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
God no lesse shall I desire and wait for the eminent Piety Holinesse and zeale for his cause in the power of them to give him Glory his Peculiar in word in waies in worship this he will have either from you or upon you How well spent are we if we be consumed and God glorified Saints are but Lamps or Candles of God they burne and shine to shew his beauty and at last are done Col. Gould goe out sweetly and expire in his glory Such a Lamp is lately gone out with you that is burnt spent for Christ his Church and you His life was light and that desired his death darkenesse not in yours onely but the kingdomes Hemisphaere and that lamented I cannot thinke upon such a publike Man but with Honour and though Envy barke the memory of the iust shall be blessed I mention him onely to move you to a repaire of such a Light Be all so burne and shine and spend state and parts and lives to become at last Gods Glory in expiring 3. Towards your selves I pray and waite for out of all your troubles the fruit of Love Vnion though in times of peace Christians may perhaps grow fat and proud and wanton and kick with the heele yet me thinks the rod and afflictions should tame them Though in the palace the Martyres may contend the stake did surely make them friends One scourge upon all backs for one cause by one Adversary will certainely whip the hearts of them together that suffer Either ye are not all indeed sufferers in the same cause of Christ if so let Hypocrites unmaske themselves or else ye must bee of the same heart and minde O let that cursed selfe dye and let Christ live in you then ye shall bee of one heart and of one minde Selfe-conceit Selfe-ends Selfe-pleasing let them perish Is this a time to seeke things for our selves Seeke Christ serve and please one another in him no way so holy and so prosperous Let the rod have such an answer or if by any other arguments I may let me now beg you into mutual love and sweet accord I will strive by the Apostles strength Beloved if there be any consolation in Christ Phil. 2.1 2. any comfort in love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowells and mercies fulfill my joy to be like-minded in the Lord. With this hope I send this token to you in this hope I am hasting towards you your union and mutuall love in Christ will be my joy your divisions from him my greatest griefe Honour Christ and comfort me and blesse your selves in yeelding this fruit Take now this pledge of my love and use it I also shall bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that while ye are reading the Spirit of life and light may fall upon you and change your hearts into the likenesse of every Truth Hee teach and stablish and comfort and perfect you unto Gods Heavenly Kingdome Into his bosome I now commend you through the Beloved In whom I must subscribe my selfe Lond. May. 11th 1644. Your unworthy Pastor desirous to be your faithfull servant for Jesus sake GEORGE HVGHES A DRY ROD BLOOMING AND FRVIT-BEARING OR A Treatise of the Pain Gain c. use of Gods Chastenings upon his own Children issuing from this Text Heb. 12.11 12 13. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous neverthelesse afterward it yeeldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse unto them that are exercised thereby Wherefore lift up the hands which hang downe and the feeble knees And make streight or even pathes for the feete lest that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather bee healed THE FIRST PART Of the Paine of Chastenings SECT I. The scope and inference of this Scripture-ground leading to the work THe Text in its scope is a Lenitive prepared and prescribed by the highest and most able hand to ease the smart The Scope and cure the faintings of his chosen portion under all afflictions Such care doth God expresse to the true seede of Abraham the Hebrew his old Friend in their deepest sufferings The inference is thus The illation The Apostle had finished the maine doctrinall part of this Epistle touching the glory sufficiencie and efficacie of the great Minister of the Gospel chap. 10. v. 18. The summary drift of all which was That every Soule both of Jew and Gentile for all things toward God must onely wholly acquiesce or rest satisfied in that one Jesus Christ the Sonne of God by whom alone the Father hath revealed his bosome-thoughts and purposes concerning that one way of saving poore sinners This ground worke being laid he thence laboreth to draw them to practise and duties sutable to such a Doctrine 1. To neerer acquaintance with God by this new revealed Christ v. 19 20 21 22. 2 To boldnesse and constancy in the profession of this Sonne of God v. 23. 3 To mutuall care for stirring up each other to walke worthy of such a Ministry and not to sinne against this revealed truth with mighty arguments to inforce it from v. 24. to 32. 