Correction Instruction or a Treatise of Afflictions, Part 5

Correction Instruction or a Treatise of Afflictions · Part 5

p. 245Glorifie God,

1. With thy lips; I cryed to him with my lips, and he was GLORIFIED with my TONGUE: Let the lip of prayer be turn'd into the tongue of praiſe; make your tongues your glory, by proclaiming Gods glory; be telling what great things God hath done for you; ſay with David, Pſa. 66.15Ps 66:15Come and hear all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my Soul: abundantly utter the memory of his great goodneſs, make his praiſe glorious. Extol him in Pſalms of Thankſgiving: Sing unto the Lord, Pſal. 30.4Ps 30:4O ye Saints of his, give thanks at the remembrance of his holineſs: Pſa. 50.23Ps 50:23He that offereth me praiſe, GLORIFIETH ME.

2. Glorifie God with thy life, 2. With your lives.live his praiſe; hath God taught thee? If thou wouldſt glorifie God, go and put all the Leſſons which thou haſt learned into print; ſhew p. 246forth the graces of him that hath called thee out of darkneſs into his marvelous light; 1 Pet. 2.9 foreign the excelencies.1 Pet 2:9print them in ſuch a legible character, that who ſo runs may read: Lip-praiſe is good, but life-praiſe is better; He that offers me praiſe glorifieth me, and to him that ORDERETH HIS CONVERSATION ARIGHT will I ſhew the Salvation of God: Pſa. 50.23Ps 50:23It is good to ſpeak ſo, Loquere ut te videam.that men may ſee; that ſtanders by may be Gods witneſſes and yours, that you are taught of God; and ſay, Lo what hath God wrought? how holily, and humbly, and fruitfully, and ſelf-denyingly do theſe ſervants of God walk ſince they came out of tribulation? Live ſo, that you may take off the ſcandal of the Croſs of Chriſt, and bring men into love with a ſuffering condition: Mat. 5.16Matt 5:16Let your light ſhine before men, that they may ſee your good works, and glorifie your Father which is in Heaven; **Caelum quoddam luci diſſimis virtutum ſtellis exornatum.that you may be a little Heaven-ſparkling with bright ſtars of divine graces, as it was ſaid of Joſeph.

p. 2473. Now God hath taught thee, 3. Be ready to teach others.be thou ready to teach others: It is a debt which thou oweſt to all thou converſeſt with; When thou art converted, ſtrengthen thy Brethren. Communicate what God hath taught thee to thy yoke-fellow, children, ſervants, friends, upon all ſeaſonable opportunities. Sanctified knowledg is communicative; Freely thou haſt received, freely give. **Mark 4.21Mark 4:21God never lighttd this candle, that it ſhould be put under the bed, or under the buſhel; the bed of pleaſure, or the buſhel of profit; but that it may be put into the candleſtick of thy converſation, and ſo ſhine before men, that they may ſee, and glorifie thy Father which is in Heaven. This is indeed to glorifie God. And thus much for the firſt Duty. I come to the ſecond Duty; and that is,

Labor to preſerve the teachings of God upon thy Spirit. 2 Duty, To preſerve a good frame of ſpirit.Study how to maintain that ſweet gracious frame of heart into which God hath taught thee by affliction. It is the p. 248duty which Chriſtians ſhould practiſe, as oft as they come from the Word, or any other divine Ordinance: When we come out of a Sabbath, we ſhould ſit down, and obſerve with what frame of ſpirit God ſends us away from the Ordinance; If the Ordinance hath left no ſavory gracious impreſſion upon the heart, to lie in the duſt, and mourn, and commune with our own hearts, and lament after God: If there be an Ordinance-frame, we ſhould rejoyce in it, bleſs God for it, and labor to keep up ſuch a frame upon the heart till the next ſolemn approach to God. Chriſtians, how much more ſhould this be our care and ſtudy when we come out of Gods furnace, that ſolemn Ordinance of affliction, to labor to maintain that melting frame of heart, that warmth and heat, that life and vigor which we have brought with us out of affliction. 2 John 32 John 1:3Look to your ſelves, that ye loſe not thoſe things which God hath wrought in you. To that end take a few Means or Helps.

p. 249Firſt, Means to preſerve a good frame of heart. 1. Be often peruſing your Leſſons.Be often reading over the LESSONS which God hath taught you; frequently revive the remembrance of them in your heads, and work the impreſſions of them upon your hearts: labor not onelyonly to ſay them without book, but indeed to get them by heart. I tell you Chriſtians, you had need to take much pains with your ſelves, to keep the Teachings of God alive upon your ſpirits: For be ſure of this, that you will finde a great difference between your hearts yet under affliction, and when the affliction is taken off; and without infinite watchfulneſs your hearts will be too hard for you: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Jer. 17.9Jer 17:9There is much of a Pharaoh-like dispoſition in every man, very prone to harden when the ſtorm is over. It is ſad and wonderful to conſider, how a corruption will lie as if it were quite dead, while danger and death are before us, and how ſuddenly and powerfully it will revive; and without ſpecial take-heed, betray p. 250the Soul, when the danger is over. That Caution which God by Moſes gave the Iſraelites in the wilderneſs, may make every wiſe Chriſtian to tremble: Deut. 31 21Deut 31:21I know their imaginations, which they go about EVEN NOVV, BEFORE I have brought them into the Land, which I ſware. Their hearts were ſecretly projecting for their luſts, even while they were yet ſmarting under the rod: and in the howling wilderneſs they are forecaſting hwo to ſatisfie ſenſe, and ſerve their carnal interests, when they ſhould come into the Land that flowed with milk and honey. Poſſibly, theſe were not down-right reſolves; but ſaith the Lord, I know their imaginations: O my Brethren, we ſhould harken to the whiſperings of Luſt in our own boſoms, and labor to ſuppreſs them; to cruſh the Serpent while it is in the ſhell; for if there be ſuch floatings of ſin in the imagination, while yet in durance, what projecting and contrivements will there be in the heart when liberty and p. 251enlargement ſhall preſent temptations and opportunities? And therefore keep we our hearts with all diligence; Prov. 4 23Prov 4:23or as the Hebrew phraſeth it, of all keepings keep our hearts, Hic ſons bo…, & peccandi …igo. Hieron.for out of them come the iſſues of life: and when the days of affliction and trouble are gone, work Truths, and Counſels received, frequently and fixedly upon your Conſciences; that you may, like good Scribes, instructed to the Kingdom of God, Mat. 13 52Matt 13:52bring out of your treaſures things new and old; and have always in a readineſs wherewith to oppoſe and check temptation, and may practiſe every Leſſon which God hath taught you, in the ſeaſon thereof.

