worst that ever shall befal him The Lord comes with a murdering Ax to hew down wicked men but he hath only a rattling Rod to his Children This is all the Hell that ever they shall feel is not this comfort 1 Cor. 11.32 But when we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Is not this comfort to know that this is the worst that we shall have God lays upon us a light Affliction and saves us from wrath to come Here is the Rod full of comfort What is a drop of sorrow that the godly taste to the bottomless Sea of wrath the damned do endure for ever Fifthly Yet farther The Rod it is full of comfort as it makes us happy and for this consult that Scripture Iob 5.17 Behold happy is that man whom God correcteth Among the Philosophers some place their happiness in Riches some in Wisdom some in Pleasures and the like but who ever placed happiness in Affliction The Worldlings cry If this be happiness the Lord deliver them from it But Iob saith this Happy is that man whom God correcteth How is he happy he is happy who is made better by Affliction The Cross though it makes the outward condition worse yet it makes the heart better Again he is happy who hath God to visit him Don't we account him a happy person who hath a King to visit him but much more to have a God to visit him Persecution it is a Rod yea but for all that it is a blessed Rod it is a healing Rod. A Rod though it smarts yet it saves the Soul. Well then may a Christian say Lord thy Rod comforts me this makes me happy Happy is that man whom God corrects Sixthly and lastly Gods Rod hath comfort in it as it is a means to bring us to glory Gods Rod whips us to Heaven 2 Cor. 4.17 These light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Affliction is like throwing a Bag of Money at another it may bruise him but it doth enrich him so Affliction it may bruise us but it doth enrich us and this works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory In short the black Rod prepares for the white Rod. Oh Christian thou who art now humbled by some sharp Affliction shalt shortly wear a Garland made of the Flowers of Paradice Thou shalt have thy Soul set thicker with the Jewels of Heaven than the Firmament is with Stars Thus you see this Truth is verified Thy Rod doth comfort me Application First Here are several Inferences to name four First See then from hence the difference betwixt the wicked and the godly God makes the worst things tend to the consolation of the godly and the best things tend to the condemnation of the wicked Let the People of God meet with Affliction it is for the better Gods Rod comforts Let the wicked have prosperity it is for the worse Cordials themselves kill them To the godly evil things have good in them To the wicked good things have hurt in them this is clear Scripture Their Table is a snare I say the wickeds Table is a snare Psal. 69.22 Wicked men have mercy out of Gods hand as Israel had Quails they were sawced with the wrath of God Eccles. 5.13 A clear Scripture I have seen an evil under the Sun Riches kept for owners to their hurt Like Hamans Banquet which was a Prologue to his Execution To wicked men even spiritual mercies are turned into Judgments The Word preached is a savour of death to the wicked 2 Cor. c. 2. v. 16. Nay farther Jesus Christ himself is a Rock of Offence to the wicked 1 Pet. 2.7 Christ is as well for the falling as the rising of many in Israel Luke 2.34 In short Sinners stumble at a Saviour and pluck Death from the Tree of Life As for the godly Gods Rod comforts them As for the wicked Gods very Mercy ruins them Secondly See then from hence that Religion is not to be looked on as a melancholy thing Some persons discourage Religion and draw it with a sour countenance and in a frightful dress but we see the worst of Religion hath much comfort in it the very Rod of God comforts the godly See that Scripture Iames 1.2 Account it my Brethren all joy when you fall into divers temptations that is Afflictions they are called temptations because they are for Tryal Account it all joy joy and all joy Take the sourest part of Religion 〈◊〉 is sourest to the Soul Repentance and that which is sour to the Body Affliction and there is comfort in both First That which is sour to the Soul Repentance there is comfort in that For whom is the Oyl of Joy prepared but for Gods mourners Isa. 61.3 A gracious Soul is never more enlarged and comforted than when he can melt kindly for sin Christ Jesus made the best Wine of Water The best Wine of Joy is made of the Water of true Repentance The Hebrew word to repent signifies to take comfort None have such ground of comfort as a true Penitent When God makes him weep for sin he goes away weeping for joy Thus you see the sourest