4 To patience under any crosse that may accompany this profossion of Christ he toucheth their past experience of scoffes reproaches spoylings of their goods he adviseth to store themselves with patience for the future for as much as they should finde neede of it from the certaine and speedy comming of their Redeemer incourageth them to faith as the only rise and maine support of patience which closeth that chapter In the whole 11th c. he reports the effects notable exploits of this victoriousfaith in many Worthies of their owne nation that made them endure to the nullifying of torments and astonishment of their bloody persecutors therein exemplifying the power of faith working patience In the 12. chap. v. 1 he resumes with greater strength from the cloud of witnesses his former counsell and presseth them to runne out with patience the race that was set before them with the addition of some forcing considerations 1 From the leader in this course Christ the Sonne of God to whom all must bee conformed in sufferings that beare his name v. 2.3 4. 2 From the Author and inflicter of these smart rods it is God the Father and he takes not this paines in chastening any but his children v. 5 6.7.8 3 From the end of these chastenings it is not from pleasure as earthly parents may doe but for our prosit that we might be partakers of his holines should we decline such rods v. 9.10 4 From the future certaine event which every exercised soule shall finde from all sufferings in Christ for Christ this is the peaceable fruit of righteousnesse one maine clause of the text and would a Belcever lose this for escaping the crosse Summe wee up all premised in these collections Gods care is very tender to his afflicted Christ their hope
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
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
rod learn this truth Note 1. A right perfect judgment of the state of chastening cannot be made from present sense but from future successe The judgement of faith is better then that of sense in this matter this seeth nothing but present griefe therfore judgeth it all evill but faith perceiveth love faithfulnes of God in his scourge discovers the insuing good of it in the promise therfore determines it good very good and nothing better while Jeremy looks no further then present smart Jer. 15.10 Job 3.3 Jer. 20.24 he bewails himself Woe is me he takes himselfe as a man undone So Job while his sense is judge curseth the day of his birth as the other also Sensuall judgement upon Gods dealings misguides men to perverse thoughts of Gods rod and le ts loose passion and whets the tongue against the Almighty Thus they tumble in the net and are faster taken and murmure themselves into greater torture for God will have the mastery and whip his own out of sensuall rashnes and complaints I note this for the profit of Gods own in this day of darknesse sense never deals well with Gods word nor with his rod lay that aside rectifie your thoughts of the present troubles on the Church by beleeving let faith looke through the providence which now chastiseth us it will discover the after part of it to be very good so full of glory to Gods people that they would not avoid the smart to lose the gaine Ease and deliverance in this case would be spurn'd away by a beleeving soul It was Israels sin to live by sense to murmure in straits to be barren in mercies Unhappy sense unhappy men that live by it Sense makes Murmurers Beggers and Apostates from God in time of trouble but faith makes Martyrs gainers and fruitfull praisfull admirers of God in fiery tryalls beleeve throughly and then judge aright of Gods chastening providence 2. Looke we upon the linking of rod of exercise of fruit all this gaine is given in to exercise this exercise is daily labour this labour must be under the rod this note is worth the taking The more exercise under affliction the greater fruit to Gods people the longest labour under the rod hath the largest income of peace and righteousnesse Note 2. The more paines the greater gaines in the trade If there be a rich veine of metall in a mine the longest the hardest labour brings the greatest and the richest profit Now there is abundance of heavenly good hid in Gods chastening as much as his love can compasse and all this to bee wrought out by exercise therefore the longest travell will bring the largest fruit Yet not the longest continuance of the scourge absolutely gives this advantage but the longest that can stand with the Christians exercise for there is an appointed time for the kindly working of every affliction and excesse in it may cut off a mans hands and barre from exercise kill and not quicken to the work As there is a stated time for the seede to lye under ground if excessively it be kept under it dies for ever and cannot get up to fruit but within the set season the longer it lies the root is deeper and the fruit greater There is a time also that the refiner sets for the golds triall in the furnace and within these limits the longer it continues the purer