ANd doth that God indeed that makes the rod Vse 2. and useth it on creatures count it smart and grant their grief Sinners then are they who sute not with him in judgement and affection about this matter Three sins I shall touch to discover them if it may be to remove them all against God in his commands yet something distinct by their immediate objects one against our selves another against our brethren and the last more directly against God 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If painfull chastening call forth grief and Gods indulgence to us direct us to a pensive feeling of our own smart sinfull then is that Apathie or senselesse stupiditie under burdens pressing our owne flesh naturall light conâ—uâ—es that Stoicisme there can be no patience where there is no sense of evill much more divine judgement and practice to the creature I shall not stay long in convincing these they are all either foolishly hard q 1 Sam. 25.25.37 Nabal-stones drunkenly besotted r Prov. 23.25 though they be stricken yet they are not sick and though beaten throughly yet they feel it not or else they are maliciously hard against the rod Å¿ Exod. 5.2 Pharaoh-hearts out-daring judgements The content of all their living fellow-creatures will convince the first and the experience of all the hardened rout will teach the last that they are sinners and in fine the conquering judgements of the great God will conclude both to have been rebellious These sin against themselves 2. If Gods thoughts and carriage toward his peoples sufferings be a rule for ours among our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then the tendernesse and indulgence of his taxeth the harshnesse and stiffnesse of ours toward Gods afflicted to be transgression unnaturalnesse in our carriage toward our chastened brethren is the sin displaid and reproved by God It was Jobs note in his sad condition t Job 16.14 To the afflicted pitie should be shewed from his friend nature hath this impression from the most High therefore he convinceth the pitilesse bowels of sin He forsaketh the feare of the Almighty Gods feare and unnaturall affection are inconsistent This sin sheweth it self in neglecting or want of feeling in slighting or want of pitying the griefs of the Saints more eminently in aggravating or adding thereunto of the one the Widow-Church complaineth v Lam 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that passe by Hard-hearted passengers mercilesse spectators doe ye look aside from the afflicted So it is sometimes u Job 12.5 the slipping foot which is wrencht and grieved is as a lamp despised or a light going out very unsavoury in the
the Father that doth chastise carries all the effects of grace in it righteousnesse is but his love and peace his love and life his love that is the issues of it and the rod makes way through the flesh to bring these into the soule and the Spirit through both perfects the effect and leaves Gods image more eminently stampt upon the heart that more exactly we might subject our selves to the Father of spirits and live Luke 15.17 Ier. 31.18 Psal 119.67 By this the prodigall was brought to himselfe and Ephraim tamed and turned and David establisht and perfected in the way of God Thus then conceive the way of this increase the Spirit by his power strikes out this bloom and fruit through the dry rod that is but the stalke yet such a stalk there must be the Spirit is the seminall vertue that gives forth the fruit and in this order by the smart awing humbling purging an untoward flesh and by love adjoyned drawing and conforming the soule to God so making righteousnesse and peace to abound 2. Freely doth this rod thus give the fruit the very word imports it yeelding it from it selfe No green tree yeelds its fruit more naturally none so freely as this For Grace is in it which every way is free and works most freely toward the creature Nothing more free then gift and that gift the freest which comes onely from and for the Donors selfe Thus the love of God through the rod gives forth this gain it is not by force nor charm that this dry rod is quickned and made fruitfull onely by Grace and Promise because the chastising father saith Hosea 5.15 I will afflict and they shall seek me early It is not for thy exercise but to thy exercise that the Lord commands his rod to yeeld this blessed fruit 3. Certainly shall this fruit be rendred from the Rod to the exercised soule It is not doubtfully delivered it may yeeld or it may not but peremptorily affirmed it doth yeeld If the power promise or truth of the Father of spirits can give certainty enough all is put to it to assure this fruit He that workes and none can let it hath thus spoken Isai 48.11 For mine owne sake even for mine owne sake will I doe it What will he doe Even refine his people and make them choice ones in the Furnace of Afflictions righteous and glorious nay it stands him upon otherwise his Name would bee polluted and his glory lost in his Churches barrennesse under the Rod. From all the premised explications we must take the state of the truth concluded the sum whereof is this Gods chastenings his smarting loving Rods for the afterward yeeld that is in their appointed time and manner give the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse both grace and blisse to them that are duly exercised by them Yee see the gain of the Rod discovered SECT VI. The demonstration of this Truth ADde we to these the Certainty and Necessitie of this truth then faith may freely feed and get strength from it Each particular indeed hath its light in opening enough to convince of all being put together yet to leave no doubt the intire truth shall be demonstrated in its certainty that it is so and in its necessity why it must be 1. That this is true in the whole proposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be evident from two great Arguments Gods Revelation and Mans Experience 1. God hath spoken it therfore it is certain Take we some testimonies Isai 26.9 This is divine When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousnesse These judgements in the earth are chastenings to Gods portion there these inhabitants of the world are not all but some and they the people of truths whose souls are said to desire after Gods Name for the rest abide wicked these learn righteousnesse this is their gain but how come they by it Not by idlenesse but exercise they must goe to schoole for it and learn it This also is his Oracle Psal 126.6 He that goeth forth and weepeth bearing pretious seed shall doubtlesse come again with rejoycing bringing his sheaves with him Here 's grieving and going and working and sowing in the day of mans affliction but what return He that goes forth shall as surely come to his home he that sprinkles his way with teares shall come leaping and rejoycing and he that beares and sowes his seed sowing to the Spirit so shall he reap for every seed he shall bring his handfull or for every handfull he shall have a sheafe aboundance of righteousnesse peace and everlasting life 2. The Saints have found it and experience is a visible demonstration then which nothing surer Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted saith David and good for me saith Job and for me saith Jeâ—my and for me saith Daniel and for us say Abraham Isaac and Jacob all the Saints Psal 23.4 Patriarchs and Prophets subscribe to this And this steels David against distractions Thy rod comforts me what needs more witnesse 2. The necessity why it must be so depends upon one undeniable ground that is the supreme irresistible ordinance of God then which nothing can be stronger to convince The alone decree and ordinance of that great God whose counsell none can crosse hath so linked this chastening cause to this effect and this condition and this season that they cannot bee separated If we allow his Soveraignty in lesser matters wee may not deny it here unlesse we ungod him Ier. 33.20 The same power that hath decreed the Winter stormes and Summer calm the cold and the hot the wet and the dry the frost and the thaw to fit the earth that it may yeeld its strength to the labouring man in the time of harvest and none can alter one link of these or change his mind to that Soveraigne might we must grant that his counsel must stand what ever he determine In an higher and more excellent way hath he ordained that the rod to the labouring exercised Christian should hasten and give out the sweet fruit of righteousnesse and peace in the appointed season His authority is the highest reason Now that his Name and stamp is upon this truth to own it and make it his is visible in every peece of it as before declared It is all then his ordinance and thereforeour duty to beleeve and love and honour God in obedience thereunto SECT VII The inference of some truths depending HAving thus stated the Apostles Proposition Vse 1. Instruct it will be profitable for us to gather those pretious truths that fall from it foure fruitfull lessons I shall teach naturally issuing thence 1. It being in the scope a correcting assertion to allay the bitternesse of the former concerning present smart of chastening and to rectifie misguided thoughts that from sense might be ready to conclude nothing but evill in the