Secondly, Renew, alſo, 2 Help, Renew the remembrance of the affliction.often upon your Souls, the remembrance of the ſharpneſs and bitterneſs of the affliction: it will be a notable corrective to ſenſuality, and give check to ſinful exceſſes. The fleſh will quickly grow wanton when it findeth eaſe; Jeſurun, when the neck was got from under the yoke, quickly, p. 252waxed fat, Deut. 32 15 Pſal. 106, 13Deut 32:15Ps 106:13and kicked: They ſoon forgat his works, they waited not for his counſel, but luſted exceedingly: WORKS and COUNSEL, CHASTISEMENTS and TEACHINGS were quickly forgotten, when once the affliction was over: They quickly forgot a barren wilderneſs, in a Land that flowed with milk and hony: They waited not for his Counſel; they grew weary of Counſel, when once free from Correction; and choſe rather to walk by the dictate of their own luſts, then of Gods Laws, till at length God grew as weary (if I may ſo ſay) of counſelling, as they were of being counſelled: and gave them up to their own hearts luſts, Pſa. 81.12Ps 81:12to walk in their own counſels: That they that would not live by Gods counſels, ſhould periſh by their own. And therefore, you that are come out of the houſe of bondage, remember the ſorrows of a ſuffering condition; ſet not your heart ſo much upon the pleaſure of your preſent enlargement, as upon the bitterneſs p. 253of your former captivity. The Church found great advantage in it, when returned from Babylon: Remembering mine affliction and my miſery, the wormwood and the gall: Lam. 3.19Lam 3:19my Soul hath them. CONTINUALLY in remembrance: and what was the fruit of it? it follows, And is humbled in me: The meaning is this; The people of God among the Jews (that deſired to keep cloſe to God after their great deliverance) experienc'd a ſerious and conſtant remembrance of thoſe ſeventy years ſufferings, to be an excellent preſervative to that humble and gracious frame of heart, which God wrought them into, in their captivity: And yet that is not all; As remembrance of affliction preſerved Humility, ſo Humility ſtrengthened Faith: This I recall to minde, therefore have I HOPE: Tribulation wrought patience, and patience experience, Rom. 5.3Rom 5:3and experience HOPE, &c. By the kindly operation of the remembrance of former Diſpenſations, ſhe began to conceive p. 254good HOPE through grace, that God had not chaſtened Her in wrath, but in love; and that all her Tribulations were the fruit of the Promiſe, not of the Threatening; a Bleſſing, not a Curſe. Go you and do likewiſe.

Thirdly, 3 Help, Remember all your uncomely carriage in affliction.Call often to minde the ſad diſcourſes and reaſonings, the fears and tremblings, which you have had in your boſoms in the times of trouble and distreſs: Thus the Church, Lam. 3.17. I forgat prosperity: She had been ſo long in a ſuffering condition, that now ſhe can ſcarce remember that ever ſhe ſaw a good day in all her life: and at length ſhe ſits down, and giveth her ſelf up to deſpair; And I SAID, my ſtrength and my hope is periſhed from the Lord: She remembreth what unbelieving concluſions ſhe made in her affliction; I SAID, &c. And ſo the Prophet Jeremiah, Verſ. 54. Waters flowed over mine head; then I SAID, I am cut off: when he began to ſink in the mire, he remembreth how p. 255his heart began to ſink with fear; he calleth to minde, what faithleſs language his heart ſpake; I SAID, I am cut off.

Thus David, I SAID in my paſſion, &c. Pſal. 31.22. and 116.11. and Jonah 2.4. THEN I SAID, I am caſt out of thy ſight. Hezekiah makes a large narrative of what diſcourſes he had in his own Soul, what time he had received the ſentence of death; and leaveth it in writing to all poſterity: Iſai. 38.9. THE WRITING of Hezekiah King of Judah, Iſai. 38.9, 10Isa 38:9Isa 38:10when he had been ſick; I SAID in the cutting off of my days: what did he ſay? truly he uttered very ſtrange complaints for ſuch an eminent Saint as he was: I ſhall go to the gates of the grave; I am deprived of the reſidue of my years: I ſhall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world; mine age is departed: and a great deal to that purpoſe: The ſum whereof is this, I ſhall dye, I ſhall dye; I muſt take my leave of this world, and worms muſt eat my fleſh p. 256in the grave, &c. Such uncomely words he uttered; but he remembereth them afterward, and is contented to ſhame himſelf for them to all the world: he puts his fleſhly complaints in print, that he may humble himſelf, and caution, yea and comfort, others.