part of Religion hath comfort in it Secondly Take that which is sour to the Body Affliction and it hath comfort in it A parallel Scripture for this worth observing 2 Cor. 6.10 As sorrowful yet always rejoycing There is comfort in the Rod. A Christian is like a Bird that can sing in the Winter season He can pick comfort out of the Rod and with Sampson fetch Honey out of the Lion. 1 Thes. 1.6 Having received the Word with much Affliction with Joy here is Gods Rod comforting that Christian which knows Affliction tends to the bettering him making his Grace purer and his Crown brighter He can rejoyce in Affliction and say as David Oh Lord thy Rod comforts me Thus you see Religion is no unchearful thing Thirdly A third Inference is this If Gods Rod comforts then it shews us what good reason we have to chuse Affliction rather than Sin. There is something in Affliction to comfort us but there is nothing in Sin to comfort us Sin it is evil and nothing but evil It is the spirit of Witchcraft it defiles the mind disturbs the peace it puts a worm into Conscience a sting into death and a fire into Hell. This is in Scripture called the abominable thing Ier. 44.4 Do not this abominable thing which I hate Sin binds the Soul over unto Gods wrath for ever Oh then what wisdom is it to chuse Affliction rather than Sin A Christian can say there is comfort in the Rod but he cannot say there is comfort in Sin. Sin puts the Soul into an Agony and makes it in the very suburbs of Hell. Moses chose Affliction rather than Sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Fourthly and lastly If Gods Rod comforts
he doth not remit the sin but it will be sad with the sinner at last a sad hour at death the Body and Soul must part and Christ and the Soul must part There is no peace to the wicked saith my God. Can they have peace that strike against the Crown and Dignity of Heaven and make War with Christ and God and Heaven A second Use is of Tryal Use 2. Let us then search and examine Have we this secret and sweet peace in our Souls flowing from the Lord Jesus You may know it these three ways and they are three sure Notes that will never fail First Such as have Christs peace in their Souls they are ingrafted into Christ they are one with Christ. Mark the words of the Text In me peace First we must be in Christ before we can have peace from Christ in me Then peace The Graft or Scien must first be inoculated into the Tree before it receives sap and influence from the Tree We must by faith be inoculated into Christ before we can receive of his fulness The wicked they may presume to have peace and that they shall have peace and yet they are not acquainted with Christ. Do they think ever to have an Interest in Christs peace that have no Interest in Christs person it cannot be A Christless Soul hath no more to do to lay claim to Christs peace than a Woman hath to do to lay claim to a Mans Estate that was never married to him In me saith Christ First in Christ and then you shall have peace from Christ sacred peace it is a Legacy that Christ bequeaths he gives this Legacy not to strangers but to his friends such as are united to him First the Pipe must be laid to the Spring before it receives Water from the Spring so we must first by faith be united to Christ laid to this Spring by faith before we can receive the sweet influences of peace from him That 's the first Secondly Where ever Christ gives peace to any Soul there he always sets up his governing Scepter to bear sway in that Soul. A pregnant Scripture for this Isa. 9.7 Of his Government and Peace shall be no end First there must be Christs Government set up in the Soul before there is peace Whenever the Lord Jesus comes with an Olive branch of peace in his mouth he always comes with a Scepter in his hand A parallel Scripture for this Zech. 6.13 It is a promise of Christ He shall Sit and Rule and he shall be a Priest upon the Throne Observe Christ as a Priest he makes peace but he will be a Priest upon the Throne that is he will bring the heart where he gives peace into a full subjection to his Laws he will be a Priest upon his Throne Now let us examine Have we given subjection to Christ Jesus do we submit to his blessed Laws does Christ Sit and Rule in our hearts as a Priest upon his Throne then all is well There are many people would have Christ to speak peace to them but they will not suffer him to bear Rule they would have his Olive branch but they will not endure his Scepter Thirdly If Christ hath given us this blessed peace then we shall know it thus then he hath made us to be of a meek quiet and peaceable disposition Where ever Christ doth give his peace he makes the heart to be peaceable Isa. 11.6 The Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the