the tree which bringeth not forth good fruit Mat. 3. 10. And now also the Ax is laid to the Root of the Trees therefore every Tree which bringeth not forth good Fruit is hewen down and cast into the Fire And if this bringing forth no good Fruit brings the Tree to Everlasting burning what fierce Flames will burn those Trees which bring forth a great deal of bad Fruit Such as you read of Deut. 32. 32 33. For their Vine is of the Vine of Sodom and of the Fields of Gomorrah their Grapes are Grapes of Gall their Clusters are bitter their Wine is the Poyson of Dragons and the cruel Venom of Asps To go on in Sin after recovery from Sickness may shorten your days and make Sentence against you to be speedily executed 5. Though Death is a little delayed yet it will certainly and quickly come let it not find you unprepared Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto men once to dye and after this the Judgment And this appointment is concerning you as well as others Therefore speak every one of you as Job did Job 30. 23. For I know that thou wilt bring me to Death and to the House appointed for all the living 'T is not more certain you are alive than 't is certain that you shall shortly die And wo to you if you lie still and at last die in your Wickedness If Sin be the sting of Death then so many Sins as you have been guilty of so many stings will your Death have A King of Terrors indeed it will be found when with so many stings 't is armed Pray hard that a saving change may be wrought in Heart and Life before the great change come and that you may pass from Death to Life in a Spiritual Sense before in a Natural Sense you pass from Life to Death USE III. Of Direction more generally unto all and here I shall direct you How to carry it under Affliction And likewise how after Affliction that you may receive much good by Affliction In the first place I am to direct you how to carry it under Affliction 1. Under Affliction be perswaded and take great notice that God himself is come to visit you Though he be not the Author of sin yet Penal Evils are all from him chastning is called the Chastning of the Lord Heb. 12. 5. Chastisements are stiled his rebukes His Providence is so extensive that not a Sparrow falls to the ground without Him Nothing then befalls any of the Children of men but by Divine Appointment Fix your Eyes therefore upon God He has taken you in hand and out of his hand none can rescue you and the wound that is made will remain uncured till the same hand heal which gave it Job 9 13. If God will not withdraw his anger the Proud helpers do stoop under him The Chaldeans were the Ax but Gods hand hewed Israel with it they were the Saw but Gods hand did shake it And when you see 't is really God himself that visits you in Severity behave your selves as Creatures ought to do towards their Creator who is infinitely above them has been greatly offended by them can easily crush them and yet is able and ready upon Humiliation to cure them If the Invisible God who corrects were more eyed in all the strokes he give you this would have a mighty Efficacy to abase you before him and to make Affliction attain its end upon you that an end might be put to your Affliction 2. Under Affliction Justifie God and accept the Punishment of your Iniquity in Affliction Conscience may speak very plain and home and so as that you have nothing to reply and the Spirit of God may set in with Conscience and make its charge more unanswerable Heedfully listen to Conscience and Mind the Convictions of the Spirit Oh search and try your ways the ways that your Hearts and Affections have gone as well as the Paths you have broken with your Feet Be better acquainted with the evil nature of your own ways and their pernicious and destructive Tendency Lay blame where it ought to be laid upon an evil Heart especially for that 's the fruitful womb in which Sin is conceived that brings forth all the Evils wherewith the man is defiled 'T is the Evil Heart which through unbelief departs from the Living God and is inclined to dead works and lying Vanities Fail not to clear the Justice of God as it is written That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and mightest overcome when thou art judged Rom. 3. 4. Judge likewise and condemn your selves and your Sin as the meritorious cause of all your Sorrows and Sufferings Never look upon Sin but behold the long train of Evils that follow after it and if you were not deliver'd from Sin it self this train of Evils would run Parallel with Eternity God requires the Heart should be humbled and accept the Punishment of its Iniquity The Heart must firmly believe that Sin is that whereat God is displeased that Sin is the procuring Cause of all other Evils that are felt and that the true Reason of Gods Controversie is because even because his Word and Commandments have been cast behind the back despised and broken Levit. 26. 41 43. 3. Under Affliction be sensible of the Plagues of your own Hearts and Consent with Earnest Desire to have them presently and throughly healed The Sickness and Perishing of the outward man is for the restoring the inward man to Health The Humours and Appetites and Inclinations of the Body are an occasion of much Sin in the Soul which should make you the more contented that the Flesh should be diseased and pained and ready to perish that the Spirit may be healed and saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Corporal Diseases attain not their end unless they make you sensible of Spiritual Maladies Is thy Head thy Breast thy Back or any part of thy Body out of Order presently look with a diligent search into thy own Heart to know what that ailes that there may be the more serious and speedy Application to the great Physician of Souls Ephraim when chastized was sensible of the stubbornness of corrupted Nature and its backwardness to come under the Yoak of God I was says he as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoak and he prays not so much for the removal of the Rod as for Grace that might Convert him unto God who did correct him Afflictions are Spiritual Medicines much made use of by the Lord who heals his People Sick-beds are the places where he Works great cures when the Face is Pale when the Pulse beats disorderly when the Blood is boiling hot and the whole Body in a Flame and the frame of Nature seems just ready to be dissolved all this has a mighty Influence unto the Souls Healthiness and Prosperity How are dreggs then purged out and how Pure Humble and Heavenly minded is the Heart then 4. Under Affliction desire