it comes forth but in outlying these it loseth it selfe as well as drosse So in our present case the time of the rod is measured for doing good while Christian spirits are spur'd to work and quickned to labour by it within these bounds the most continued labour brings forth the greatest crop but beyond this stint the rod breakes and kills These bounds of time our refiner the Lord himselfe onely knowes but this we may build on if it should be all the daies of the standing of our Tabernacle all those daies we stoutly exercise under our afflictions as our strength is not over-wrought so our returne of fruit will be exceeding great These suggestions will evince it 1 Gods inlarged thoughts of tendernesse and respect to the long sufferings of his people to have them relieved and eased Note one instance to his deare Ierusalem Isa 40.12 Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord c. for she hath received at the Lords hand double for all her sinnes How double Neither she nor any creature can pay a single debt to God bat yet the Lord so indulgeth the long travailing soule that he accounts every lash two and provides treble comfort It s not enough to comfort her once but againe comfort her nay and againe speake comfortably to Ierusalem sure there is nothing lost in the longest sufferings if God so account of his peoples paines 2. Isa 61.7 Gods inlarged hand for returne to the hard and long traveiles of his children Heare his proportion For your shame you shall have double for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their land they shall possesse the double Everlasting joy shall be unto them In this reading we have good gaines two for one in joy for suffering in honour for reproach No cause then of repenting bargaine in this paines But if wee take another as may be fit For your double shame and confusion they shall praise their portion it is usuall thus to change the person as if he had said ye shall be no loosers by your multiplyed afflictions for your double shame ye shall have a worthy portion your selves and all that see it shall commend it or if this may bee thought two little eternitie hath enough in its compasse to satisfie you everlasting joy shall bee upon you Make not hast then brethren from under the rod but labour in the fires your worke shall be well rewarded and long travailes crown'd with everlasting peace 3. Note 3. Remembring that this exercise is such stiffe frequent constant labour age and growth must needs be requisite to this another usefull note will issue hence The right managing of afflictions to the full purchase of the sweet fruit intailed is a manly worke Heb. 5.13.14 and beseeming a growne Christian Exercise truly stated is the character of distinction which the Spirit makes between men and babes in Christ It is true as in meates there is difference milke for babes strong meate for men yet both eates and digest though not the same So in workes there is variety slighter for Children harder for men yet both are doing so in rods also there is distinction twigs for children but cudgells and whips for them of stronger growth yet both suffer God hath so fitted correction as well as foode and worke for severall ages in his Kingdome but so to indure affliction and manage it to the greatest advantage as may bee attained to bring in the abundance of peace and righteousnesse this will exercise the strongest Christians lesse strength may gaine
Spirit to bring in the severall vertues of Christ for perfecting our salvation in these speciall wayes 1. In answering the Spirit to his worke of union for as that from Christ takes hold of us so faith in us moved by the Spirit takes hold of him whereby the soule is actually united to him and by this union made partaker of all saving vertue in him therfore of the power of his death Rom. 11.20 Hence it is said that we are ingrafted into Christ by faith and no lesse that Christ dwels in our be arts by faith Ephes 3.17 Now the work whereunto faith moves us in this matter is to yeeld to the Spirits offer and to close with Christ as members whom he reveales as sent of God to be our head and so with him to become one Christ mysticall thus our minds by faith are moved to close with him by apprehending knowing and acknowledging him to be our head our wills by choosing him and yeelding to him as head and our hearts by faith also cleaving to him as head in loving fearing and delighting in him thus by consent of faith are we brought to union with Christ and thereby to communion in all his fulnesse whence we draw from his death that fruit which his death doth yeeld and from his resurrection that good which it carrieth for us and in a word from him thus we have grace for grace as the graft sucks out the juice and fatnesse of the good Olive 2. In answering to the Spirits worke of revelation faith is serviceable which faith doth and indeed onely can doe by making evident and reall to the soule what the Spirit by the word reveals Now indeed