a little fruit but greater must be had and used to bring in plenty grown knowledge in the waies of God grown faith growne patience growne experience and grown strength in grace are needefull to a through exercise and a well managing of afflictions for the greatest advantage Mat. 9.16 The wisedome of the Father would not put weake disciples upon the strong service of fasting while they were as old garments ready to teare upon every little stresse Luk. 24.49 nor would hee have them venture on the hard conflicts with the world nor on the bitternesse of suffering untill they were indued with power from above How sweet is the proportion betweene abilities and worke which God hath setled Medications hence arise suting all ages Art thou strong to beare afflictions pity and tender the weake that sink downe under burthens take them in thine Armes and beare for them Art thou weake in suffering Infirmity must shame thee it is thine owne fault to obstruct thy growth yet Gods pity may revive thee hee will not for all this overcharge thy life And now up and be growing blessings are promised from heaven and meanes afforded on earth O heighten thy mind to great gaines therefore to much paines and high abilities This marke I drive at onely in giving this note not to dash the babes because the worke is manly but to put them upon growth that they may be men and worke strongly so beare the yoake and weare the crowne 4. Note 4. Considering this pretious fruit inseparably intail'd upon this kind of affliction take this note of discrimination between rods It is judgement not chastening that leaves a man fruitlesse or void of righteousnesse No clearer signe of a man plagued in vengeance under the curse that to grow worse or of a man under grace and chastened in love than to grow better under the rod Saul and David are a paire of instances fit to exemplifie both parts 1 Sam. 28.7 1 Sam. 30.6 he the worse this the better by all afflictions hee running to the devill and this to God in time of trouble therefore he judged in wrath and this chastis'd in love Iudge all the variety of scourges in the world by this evidence such as the fruit is such is the tree the rod of vengeance if it harden and make worse of chastening if it correct and make the soule better I doe but hold this out to the world as a black note of perdition to Pharaohs and to Ahabs anvill-soules that grow harder by every stroake from God but as an Item unto Christians for speciall care in this matter for improvement of the rod to gratious fruit oh let not a crosse a losse a sicknesse a griefe passe over you but see some fruit of righteousnesse proceeding from it such profit in holinesse by the rod will prove you sonnes and not bastards Make this good that ye bee not disinherited SECT VIII Conviction of sinne to many IT will not be amisse in the next place to glance a little light to sinners from this truth Vse 2. that if they will open their eyes they may see their sinne and miserie to escape them 1. If exercise under the rod be Gods ordinance upon his people for gathering fruit then idlenesse in affliction must needs be a sinne and such a one as will bring utter beggery and undoing upon the soule at last while it opens a way to the scourge to weare wast and impoverish the creature makes no resistance nor suffers the man to make any shift for turning away the bitternesse of the evill God himselfe sets a marke upon these and lifts a cry against them that in the time of his shaking the rod and scourging his creatures are profess'd idlers neither study the rod nor understand its voice nor search hearts nor looke unto God nay not so much as say within themselves What have I done Absolutely stupefied are these Isa 32. â—21 or willingly bent with Issachar to lye under every burden and take no notice Heare how God calles them women at ease Isaâ— 56.10 Amos 6.1 carelesse daughters sleepy dogges neither shall they goe without their doome feare astonishment and woes unutterable shall awake them and make them howle for ever I confesse it may be an infirmitie upon Gods owne for a moment but it will be their shame and sorrow at their awakening It was much that Pagans should bestirre themselves in a storme more then Jonah and bee his remembrancers to raise him from his sleep that he might call upon his God yet so then it was but it cost him deare for it afterward when he is imprisoned in the belly of hell hee was taught throughly never to sleep out an affliction againe Sluggishnesse may fall upon the Saints but it is their burden and abides not with them But habituated and accustomed idlenesse is the provocation upon which God returnes his heavie displeasure I shall commend one word to these for their serious thoughts a character of themselves and presage of Gods dealings with them except they repent Isaâ— 26.11 Lord when thy hand is lifted up they will not see they wink or sleep here 's their character but they shall see and be ashamed the fire of thin enemies shall devoure them This is their doome If it be work for God to bee done under chastening such as may help in holinesse then counter-working is sinne when men shall give God blow for blow and stroke for stroke they are busie under the rod indeed but wickedly imployed Fruits of such exercise are Hardening Impatiencie Fretting Fuming against God more hatred of his wayes and blaspheming of his Name Here 's worke enough but all for the Divell and to bring forth greater ungodlinesse It was that foolish Womans advice to her afflicted Husband Iob. 2.9 Curse God and dye Folly indeed to fight against God to be scourged with Scorpions and it was that wicked Jehorams practise 2 Kings 6.33 This evill is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer Seeing he is thus angry as little care we for him as hee for us See the proud creature No more to these but this God will have the victory and will certainly out-curse you Tremble and returne if not the everlasting curse shall get glory over you 3. If gracious fruit must spring from the rod of chastening then sinners are all unfruitfull sufferers No great difficultie to evince this seeing it is against the command for such returnes as well as against the helps ministred by the rod to make men fruitfull Returne returne is Gods call upon every smiting and no lesse the love Mal. 3.7 smart and spirit of the rod given out to them that will make use of them are sweet helps ingaging to work together with them to bring forth the fruit of righteousnesse It is sin indeed against grace as well as against command to be thus unfruitfull yet sinners there are
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 oâ—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 â—â—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 Jerusalâ—ms sake r Zâ—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-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 compassioÌ„ 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
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 Mâ—â— 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
in the bitter there is sweet in very pain some ease and in the faintings a cordiall poore afflicted soule to stand between thee and perishing under the hardest pressures Look but upon this again God indulging thy present smart and suck the honey the sweet of heaven reviving comforts by these frequented meditations 1. Think and think it seriously and think it throughly that in this matter you have to doe with God it is he independent in his being and judgement upon creatures that saith of thine affliction It is heavie and of thy sorrow Alas poore soul for it is bitter none can blame thee O thou afflicted put thy case now in the saddest state of chastening How is it with thee Surely comfortlesse enough I am the man that hath seen sorow my dwelling hath cast me out and my place knoweth me not I wander as a bird from her nest in danger of devouring every moment yet no doore is opened to me man looks not toward my distresse I am consumed with pining sicknesse spoiled of goods my flesh worn with iron bonds and I become a reproach and by-word yet this is nothing to lookers on nay when I labour to hold fast my integrity when I humble my soul with fasting yet this is turned to my reproach I suffer as an outcast of God and Men lover and friend and kinsmen get farre off nay God is suggested to be my enemy by the adversary and they persecute me as a forsaken soule yet no man careth for me and what more absolute misery then in the depth of sorrows to be denied pitie Alas deare heart thy right and left hand comforts from the creature fail But why lookest thou not upward No thoughts of God in this matter O remember no soul truly miserable but that whom God looks not after write him wretched when God careth not for his soule But O thou chastended of the Lord thy God stands by thee he tells the steppes of thy wandrings he bottles and books up thy tears he weigheth thine affliction in scales and knows and sayes it is heavie he seeth the iron marks upon thy flesh and treasures up all thy sighes let the whole creation cast thee off as loft yet this is comfort invincible in thy affliction God knoweth thy soule Weigh but his greatnesse his grace and his faithfulnesse and then be comforted His greatnesse shall not terrifie nor dismay thee but it shall help and supply thy weaknesse under burdens his grace shall blot out sin that gives a sting to thy afflictions and his faithfulnesse shall establish thee in peace and comfort when thine own unevennesse would make