And thus, Chriſtians, ſhould we do; we ſhould call to minde our SAIDS: i. e. we ſhould ſit down and recount the impatiencies and ſhort-ſpiritedneſſes, the murmur and unbelief, the love of a preſent world, the fear of death, the hard thoughts of God; all the irregularities and diſtempers of our own ſpirits, in the time of Tribulation; I ſaid, I ſaid, &c. Doubtleſs it would be of ſingular uſe, as, to humble our Souls, and to check corruption; ſo, to endear and proſerve the Teachings of God upon your Souls; while you might tune Davids Thankſgiving (conceived upon ſome ſuch like occaſion,) Pſal. 25.8Ps 25:8Good and upright is the Lord, therefore will he TEACH SINNERS in the way: q. d. I p. 257ſinned againſt the Lord in my affliction, by my impatience, unbelief, unhumbledneſs, &c. yet He was pleaſed, not altogether to leave me without the Teachings of his Spirit; not becauſe I was good but becauſe He was good; not becauſe I pleaſed HIM, but becauſe Mercy pleaſed HIM: not becauſe I was upright before Him, but becauſe He was UPRIGHT, true and faithful to his own Promiſe, hath he done it: Good and upright is the Lord, and therefore HE hath TAUGHT me, though I was a ſinner, in the way.

Fourthly, Remember your Vows. 4 Means, Remember your Vows.When God, by the fire of affliction, ſhew'd you your folly, diſcovered to you the hidden corruption of your hearts, and brought your ways and doings to remembrance, which were not good; you were aſhamed, yea, even confounded; and ſaid, as it is in Job, Lord, wherein I have done wickedly, I will do ſo no more. But take heed it be not ſo with you, as it was with backſliding Iſrael, of p. 258whom God thus complaineth; Of old time I have broken thy yoke, Ier. 2.20Jer 2:20and burſt thy bands, and thou ſaidſt, I WILL NOT TRANSGRESS: q. d. I brought thee, hundreds of years ſince, out of the Land of Egypt, out of the houſe of bondage, and then thou madeſt me fair promiſes, I remember the kindneſs of thy youth, the love of thine espouſals, verſ. 2. Thou ſaidſt, I will do ſo no more: Lord, I'l be covetous no more, and idolatrous no more, adulterous no more; I will murmur no more, I will no more depart from thee, Thou art the Guide of my youth. Good words, had ſhe been as good as her word: but Oh read what followeth, and tremble; when upon every high hill, and under every green tree, thou wandreſt, playing the harlot: i. e. no ſooner her old heart and her old temptations met, but preſently they fell into mutual embraces: And this is the temper of out hearts, for all the world; **Nuper me cujuſdam amici lanquor a…monuit …p…imos eſſe nos dum infirmi ſumus Plin. ep 26. l. 7 ad Max.we are very good while we are in affliction, and promiſe fair; but no ſooner p. 259the tryal over, but we forget Gods Teachings and our own Vows, and return into the ſame courſe and faſhion of converſation as before. Now therefore, if you would preſerve the Teachings of God upon your ſpirits, ſit down, remember your vows; and ſpreading them before the Lord, ſay with David, Pſal. 66 13, 14Ps 66:13Ps 66:14I will pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath ſpoken, when I was in trouble. Lord, through grace aſſiſting, I will be as ready to pay my vows, now I am well, as I was to make vows when I was ſick, &c. Pſa. 56.12Ps 56:12THY VOVVS are upon me, I will render praiſes unto thee. When you have made good Vows, be as careful to make good your Vows unto the Lord: Vow, Pſa. 76.11Ps 76:11and PAY unto the Lord your God.

In the fifth place, 5 Means, Attend upon the Word.If you would preſerve the teachings of God upon thy heart, attend conſtantly and conſcionably upon the Miniſtry of the Word. The truth is, the Word and the Rod teach the ſame Leſſons. The Rod many times is but the Words p. 260REMEMBRANCER: And therefore as the Rod quickens the Word, ſo the Word back again will revive and ſanctifie the teachings of the Rod: They mutually help to ſet one another with deeper impreſſions. And therefore hear WISDOM, watching dayly at her gates, Prov. 8.34.Prov 8:34waiting at the poſts of her doors, if thou wouldſt be bleſſed. It will be of a twofold advantage.

1. It will help your memories: As the Rod repeateth the Word, ſo the Word will repeat the inſtructions of the Rod; the Goſpel will bring to remembrance what you have learned in the School of Affliction.

2. It will quicken affection: To hear that repeated by the ſtill ſweet voyce of the Gospel, which before God taught you in the voyce of thunder, this cannot but affect, and make you beſpeak the Goſpel, as once the Iſraelites did Moſes, Deut. 5 25 26Deut 5:25Speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God ſhall ſpeak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it, but let us not hear p. 261the voyce of God any more, that terrible voyce of Judgment, lest we dye. And certainly God will take it was well at your hands as he did at Iſraels, and will anſwer in ſome ſuch language, I have heard the voyce of this people, they have well ſaid all that they have ſpoken: O that there were ſuch an heart in them, that they would fear me, Verſe 29.and keep my Commandments, that it might be well with them, and that I might not bring upon them ſuch evils as I have done, any more.