Christ Jesus therefore they must needs be good for them for nothing comes to them through Him that is otherwise He has born the Saints sins so that they are neither condemned nor commanded by them He unstings death before it seizes upon any of his Members so that the venom and poison of death which is sin is gone and death without a sting is not to be dreaded And Christ has also born the Saints Sicknesses and Infirmities Mat. 8. 17. and so the cause of them is removed God does not demand satisfaction to his Justice in the Afflictions of his People for Christ by his Sufferings has made full Satisfaction He does not exact Law Payment of them for Christ was made under the Law and fulfilled it and bare the Curse due to Believers for transgressing of it The Blood of Jesus Christ how does it alter Afflictions it turns them into profitable and healing Medicines Oh Blessed Troubles in which Christ himself Sympathizes with Souls that are troubled Isa 63. 9. In all their Afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his Presence saved them 'T is certainâ—y good to be in the Furnace if the Son of God be there with us to mitigate the heat of it and to consume the dross only while the Metal is secured and purified 4. Afflictions make the Saints Conformable to Christ their Head and 't is never better with the Members than when there is the greatest resemblance in them to their Head and Lord. He was perfected as Mediatour through Sufferings At length he suffer'd so much that he cried out It is finished he paid a full Price for his Churches Redemption and made her Everlasting Peace His Members also must be perfected in Mortification and Holiness by Sufferings also these help to pull down Pride and Self-confidence to tame the Flesh and to check and kill the Affections and Lusts of it Happy Afflictions which make afflicted Believers more like to their Lord in whom they do believe In Conformity to Christ lies our Excellency and Safety This Conformity is in a special manner designed Rom. 8. 29. For whom he did foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first born among many Brethren The Image of the Earthly Adam is our Shame the Image of the Heavenly Adam is our Glory 5. The Afflictions of the Saints are under a Promise that they shall work for good The Medicines which the great Physician of Souls gives to Believers do Work well as they are very proper so very Effectual Rom. 8. 28. We know says the Apostle we are assured of it by Faith and we find it true by Experience That all things Work together for good to them that love God who are called according to his purpose God himself will Work along with Calamities and Troubles of all sorts and bring forth much good out of the very worst of them They work upon the Hearts of the Saints and better the frame and temper and Inclinations of them They work upon their Tongues and lay a Bridle upon them and bring them under the Law of Holiness Love and Kindness they work upon the Actions making them more agreeable to that Rule which whosoever walk according to Peace and Mercy shall be upon them Nay Afflictions work no less than Glory and when the Apostle considered the Weight and Eternity of that Glory he made light of the heaviest Afflictions the Benefit is unconceiveably vast that quickly is reaped from them 2 Cor. 4. 17. For our light Affliction which is but for a Moment worketh for us a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory Not that Affliction and Suffering though for Righteousness sake does deserve this Glory but it makes it the more Minded and Desired and is a means to make us meet for the Enjoyment of it and the Promise is sure that if we suffer according to the Will of God we shall also Reign with him 6. Afflictions must needs be granted to the Saints for they purge out the worst evil of all and that is Sin Oh! 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 out of measure sinful Sin No Name so bad as thy own No Evil so great as thou art Let all the Calamities of the Earth and all the Miscries of Hell be put into the One Scale together and Sin into the other as Sin is the Cause of them all so it will outweigh them all 'T is the abominable thing which Gods Soul hates 'T is the great Evil and Enemy whereby Mans Soul is ruined How much is Affliction good for since 't is a Soveraign means whereby such an Evil as Sin is purged away Isa 27. 9. By this therefore shall the Iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the Fruit to take away his Sin 7. The Afflictions of the Saints are means to prevent their Eternal Sufferings in the other World The Rod is of their Fathers own Appointment to deliver his Childrens Souls from Hell Present Castigation prevents Eternal Condemnation 1 Cor. 11. 32. But when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we might not be condemned with the World Not that Sin has not ill demerit enough to make us obnoxious to Sufferings in both Worlds not that Chastizement makes satisfaction for Transgression But it makes the Saints to fly to the Lord Jesus for the making up of all breaches between God and them which Sin has made and 't is effectual to make them truly Humble and Penitent Now Faith and Repentance have the Promise of Life annexed to them Whosoever believes on the Son of God shall not perish but have Everlasting Life Joh. 3. 16. And Repentance is said to be unto Salvation and consequently not be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. 8. Afflictions bring the Saints nearer to God and to be near to Him how good is it for them Psal 73. 28. God expects a more serious seeking and a nearer approach when he afflicts his People Hos 5. 15. I will go and return to my Place till they acknowledge their Offence and seek my Face in their Affliction they will seek me early And his People Answer his Expectation Hos 6. 1. They say Come and let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he has smitten and he will bind us up Afflicted Saints inquire after God they come with their Penitential Acknowledgments and desire more fully to know wherefore it is that he Contends that the ground of the Controversie may be removed It is meet that the Afflicted Saint should say and with his Heart he does say it unto God I have born Chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done Iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 31 32. All that is within him now yields unto God and being melted in the Furnace of Affliction he desires to be cast into the mould of his Word Happy blows which drive the