thee fall See Jobs practice about these when they were urged against him for his wounding by unkind comforters Job 23.6 and doe likewise Will he plead against me with his great power No but he would put strength in me Say thou so too and be revived shall his greatnesse set it self against me in my trouble to drive me like a leaf or crush me as a worme when his grace hath accepted me and his faithfulnesse is engaged to make good his Covenant of love unto me No no though creatures prove a lie stones in stead of men and oppressors in stead of friends they think it glory in revenge to pursue a Flea 2 Sam. 24.14 a weak thing that cannot resist them yet God is truth and the same for ever his power and grace and faithfulnesse are one undivided beeing he will not so glory over his poore weake chastened ones but will put strength within them and make them stand under their burdens his strength shal be theirs to make them more the conquerors over all afflictions for hee knowes their griefs resolve then Christian and say though creature-comforts faile and creature-power doth rather oppresse than ease me Habak 3.18 yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation he pitieth and will heale me 2. Thinke upon thy very smart and thinke rightly with the thoughts of God concerning it and some comfort must arise It is not abstracted paine but paine with purging paine with scourging paine with refining In short it is thy smart but sins death the spirits purging but the flesh its consumption The most tearing physicke is comfortable in its very torture for then it killes the disease and secures the patient from dying by it So great hath beene the evidence of the good of such afflictions that the Holy ones of God have made it their petition in the fornace Lord let thy scourge abide and sinne be gone it is good for us to bee here where sinne doth least annoy us It is true comfort under wounds of flesh to have spirit healing This keepes those heavenly soules from fainting 2 Cor. 4.16 the paine and pâ—rishing of the outward is the reviving polishing and daily renovation of the inward man what ever workes ruine to that and repaire to this is no crosse but comfort Such thoughts will ease thy paine and make thy burthen lighter refresh thy spirit and make thy joy the greater 3. Thinke upon the bound and measure of thy smart it is some comfort to know it is short It is but a present paine a moment a very now of affliction to be indured and should this swallow up spirits and hopes too Art thou a man but of a day and hast an eternall spirit and everlasting hopes presented Let this refresh thee thy paines are shorter lived then thou art thy hopes outreach them and thy spirit shall outlive them give not up the Ghost then for present pressures It was a Saints reviving once Psal 30.5 Weeping may indure for a night or for an evening I shall outlive this to see the day and then joy singing shall returnne in the morning To close this part of the paine of chastening and leave some tast of sweet with the afflicted and desire of more to bee expected in the succeeding portion adde but this thought to continue thy attendance upon that which followes Thinke upon the After that sweet After that long After wherein all present griefe shall bee swallowed up and all transformed into that After fruit so that no remembrance shall abide of former sorrowes Comfort thy selfe a while with the thoughts of this untill more fully it be revealed it is the next worke whereunto for thy greater consolation I shall proceede THE SECOND PART Of the gaine of Chastenings Neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of rigteousnesse unto them that are exercised thereby v. 11. SECT I. The true stating of the second proposition from the text with its due partition and partiall explication THe Spirits Method in giving sentence upon chastenings is to passe from concession unto sense to correction unto faith Hee grants the present the now of paine unto their feeling True the chastening is for the present grievous yet would he not they should thence conclude nothing but bitternesse in their chastening He therefore suddenly
Rod and so used to sorrowes but this cannot be the mind of the Spirit here For then all that suffer afflictions would have this fruit of chastening which we see eminently false many the worse and not the better by the rod but all that are exercised as here meant fall not short of this blessed fruit It must needs therefore have an active signification implied here to this purpose To them that are exercised thereby that is all such as by the rod are provoked and stirred up to exercise themselves duly under Gods chastening for obtaining the fruit promised so that not onely passion is here noted a meere suffering of pain but action stirring and Christian exercise moved by the rod to work together with it for the desired fruit This is in the letter But now it will be more expedient to look into the nature of the thing what may this exercise be whereupon depends so much advantage to Christians The discovery of two things the Manner and Matter of this action will satisfie that quaere both which will be supplied from the words duly weighed 1. The manner of this action because the shortest shall be first touched to shew how Christians should buckle themselves to this work The very word of Exercise teacheth this in three particulars 1. The originall expression issueth from a term denoting Nakednesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or a naked man and therefore hath been properly used in prophane Authours to set forth such exercises which men acted in their shirts or naked as wrastling running foyling or fencing wherein garments or clothes would be a great incumbrance activity nimblenesse intention of spirit are intimated in this form of exercise He then that would find this fruit from the rod had need labour in his shirt cast off all carnall incumbrances and wrastle it out with God holy activity and sweat of the browes great intention and fervencie of spirit become the practitioner in this work to gaine the prize and obtain the fruit promised what is done must be done with all the might of man in this businesse Idle husband-men let seed and ground and season be never so good Eccles 9.10 in vain expect a crop where no labour was The greatest pains this way brings the greatest gains 2. Frequencie Exercise in this place notes frequencie of action it is no working by spurts and fits that will make a man thrive in this way or become eminently fruitfull Exercise and use are here Synonymaes He is exercised indeed Jer. 9.24 to whom it is usuall to study Gods mind in the rod and who is daily like the Bee sucking and making hony out of it As the daily influence of Gods love is called the exercise of his loving kindnesse to his creatures Ezek. 22.29 and the common thiefe is said to exercise robbery so the soule that meets Gods scourge and chastening every morning Psal 73.14 and falls to work about it is here the truly exercised Christian The daily labourer thrives the best 3. Constancie Exercise here intends constancie and continuance in labour untill the fruit comes many plucks may be had at a bucket yet to stop before it be full up is but to lose all former labour draw home we must and reach the mark if we mean to carry back the price of our high calling to work two daies Isai 64.5 and leave off the third when we should be parfected is as fruitlesse as never to begin As in all the wayes and works of God constancie crownes the action In those is continuance and we shall be saved continuance and salvation are yoaked so no lesse in this Matth. 10.22 He that endureth to the end shall be saved that is he that abides in bearing in doing in working after Gods mind under the rod the safe fruit of righteousnesse life and peace shall be to that exercised soule Thus must their labour be ordered But then what is the worke it selfe 2. To come to that Let us diligently consult the text againe it is said they are exercised by it that is by this chastening they are awakened provoked and stirred up to the worke or exercise sutable to the condition under which they are and to the end or fruit which they desire Now both the Rise or Incentive to this labour in the rod and the end of it which is here expressed Righteousnesse or Holines in God sweetly point out unto us together the variety of work that must take us up for exercise in this case The rod that awakens and puts upon this worke points us to it to our selves and unto God for speciall exercise so Holinesse unto which chastening is intended no lesse directs us to looks to the rod to our selves and to God for some speciall worke if we would bee partakers of it Hence then wee may gather the exercise that doth concerne us is threefold 1 About the rod that smarts 2 About our hearts that feele 3 About God that doth inflict and chasten 1. Much worke there is to doe about the rod Worke about the Rod. if wee expect the appointed end or fruit it is all taken up in hearing bearing and doing after the rods voice 1. Hearing-worke There is hearing work for the soule for there is a voyce or speech in every chastening and a speciall duty is it to understand the meaning of the rod which yet cannot be had without hearkening or listening thereunto The one is therefore asserted a truth from God and the other commanded a duty to him upon a wise heart that would have profit by chastening Mich. 6.9 The Lords voice cryeth to the city the wise will see his name in it heare ye the rod and who hath appointed it If it be enquired what voice the rod hath It is fully replied The Lords voice cryeth in it But what is the matter of all this cry In short virtually it takes in the whole contents of Gods covenant and calleth for all restipulations due unto God from a covenanted people It is spoken of the rod Levit. 26.25 which is the sword I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrell of my Covenant vengeance absolute of wrath it takes up on reprobates for their rebellion but onely a smart exaction or correction of love upon his chosen to convince them of former errors and awaken them to future care in obedience to his Covenant Whether it bee vengeance to one or chastening to another this is certaine the rod carries in it the voice of Gods whole Covenant and requires obedience to it where it comes God appoints it for this purpose That one Notion under which word and Rod are signified Psal 119.20.30 even Judgements is enough to evince the substance of one to bee carried in the other The word of covenant is Judgement Ezek. 14.21 that is a right word of truth to bring to God and the rod
