A Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit Bearing, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 12
SECT. XII. Conſolations iſſuing from the precedent Truth.
AS the Conſolations of Chriſt are ſweet and many, in varietie of conditions, ſo in none more ſweet and abundant, than in the ſtate of ſufferings; the abundance of theſe brings forth plentie of them. It is worth our view to ſee what ſtore of them, the diſpoſition of the rod with its appendents in the preſent truth, ſends forth to Gods afflicted; It will be very injurious to hide them from the exerciſed wraſtlers under Gods rod, ſeeing he hath ordained them for ſuch; though perhaps they may receive a pinch upon the thigh, that makes them halt, yet they ſhall not goe away without a bleſſing; Though God whip them, yet will he bleſſe them. Every word in the Text ſpeaks comfort unto theſe, and no man may take it from them.
1. The hand of love that chaſtens, as a Father cheers up the ſoules labouring in the furnace; Faint not poore heart, when thou art rebuked, my dear, my darling, the child of my delights art thou;Jer. 31, 20. I remember thee when I ſpeake againſt thee, every ſtroke goes to my heart, my bowells are troubled for thee, and I will ſurely have mercy on thee. I delight not to afflict, but now it is needfull, becauſe I love I chaſten you, and chaſten that I may ſave you;Rev. 3.19. better chaſtened than condemned; Let not ſorrow over-lay your hearts, God-love cannot afflict his ſeed for evill.
2. The rod it ſelfe that ſmites them, ſpeaks nothing but good unto them; ſcare not, thou toſſed and afflicted ſoule,Pſal. 23.4. behold I will comfort thee: although I ſmart and wound the fleſh, yet it is but to heale the Spirit, my commiſſion is to awaken, not to ſtun thee, to kill thy ſin, not to hurt thy ſoule, to refine and not conſume thee, to take away thy droſſe, and make thy gold more glorious. Lift up thy head, I am from God on thy ſide, to ſave not to deſtroy; Love hath ſent me, to check ſin, and ſpur on grace, to turne thee out of the wayes of death, and keep thee in the paths of life; Had not I come, how many luſts would have preyed upon thee? How many deaths might have devoured thee? How would hell have ſtriven to ſwallow thee? I am Gods Scepter to over-power thee, as well as his rod to diſcipline and guide thee to heaven. Be not diſconſolate.
3. The work it ſelfe, though hard and irkeſome in the very fires, yet yeelds ſweet comforting ſuggeſtions to the chaſtened and exerciſed ſoule. Three grounds of conſolation at leaſt may hence be preſented, to incourage the afflicted heart.
1. There is life above affliction, when the rod hinders not from motion unto God: Miſerable he that can neither ſet hand to worke, nor feet to walk in the valley of trouble; but bleſſed, whoſe heart is not falne, nor turn'd aſide from the work of God, amidſt all bluſters: Happy Job that could give glory by beleeving unto God,Job 13.15. though he ſhould kill him.
2. There is ſtrength of grace in that ſoule, which can ſo maſter the rod, as not to be diſquieted by it from its appointed worke: As it argues ſmall ſtrength for the heart to faint in the day of affliction, ſo it no leſſe evidenceth great power not to be ſhaken.
3. There is a reward certainly following after, and that a ſweet and full one.Jer. 31.16. It was Rachels conſolation, Refraine thine eyes from teares, thy worke ſhall be rewarded. No worſe the iſſue of all Gods chaſtenings; It is ſweet to live the life of God above afflictions; It is honorable to be of the Worthies, and mightie ones of God, to doe excellently; Its greateſt gaine to have Gods reward; Himſelfe is the returne; I am thy Shield, Gen. 15.1….and thy exceeding great reward, was his word to travelling Abraham; and no leſſe his voice to the ſoules labouring faithfully under his rod. Be comforted then ye chaſtened of the Lord, life and honour and riches are yours, if God can ſatisfie you; your worke ſhall be well rewarded, then be comforted.
4. The promiſed end and certain iſſue both of the fathers ſcourging, and of thy laborious exerciſe under the rod, conclude infallibly ſweet conſolation to thy ſoule: Three expreſſions in the text which carry in them the gaine of affliction, are very cordiall, and worth applying to the heavy heart.