the greatest works of the Gospel on mens hearts are effected by revelation the Gospels light hath a mighty influence upon all saving effects Nothing of grace is wrought in a soule but by light this works life and all to men To the present case the Spirit reveales Jesus Christ the compleat salvation to his people his death the plague of their sin his resurrection the cause of their life to God and therefore a necessity of dying and living with him this revelation being made evident reall by faith unto a soule becomes not a Platonicall Idea or vaine speculation but an over-powering truth working it selfe into the heart and moulding it into its owne likenesse of death or life The power of such revelation is eminently averred by a mighty Apostle that was once a bitter enemy to the Gospel yet thus he speaketh Gal. 1.15 When it pleased God to reveale his Sonue in me immediately I conferred not with flesh and bloud It was so powerfull being evidenced by faith that it presently takes him from all carnall considerations knits him so fast to Christ that flesh bloud can never take him off somewhat like that fiery charret that separated Elijah from Elisha and took him unto God indeed such fire there is as well as light in these revelations realized by faith And that this is faiths serviceable worke to the Spirit so to evidence is cleare enough when it is styled the Evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 faith will convince when no light els can move The Spirit of revelation therefore meeting with faith Eph. 1.17.19 leaves great and mighty works upon that soule no lesse than the might of the power of God revealed to them can effect Such is that in the present instance when the Spirit revealing and faith evidencing the death of Christ to be sinnes destruction the soule is hereby lest dead unto sin Let faith therefore worke upon this revelation to evidence it that the minde may discerne it and heart rest upon it the life of sin will surely fall as the hearts of Israel at the sight of Goliah or as the man dyes at the piercing of the Cockatrices eye 3. Faith serves the Spirit to bring in the vertnes of Christ upon the soule in answering its application and direction concerning this matter by receiving one and obeying the other which being fitted for this instrument none but faith can answer It hath been declared before that the maine worke of bringing christ and his excellencies into the soule is upon the hand of Gods mighty Spirit This unites to him and reveales the force of him and by its spirituall energie gives or applies him intirely for life and every piece of him for the severall effects of grace with command so to receive him and expect the revealed force or vertue from him Now nothing but faith can sute the answer this onely receives what the Spirit gives and obeyes what the Spirit commands and so doing makes the soule have actuall experience of all that good of Christ ministred by his Spirit So that the obedientiall act of faith in receiving Christ as he is given in eying of him and depending on him as the onely salvation of his people is the onely way of faith to draw salvation from him So the like work of faith upon his death to evidence it the onely baine of sin in our flesh so to receive it in mind and will and heart and rest on it onely for this effect is the way to find the desired issue even the death of sin in our flesh To them therfore who are puzzeld with that question How faith should draw vertue out of Christ or his death I should onely reply premising that union with him and evidence of him forespoken it is by an obedientiall receiving the truth of him and resting on it to be made good by the Spirit of promise upon which reception all the benefits of person death and life are conferred by the arme of God upon that soule If God send this word to Naaman 2 Kings 5.10 Goe wash in Jordan seven times and be cleane though the water in it selfe had no more vertue to heale his leprosiâ— than anothers yet upon his obedience He that commanded did effect it Or a little more neer the case God commands Moses when the people were bitten with the fiery Serpents Num. 21.8 9. to make a brazen Serpent and set it upon a Pole with expresse word that if any bitten should look up unto it he should be healed and live If any now shall aske how did their looking to the brasse draw vertue for their recovery No satisfaction can be given but this their obedience being therein testified God fell not short of his word he healed while they were looking Our Lord himselfe applieth this to our present case Joh 3 14 15. As Moses lift up the Serpent in the Wildernesse so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever beleeveth in him should not perish but have everlasting life As eying the brazen Serpent healed the fiery bite so looking upon Christ lifted up crucified and dying heales the poysonous bite of that old Serpent and the sting of sin that the soule shall not perish by it but live Some difference there is