his overseeing eye beholding what was there in being this cannot be denied to be very congruous to the letter yet by severall learned in the originall is the first reading only used as is expressed Ar. Mont. Vatal The difference ariseth from one word which signifieth either substance essence and truth of being or else wisedome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vertue of any thing and the Law it selfe for the stable and setled being of these the word in short signifieth any thing that is solid and substantiall therefore translated to expresse wisdome so that we must read then Wisedome shall see thy Name but not unfitly translated here The man of wisedome that is the solid substantiall wise man will eye the noted Majesty of God when in the rod he crieth to him but this looking to him is for a further work to honour that Name that seeth and hath found him out with his rod. It is a full expression by another Prophet Isai 24.15 Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the Isles of the sea that is in the hottest fierie trials and in the remotest parts of your solitude or exile misery glorifie the name of the Lord. His glorie is deare to him at all times he will not give it to another and because it 's stolen or limited or spoiled by creatures therefore by fierie tortures comes he to require it Now then if ever give glory unto God unlesse yee would that he should glorifie himselfe upon you in smiting to desolation How must we then glorifie God in our afflictions Quest Answ In generall to glorifie God or give glory to him cannot be by adding any thing to him but by acknowledging and manifesting the fundamentall glory that is in him Glorificare est clarificare Augustin Now the glory of God is his excellencie wherein hee out-reacheth or over-commeth all created being as his excellencie of Power excellencie of wisedome excellencie of holinesse of majestie of justice and of goodnesse is that which is unparallel'd that cannot be matcht and therefore truly glory were this given unto God that is manifested to the world to be in him by his people in their sutable demeanour to such a glory by their words duties wayes and conversations while it is peace our feet might be kept from stumbling upon the dark mountaines But when creatures deny this Ier. 13.16 how just is it for that glorious majestie to require it by his rod and now it must be yeelded or we yeeld our selves to perdition His glory he will have and we must thus ascribe it 1. By abasing abhorring and nullifying our selves as unworthy to be who have lifted up a word or thought against such a glory Impudent pride of heart is in creatures while they set their sin above God which they doe when they obey it in the lusts of it obedience is a debt to glory and is there glory in sinne poore man that thou shouldest obey it or is there none in God that thou deniest it him Is shame become glory and glory shame Thy sin thy God and thy God baser in thy thoughts then sin O abhorre thy selfe in dust and ashes Iob 42.5.6 that God may yet be glorified in thee Job was never right untill he came to this passe I have heard thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee wherefore I abhorre my selfe and repent in dust and ashes Goe we must as low and let God be exalted in our abasement 2. By justifying God in all the wayes of his judgements and proceedings against his creatures Lam. 3.39 if man suffer for his sin as who doth not why doth living man complaine Yet see what sots sin makes us to provoke the Lord to jealousie and then quarrell with him for being angry so spoile him twice of his glory Learn learn poore soule of Jeremy though his span-long thoughts could not reach Gods exquisite proceedings in his judgements yet this he laies down as undeniable Righteous art thou O Lord when I plead with thee Ier. 12.1 Or learn of David Against thee thee onely have I sinned c. that thou mightst be justified when thou speakest Psal 51.4 and bee clear when thou judgest Say thou also I have sinned thou Lord hast all the wrong I have rob'd thee of thy glory for this am I scourged and it is righteous yet this is mercy my just recompense is Hell Thus should chastised sinners glorifie their God 3. By a sutable demeanour toward the glory of Gods being especially now under the rod deepest trembling to highest Majestie greatest feare to Supreme Holinesse fullest obedience to greatest Power strongest faith to glorious Truth and largest love to Excelling goodnesse are equall matches if man bee judge All wee are are and have and can is but his debt who gave all this and is more then all to our poore Soule Deut. 6.5 No lesse can such a glory crave than all the heart and all the Soule and all the mind and all the might and yet our all too little for the least of him Manasseh began to study this at last when shame was fallen on him to honour God it is best at first Aime at this strive for this Gods glory is our truest gaine 4. By going to this onely living fountaine and drawing from him the blessing of the rod He that praieth as well as he that praiseth honoureth him and declares him to bee the Absolute and alsufficient Author of all good It is neither rod nor word that of themselves can make us fruitfull in holinesse hee onely blesseth and the fruit appeares It is his owne word J am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48.17 Our profit indeede in righteousnesse and peace is the appointed end of chastening but alasse the rod it selfe cannot give this no strokes can beate grace into a soule divine light and life and wisedome and power onely can effect this to stamp holinesse to the Lord upon any soule The praise then is not to the rod but to the Lord This must bee acknowledged by the soule that would be blessed in suffering therefore must the Lord bee inquired of by him for all this good This praying worke also blazons the glory of the Lord and speeds a blessing on the rod to make it of a sanctifying nature and vertue in us This is our exercise and thus the saints have constantly done and prospered Sum we up now the whole worke to take it at one view The indispensable condition of the Saints receiving the full fruit of affliction is their activity and stirring exercise under the scourge worke they must about the rod in hearing bearing and obeying the voyce of it stirre they must about their hearts in pressing breaking bending them to the will of the chastiser Exercise they must to Godward in giving him his glory by selfe abhorring by justifying his scourge by
Mediation he might bring downe all from the highest God to the lowest creature Now put what you will into the hand and power of a Mediator it must turne to good unto them for whom he hath undertaken this Mediation His hand intends nothing els but help to the weaker part for whom he mediates as it obtaines nothing but grace from the mighty God to whom he ministers for them Take we this instance Nothing could be more contrary and hurtfull to Man a sinner than the Law that found him guiltie and accordingly cursed him to death Gal. 3.19 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet this ordained in the hand of a Mediator though but an Earthly one must be revealed with Evangelicall purposes the hand or Ministry of a Mediator must needs be gracious how much more the hand of that heavenly Mediator wherein is power and grace it selfe more than commonly ministeriall can and will turne all within its reach scourgings themselves to the comfort of Gods chastened ones Now nothing clearer than this that the rod as well as Covenant is in his hand therefore over-ruled and tempered by him for the afflicteds comfort He commands the spirit of the rod and he takes out the sting of it Ravish him with the piercings of the single eye of faith and you are sure of him your Mediator and he sure so to order afflictions for good that they shall not presse you out of your working frame Two speciall mediating helpes are observable 1. The Mediator steps in between wrath and us to interdict that no fury nor effects of it can issue from God upon the people of Mediation he suffers nothing but love to proceed toward them and if that