A Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit Bearing, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 14
SECT. XIV. Other Caſes anſwered.
3. YEt more hardly againſt comfort under the Rod,Caſe 3. it is urged by other poore ſoules; Alas, it perplexeth not me for the greatneſſe or multitude of my afflictions, ſaith another; my burthen is, I cannot exerciſe, I cannot work under them, I am ſo toſſed, I can do nothing, either about heart, or God, or Rod; I can neither pray, nor beare, nor conſider; how ſhall I be comforted, when all the good of chaſtning is intail'd upon exerciſe, and my hands and knees are ſo feeble, that I can do nothing?
But is it ſo indeed,Anſw. that ſuch amazement is falne on thee by the Rod, that thou canſt do nothing? What, not pray, nor look unto God that ſmites thee? In good earneſt thou muſt be chid, for this is utterly a fault: There is ſupport and not confuſion in the Rod, awakening, not aſtoniſhing; and doeſt thou draw this, and not that, to thine own undoing, and Gods diſhonour? Surely, this is thy ſhame, to eye only the ſtunning bitterneſſe, and utterly neglect the reviving ſweetneſſe of the Rod. Yet not to trample upon this dejected ſoule, whoſe burthen as well as ſin this condition is, and therefore makes he this complaint, and refuſeth to be comforted; I ſhall adde but two words of incouragement, and adviſe, to remove the difficulty of this Caſe, which keeps off the ſoule from comfort in affliction.
1. Be not yet diſmayed, poore ſoule, there is hope concerning this thing, though but little action yet appearing; it may be the divine Wiſdome would abaſe thy pride, and make thee ſee thy ſelfe how low thou art, and therefore hath ſtruck and left thee for a moment without ſtrength; this is his goodneſſe ſometimes,Iob 2.13. and his way to ſave men: thus Job ſate ſeven dayes dumb before his friends in aſhes, his griefe tooke away his ſpeech; Yet againe conſider thy ſelf-condemning is one piece of work, thy teares and ſorrowes for thy deadneſſe another,Jerem. 31.18 ſutable for thy condition and pleaſing unto God; though thou canſt not compaſſe all the work, yet it is ſome comfort to move a little: yet further God will give in reviving from his holineſſe to thy dejected ſpirit, and ſet thee upon thy feet, and lift up thy hands to work,Iſa. 57.15. and through him, yet ſhalt thou labour abundantly, and thy labour ſhall not be in vain.
2. Be adviſed alſo, to take that courſe, which may ſtrengthen heart and hands to the deſired exerciſe; eye therefore not only the grief, but the comfort of the Rod; not only it's dejecting, but it's ſupporting vertue; not only the wounding ſmart, but the healing ſweet that ſtill accompanies; This will be a cordiall conſideration againſt fainting.…. 27.5. Adde to this the greateſt care of laying hold on Gods ſtrength, ſo ſhalt thou make and keep peace with him in all eſtates, and nothing ſhall offend thee: Chriſt is that ſtrength of God, given out to poore believers, what can they not do in the worſt condition through Chriſt that ſtrengtheneth them? In ſhort, ſtrive againſt feares of future evills, as well as ſmart of preſent; cheer up thy heart, and ſtirre up thy ſelfe to worke together with Chriſt, in ſtriving thou wilt finde greater influence of life from heaven; This is thy duty, in a carefull performance whereof thou wilt finde the ſureſt cure of feares, and anſwer to thy doubts; but to this, I muſt ſpeak in the ſpeciall uſe of chaſtenings which the Apoſtle makes hereafter.
4.Caſe 4. Yet another ſtop is put in to keep out comfort from the afflicted ſoule, It is the ſad complaint of ſome from the ſenſe of fruitleſneſſe under the Rod; Alas, why ſhould I be comforted in my ſorrows when no good comes of all my ſufferings? I am ſcourged every day, but never the better; If the end of Gods chaſtenings be ſharing in his holineſſe, or the fruit of righteouſneſſe, I am a ſtranger unto God, and theſe; therefore may I conclude, vengeance hath ſeiſed on me from my Judge, not chaſtening from a father, for I am unholy, and unrighteous ſtill in the midſt of the fires, barren and vile under all the prunings of God.