Instruction and that you may learn all the Lessons which the Rod is sent to teach you You are commanded to hear the Rod Mic. 6. 9. The Lords Voice cryeth unto the City and the Man of Wisdom shall see thy Name hear ye the Rod and who hath appointed it The Rod has a Voice and 't is strong and startling if you will but heed it it will be very articulate and plain to you Chastning is truly beatifical makes the chastized blessed when the Lord does chastize and teach together or gives Instruction with and by Correction Psal 94. 12. Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law When the Schoolmaster has a Rod in his hand has given several Lashes and is ready upon neglects and new faults to give more how does the Scholar mind every Word his Master speaks to him with what Care and Diligence is his Lesson learned The Rod of God should quicken Attention to his Voice and cause a most serious regard to his whole Will and Pleasure Is the Lesson of the Rod concerning thy Pride 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be cloathed with Humility for God resisteth the Proud but giveth Grace to the Humble Is the Lesson of the Rod concerning thy Love to the World 1 Joh. 2. 15. Love not the World neither the things that are in the World if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Is the Lesson of the Rod concerning thy Sloth Heb. 6. 12. That ye be not slothful but followers of them who through Faith and Patience inherit the Promises Is the Lesson of the Rod concerning thy foolish fleshly and hurtful Lusts 1 Pet. 2. 11. Dearly beloved I beseech you as Strangers and Pilgrims abstain from fleshly Lusts which war against the Soul Finally Is the Lesson of the Rod concerning thy unruly Passions Prov. 14. 29. He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding but he that is hasty of Spirit exalteth Folly So that 't is very visible and exposed to the view of all Jam. 1. 20. The Wrath of man worketh not the Righteousness of God Eph. 4. 31 32. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice and be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Whatever the Lesson of the Rod be let it be your care to be throughly instructed in it and practise in those who have learned to purpose 5. Under Affliction sincerely turn and seek to that God who smites you A thorough Conversion is the end of Correction Take notice of the false ways in which you have gone astray and how near you were to the brink of Eternal Perdition venture not to take so much as one step farther in Hells Road. But return to God unfeignedly and with your whole Heart Consent to be wholly His that your whole man should be at his Command and have respect to all his Precepts without Exception Psal 119. 5 6. Oh that my ways were directed to keep thy Statutes then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandments Judah is branded for this that they refused to turn to him that smote them No wonder that Gods anger did abide and that his hand was still felt very heavy upon them Isa 9. 12 13. For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still for this People turneth not to him that smiteth them neither do seek the Lord of Hosts The hand that smites you if you will not turn can give worse blows nay it can give a deadly blow that may strike you quite down both into the Grave and Hell together The hand that smites alone can heal therefore it concerns you to humble your selves under it How great is the goodness of God that he gives you leave to turn to him that he requires you to seek him and that for no less than his Favour his Grace and Eternal Glory and Blessedness And all this shall be yours if you seek diligently 6. Under Affliction take heed of despising the chastning of the Lord. Heb. 12. 5. Ye have forgotten the Exhortation that speaketh unto you as unto Children My Son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord. Chastning is despised when the Lords hand in chastning is not taken notice of nor his end in Correcting is Minded or Complied with when neither his displeasure manifested in rebukes is observed nor Sin mourned for which does displease him Thus for a while chastning was despised by him you read of Isa 57. 17. For the Iniquity of his Covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went frowardly on in the way of his Heart But at last he was brought to a better temper The Lord humbled him and healed the frowardness of his Heart and likewise removed his stroke from him V. 18. I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore Comfort to him and to his Mourners In Affliction take notice of God as the Afflicter else you contemn him take notice of Sin as the cause why you are afflicted for if Sin be not laid to Heart that God whom you Sin against is disregarded Nay Saints in a sense despise chastning if they don't behold that the Rod they feel is in their Fathers hand for the Exhortation the Apostle tells us speaks as unto Children and that it is a token of his Paternal Faithfulness and Love Prov. 3. 12. Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth To look upon Afflictions meerly as evils is to despise them They ought to be lookt upon as Arguments of Gods Fatherly Wisdom and Care and as Talents improvable to great Spiritual Advantage The Cup is in the hand of a Father and all the Ingredients in it are healing Every Member of Christ therefore should speak that Language which his Head spake before him Joh. 18. 11. The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it 7. Under Affliction faint not neither be weary of Correction He is infinitely wise who does correct and therefore Correction shall not be excessive but in measure Jer. 30. 11. I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee I will not make a full end of thee but will correct thee in measure and not leave thee wholly unpunished The measure of Affliction is such as he who is best able to judge sees to be needful and no more 1 Pet. 1. 6. Now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through many Temptations God will lighten your burthen or if he should add to your Load he will proportion Strength that you may be able to bear it Faint not under his hand for when he strikes he also sustains and in Wrath remembers Mercy Be willing that Affliction should remain till 't is sanctified and