Counsel to the Afflicted, Question 2 · Section 6
SECT. 6.
6. Comply with Gods ends and deſigns in ſending this affliction upon you; The Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, Lam. 3.33. but when ever he ſends any affliction upon any man, he hath gracious ends and deſigns in thoſe afflictions; and therefore as the Jews made enquiry, when they were brought into great diſtreſs, Wherefore doth the Lord our God all theſe great things unto us? Jer. 5.19. And as the Apoſtle Paul when he was ſtruck blinde with the viſion that appeared to him as he was going to Dumaſcus, enquires of the Lord, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Acts 9.6. So ſhould we make enquiry when the Lord afflicts us, wherefore it is that he afflicts us, and what it is that he aims at, what he would have us to do, when his afflicting hand is upon us. We are enemies to our own good, when we do not ſtudy the minde of God in our afflict ons and labour to comply with his ends, for he alwayes chaſtneth us for our profit, Heb. 12.10. and aims at the doing of us good, Deut. 8.16. If you ask, what are Gods ends and deſigns in ſending this affliction upon us? I anſwer, The reſolving of this queſtion concerning Gods ends in afflicting us, what he aims at, and what he would have us learn when his rod is upon us, may be gathered from Sect. 3. I ſhall adde a few things more beſides what are mentioned there.
1. Gods deſign in this affliction is to take away all pride, and to make and keep you humble, Iſa. 2.11. The lofty looks of man ſhall be humbled, and the haughtineſs of men ſhall be bowed down, and the Lord alone ſhall be exalted in that day. This may refer to the day of affliction ſpoken of, Iſa. 1.7. Your countrey is deſolate, your Cities are burnt with fire—In that day when God ſhould bring this deſolation, the lofty looks of man ſhould be humbled, &c. When God afflicted the Iſraelites in the Wilderneſs with fiery Serpents, that and all other afflictions were ſent for this end to humble them, Deut. 8.15,16.—That he might humble thee, and prove thee, and do thee good in the latter end. Elihu tells us that when God ſpeaks once and twice to men, It is, that he may hide pride from man, Job 33.17. When the Apoſtle Paul was afflicted, he telleth us twice, that the end of God was to prevent his being exalted above meaſure, 2 Cor. 12.7. If then you would comply with Gods deſign in this affliction, you muſt be no more proud of your riches, beauty, parts, duties, or any other thing, but muſt put away all pride of ſpirit, all high conceits of your ſelves, and all proud looks, and all pride of life, and you muſt be of a lowly heart, and go alwayes clothed with humility.
2. God aims at the making of you more zealous Chriſtians by this affliction; Lukewarmneſs is a very odious, deteſtable ſin, Rev. 3.15,16. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot, I would thou wert cold or hot; ſo then becauſe thou art luke-warm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ſpew thee out of my mouth: this being ſo odious in Gods ſight for a man to be luke-warm in his Religion. When God findes any whom he loves to be in a luke-warm temper, he chaſtens them for this very end to make them more zealous, lous, Rev. 3.19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chaſten, be zealous therefore—Now this is one way, and a very ſharp one of rebuking us, when God contends by Fire, Iſa. 66.15. The Lord will come with fire—to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames, of fire. If therefore you were cold, or if not wholly cold, yet but luke-warm before God ſent this Fire, it concerns you now to grow zealous. If you ask in what your affliction ſhould make you zealous? I anſwer, 1. Be zealous in all acts of ſervice, and all religious duties which you perform to God; ſhake off all drowſineſs, and formality, and ſlightneſs of heart in prayer, and in hearing and reading Gods Holy Word, and be fervent in ſpirit when you are about theſe or any other holy duties, Rom 12.11. Not ſlothfulneſs in buſineſs, fervent in ſpirit, ſerving the Lord. What is ſaid of the Apoſtle Paul, Acts 22.3, I was zealous towards God; and of Phinehas, Numb. 25.13. He was zealous for his God. Let the ſame be true of you, put on an holy zeal for God, and ſhew your zeal for God in all that you do, either for, or to the Lord. 2. Be zealous againſt ſin; ſtrive againſt ſin, not in a faint cold manner, but with all your might. Be zealous and repent, Rev. 3.19. Your zeal muſt be manifeſted in your repentance. When a man is zealous againſt his ſins, and zealous in his repentance, his zeal will breed indignation againſt ſin, a vehement deſire to be rid of it, a fear and carefulneſs that he do not commit it again. See an example of zealous repentance, 2 Cor. 7.11. Behold, this ſelf ſame thing that ye ſorrowed after a godly ſort, what carefulneſs it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of your ſelves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement deſire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge. 3. Be zealous of good works, Tit. 2.14. Who gave himſelf for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purifie unto himſelf a peculiar people, zealous of good works. We ſhould not only do good works, but be zealous of, and in doing good works. We ſhould be ſo zealous of good works, as not only to embrace opportunities of doing good when they come in our way, but we ſhould covet earneſtly, and follow diligently after opportunities of doing good works, 1 Tim. 5.10.—If ſhe have diligently followed every good work. We ſhould not only do good works, but be careful to excel and continue conſtant therein, whatever difficulties and diſcouragements we meet with in doing of them, Tit. 3.8. This is a faithful ſaying, and theſe things I will that thou affirm conſtantly, that they which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works. You ſee, if you would anſwer Gods deſign in your affliction, that you muſt be zealous, and in what you muſt be zealous; only let me adde here two or three cautions, 1. Look that your zeal be regulated with knowledge; There may be a zeal which is not guided by knowledge, Rom. 10.2. I bear them record, that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous. Paul in a blinde zeal perſecuted the people of God, thinking therein to do God good ſervice, Phil. 3.6. Concerning zeal perſecuting the Church. And Saul out of a blinde zeal to the children of Iſrael and Judah, ſlew the Gibeonites; for which ſin, though done in zeal, the whole Land was puniſhed with three years Famine, 2 Sam. 21.1,2. 2. Look that your zeal for God be true, and real, and not pretended. Jehu pretended great zeal for God, 2 Kings 10.16. Come with me, and ſee my zeal for the Lord—But it was rather a zeal to eſtabliſh the Kingdom to himſelf, than any true zeal for God. 3. Let your zeal be chiefly exerciſed in thoſe things wherein the life and power of godlineſs conſiſteth, in the eſſential and fundamental matters of Religion, and not in circumſtantials. Phariſaical zeal that was punctual in tything Mint, and Cummin, and Anniſe, and neglected the weightier matters of the Law, as Faith, and the love of God, Judgment and Mercy, was diſallowed and condemned by Chriſt. 4. Look that your zeal be not for a fit, while the ſence of your affliction is freſh upon your ſpirits, but let it be conſtant, Gal. 4.18. It is good to be zealouſly affected alwayes in a good thing.