6. 6 Means, Feed a good frame of heart.Be often feeding that frame of heart which God hath taught thee into: do by it, as thou dayly beggeſt God would do by thee; Give it day by day its dayly bread; Meditations ſuitable to the nature of that grace which thou wouldſt maintain; threatenings, promiſes, truths, Scripture-conſiderations, agreeable to the Leſſon: Take heed of feeding corruption with thoughts of the ſweetneſs that is in ſin; Take heed of ſtarving grace by withdrawing from it ſuitable aliment. You will p. 262require the blood of your Infants that are ſtarved at the Nurſes hands: Will not God be much more jealous over the births and iſſues of his own Spirit? Meditate much upon the Sinfulneſs of Sin, the Emptineſs of the Creature, the Fulneſs of Chriſt, the exquiſiteneſs of his Sufferings, the ſeverity of the laſt Judgment, the torments of Hell, the Joys of Heaven, the infinite Perfections of the Divine Nature, Me litatio q. mentas dictatio.and the horror of Eternity. Rich in Meditation, and rich in grace.

7. 7 Help.And laſtly, Be much in prayer. As it was not enough for God to make the firſt Creation, but he muſt uphold it by the word of his power, Heb. 1.3Heb 1:3or elſe it would quickly have returned into its firſt Nothing: So it is with the ſecond Creation, Hebr. 12.3Heb 12:3Chriſt is the Finiſher as well as the Author of grace; Phil. 1.Phil 1He that hath begun a good work in you, muſt perfect it: Stability onelyonly comes from the unchangeable God; and therefore pray, that God would put of his unchangeableneſs upon you. Pray as p. 263Luther was wont to pray, Act. & Mon fol. 777.Confirm O Lord in us what thou haſt wrought, and perfect the work thou haſt begun in us to thy Glory, ſo be it; which he ſeems to have taken out of Pſal. 68.28. Strengthen, O God, that which thou haſt wrought in us. Pray that prayer which David prayed over that liberal frame of heart which God had formed in his people for the ſervice of the Temple. O LORD God of Abraham, 1 Chron. 29 18.1 Chr 29:18and Iſaac, and Jacob our Fathers, KEEP THIS FOR EVER in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and PREPARE their heart unto thee; or **foreignSTABLISH their heart. Oh be earneſt with God for ſtability of heart, Hoſea 6.4Hos 6:4that thy goodneſs may not be as a morning cloud, and as the early dew, but that it may in ſome proportion reſemble the Author of it, and be Yeſterday, Heb. 13.8Heb 13:8and to day, and the ſame for ever.

In a word, By all theſe means and helps, and what other God hath ſanctified for this gracious end, labor, Chriſtians, to be ſuch out of p. 264your afflictions, Poſſum ergo quod pluribus verbis pluribus eliam voluminibus philoſophi docere conantur ipſe breviter tibi mihique precipere, ut tales eſſe ſani perſeveremus quales nos futuros profitemur infirmi. Plin. ep. 26 l. 7. ad maxas you promiſed God and your ſelves to be when you were in; that neither God nor your own Souls may have cauſe to repent of your ſufferings; that the fruit of chaſtening may be ††2 Cor 72 Cor 7Repentance never to be unrepented of, i.e. **Marbury of Repent. 3 Duty, Pray for the afflicted.never to fall back again: Having in your troubles repented of your ſins, take heed when you are delivered, that you repent not of your repentance; and he that doth not repent of his repentance now, ſhall never have cauſe to repent for his repentance hereafter.

And thus I have done with the ſecond Duty of thoſe who through grace do find they have been taught by affliction.

I come now to the Third Duty.

Pray for the afflicted; and when you pray, ſay, Lord, teach them, as well as correct them, that they may be bleſſed. O pray thus for ENGLAND, ſhe hath been a long time ſorely chaſtiſed of the Lord, and yet hath been all this while like a Bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke. O p. 265pray, Turn us Lord, and we ſhall be turned, thou art the Lord our God. Pray, that God would teach ENGLAND in this day day of her viſitation the things of her peace before they be hid from her eyes. Luk. 19.42Luke 19:42Ier. 6.8Jer 6:8O pray that we may be INSTRUCTED, leſt Gods Soul depart from us: If Correction go not forth into Inſtruction; if England be not at length reformed by all the judgments of God upon her, ſhe hath ſeen her beſt days, and may expect to be made deſolate, a Land not inhabited; Ier. 6.8Jer 6:8there is no balm for our pain, neither any Phyſician that can heal our malady.

Pray thus for all your friends, who are or have been in the furnace of affliction; pray that they may come forth as gold purified ſeven times in the fire, that they may loſe nothing there but their ruſt: Pray, Lord, what they ſee not, teach them, and if they have done wickedly, let them do ſo no more. One great uſe which Chriſtians ſhould make of reading the Scripture, is to learn from thence p. 266the language of prayer. And oh that the profeſſors of this age would in this particular learn what to pray, and how to pray for their brethren in tribulation: O that they would cenſure leſs, and pray more, and in ſtead of ſpeaking one of another, ſpeak more one to another, and one for another; that was the good old way; Mal. 3.16Mal 3:16THEN they that feared the Lord ſpake often one To another: But oh the tender, praying, healing, reſtoring SPIRIT, is departed; and if Chriſtians ſtir not up themſelves to call it back again, it is a ſad preſage that God is departing too; Hoſ. 9.12Hos 9:12and wo unto us when God departeth from us: We are like water ſpilt upon the ground, that cannot be gathered up again: We judg before we enquire, and reject before we admoniſh: Our Brethren, upon vain ſurmiſes, are to us as Heathens and Publicans, before we have been to them as Chriſtians and fellow-members: And this we think becometh us, and we take a kind of pride and contentment in p. 267it. But oh, to inform, to convince, Gal. 6.1 Mat. 18.15 16, 17.Gal 6:1Matt 18:15to exhort, to pray, to put the bone (if out) in joynt again, this were done like the Diſciples of Chriſt; Violentia Sancta, obtabilis rapina.to ſhew our ſelves Chriſtians indeed, Profeſſors not of the letter, but of the Spirit, and would gain our Brethren in ſtead of blaſting them. Conſider what I ſay, and the Lord give you a right underſtanding in all things.