love bring the rod to try or purge he yet againe interposeth either to hold off the smart or to allay it that it shall not distract no affliction comes but he sweetens and meekens it The rage of man could not aggravate a torment more Dan. 3.19 26 27. than that proud Monarch did in his seven times over-heated fornace for those three valiant Confessors of the true God yet throwne in and comming out the smell of fire was not upon them nor a finge upon their cloaths How came this to passe There was a fourth went in with them and stood betwixt them and harme the Son of God whose hand master'd and cool'd the fire The Mediator sweetens the Crosse 2. The Mediator as he steps in against the rod so for us as to allay the bitternes of that so to strengthen our weaknesse for bearing the remaining smart It is marvellous that a creature should doe and suffer that so triumphingly which the Apostle professeth of himselfe Phil. 4.11 12 13. I have learned in what ever state I am therewith to be content He was able contentedly to goe on in his worke under the hardest condition not content onely with a little but whether he have any thing or nothing it is all one with him he hath sufficiency within him He can be abashed and be hungry and suffer need and nothing turnes him out of his biasse to the worke of God How comes he to be so unshaken He tells us I can doe all things thorough Christ that strengtheneth me It was the Mediator that supported putting his own neck into the yoke his own shoulder to the burden that it might not over-charge this poore soule Let us eye him and overcome him by looking in faith to him as Mediator he cannot deny but he will doe for us likewise With a carefull eye to these directions we may reach the marke that is set before us even in the midst of roaring Seas tumultuous pressures scorching fires and heart-breaking burdens to give glory unto God our blessing shall not then be far behind the fruit of righteousnesse and peace with abundant following consolations SECT XII Consolations issuing from the precedent Truth AS the Consolations of Christ are sweet and many in varietie of conditions so in none more sweet and abundant than in the state of sufferings the abundance of these brings forth plentie of them It is worth our view to see what store of them the disposition of the rod with its appendents in the present truth sends forth to Gods afflicted It will be very injurious to hide them from the exercised wrastlers under Gods rod seeing he hath ordained them for such though perhaps they may receive a pinch upon the thigh that makes them halt yet they shall not goe away without a blessing Though God whip them yet will he blesse them Every word in the Text speaks comfort unto these and no man may take it from them 1. The hand of love that chastens as a Father cheers up the soules labouring in the furnace Faint not poore heart when thou art rebuked my dear my darling the child of my delights art thou Jer. 31 20. I remember thee when I speake against thee every stroke goes to my heart my bowells are troubled for thee and I will surely have mercy on thee I delight not to afflict but now it is needfull because I love I chasten you and chasten that I may save you Rev. 3.19 better chastened than condemned Let not sorrow over-lay your hearts god-God-love cannot afflict his seed for evill 2. The rod it selfe that smites them speaks nothing but good unto them scare not thou tossed and afflicted soule Psal 23.4 behold I will comfort thee although I smart and wound the flesh yet it is but to heale the Spirit my commission is to awaken not to stun thee to kill thy sin not to hurt thy soule to refine and not consume thee to take away thy drosse and make thy gold more glorious Lift up thy head I am from God on thy side to save not to destroy Love hath sent me to check sin and spur on grace to turne thee out of the wayes of death and keep thee in the paths of life Had not I come how many lusts would have preyed upon thee How many deaths might have devoured thee How would hell have striven to swallow thee I am Gods Scepter to over-power thee as well as his rod to discipline and guide thee to heaven Be not disconsolate 3. The work it selfe though hard and irkesome in the very fires yet yeelds sweet comforting suggestions to the chastened and exercised soule Three grounds of consolation at least may hence be presented to incourage the afflicted heart 1. There is life above affliction when the rod hinders not from motion unto God Miserable he that can neither set hand to worke nor feet to walk in the valley of trouble but blessed whose heart is not falne nor turn'd aside from the work of God amidst all blusters Happy Job that could give glory by beleeving unto God Job 13.15 though he should kill him 2. There is strength of grace in that soule which can so master the rod as not to be disquieted by it from its appointed worke As it
not only the wounding smart but the healing sweet that still accompanies This will be a cordiall consideration against fainting 〈◊〉 27.5 Adde to this the greatest care of laying hold on Gods strength so shalt thou make and keep peace with him in all estates and nothing shall offend thee Christ is that strength of God given out to poore believers what can they not do in the worst condition through Christ that strengtheneth them In short strive against feares of future evills as well as smart of present cheer up thy heart and stirre up thy selfe to worke together with Christ in striving thou wilt finde greater influence of life from heaven This is thy duty in a carefull performance whereof thou wilt finde the surest cure of feares and answer to thy doubts but to this I must speak in the speciall use of chastenings which the Apostle makes hereafter 4. Case 4. Yet another stop is put in to keep out comfort from the afflicted soule It is the sad complaint of some from the sense of fruitlesnesse under the Rod Alas why should I be comforted in my sorrows when no good comes of all my sufferings I am scourged every day but never the better If the end of Gods chastenings be sharing in his holinesse or the fruit of righteousnesse I am a stranger unto God and these therefore may I conclude vengeance hath seised on me from my Judge not chastening from a father for I am unholy and unrighteous still in the midst of the fires barren and vile under all the prunings of God Poor soule Answ more to be pitied because so severe against thy selfe But is it all true that thou hast said and are there no issues of good from the Rod upon thy heart Give me leave a little to search and try what answer thy spirit in truth can make to some queries Tell mee deare Christian after all thy scourgings how are thy thoughts concerning God and Christ and sin and selfe Truly I think my self the vilest of creatures I have cause to do so even as loathsome as the Devils and sin I judge to be worse then death and hell it selfe and God I know to be that High and holy One O that I were like him and Christ I confesse the only way to God O that I could reach him and by him move unto the Father Now pray tell mee are not these right thoughts Hath not the time been that thou hast had harder thoughts of God and better of thy self harsh of Christ and pleasant concerning sin Hast not thou called sometimes sweet bitter and bitter sweet Is not this the rectitude or righteousnesse of God stampt upon thy minde Is not this a degree of sharing in his holinesse Tell mee then how is thy heart how stands thy affections what doest thou hate what doest thou love what doest thou feare and what doest thou desire where is thy delight Speake Christian and canst thou say otherwise than thus surely I would love God desire after him and delight in him I would feare to grieve I would hate sin and abhor my selfe for ever And is not this rectitude in thy affections and hath not the Rod turned thy heart more this way Nay once again tell me O thou afflicted which way is thy face whither bendest thou in wayes and walkings Is not God thy mark yea I would hit that and reach him if I could but alas I do not I cannot it 's but little it 's but little that my heart or wayes are turned to God-ward Yet a little is worth as much as life shall wee deny any because we have not all Doe not so poore soule lest thou wrong God in denying his grace acknowledge this and kisse the rod so will greater grace appeare But suppose the fruit were so little as scarcely visible yet there is hope by exercise waiting and blessing from heaven the dry rod may blossome and bring forth abundantly kill not thy selfe with faithles doubts with those wretched ones that say there is no hope and therefore conclude no farther labour is here usefull no no there is yet hope in the latter end the splitting of an oake by storme may spread the life of it into new sprouts in stead of killing it beleeve beleeve and be established abide in Christ close and yee shall bring forth much fruit to your fathers glory Cast not then away your comfort 5. Yet once more the shaking soule replies and will not be cheered Case 5. Alas grant this some small sparkes of righteousnesse may have a little kindling yet there is no warmth or influence in them if it were righteousnesse indeed it would bring peace but I am sure I have no peace I see frownes in Gods face but no smiles I find troubles within but no ease heart-akings no heart-revivings Were they chastenings of