Leopard shall lie down with the Kid that is after grace is brought into a mans heart and Christ hath given him peace this man becomes of a peaceable and quiet disposition Now the Wolf shall dwell with the Lamb the fierceness of the Wolf shall be turned into the meekness of the Lamb. It was a saying of Bernard that good man he was a man of a peaceable spirit and at any time when some fell out with him saith he I will be at peace with you though you go on in trouble Such turbulent spirits that are troublers of the common peace they are like the Salamander that lives in the fire of Broyls and of Contention and they love to live in this fire Surely where Christ gives this peace it makes men of a peaceable spirit it turns the Brier into a Mirtle Tree So by this we may know whether Christ hath given us this peace or no. Third Vse is Hereditary And here I will turn my self to such as are acquainted with Christ and this blessed Peace First Have you this blessed peace from Christ then be not over-much troubled about the afflictions and incumbrances that are incident to this present life It is true our lives they are full of vicissitudes and troubles it will be so He that doth not expect some trouble must go out of the world Fear and grief are the two constant companions of Mans Life You may as well separate weight from Lead or moistness from the Air as trouble from the Life of Man. Doth not the Text say In the world you shall have tribulation But here is that which may sweeten the troubles of Gods People Christ gives peace Here is an Antidote against your fears and troubles and none like a Scripture Antidote That in me saith Christ ye might have peace This is a glorious peace indeed it is a peace that will hold out in a Storm and Tempest it turns a Prison into a Paradice it turns our Mourning into Musick it turns our Sighs into Songs and Triumphs As that holy man dated his Letter thus Written from the pleasant Garden of the Lion Prison David he had Christ prepared and therefore let the times be never so stormy he would lie down in peace Psal. 4.8 I will lay me down in peace It was a very tempestuous time David was flying from his Son Absolom Now saith David I will lay me down in peace I will take a nap and sleep sweetly upon this good Pillow of Conscience I will sleep in peace David he was in danger of losing two Jewels at once but there is a third Jewel he could not lose and that was a good Conscience I read of one that had a precious Stone and it was of that brightness that it made it be like the Ark when it was tossing upon the Water Let me allude to it If Jesus Christ hath given us this peace this will give light to the Soul when the Clouds do gather and thou art tossing upon the Waters of Affliction Secondly If Christ hath given thee a well grounded peace oh be thankful for this great gift No Rhetorick no Tongue of Angels can set it forth in all its glory Peace of Soul it makes a harmony in a Christian Though there be never so many discouragements in the world yet he enjoys a harmony in his own Soul. This inward peace it is the best still Musick That you may be thankful for this peace consider how sad it is to want this peace because this is
affliction 2 Cor. 4.17 18. The Cross is light in comparison of the Cross which Christ conformed to The Cross is light in comparison of the weight of glory and thus faith makes the Soul go through affliction Thirdly This kissing of Christ by faith pleases God more than any thing we can do besides it is better than to give God Rivers of Oil it is better than Sacrifice it is faith that pleases God this is the savoury meat which God loves to tast of And the reason why believing is thus pleasing to God is this because by believing we bring a righteousness into Gods presence which is perfectly meritorious We don't bring the righteousness of Adam into Court or the righteousness of Angels but we bring the righteousness of God and this is that which makes believing so pleasing to God. If then to kiss Christ by faith be the great work under the Gospel why then let us labour thus to kiss the Son of God by believing in him and puting and placing our full hope in him That 's the first thing Kiss him with a kiss of faith Secondly We must kiss the Son of God with a kiss of Love. Indeed Christ he is the wonder of beauty he is nothing but Love. God is love 1 Iohn 4.8 Christ hath that majesty in him which may draw reverence and he hath that mercy in him that may draw love to him The Lord Jesus he is a whole Paradice of delight why then kiss him with a kiss of love Let it be a sincere love 1 Cor. 16.21 Grace be with them that love the Lord Iesus in sincerity and truth Don't kiss him with a Iudas kiss to betray him