And thus much for ſuch as are come out of affliction, and find that it hath been through free grace a teaching affliction.

But now ſecondly, Exhort. to them that have been corrected, but not inſtructed.To ſuch as cannot evidence to their own Souls that chaſtening hath been accompanied with divine teaching in any Goſpel-proportion, or at leaſt are not deeply ſenſible of the want of it; here is a word of Exhortation for them, ſuffer it I beſeech you; Roul your ſelves in the duſt before the Lord; ſmite upon your thigh; ſigh with the breaking of your loyns, and cry out with Ephraim, Thou haſt p. 268chaſtiſed me, Reader, excuſe the frequent uſe of this Scripture, Ier. 31.18. Nunquam ſatis dicitur, quod nunquam ſatis diſcitur; that cannot be too often ſpoken, which cannot be ſufficiently learned. Sen. Epiſt. Hoſea 9.11 Pſal. 58.8Jer 31:18Hos 9:11Ps 58:8and I was chaſtiſed, as a Bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke: I have felt the blows of God, but that is all; I have received no more instruction by all my correction, then a brute beaſt; or if I had, I have quickly loſt it; it is fled like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception: It is like the untimely fruit of a woman that never ſaw the Sun. Truly thou haſt cauſe to ſit down, and even wiſh for thy affliction again: God had put himſelf into thy hands (as it were,) and thou haſt let him go without THE Bleſſing, the bleſſing of ſaving Inſtruction: how mayſt thou even wiſh, I ſay, O that I were in priſon again, in my ſick bed again, in baniſhment again, et ſic in caet. However humble thy ſelf greatly before the Lord, and wreſtle mightily for the AFTER TEACHINGS of God upon thy heart; pray, Turn me Lord, and I ſhall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God; what affliction hath not done, Lord do thou; ſet Omnipotency p. 269on work, and it ſhall be done; turn me, and I SHALL BE turned; that ſo thy Soul may yet ſpeak to the praiſe of free grace: AFTER that I returned I repented, Ier. 31.19Jer 31:19and AFTER that I was inſtructed, I ſmote upon the thigh, I was aſhamed, yea even confounded, becauſe I did bear the reproach of my youth. Urge the Lord, as Sampſon did after his victory, Judg. 15.18. Thou haſt given this great deliverance into the hand of thy ſervant, and ſhall I now dye for thirſt, and fall into the hand of the uncircumciſed? Say thou, Lord, thou haſt given thy ſervant this great deliverance from danger and death, and ſhall I now periſh for want of teaching, and go down to Hell among the uncircumciſed? TEACH me thy way, Pſal. 86.11Ps 86:11O Lord, I will walk in thy truth: Ʋnite my heart to fear thy Name. TEACH me to do thy will, Pſa. 143 10Ps 143:10for thou art my God, thy Spirit is good; lead me into the Land of uprightneſs. In a word, deſire the Lord that He would do all the work, and then p. 270take all the glory: Say, Lord, teach me as well as deliver me, and I ſhall be bleſſed.

The four…h and laſt Branch of Exhortation is to Parents and Governors:

To exhort them in the Education of their Children to imitate God; Exhortat. to Parents.and that in two things.