God they would bring peace but they are judgements they are vengeance therefore have I nought but trouble I confesse this case will prove hardest to satisfie Answ not from the weight of reason but from the disposition of the creature that feels nothing but disquietnesse in the flesh and therefore concludes nothing but wrath in its affliction reason will not satisfie sense and sense onely undertakes here to judge of peace no more peace will it grant but what it feels though to the spirit God speake never so much yet to quiet this heart too a little if it will but heare I shall present these considerations to be digested weighed with the case 1. Righteousnesse is the surer and the clearer fruit of chastening bearing witnes of the love of God in it Conscientia bona iniquicta Bernard though peace may seeme the sweeter and yet a conscience may be pure and troubled flight from sin pursuit of holines shall testifie Gods grace in every rod though the powers of hell may rack the soule to torture Psal 119.67.71 keeping word and learning Gods statutes is Davids evidence of the good of his affliction peace is not mention'd If righteousnesse appeare be comforted though peace be not come 2. Though peace be inseparably united unto righteousnesse and given of God together yet are they not alwayes coaetaneous in their existence upon the heart The sprouting out of both is reserved for the afterward of the affliction in the very text and indeed though sometimes they may rise together yet many times long after righteousnesse doth peace appeare in the soule It seemes to be so in that holy man of God who in the height of holy affections wanted the light of Gods countenance and therein peace yet thus he bespeaks himselfe Psal 42.5.11 Why art thou cast downe O my soule and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance who is the health of my countenance and my God His face or presence is salvation and that the health and chearefulnesse of mine all my peace
the purpose The Psalmist observes this Good and upright is the Lord Psal 25.8 9. therefore will he teach sinners in the way that is the right way he expresseth no lesse immediately The meek or humble or afflicted will be guide in judgement that is the right path ordered by him and the meek will be teach his way And the happie effect of this teaching is proclaimed to the Church Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law No reason to proclaime him blessed unles crown'd with the highest good and attained unto God in his very uprightnes and even thither doth God draw him by chastening and by teaching Needs then must that soule learn to walk in right wayes when God himselfe by the rod shall teach him 2. Effective also or a creating power is this issuing from the rod-providence to make Gods chastâ—ned cleave to even paths God himselfe is in the rod therefore must worke like himselfe to bring about his purpose of graâ—e that none can let it In his word he speaks and it is created and in his rod he speaks and his pleasure is effected He sends his word and sayes to the dead live and they live and to the crooked be made streight and they stand upright and no lesse doth he send his rod and cryeth to the wandring sheepe returne and it returneth and to the lame soule walke in even wayes and he walketh The words of promise are therefore peremptory The lame shall leap as the Hart c. It in creatiâ—g darknes and evill afflictions on his people he speaks to heavens and skies to drop downe righteousnes it must be if he be God I the Lord have created it Isa 45.7 8. David found this upright frame really made and abiding on his soule for which he blesseth the houre of his chastening It is good for me Psal 119.71 that I have been afflicted saith he the effect was evident the learning of Gods upright statutes which was no other but the framing of his heart unto them needs then must they walk rightly and run in even paths for whom God makes such hearts and wayes 3. Active likewise and a power of doing or stirring according to the bent or byas of the rod doth God give out to his chastened ones that they may be stirring and make themselves right wayes So that not onely skill for dutie and will for dutie is hence brought home to them but actively diligence and earnest motion to walk in these upright wayes is hence supplyed not onely outward pricks to spurre on from without by the rod smarting but inward motions Non aculcos addit tantum ab extra sed impetus ab intra movet Hos 6.1 quicknings and stirrings to this by the secret hand that manageth the rod upon the heart See this force upon the Church afflicted they egge one another forward to return and walk with God Come say they let us return unto the Lord. c. This then is the first part of the power of this chastening providence naturally inabling the afflicted to make right paths for their feet to walk in To the second the morall force of this afflicting hand upon the following duty is the strength of reason which is so great that it must needs over-power men and make them yeeld to give out themselves to the utmost for obedience unlesse they refuse to be drawne with the cords of a man and declare themselves unreasonable let these strong reasons be weighed for this purpose issuing from this divine providence 1. It is the will of the Chastiser the command of the highest God even your amendment by the Rod to have your feet set even in his right path Ezck. â—3 11 Dâ—sidero alquâ—d audiâ—e de Cwlo can there be stronger reason to perswade obedience from a Law base creature than that word from heaven Turne yee Turn yee why will yee die It is all the warrant for duty which reason can require that which he said I desire to heare something from heaven unlesse yee are stronger then God and can over-top him it is most unreasonable to resist â—is will 2. It is the love of the Mediator to put in between God and you and direct the stroak through himself to beare the bitternesse himself and to let out only so much of the smart as to startle you out of your wandrings and crooked wayes and perswade you to returne and take the streight path that yee may be conformed unto him Is it not the justest reason now that yee should comply with this love of the Mediator is it not most unreasonable to reject his love without a cause and by your frowardnesse returne hatred for his good will 3. It is the Spirits free motion that as he would seale you for God with his owne character so he would drive you to him by the Rod and therefore ruleth in this chastening to by as your hearts to the right path is it reason then to deny this sweetest motion to sadden this Spirit to lame our selves more and turn out of the good way of God The Oxe and the Asse shew more respect to their guides than this In a word through all these hands the Rod is the last means to rectifie a soule and if this do it not it is perverted to perdition Reserving other considerations in the Text for their own place this is the summe of the precedent arguments Absolutely necessary it is to reach that conformity of heart and wayes to God in rectitude the Fathers will the Sonnes love the Spirits motion through the Rod drive the afflicted unto this marke can reason deny to yeeld to this power which is for the mans salvation and not destruction Surely not we shall then take it as undeniably pressed upon chastened soules from this sweet Providence therefore make streight paths for your feet But what is our duty here That is the next part SECT VII The state of our duty in making streight paths for our feet THe power of Providence to help us and reason from the Rod to convince us of duty have before appeared That we are to be doing something being summoned by the Rod is evident what we must do is now the question Make right paths for lame feet we must this the Rod would have that we set our halting feet in Gods even wayes to make our treadings or steps sutable thereunto Now halting here is an unperfect or uneven walking with God when by feares or other blasts we are kept from the strict and right tract of conversation from which we should not swerve Amendment then or thorow reformation is the morall of right paths and right feet joyned together which is our work to look unto to make our thoughts right concerning God concerning sin concerning duties and our affections right suted to various objects according to the rule and our indeavours right striving to keep close to the line of