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
chastened and dejected soule they even they must rouse up their drooping spirits and strive for comfort God gives the grace but they must look narrowly to return the duty for their own reviving It is all I shall note here that to them is this spoken and on them is only this duty pressed the afflicted must not be only passive under comfort but active for it lifting up themselves and putting forward to it 3. The condition of this duty I shall only touch in the property of the act which must needs be here free and voluntary so that as it becoms the people of God to be willing in all duties no lesse doth God expect it from them in this that as he is ready and willing to administer his reviving influence unto his chastened so they with answerable desire should set themselves to look for and receive it much wil in this makes the duty more obediential the effect more sweet and comfortable to the distressed soul yet from this usually chastened souls are most averse altogether unwilling to becomforted therefore unto this shal I labor to perswade theÌ„ in the insuing applicatioÌ„ of this truth SECT IIII. The application of the former point THe very name of duty me things should be soveraigne and binding to them that make conscience of all duties unto God Vse save only this of making after comfort A fault surely among many if not most of Gods chastened who will pray because it is duty and mourn because it is duty and strive to the denyall of themselves to the subduing of all corruption because it is duty and yet move not once themselves toward comfort though as necessary a duty as any of the rest My work therfore now is to presse that obedience to Gods comforting will in his chastenings which we acknowledge a duty to his commanding will in all other particulars If God intend this in his Rod not to kill but to quicken not to destroy but save not to cast down but to raise up and therefore hath spirited his Rod to incline his afflicted to lifting up and by all the reason of his discipline ingageth them not to fainting but to cheering hearts Let me speak to you for God and from God in this matter Come yee afflicted of the Lord gird up your loynes hearken unto me will yee keep those hearts sad which God will not have kept sad O sin not against God in this as yee would by no means sin in other cases if he say lift up your hands do not yee hang them downe if he call to rectifying and strengthening feeble knees let them not fall into palsie fits if hee cheere up your hearts under the Rod do not yee make them faint through unbeliefe and so kill your selves I need not state the duty againe what God would have you do in this case Reade over those cordiall considerations in the scourging Providence under which yee lie set before your eyes the relation power and tendernesse of a chastening Father stirre up your selves to hope for and call out all the sweetnesse in that Fountain both of your being and of your affliction view the Mediator of the Rod and rouse up your hearts to take hold of him your Pattern your guide in this uncouth way of trouble he will bring you out Consider the rule of the Rod it can do no more hurt than what the promise hath in it for this orders it and nothing but good can issue from the Word of promise or in a word looke to the end of all your afflictions it is righteousnesse peace and joy in the Holy Ghost now stirre up your selves and feed and live upon these comforts account it your work and as naturally a duty as any to call up your souls out of troubles to lift them up in Faith in Hope in Prayer to meet the reviving influences of God given out with the Rod unto you let mee overcome you but in this that it is your duty to be comforted as much as to be humbled and if reason or truth may prevaile besides the moving considerations in the Text which I shall presse toward the close of the work these few convincing grounds I shall lay down in this place 1. The command counsels and care of God concerning this comfort to his afflicted infallibly evinceth it a duty on their parts to attend on it and reach forth unto it Now are not these commands Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes Phil. 4.14 Jam 1.2 Maâ— 5 11 12. Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations Rejoyce and be exceeding glad when yee are reviled and persecuted c. In all which was matter of chastening as well as triall smart that did make sad as well as a cause that did support Counsels are frequent let not your heart be troubled neither let it be afraid lift up your heads c. And the exceeding great care of God to have this effected strongly proveth it must not be by them neglected two evidences of this care are in sight First in providing a spring of comfort for all cases of distresse and dejection among his own children Joh. 14.16 18.26 therefore hâ—e sends Christ in the flesh full of consolation and when he leaves the flesh ne procures another comforter even the holy Spirit to whom he designes the office of reviving and comforting every afflicted soule Tertul. he comes in Christs name and is in Christs stead to supply his place of refreshing his grieved members Will yee then resist the Holy Ghost as yee do while yee refuse to be comforted Secondly in providing means and ministery purposely to bring these consolations of Christ to his afflicted How doth he call upon his Prophets Comfort yee comfort yet my people Isa 40.1 Isa 54.11 How doth he in them call upon his afflicted O thou afflicted and tossed with tempests and not comforted And doth this care of God call for no care from you to see that his end be not frustrated and your hearts left comfortlesse Reason must convince you that yee must be like-minded with God to suffer as hee would have you suffer and be humbled as hee would have you humbled and be comforted as he would have you comforted Now then if it be your duty be as conscionable and carefull to dispose your selves for the comforts of God as for any other duties to him So yee must be if yee deale truly with him for as much as this is honour to him as much as any other service What a reproach cast yee upon God to make the world judge God cannot comfort his people O therefore lift up the hands that hang down and bestirre your selves for comfort 2. The comforts of God are not only ingagements but inablings of poore soules to all other duties expected from them so that sleight these yee lose your strength and become fruitlesse It is observable in the delegation of the Spirit by Christ to be his Churches
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
sets before you This is the chasteneds duty unto which having added the motives in the Text I shall labour to conforme their practise and then close all SECT VIII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The first motive to both precedent duties as given by the Apostie Lest that which is lame be turned out of the way IF farther reason be desired to move the afflicted for reaching after comfort to themselves and rectitude toward God I shall adde no more but what the Apostle here supplies himself unto us viz. Two main Considerations both which have strong influence upon the two foregoing duties to perswade unto them The first is from the inconvenience that necessarily followeth upon neglect of both or either of them thus he reasons It is needfull yee should cheer up your hearts and make right paths for your feet to strive for incouragement and amendment under the Rod for yee are lame and halt already very unevenly yee walke with God already for want of comfort strength and rule I see your flesh is offended and hurts it selfe by Gods scourge It concernes you therefore to get reviving and rectifying power into your soules lest it be worse with you and from halting or imperfect walking yee turne quite out of the way to utter Apostasie be cheered therefore be rectified put forth your selves to your appointed duties so may yee prevent another wayes unavoidable mischief To scan the terms a little here The lame is here a concrete and notes the subject ill affected with lamenesse or halting This as was observed is an imperfect going a piece right and a piece wrong if wee take it as Natures common expression Claudicatione vocat cum mâ—nteâ—â—â—mmum alternant nec sincere so Dâ—o add cant Calv. in text â— King 18.21 Galat. 2 14. Here it fitly signifies a perverse or unsound conversation between the right wayes of God and false wayes of the creatures when a man would be for God and yet he hankers after Idols too as these halting Israelites Claudâ— sunt qui nondum perspecâ—o veâ—er is faeder is novi discrimine it a incedunt ut non in alteram partâ—m inclinent Beza in Text. whom Elijah upbraids for this uneven dealing or those Cripple-Christians that hung between Moses and Christ as between two crutches and walked haltingly not right in the Gospel-faith of which sort is conceived by some that these Hebrewes were and therefore here are warned of this halting Such are many apt to be under the Rod while pressed with pain or overcharged with feare they seek any deviations for shelter from God complying with worldly devices and not wholly shaking off their profession of the Lord. This lamenesse or halting then is an unsound walking with God unto which the flesh of Gods chastened doth much incline while it is under the Rod A carefull eye must be then upon the hurt lest it prove fatall and proceed to the utter subversion of the soule no lesse is suggested in that expression Est eleganâ— haec locutio multo enim deterius est errare quam claudicare jam qui claudicare incipâ—unt non statim avertut se a via sed paulatim magis as magis ab â—a recedunt donec in errorem abrepti in medio Satanae labyrintho haereant Calvin in text Praeceptum est cure studii in vitus emendandis corrigenda pravitate ne ultima corruptio neglecta sanatione sequatur ut cum claudicans pes per insignem