1. In affording their children due correction.

2. To Correction to add Inſtruction.

Firſt, 1. Exhort. Withhold not due correction. Prov. 19.18Prov 19:18Afford your Children due correction. It is the counſel of the Holy Ghoſt, CHASTEN thy ſon while there is hope, and let not thy Soul ſpare for his crying. Behold, God counſelleth you that are Parents, or in ſtead of Parents, to do with your children as He doth with his; wiſely to uſe the diſcipline of the rod, before vicious diſpoſitions grow into habits, and folly be ſo deeply rooted, Pro. 22 15 Mr Trapp in his Comment on Prov. in locum.Prov 22:15that the Rod of Correction will not drive it out. Error and folly, ſaith one very well, be the knots of Satan, wherewith he p. 271ties children to the ſtake to be burnt in Hell; and theſe knots are eaſilieſt cut betimes; or if you ſhould make the child bleed in cutting of them, let it not cauſe you to withdraw your hand; for ſo it followeth, Chaſten thy ſon, &c. and let not thy Soul ſpare for his crying: It is not only fooliſh, but cruel pity to forbear correction for a few childiſh tears; to ſuffer the child to howl in Hell for ſin, father then to ſh…d a few tears for the preventing of it. Fooliſh fathers and mothers call this love, but the Father of ſpirits calls it hatred: He that ſpareth the rod, Hateth his ſon, Prov. 13.24 Surely there is nothing ſo ill ſpared, as that whereby the child is ſpoiled; ſuch ſparing is hatred; and becauſe you hate your children in not correcting of them, they come afterward to hate you by not correcting of them: But that is not all; **Valde inutili…er valdc pernicioſe ſentiet filius patris lenitatem, ut poſtea juſte ſentiat Dei ſeveritatem. Aug. in Pſa. 50. Ad interficiendum. Pagn. deriving the original word from the root foreign which in Hiph. ſig. to kill.Ps 50the parents lenity in this caſe makes way for Gods ſeverity: Pity to the fleſh is cruelty to the ſoul; ſo the Hebrew may be rendred, Spare p. 272not to his deſtruction, or to cauſe him to dye, that is, to occaſion his deſtruction: The fooliſh indulgence of the parent may be, and often is, the death of the child, eternal death: Parents ſpare their children in their folly to the deſtruction both of body and ſoul. And this may help us to expound that other parallel text, Withhold not correction from the child, Pro 23.13Prov 23:13for if thou beat him with the rod he ſhall not dye: The meaning may be either, that correction will not kill him; the rod will break no bones; ſo preventing and reproving at once the ſilly tenderneſs of fond parents, who think if they ſhould correct their children, they would preſently dye of it; they are as afraid to uſe the rod, as if it were a ſword: **Antiqui patres ut Deo placerent admortem filiis etiam non parcebant; nos autem cos quos ſecundum carnem diligimus etiam tenui verborum aſpiritate inſequi non audemu…. Greg. in 1 Sam. 14.1 Sam 14Abraham feared not ſo much to ſacrifice his ſon, as ſuch parents fear to chaſten him. Nay, but faith the Holy Ghoſt, fear not correction, for behold, the ſtrokes of the rod are not the ſtrokes of death: it is but a rod it is not a ſerpent, take it into thy hand; it may ſmart, it p. 273will not ſting: To take away the fear of parents in this caſe, God himſelf giveth them his word for it, He ſhall not dye: This I ſay may be the meaning; by correcting thy child thou ſhalt not murder him. Or elſe (which I rather conceive) the words may be a motive drawn from the fruit of correction; Withhold not correction from the child; why? He ſhall not dye, i. e. it may be, and (through divine bleſſing accompanying it) is often a means to prevent death: it may prevent the firſt and ſecond death to which the child is expoſed by the finful indulgence of the parent. The **Greg. Nyſ. in Cant. Hom. 12.word uſed in this place, ſaith one, ſeems to note an immortality; ſo that He ſhall not dye, is all one as if the Holy Ghoſt had ſaid, **There is a foreign in the words, wherein more is underſtood then expreſt. 1 Cor. 11.321 Cor 11:32He ſhal live for ever; the rod on the fleſh ſhall be a means to ſave the ſoul in the day of the Lord Jeſus: We are chaſtened, that we ſhould not be condemned with the world. Pſa. 141.5Ps 141:5Such ſmitings, as David ſaith in another caſe, ſhall be a kindneſs; and ſuch p. 274rebukes are ſo far from breaking the head, that they ſhall be an excellent oyl which ſhall cure, and give life. The very Philoſopher could ſay, foreign. Arist. Eth. l. 2.Correction is a kind of Phyſick or Medicine. Alas, our children are ſick, and cruel is that mercy which will ſuffer them to dy…, yea eternally, rather then diſguſt their palates with a little bitter phyſick? Apiſh parents they be, who hug their little ones to death; **Peremptores potius quam parentes.Paricides rather then Parents; of whom we may ſay, as ſometime the **Cum dudiſſet Auguſtus inter pueros quos in Syria Herodes Rex Iudaeorum, infea bimatum juſſit interfici, filium quoque ejus acciſum, ait, melius eſt Herodis porcum eſſe quam filium. Macrob. Sat. lib. 2. c. 4.Roman Emperor ſaid of Herod (when he heard that he had murdered his own ſon among the reſt of the infants when Chriſt was born, that ſo he might be ſure (as he ſuppoſed) to deſtroy the King of the Jews,) It were better to be ſuch peoples ſwine, then their ſons. O hateful indulgence! mercileſs pity! to loſe a child for want of correction! ſuch parents throw both the rod and the child into the fire at once; the rod into the fire of the chimney, and the child into the fire of Hell. This is not p. 275done like God, Heb 12.6Heb 12:6for whom the Lord loveth he chaſteneth, and ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth: And ſo doth every wiſely loving parent; He that ſpareth the rod hateth his ſon, but he that Loveth Him chaſteneth him betimes. Pro. 13 24Prov 13:24As mo…hs are beaten out of a garment with a rod, ſo muſt vices out of childrens hearts. And for want of this diſciplinary love, how have ſome children accuſed their parents at the Gallows? and how many do, and will curſe them in Hell, in ſome ſuch language as Cyprian ſuppoſeth infants to complain of their parents who denyed them Baptiſm; Perdit nos aliena perfidia, parenles ſenſimus paricidas. Cyp. Scr. de lap.The treacherous fondneſs of our parents hath brought us into theſe torments, our fathers and mothers have been our murderers; they that gave us our natural life, have deprived us of a better; and they that would not correct us with the rod, have occaſioned us now to be tormented with ſcorpions. O it would grieve the heart of the moſt unnatural parept in the world to hear the doleful p. 276complain…s, and thoſe hideous yellings of poor children in Hell fire, whom their fondneſs hath ſent thither: and oh that they would liſten to them, before they themſelves come into that place of torment, and there find no mercy, becauſe here they have ſhewed their children ſo much. **Filius patris ſentit lentiatem, ut poſtea ſentiat Dei ſeveritatem, & Hoc Non Solus Sed Cum Diſſoluto Patre. Aug. in Pſa. 50.Ps 50The childe goeth to Hell for his wickedneſs, and the parent many times for his mercy. Yea even in this life how do many godly Parents ſmart for their fondneſs, becauſe they will not make their Children ſmart for their folly. ††Vid. Chryſoſt. l. 3. ad veritus vitup. vitae Monaſticae. 1 Sam. 3.13 Becauſe Eli reſtrained not his ſons, their ſins deſtroyed him and his whole family. Chryſoſt. ut ſup.1 Sam 3:13Eli and David would not ſo much as rebuke their ſons, and God gave them both great rebukes in their ſons: It is ſaid of Eli, His ſons made themſelves vile, and he RESTRAINED them not: the Hebr. ſignifieth, He FROWNED not upon them. Oh ſad! for want of a frown to deſtroy a Soul! the Soul of a Childe! to ſmile a Childe to Hell! p. 277Conſider of it; I am much afraid, this unchriſtian, yea unnatural indulgence of Parents, is the fountain of all that confuſion, under which England at this time reels and ſtaggers like a drunken man: and for this very ſin, at leaſt for this among others, yea, and for this above others, God is **Unde nos mala innumera perpetimur quotidie? nonne quod filios noſtros malos aſpicimus & nos emendare negligimus?viſiting all the families of the Land, from the Throne to the pooreſt Cottage. Parents have layd the foundation of their own forrows, their childrens ruine, and the deſolation of the Nation, in the looſeneſs and delicacy of their education; and yet are not ſenſible of it to this day: We have not corrected our children, and therefore God is correcting us in our children: We **God makes our children our rods, becauſe we have withheld the rod from them. We gave them too much reſt, and therefore they give us none. Pro. 29 17 Levit. 26Prov 29:17Lev 26have not croſs'd them in their wills, and therefore God doth croſs us in our wills: We have walked (even in this point, exceedingly) contrary to God, and to his Diſcipline; and therefore God is walking contrary to us, and is puniſhing us ſeven times more for this iniquity. And therefore, Oh that Parents would at p. 278length awaken themſelves, to follow both the pattern and precept of their heavenly Father; who, as he correcteth whom he loveth, ſo he commands them to correct, Melius eſt perire in virga patris, quam in blandimentis perire praedonis.if they love, their children. Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou correct him with the Rod, he ſhall not dye: If the Rod draw blood (ſhould need be) it is ad ſalutem; it is as the Phyſician deals with them to prevent a feaver; a feaver of boyling paſſions here, and of boyling fire and brimſtone hereafter: it is to cure, not to kill; yea, thou killeſt, if thou doſt not wound: and therfore again I ſay, withhold it not: Give the rod unto thy childe, and he will one day give thee thanks for it. Yea, it is worth obſervation, that the ſame word in the original, foreignwhich is tranſlated withhold, ſignifieth alſo to forbid; meeting with another diſtemper in Parents, who as they will not correct their children themſelves, ſo alſo they forbid others to correct them, under whoſe tuition they put them: As if they were afraid p. 279their children would not have ſin enough here, nor hell enough hereafter, they lay in Caveats againſt the means which God hath ſanctified for their reclaiming. What tears of blood are ſufficient to bewail this folly! You that are godly-wiſe, and wiſely-loving, take heed of it; and when you commit your children to others hands, do not in the mean while hold their hands: if thou judgeſt them not wiſe, why doſt thou chuſe them? if thou chuſe them, why doſt thou not truſt them? Well then, if the rod be in thine own hand, withhold it not; if in thy friends hand, forbid it not. Certainly there is great need of this duty, which the Spirit of God doth frequently inculcate all along the Proverbs. I will conclude this branch of the Exhortation with inverting the Counſel of our Saviour; In this ſence be ye not merciful, that you may be the children of your heavenly Father: Mat. 5.44 45Matt 5:44for whom he loveth he correcteth, and ſcourgeth every ſon whom he receiveth. Go thou and p. 280do likewiſe; and this ſhall be your mercy and love to your children: He that ſpareth the rod, hateth his ſon; Pro. 13.24Prov 13:24but he that loveth him, chaſteneth him betimes.