Christ in all our conversations But who can make an old heart new or a foule one cleane Quest or that which is crooked to become streight Surely not a creature Therefore badly was it glossed by him Answ that this is a notable place for Free-will and little reason was there for that note here it being but a simple command of God here and Gods commands do argue the creatures debts not their abilities otherwise no need of the Covenant of Grace wherein God ingageth himselfe to his covenanted ones for inabling them to all duty and then requires their answerable restipulation Our duty then answering to this command as in all like cases consists in two parts 1. A passive reception of all that influence which God hath promised in his Covenant for rectifying our hearts Agere nostrum est à Deo pati and which by correction hee indeavours to bring in upon our soules this upon our parts is the first work of Faith which alone is the receiving Grace by reason of which reception we are said to do what indeed God properly doth alone As by Faith wee are said to become come the sonnes of God as if we moved our selves to this honour when indeed Christ himselfe casts this upon us and we only thus receive it So are wee said to be saved by Faith and live by Faith as if we were the chief movers in these when indeed God only saves and Christ lives in us we are meerly in this respect receivers So are we commanded to redeeme time to cast off our transgressions and make us a new heart c. when alas wee cannot do the work of one day only wee receive by Faith a double portion of grace from God in circumspect walking in which respect our time is said to be bought out or redeemed Neither can we poore creatures make an hard heart soft and an old heart new only by Faith we receive the impressions of him that saith I will give them a new Spirit I will take the stony heart out of the flesh and give them an heart of flesh So here are wee pressed to make streight paths for feet and even feet and walkings for paths but indeed our making is primarily receiving this impression from the hand of God whose Name is right who alone can rectifie hearts and wayes David therefore turnes his work concerning this into a prayer of Faith Psal 51 10. Renew a right spirit within me hee is on the receiving hand if God will give it This then is the first peece of duty Faith must open the man within and without to receive the impression of Gods rectitude on all In the minde must be received right thoughts right understanding right judgement In the will a right bent or yeelding to the Will of God In the affections a right frame feare and love and joy and hatred and griefe set where they should be And in the eye a right seeing in the eare a right hearing in all the members a right moving power unto God This this is our work to make right paths 2. An active expression of what is received from God Faith works this way also by love to God giving out those right impressions which the soule hath received from him Now this active part of duty Faith performes in these particulars intimated in the very terms of the Text. 1. By evidencing and setting before the soule the right wayes or Lawes of God which are called his paths and that in the power and soveraignty of them as being set up to command obedience and conformity from creatures to them As the Prophet speaks for God The wayes of the Lord are right the just shall walk in them they are soveraign wayes and must have walkers in them Faith makes these supreme or highest in the thoughts and esteem of Gods servants no lesse in their affections and indeavours Now this is a great step to rectitude of heart and walking to acknowledge the soveraignty of the right wayes of God over our bodies and spirits And indeed Gods wayes as they are all higher than mans so are they soveraigne and commanding as himself is which he will not shall be under check Thus Faith establisheth Rom. 3.31 or sets the Law in power over the believers heart and so subjects it in right and due order to Gods command Here is one act toward making of right paths for our feet or steering a right course of life from the instigation of the Rod. So hee makes right paths for his feet who sets them by faith to command his feet to walk in them 2. By setting our lame and halting feet in this right track drawn out for them that is plainly by an exact and watchfull keeping of our hearts conversations in due order and respect unto those right and even wayes of God thus our making right paths is our strict attendance on them This use David made of the Rod hee kept Gods Word and learn'd his Statures better Now if Faith do so evidence the excellency of Gods right wayes and stirs up love in the soule vehemently to them obedience sutable must be the effect which will be the demonstration of that upright frame unto which by charstening the Lord hath drawn them I believe therefore have I spoken saith the Prophet Wee believe therefore we speak say the Apostles sure it is Faith stirs up all the affections of the soul and members of the body love feare delight eyes eares hands and feet to that right worke which it holds forth so he makes right paths for his feet that by Faith makes himselfe to walk in them 3. One act more of Faith sutable to Gods care in afflicting his as it is hinted by an expression in the Text I shall only touch and that is swiftnesse of it's operation making men not only walke but run in this streight course of an holy conversation Faith makes the soule active yea and speedily active even to run in the way of Gods Commandements or contend for conformity to Gods uprightnesse as one striving in a race This indeed is not an Act distinct in kinde from the former but only in degree putting on the spirit to a greater speed in these right wayes Faith hastens in the right and therein a man cannot run too fast Such speed David promiseth to make upon inlargement of his heart from God Psal 119 32. It is safe enough if 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be carryed in that terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is if our running be implyed in this track of a ranning wheel by greater measures of Faith I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shaltinlarge my heart This pious conjecture from the wheel track in the Text suppose of a Chariot I could not omit to put on to speed as well as rectitude in wayes of God so may we admit that glosse Make right races for your feet that is Run rightly in the race which God
outward affliction on the Church a seeming eclipse of Gods countenance Hos 5 13. Jer. 8.22 It is said to be sick and the health of it out gone up nor recovered This state of health then must needs be very sweet therefore evey desirable unto which the rod by its comforting and reforming influence being duely received doth very much advantage The view of the severall healing vertues in the duties urged will clear this and more forcibly presse to a due and conscionable observance of them which shall now be laboured 1. The healing vertue of true comfort soveraigne over all sicknesse lamenesse or halting of spirit to God-ward caused either by sinfull obstructions or dangerous stumblings will be evident in these speciall saving properties of it 1. The closing or uniting vertue of it in case of any breach or separation made by obstructive sin between the soul and Christ its life oyl and balme are therefore sweet expressions of comfort they close the breaches of the flesh and so heal no lesse the consolations of God These reviving influences arising from God do both give forth God unto the soul and draw the spirit back again to God Christs name that is his sweetnesse are comforts manifested is as ointment powred forth Cant. 1.8 which is attractive upon the sense of standers by therefore the virgins love him pure souls separate from uncleannesse by love cleave to him and are closed with him O that broken and afflicted hearts who refuse comfort would but consider every touch of comfort is a close of the soul with Christ they would catch for this that they might close with him 2. There is a gladding influence from this comfort it chears the spirit and makes life lightsome and pleasant this is health grief makes the heart sick but joy restores it The healing medicine of Christ his comfort is therefore stiled the oyl of gladnesse it makes glad the heavie spirit Psal 35.7 and by chearing heals the sad distempers of it no cure to be hoped for him whose spirit is overwhelmed and will take no gladding cordiall Consider thou sad heart not comforted joy revives and grief must kill take heed of self-destroying by rejecting gladnesse that will heal 3. There is an heart inlarging vertue in this comfort of Christ and the more open the heart is to God the more saving health there Oblessed healthy soul where all influences of Christs Spirit have roome and passage to diffuse themselves through the man he must needs be well Grief draws up the heart like a purse and shortens the spirit therefore it must make sick but Comfort opens it wide and gives God full scope Life may expatiate here and delight it self this is health indeed O that the contracted heart that cries out of its straitnesse unto God would think to be comforted is to be inlarged every drop of this oyl opens the heart and gives way to the Spirit of Christ to run to and fro freely this is the savingly healthfull man Psal 27.4.5 Psal 119.32 No man more hunting after comfort then David and none more inlarged to God then he he cals for this and for that also De we the same 4. There is a soul-quickning power in these consolations joy inlivens and makes man active not onely to live but to be lively this is health This very sight of comfort made the Spouse run to her beloved and hasten him with her cries unto her Cant. 1.4 and 8.14 Draw and we will run is her expression and Haste my beloved is her call The active soul for God must needs be healthfull sad heart lie not still complaining thou art dead and dull it is thy sicknesse drink in the consolations of Christ these will restore and quicken why refusest thou to be comforted The God of comfort by the Son of comfort Isa 57.18 through the Spirit of comfort out of the promise of comfort supplies all this to his lame and halt because he will have their healing not their perishing and perpetuates them hereby in a good state of health that