perversitatem detorquetur Camerar in Text. iurn'd out of the way eversion or utter falling off from God and desperate Apostasie is the truth of this metaphoricall Paraphrase as a lame foot is quite undone and killed if it have no boltering but is wrested still into perverse and crooked wayes the very last corruption that is the perdition of the soule is here the mischiefe held out to move the chastised to a timely pursuit of comfort and reformation of their hearts under the Rod this they must seek after unlesse they mean to perish There be two truthes carried in this moving clause one implied the other expressed which must be a little opened that the strength of this motive may be the better given out to inforce the former duties 1. Note 1. The chastened of the Lord are usually apt to be lame and halt that is walk imperfectly with God under his scourge 2. Note 2. This lamenesse doth incline to utter Apostasie from God and perdition of the soule unlesse prevented by timely comfort and reformation The issue of both these is but to presse the necessity of attendance upon the former duties To the first Quid sit that this is so 1. Quid sit Gen. 12.13 Gen. 20.2 will appeare in a full induction of the afflicted Saints in all ages See Abrahams halting with God in Egypt before Pharaoh in Gerar before Abimelech In the same kinde and place did Isaacs lamenesse appeare under the scourge of Famine he walked not perfectly with God Gen. 26.7 So Jacob halted in the matter of Esau worse then that was with Gods pinch Gen. 27.19 and Moses halted in the Wildernesse especially at the waters of Meribah and poore David confesseth himselfe ready to halt in all his sorrowes Num. 20.11 13. 38.17 Mat. 26.14 and terrified Peter halts quite down-right in the hight Priests Hall I need name no more instances of these I shall touch only the ground which is universall in all Gods chastened The rise therefore and demonstrative ground of the Saints halting in their affliction 2. Cur siâ— is that sinful flesh which is as universall as that naturall wherein they live which being contrary to the Rod and too weak for it doth suffer by it becomes offended at it not from the intention of the scourge but from the corruption of the flesh thence is it grieved and hurt even to lamenesse and halting a very uneven and imperfect walking with God These unseparable properties of the flest will easily evince this event under the Rod. 1. Carnall sense of the smart and bitternesse of affliction Now this can discover nothing but evill vexing and angring the creature therefore turnes it to some disaffection both to the Rod and him that did appoint it This becomes dismall hatred to God in the wicked whose flesh is predominant but stirrings of disaffection only in Gods own who have the Spirit supreme in them which yet unregarded may become more dangerous See this is Jehoram 2 King 6.33 Jon. 4.9 who threw off God upon it and this in Jonah who was something discontented with him 2. Grosse love of the creature which though it cannot be in dominion where grace is yet may it greatly incline the man to it especially when the Rod comes to beat him off How deeply this wounded Demas is sad to read the Story and how it lamed Peter the second time 2 Tim. 4.10 Gal. 2.12 13 14. so far as to make him dissemble the truth
I suffer you It was but infirmitie in them yet not to be suffered for it tended to greater ruins as it proved with another sort of false Christians 1 Tim. 6.5 from whom Timothy was advised to withdraw 3. The weaknes of the halting feete and thence pronenesse to be driven out by opposition or to fall out of the way of God utterly of themselves for want of strength every weaknesse in the very entrance inclines to more habituated distempers and then to death and no lesse infirmity in the Christians life and walking tends to greater perversenesse and fatall danger The duskish evening leads into the darkest night and the weakest evill brings ever to a worse unlesse in time resisted This made Paul stand up so sternly against those at Antioch which did not walk rightly that is Gal. 2.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they did halt in the way of the Gospel and he did resist their dissembling lest it should proceed to greater wickednesse and so to the ruine of their souls It is evident in these now that halting doth of it self incline to pernicious Apostasie and the souls destruction But why this a motive to comfort and conformity or rectifying wayes to God The reason of this must be the vertue of these duties for prevention of this dismall evill The next consideration To the second The power in the former duties effectuall for cure of this evill is twofold 1 Primitive to turn away those pernicious maladies that breed and bring forth this Apostasie 2 Positive to keep the soul in a true and perfect state with God this more properly is considerable in the second motive for healing the former is the work for present to state that Now these two