1. Fruit is intailed upon Gods rod, and thy worke; which iſſuing from God in this line, is a notion of good & not of evill, and ſounds abundance, & not ſcanty meaſure of this ſweet, that doth ariſe from bitter; It is ſome comfort to know a mans end ſhall be good, though his beginning and way be darke and evill. Woe to him whoſe good ſhall end in evil, and joy in ſorrow, but bleſſed he whoſe ſorrow ſhall be turned to joy, and teares finiſhed in laughing: Good, much good is reſerved for thee in the latter end, thou afflicted of the Lord; doubled ſweet had Job for all his ſowre, and ſo ſhalt thou,Job 42.12. let not preſent ſorrow ſwallow up thy hopefull comforts.
2. Righteouſneſſe, the ſpeciall kinde of this fruit, if ſerious thoughts work on it, muſt inlarge thy heart, and heighten thy joy againſt all ſmart, whatever it coſt thee: It is of the kinde of ſpirituall and heavenly good, not low, viſible and earthy, all which muſt periſh: This is a piece of Gods holineſſe, whereof by chaſtening he intends to make us ſharers with himſelf; this is fruit, this is good indeed: This heavenly rectitude helpt on in mans heart by chaſtenings, is the face or Image of God in a mirror, the divine nature carrying in it the whole Set of Graces, anſwering to the Graces of Chriſt, and Attributes of God; none ſo neer God as theſe in reality of nature, and dignity of place; Theſe are in the Spirits expreſſes, the heavenly Gold, Pearles, Diamonds, Agats, Carbuncles, Rubies, &c. Bleſſed ſoule that is fraught with ſuch riches! what will one ſcruple of ſaving faith, of true holineſſe, &c. be worth, when God comes to ſeek his Jewels? Beggarly world ſhall then be ſhut out, no worth in the Gold of Havilah or Ophir, only excellency will be in the Gold of Heaven, a little righteouſneſſe more worth then a world, and thou, poore chaſtened of the Lord, ſhalt have fruit, a whole crop, and abundance of this, whileſt thou laboureſt in the fires to glorifie the Lord; He will inrich, and honour, and comfort thee.
3. If there be not good enough in that heavenly kinde of fruit to comfort thee, (excellent, becauſe it is righteouſneſſe, the face of God, a ſpark from heaven) take in it's adjunct or ſweet aſſociate Peace, that clings unto, and kiſſeth the righteous ſoule. This is the bleſſing that cannot be denyed thee, thou chaſtened of the Lord, Peace be unto thee: The Lord himſelfe ſpeaks it unto thee,John 14.27. the God of Peace; Chriſt bequeathes it, the Prince of Peace, My peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, even to his troubled and afflicted Diſciples; and the Spirit of peace ſeales it upon your hearts, deſigned the only Comforter in Chriſts ſtead to be alwayes preſent, quieting and comforting the hearts of his diſtreſſed members: Nay, the Rod it ſelf ſpeaks peace, and not evill; nay, if thou wilt look up and ſee the goodneſſe of God in his ſcourge, thy heart muſt, and ſhall ſay truly, It is peace, God ſmiles on me whileſt he whips me, my ſmart is allayed, my feares are gone; perfect love ſhines forth in chaſtening, Why ſhould I be afraid? God ownes and holds mee, though his hand be heavie upon me; he calls mee darling, childe of his delights, when he ſeems to caſt me off; he rebukes mee indeed ſharply, yet hee remembers mee; hee ſtrikes, yet his bowels are troubled for me; he hath afflicted, but hee will ſure have mercy on me; I will therefore cheerfully beare his hand, becauſe it is good, and comfort my ſelf in my ſorrowes, and ſing to my God in the very fires; for the fruit of righteouſneſſe and peace ſhall be with me for ever. My God and Father ſaith ſo, my Redeemer ſaith ſo, my Comforter ſaith ſo, yea, my afflictions ſay ſo, and therefore my heart is perſwaded to aſſent, and ſay, Surely it is ſo: Peace is my ſolace in the midſt of ſufferings, though the world ſee it not; Conſider, and be comforted, yee chaſtened ones.