it may abide with them for ever Weigh thia inducement to obedience SECT XI The healing vertue of the second duty 2. THe force of healing in the second duty which is equally pressed with the former that we may no lesse urge it from this motive is there considerable The duty is rectifying wayes or reformation which God urgeth from his Rod not to hurt but to heal God would certainly have healing of soules rather then festering or destroying therefore his counsell is to make streight paths that we may be healed rather then subverted The healing vertue then in this duty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 9.10 would be discovered to incourage more earnestly to lay hold upon it and this will appeare in the effects of this rectifying our paths or of reformation if it be that thorow righting of the soule as is intended by it these are a three-fold rectitude left upon the man 1. Recta disposit to partâ—â—m A right disposition of the parts considerable in this living creature which is the new creature or Christian now exercised under Gods Rod. As it is in man or any other living creature it is not well unlesse soule and body have a fit harmonicall union and consent nerver can health be expected there where life was never well seated so unlesse there be a right cementing as I may call it or disposition of the soule with Christ the fundamentall life of it it cannot live and therefore not live well or be in health These conditions are requisite hereunto 1. Mons sana in corpore sano That the parts so disposed for union between themselves be true the truth of Christ to the truth of men to phansie or make an imaginary Christ to be coupled with man or an imaginary man to be united to Christ is but to erre not to rectifie A monstrous imperfect or a crasie body joyned with the most excellent soule can never make an healthy man both true and sound make the man found indeed In this businesse wary we must be not to mistake Christ in respect of our selves Joâ—h 25.1 2. nor our selves in respect to Christ He the true Vine and we the true branches are like to make a noble plant to God Heart to heart spirit to spirit must be suted 2. That the disposition of these each to other be reall imaginary unions are as uselesse here as imaginary parts a reall habitude or respect of each other must be here health is not in imagination but reall fruition 3. That this disposition be immediate between Christ and the soule without any intervening sodering Christ for the soule and the soule for Christ without other mediating causes These may prove obstructions and dest oy our life in Christ not save it 4. That this placing of these parts be orderly Christ in Supremacy the soule in subordination That body is not well whose members are
a worthy demeanour to him by a faithful seeking of the blessed fruit of chastening from him to all this they must buckle strongly as wrastlers labour in their shirts as Artists at it every day and as Racers run till they reach the marke this labour shall not be in vaine the full crop is intail'd upon it and inseparably follows it in its appointed season Afterward the sweet fruit abounds but how long after that we shall see in the ensuing search of the season SECT IIII. The Season of the fruit stated 3. ALL the helpe the text gives us to find out this season is in that one large expression Afterward which yet considered with the rest leaves us not unsatisfied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It hath beene noted of the fruit fore-mentioned that compleatly taken and in its compasse it is Grace and Glory all the effects of Gods favour here begun and the perfection of it in heaven for all this is life truly and life is the fruit of righteousnesse Accordingly this afterward may be of grace that is more neere at hand or else of glory and that hath its stated time the instant of our translation But yet to give you a stricter account of this time-specifying expression it is evident that it points at a future season for gaine contradistinct unto that present of the paine of chastening and in this future notation three things are carried that concerne this fruit The Order Speede and Duration of it 1. In this afterward is carried the order of this fruits appearance it succeedes not foregoes it is after not before the paine and Christian exercise under it folly would brand that husbandman who expects his crop before he till or winter bee over and madnesse in that Christian who lookes for peace before his exercise performed and rod removed It was the method God keepes with his owne Sonne not in way of chastening unlesse the chastisement of our peace he must first suffer and therein manage his suffering well and then enter into his glory the same order is to his members Isa 53.5 Luk. 24.26 first griefe and exercise under the rod then after fruit of righteousnesse and peace 2. In this afterward is intended speede that is soone after or immediatly after labour this fruit is return'd The travelling womans paine after labouring through some throwes brings forth the child anon it is at the very heeles of her travaile unlesse it be a crosse birth whereof no feare in present case so soone comes fruit of grace and peace upon the Christians travaile under the rod atleast the beginnings or first fruit though not the full expected harvest Isa 66.7.8 It is a sweet propheticall note about the miraculous and fruitful return of the Iewes to Christ after their long rejection and many paines when they beginne to exercise and labour under the rod and word indeede As soone as Zion travelled she brought forth her children Nay if that be not soone enough after take a neerer expression Before shee travelled she brought forth before her paine came she was delivered of a man child Then shee neede not stay to labour but understand it rightly it is an expression that noteth speede in fruit-bearing yet not excluding paine in the due labour of the Church but a rhetoricall phrase it is to set forth the swiftnes of the flocking of the Iews to Christ as afterwards Shall a nation be borne at once Hyperbole This was never seene but such an income shal there be of these unto the Lord much like to this As if to expresse the quicke deliverance of a woman in her paines wee say shee had her child before she cryed joy came so speedily after as if it had beene before I shall close this with an eye to the present matter the harder labour under the rod the speedier returne of the desired fruit 3. In this afterward there is duration noted it is a long afterward when once it s come alwaies afterward doth this fruit abide with the exercised soule It is like that in the Psalmist Thou shalt guide me with thy counsaile Psal 73.24 and afterward receive me to glory that is for ever after never to leave glory againe no After shall follow this to cut it off but this fruit shall bee from generation to generation eternity is long enough and that of joy to recompence a present an instant of griefe ye have the burthen of this note of time it tells when how soone how long this blessed fruit of chastening may be expected But how doth the rod bring forth This will be satisfied in the last inquiting of the manner SECT V. The manner of this fruit-bearing 4. ALL that toucheth upon this in the text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is in these it yeeldeth that is the chastening yeeldeth this fruit or giveth it out from it selfe What doth the dry rod or smart upon the flesh carry in it such spirituall effects as righteousnesse c. or else how can it give them forth It is firmly asserted in the text Chastening yeelds this fruit which that wee may take aright two things are to bee remembred concerning chastening 1 The materiall part of it which is nothing but the smart 2 The formall part and that is the spirit of the rod or the spirituall energie which it receiveth from that Hand of power holinesse and grace that useth it toward the children of his bosome when therfore we speake of chastening it is meant the Result of both these not smart abstracted nor spirit abstracted but both united in this chastening and of this it is truly said It yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse and in the particulars following I shall shew you how 1 Orderly for as there are many ingredients in this chastening Smart and Love and Spirit It is Spirit that is active working this good unto the creature for Spirit must be in the cause if Spirit bee the effect Now this mighty spirit workes through smart and through love to bring forth this fruit yet in this method observing these steps 1 Through the paine and griefe upon the flesh as by its instrument it works privatively to take away stubbornnesse and indisposition unto righteousnesse true smart it selfe doth rather anger but spirit and smart will make men yeeld This chastening knocks downe rebellion weakens corruption takes away gainesaying to the will of God for there is the spirit that overpowers and the smart that in bitters sinne unto the flesh so that it becomes willing to leave the dug though its delight when nothing but wormwood is tasted in it This spirituall effect of chastening lieth in that promise Esa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sinne Spirit in paine doth this first 2. Positively by love and smart it drawes to God and formes the fruits of love and purpose of the rod upon the heart Now that love of