duties encouragement and amendment are sweetly fitted against two sorts of evils that work this overthrow of poore souls some are weakning evils that disable the soul to stand against it others are perverting evils thrusting the soul out of Gods way into perdition Comfort is the cure of these and Reformation the bane of these whereof something would be discovered more distinctly 1. The consolations of Christ wheresoever they come remove these weakning and dis-inabling evils which lay the soul more open naked and obnoxious to the mischief of all Apostarizing corruptions the stating of those evils with the application of this remedie will be here convenient 1 The fading of light for discoverie of God in Christ reconciled makes the soul very weak apt to be turned aside from the truth having lost God out of the eye for want of light indeed many times a poore soul is turned into an hell of sin and miserie for who can be solicitous to keep close to God who seeth him not or at least not reconciled To this the comforts of Christ do give soveraigne help for which cause it must be that the Apostle in hsi method of bringing the Churches to the abundant knowledge of the mysterie of God in Christ Col. 2.2 he strives first that their hearts might be comforted and thence would he draw them to the riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of or insight into the mysterie of God of the Father and of Christ And truly no soul can be so intimately acquainted with the secret of God in Christ the great preservative against Apostasie but that soul that tastes of his sweet and ravishing consolations and hath his heart revived by him reach after Christs comforts then they must that desire fully to see him and seeing to be established by him 2. The fainting of hope and therewith the decay of vitall spirits is a very great weaking and exposeth of it self to death unlesse a remedie be timely and none better than the consolations of God for removing of this dangerous obstruction and reviving the drooping spirit Alas the dying of hope leaves the soul as a livelesse thing turns it into a miserable state of confusion and distraction that it is even readie to curse God sometimes unawares and die and lieth liable hereby to the tempters furie to be hurried into a soul-killing despair Now to give life to this hope the Apostle implores God for his poore Romanes but under what notion hear his words Rom. 15.5.13 once the God of consolation or the comforting God and again the God of hope even that makes to hope fill you with all joy and peace in beleeving that ye may abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost It is then the comforting and hope-raising God that can create hope and by hope joy and by joy establishment for his poore creatures Consolation and the comforting power in God bears all this work The Psalmist found this vertue of divine consolation Psal 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me confusion of thoughts were within him what course to take whether to stick to God or leave him thy comforts delight my soul These revive and keep from sinking Who would not catch after these grcedily rather then die 3. The failing of duties and vitall actions are a sad presage of death as well as a great weakning in present to the soul every omission or weak performance is like a gaspe before giving up the ghost Now no way to cure this but by cordials and none like the comforts of Christ When Christ himself was in the conflict buffeted by Satan to make him deny his Father to let us see that our flesh in him needed support Angels are sent to minister to him and support the flesh how much more need hath our poore spiritlesse flesh of this Matth. 4.12 For want of praying and for want of walking the soul may be subverted utterly and for want of comfort it can do neither nothing strengthens the hands more to the work of God than the consolation of Christ and nothing keeps more from Apostasie then to walk circumspectly in the wayes of God and abound in his work In sad distempers Jeremiah resolves to do no more work not to speak again in the name of the Lord but when the fire burnt within him and the comforting spirit inflamed him he could not hold his tongue Never did David fall fouler then when his heart flag'd and fell off from dutie and never was it well with him again untill Gods comforts had raised him to his former communion Psal 51 1. c See how these consolations as well as convictions ministred by Nathan put him upon prayer again Psal 42.5.11 to recover his fall Nay frequently is he forced to beat the comforts of God upon his own heart to keep him from defection and that by reason of weaknesse was growing on him dutie saves from Apostasie and comfort keeps up to duty It is but reasonable then to prevent subversion we labour for strength of action towards God and for support in this we strive to take hold of comfort in our afflictions The Gospels comfort can onely cure suol-killing faintings seek