3. God aims at the making of you partakers of his holineſs, by this affliction, Heb. 12.10. He chaſteneth us for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holineſs. Theſe perſons to whom the Apoſtle writes this Epiſtle, had been chaſtned with the loſs of their Goods, Heb. 10.34. and this chaſtning was for this end, that they might be partakers of Gods Holineſs. They were holy before, the Apoſtle calls them, chap. 3.1. Holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling—They were ſuch as had been ſufferers for Chriſt, and had ſuffered joyfully, they had attained to aſſurance of their ſalvation, chap. 10.32,33,34. Yet theſe perſons were chaſtned, that they might be made more holy. Now ſeeing Gods deſign in this affliction is to make you partakers of his holineſs, let this affliction ſtir you up to follow after holineſs; if you had only a form of godlineſs, a ſhew and appearance of holineſs before, now follow after the power, truth, & reality of godlineſs; if you had true holineſs before, labour now to be more holy; be more holy in your hearts, in your thoughts, in your affections, in your ſpeech, and diſcourſe with all men, be more holy in all manner of converſation, 1 Pet. 1.15. As he which called you is holy, ſo be ye holy in all manner of converſation. This exhortation, though it belong to all Gods called ones, is more eſpecially directed to ſuch as are in affliction, for to ſuch this Epiſtle is directed, as you may ſee, ver. 1, 6. Let your ſufferings excite you to do the works of your Callings in a more godly ſort, and to perform your Cloſet and Family Duties in a more holy manner, to be more holy in your relative Duties, to be more holy in your converſes with all ſorts of men, and to expreſs more of the power of holineſs in all manner of converſation.
4. God aims at the ſtirring of you up to a more cloſe and humble walking with himſelf, and to deal juſtly and mercifully with all men, Micah 6.8. He hath ſhewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do juſtly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? This God required at ſuch a time as he was pleading a controverſie with his people, as you may ſee, ver. 2. The Lord hath a controverſie with his people, and he will plead with Iſrael. And while he was pleading his controverſie, he deſtroyed Jeruſalem, the chiefeſt City of the Jews, chap. 3.12. Zion ſhall be plowed as a field, and Jeruſalem ſhall become heaps. And Samaria (which was one of the principal Cities belonging to the ten Tribes, Iſa. 7.9. The head of Ephraim is Samaria) Micah 1.6. I will make Samaria as an heap of the field—I will pour down the ſtones thereof into the valley, and I will diſcover the foundations thereof. Now when God had a great controverſie with Iſrael and Judah, (for this Prophet was ſent to both Kingdoms, chap. 1.1.) and was laying waſte their chiefeſt Cities, that which he required from the inhabitants with whom he was pleading his controverſie, was, that they ſhould do juſtly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with their God.
5. God aims at making of you more fruitful by this affliction, that you may bring forth both more and better fruit, John 15.2. Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit. When great wrath was coming upon the Jews, and the axe was even laid to the root of the tree, John the Baptiſt giveth them this exhortation, Mat. 3.8. Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. Now if you would know what it is wherein God would have you more fruitful in, you may be reſolved from ſuch Scriptures as theſe, Gal. 5.22,23. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, temperance. Phil. 1.11. Being filled with the fruits of righteouſneſs, which are by Jeſus Chriſt unto the glory and praiſe of God. Col. 1.10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleaſing, being fruitful in every good work. If then you would comply with Gods ends in your preſent affliction, labour to be filled with the fruits of righteouſneſs; abound in all the fruits of the Spirit, which are as you heard before, love, joy, peace, long-ſuffering, gentleneſs, goodneſs, faith, meekneſs, and temperance. Labour to be fruitful in every good work, only remember in ſo doing, that you bring forth your fruit to God, and not to your ſelves, Rom. 7.4.—That we ſhould bring forth fruit unto God; for what fruit is brought forth for ſelfiſh ends, God accounts next to none, Hoſ. 10.1. Iſrael is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himſelf.