Poor ſoule,Anſw. more to be pitied, becauſe ſo ſevere againſt thy ſelfe! But is it all true, that thou haſt ſaid, and are there no iſſues of good from the Rod upon thy heart? Give me leave a little to ſearch, and try what anſwer thy ſpirit in truth can make to ſome queries. Tell mee, deare Chriſtian, after all thy ſcourgings, how are thy thoughts concerning God and Chriſt, and ſin and ſelfe? Truly I think my ſelf the vileſt of creatures; I have cauſe to do ſo, even as loathſome as the Devils, and ſin I judge to be worſe then death and hell it ſelfe; and God I know to be that High and holy One (O that I were like him!) and Chriſt I confeſſe the only way to God; O that I could reach him, and by him move unto the Father! Now pray tell mee, are not theſe right thoughts? Hath not the time been that thou haſt had harder thoughts of God, and better of thy ſelf? harſh of Chriſt, and pleaſant concerning ſin? Haſt not thou called ſometimes ſweet bitter, and bitter ſweet? Is not this the rectitude or righteouſneſſe of God ſtampt upon thy minde? Is not this a degree of ſharing in his holineſſe? Tell mee then, how is thy heart, how ſtands thy affections? what doeſt thou hate, what doeſt thou love, what doeſt thou feare, and what doeſt thou deſire, where is thy delight? Speake Chriſtian; and canſt thou ſay otherwiſe than thus, ſurely I would love God, deſire after him, and delight in him; I would feare to grieve, I would hate ſin, and abhor my ſelfe for ever: And is not this rectitude in thy affections? and hath not the Rod turned thy heart more this way? Nay, once again tell me, O thou afflicted! which way is thy face? whither bendeſt thou in wayes and walkings? Is not God thy mark? yea, I would hit that, and reach him, if I could, but alas, I do not, I cannot, it's but little, it's but little that my heart or wayes are turned to God-ward. Yet a little is worth as much as life: ſhall wee deny any, becauſe we have not all? Doe not ſo poore ſoule, leſt thou wrong God in denying his grace; acknowledge this and kiſſe the rod, ſo will greater grace appeare. But ſuppoſe the fruit were ſo little, as ſcarcely viſible; yet there is hope, by exerciſe, waiting and bleſſing from heaven, the dry rod may bloſſome, and bring forth abundantly: kill not thy ſelfe with faithles doubts, with thoſe wretched ones, that ſay there is no hope, and therefore conclude no farther labour is here uſefull, no, no, there is yet hope in the latter end, the ſplitting of an oake by ſtorme may ſpread the life of it into new ſprouts, in ſtead of killing it; beleeve, beleeve and be eſtabliſhed, abide in Chriſt cloſe, and yee ſhall bring forth much fruit to your fathers glory. Caſt not then away your comfort.
5. Yet once more the ſhaking ſoule replies, and will not be cheered;Caſe 5. Alas grant this, ſome ſmall ſparkes of righteouſneſſe may have a little kindling, yet there is no warmth or influence in them; if it were righteouſneſſe indeed it would bring peace, but I am ſure I have no peace, I ſee frownes in Gods face, but no ſmiles, I find troubles within, but no eaſe, heart-akings, no heart-revivings. Were they chaſtenings of God, they would bring peace, but they are judgements, they are vengeance, therefore have I nought but trouble.
I confeſſe this caſe will prove hardeſt to ſatisfie,Anſw. not from the weight of reaſon, but from the diſpoſition of the creature, that feels nothing but diſquietneſſe in the fleſh, and therefore concludes nothing but wrath in its affliction: reaſon will not ſatisfie ſenſe, and ſenſe onelyonly undertakes here to judge of peace, no more peace will it grant, but what it feels, though to the ſpirit God ſpeake never ſo much: yet to quiet this heart too a little, if it will but heare, I ſhall preſent theſe conſiderations to be digeſted, & weighed with the caſe.
1. Righteouſneſſe is the ſurer and the clearer fruit of chaſtening, bearing witnes of the love of God in it,Conſcientia bona & iniquicta, Bernard. though peace may ſeeme the ſweeter; and yet a conſcience may be pure and troubled; flight from ſin, purſuit of holines ſhall teſtifie Gods grace in every rod, though the powers of hell may rack the ſoule to torture;Pſal. 119.67.71. keeping word, and learning Gods ſtatutes, is Davids evidence of the good of his affliction, peace is not mention'd. If righteouſneſſe appeare, be comforted, though peace be not come.
2. Though peace be inſeparably united unto righteouſneſſe, and given of God together, yet are they not alwayes coaetaneous in their exiſtence upon the heart: The ſprouting out of both is reſerved for the afterward of the affliction in the very text; and indeed though ſometimes they may riſe together, yet many times long after righteouſneſſe, doth peace appeare in the ſoule. It ſeemes to be ſo in that holy man of God, who in the height of holy affections wanted the light of Gods countenance, and therein peace, yet thus he beſpeaks himſelfe;Pſal. 42.5.11. Why art thou caſt downe, O my ſoule? and why art thou diſquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I ſhall yet praiſe him for the help of his countenance; who is the health of my countenance, and my God. His face or preſence is ſalvation, and that the health, and chearefulneſſe of mine, all my peace is from it, this makes my countenance healthfull: and though I ſee it not now, yet I will hope, and I ſhall praiſe him for it; peace will come. Conclude not then, deare ſoule, no grace, becauſe no peace; wait, for it will come, and will not tarry, abundance of peace to bleſſe thy ſoule for ever.
3. There is peace upon thee in preſent, were but thine eyes cleared of teares, and thy heart of cares, a little to conſider, and look towards it.Rev. 3.19. Can this word fayle us, Whom I love Ir…buko and chaſten? and can he love and not be at peace? All this thou doeſt not feele, and therefore wilt not beleeve: Faintings oppreſſe thy ſenſe, and ſenſe thy faith, that now thy hands hang downe, and knees be feeble, no ſtrength is left in thee to ſee the good, the peace of thy condition: No remedy but this to ſhake thy ſelfe from the duſt, to beſtirre thy ſelfe to lay hold upon mirth and healing. Strive not againſt thy comforts ſtill, but yeeld thy ſelfe to reviving counſells; In this way righteouſneſſe and peace ſhall meet upon thee, and crowne thee, and kiſſe each other; OnelyOnly up and be doing, to make that uſe of the chaſtening Providence, which the Apoſtle here commends. It is the laſt generall propoſed, and now more ſtrictly to be conſidered.