Secondly, 2 Exhort, Add Inſtruction to Correction.You that are Parents, or in ſtead of Parents, If you would have your children happy, Add Inſtruction to correction: imitate God in this part of patternal Diſcipline alſo; let Chaſtiſement and Inſtruction go together: It is that which the Holy Ghoſt urgeth upon you; Bring them up in the NURTURE and ADMONITION of the Lord: Eph. 6.4Eph 6:4There be two words relating to both theſe Parental duties; foreign, in **Qua Pater erudit filium. Bez.caſtigatione, in the Chaſtiſement or Correction; and it is added, of the Lord: that is, either in the Chaſtiſement, wherewith the Lord exerciſeth his children; or in the Chaſtiſement which the Lord commandeth earthly Parents to exerciſe towards their children: this is the firſt duty, of which already. And then there is another word, which holdeth forth the end and deſign p. 281of Parental Correction, and that is, foreign, Monitis ex verbo Dei petitis, ſive ſanctis & Deo acceptis. Bez.in the Admonition and Instruction of the Lord: i. e. in Counſels and Inſtructions taken out of the Word of God, or ſuch as are approved of by God: The ſum is this, That while we chaſten the fleſh, Proprie fignificat admonitionem non ſimpliciter ſed talem, qualem in mentem pueri ponas & ingerasquae ſunt illi ad ſalutem neceſsaria. Zanch. in loc.we ſhould labor to inform and form the minde and ſpirit, by infuſing right principles, preſſing and urging upon their tender hearts counſel, reproof, and inſtruction, as the matter requireth. This is the duty of Parents, to imitate God, to let Inſtruction expound Correction; and with a rod in the hand, and a word in the mouth, to train up their children to life eternal. A dumb rod is but a brutiſh Diſcipline, and will leave the child as brutiſh as it found him. Chaſtiſement without teaching may ſooner break the bones then the heart; it may mortifie the fleſh, but not corruption; extinguiſh nature, but never beget grace: But the Rod and REPROOF give wiſdom. Pro. 29.15.Prov 29:15Instruction added to Correction, as it makes excellent Chriſtians, p. 282ſo it makes good Children. There be Parents that are ſevere and curſt enough to their children; they ſpare for no blows: in ſtead of breaking them of their wills, by a wiſe and moderate correction, they are ready to break their bones, and their necks too ſometimes, in their moods and paſſions: But they never minde the other branch of Paternal Diſcipline, ſc. Instruction and Admonition: of ſuch Parents I ſuppoſe the Apoſtle ſpeaketh, Heb. 12.9, 10. We have had Fathers of our fleſh, who corrected and chaſtened us after THEIR OVVN PLEASURE: He ſpeaketh not of all Parents; but his meaning is, there be ſuch men and women in the world, who are moſt unlike to God; and in ſmiting their children, rather pleaſe themſelves, then profit their children: He for our profit, but they after their own pleaſure, to give vent to their paſſion, and ſatisfie their vindictive rage and fury: and when is that? truly when the Rod and Reproof do not go together; it is an argument there p. 283is more paſſion then judgment, more luſt then love, in ſuch chaſtiſements. Such Parents do rather betray their own folly, then take a courſe to make their children wiſe: Schola Crucis, Schola Lucis.The Rod and Reproof give wiſdom: neither alone will do it: the Rod without Reproof will harden the heart, and teach the children ſooner to hate the Parent, then to hate ſin; Abſque afflictione nulli utilia diſcunt.and Reproof without the Rod will leave no impreſſion: Reproofs of inſtruction are the way of life, Pro: 6.23or Corrections of inſtruction: a leſſon ſet on with a whiping is beſt remembred. It is divine truth that muſt be the inſtrument of working ſaving grace in the heart: Ioh. 17.17John 17:17Sanctifie them with thy truth, thy Word is truth. It is the commendation of Timothy his Mother, that from his very infancy ſhe inſtructeed him in the Scriptures, 2 Tim. 3.15. cum cap. 2.5 Hierom. Chryſoſt. Theoph. docent ex hoc loco, Parentes etiam de Scripturis dehere inſtituere liberos ſuos; That Parents ought to inſtruct their children in the holy Scriptures. 2. Tim. 4.32 Tim 3:152 Tim 4:3which were able to make him wiſe to Salvation. When there is a divine ſentence in the mouth of the Rod, it brings wiſdom and life with it.