but love him sincerely that is love his person more than Jewels Love Christ more for what he is than for what he hath and then love Christ with a superlative love a love above all things whatsoever Christ hath loved you more than others you that are Believers he hath loved you with such a love that he doth not bestow upon the wicked You have Electing love you have Adopting love let your love to Christ be such a love that none else but Christ may be a sharer that is give Christ a love that is joyned with adoration Don't only kiss Christ with your lips but worship him in your hearts That 's a second Kiss Christ with a kiss of Love he deserves your love most and he deserves your love best Thirdly Kiss Christ with a kiss of Obedience This is to kiss Christ when we submit to him when we obey his Laws when we are under his Jurisdiction There are many in the world give Christ a complemental kiss they seem devout and zealous they bow and cringe O but they don't obey the Son they kiss Christ as their Saviour but they will not submit to him as their Prince The truth is they would have Christ and their lusts together they would embrace his Promises but they will not obey his Commands O kiss the Son with a kiss of Subjection We should be like the Needle that points that way which the Loadstone draws Those persons that will not have Christs Laws to rule them they shall never have Christs Blood to save them Now to perswade you to kiss the Lord Jesus with a kiss of Obedience consider these two things 1. The first is in the Text lest he be angry Anger is not in Christ as a passion but anger is said to be in Christ as a displeasure in him And his punishing of offenders is the effect of his displeasure Who knows the power of his anger O therefore kiss the Son lest he be angry See that place in Rev. 6. v. 15. The Kings of the Earth the great men hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the Mountains and said to the Rocks and the Mountains Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sits on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Now the Lamb of God is turn'd into a Lion and therefore they cry out to the Rocks O hide us from the wrath of the Lamb He that hath no part in the Blood of the Lamb will have a part in the wrath of the Lamb. If you will not kiss the â—on and lie down at his feet and submit to him then you must fall into his hands and the Apostle saith It 's a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10.31 It is good for to fall into his hands when he is a friend O but it 's sad to fall into his hands when he is an adversary God is the sweetest friend but he is the sourest enemy When but one spark of Gods wrath doth light upon a man it is so terrible what is it then to have the whole Furnace of his wrath How easily can the Lord Jesus crumble us to dust he can unpin the whole world O then kiss the Son lest he be angry The Mountains quake at his presence and will not the sinners heart quake Perhaps you think this Lion is not so fierce as he is painted Look into one Scripture Ezek. 22.14 Can thine heart endure or can thine hand be strong in the day that I shall deal with thee 2. Secondly If we kiss the Son by believing in him and by obeying him Christ will answer Love with Love he will smile upon us he will kiss us with the kisses of his mouth Cant. 1.8 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better than wine Christ will lay us for ever in his bosom and if we give him a kiss of Love he will give us a Crown of Life Rev. 2. The last Use. Here 's a word of terrour to wicked men instead of kissing the Son they disobey him dishonour him vex his Spirit do all they can to spite him They take counsel against the Lord and his Anointed Are there not many that do all they can to overturn Christs Interest they would stop the Conduit-pipes that transmit the Water of Life Rev. 17.14 They shall make war with the Lamb and the Lamb shall overcome them Christ will get the Victory he will come off Conquerour Jesus Christ he will lay his Saints in his bosom but he will put his Enemies under his feet Psal. 110.1 I will make mine enemies my footstool Those that will not be ruled by Christs Royal Scepter his Scepter of grace they shall be broken by his Rod of Iron In short All those that do oppose Christ they shall be as so many ripe clusters of Grapes to be cast into the great Wine-press of Gods wrath and to be trodden by the Son of God till their blood squeezes out The Lord Jesus he shoots his Arrows very deep into the very hearts of his Enemies Psal. 54.5 His Arrows are sharp in the hearts of his Enemies The Persians they dip their Arrows in poison to kill more mortally So Jesus Christ he shoots his Arrows of poison and because they