And therefore, O that Parents p. 284would imitate the Father of ſpirits in this bleſſed art of Paternal Diſcipline: joyn the Word of Instruction to the Rod of Correction; teach as well as chaſtiſe: Reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-ſuffering and doctrine: It is true, it is enjoyned Timothy as a Paſtoral duty; but it is as true, that every Parent is a King, a Prophet, and a Prieſt: A King, to govern and chaſtiſe; a Prophet, to teach and instruct; and a Prieſt, to offer up ſpiritual ſacrifice to God, Prayer and Praiſe with and for the Family. O that every childe might have cauſe to give their Parents that commendation, Illa magis ſatagebat ut tu mihi pater eſſes,—quoniam ſempiternam ſalutem charius parturiebat Confeſſ. l. 1. c. 11which once Auguſtin gave his Mother, in reference to his Baptiſm: My mother, ſaith he, made it her buſineſs to make God my Father,—becauſe ſhe travelled with my everlaſting ſalvation, with more tenderneſs and ſorrow, then ever ſhe did with my firſt birth. O that natural Parents could beſpeak the fruit of their loyns, as S. Paul beſpeaks his Galatians, My little children, Gal. 4.19Gal 4:19of whom I travel in birth p. 285again, until Chriſt be formed in you: that ſo they might rejoyce in the ſecond, more then ever they did in the firſt birth: Why, this is done by the Word and the Rod. Pro. 29.17Prov 29:17Correct thy ſon, and he ſhall give thee reſt, yea he ſhall give delight unto thy Soul: Correct! how? the 15 verſe anſwers; The Rod and Reproof give wiſdom: Thus give your Children correction, and they ſhall give you reſt and delight. Though correction for the preſent do not give them reſt, for no chaſtening for the preſent ſeemeth to be joyous, but grievous; yet it will make them give you reſt: and though correction doth not delight them, yet it ſhall make them give delight to you: 3 John 43 John 1:4What greater delight then to ſee your children walking in the Truth! and to think thus with your ſelves, Quot dedit familia… juvenes, totred…idit curiae conſulares.(not as Caſſiodor expreſſeth it, that, ſo many ſons, ſo many Counſellors to to the State, but) that, ſo many children God hath given you, ſo many children you have brought up for God, and ſo many heirs for the p. 286Kingdom of Heaven. Well; Chaſtiſe and teach them out of the Law of God, and thy Children ſhall be Bleſſed.

Which that they may, indeed, take one ſhort CAUTION more; and that is,

Add Prayer to Instruction. Laſt Cautios, Add Prayer to Inſtruction.As Teaching ſhould accompany Chaſtiſement, ſo Prayer ſhould accompany Teaching: God need uſe onelyonly the Rod and the Word; becauſe the bleſſing is in his own hand, he can command a bleſſing: It is not ſo with us; As Paul may plant, and Apollo may water, but God muſt give the increaſe; ſo the Father may correct, the Mother may inſtruct, both may do both, but God muſt give the Bleſſing: and therefore Chriſtian Parents, while they add Inſtruction to correction, ſhould add Prayer to Instruction: Ora & labora. Pray and labor.Means are ours, Succeſs is Gods; and therefore let us put the Rod into the hand of Instruction, Instruction into the hand of Prayer, and all into the hand of God. Pray, and teach p. 287your Children to pray, that God would ſo bleſs Correction and Inſtruction, that both may make you and your Children BLESSED. Amen.

FINIS.

End of the text · Thomas Case, Correction Instruction or a Treatise of Afflictions (1652)