A Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit Bearing, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 3
SECT. III. The exerciſe about Hearts, and about God, opened.
2. THe next work to be done for perfecting the pleaſant fruit of the Rod, is about our Hearts, upon whom the ſtrokes are laid. Now being ſtir'd up and excited by the ſcourge, to this exerciſe, the Heart-work will be taken up in theſe particulars, Heart-weighing of the Rod, Heart-breaking under it, and Heart-bending to it; by theſe the chaſtening is furthered to its end.
1. It will be our duty to lay to heart the affliction inflicted on us; in other termes if you will, to conſider and caſt in our thoughts the evill incumbent, what it is, whence it comes, by what provoked, to what intended, this is that heart-weighing mentioned. It is the Preachers rule of wiſedome,Eccleſ. 7.14. In the day of adverſitie conſider. Now, if ever, it concerns men that have hearts to uſe them. Silly Doves, and heartleſſe Ephraims, Hoſ. 7.11.muſt pine away and periſh in their troubles, they have not hearts to bethink themſelves, nor to work good out of their evils: but men of hearts muſt doe more wiſely, if they reſolve to be gainers by the rod. A ſolid conſideration of the Nature, Authour, Motive and End of chaſtening, becomes that ſoule, who would be afflicted for his profit.Hag. 1.5. The Lord himſelf preſſeth this on ſome, Conſider your wayes, when he pleads againſt them with his ſcourges, that is, Set your hearts on your wayes, bethink your ſelves what you have done to pull theſe burdens on you, and what muſt bee done for removall of them.Iſai. 42.25. Ier. 12.11. Ier. 8.6. And no leſſe doth he complain of others, that they lay nothing of his judgements to heart, nor ſo much as once do ſay, What have I done? He that ſeeth the myſtery of the rod, and underſtands the deeps of God in it, is in a way to reach the ſweetneſſe of it, but of the fooliſh inconſiderate heart, that either ſottiſhly neglects, or raſhly runs over the ſtudy of affliction, there is as little hope it ſhould be holy, as that it can be wiſe; skill in the myſtery of the rod, as well as of the word, is requiſite for holineſſe. This heart-work then is needfull, to think, and think, and ſtudy throughly this work of chaſtening.
2. It muſt be no leſſe our exerciſe to plough or break up our hearts, with Gods chaſtening plow-ſhare, if we hope for that good fruit to grow upon them. Thiſtles and weeds are the beſt return that fallow grounds make to the bleſſings of heaven, untill the plow turn it up, and fit for the ſeeds, and future bearing: no better can the heart of man yeeld in ſpirituals, untill God plow and fit it for his hand. This though the mighty Spirit of the Lord can onelyonly doe, yet ſuch inſtruments as Word and Rod, he uſeth to dig through our fleſh, and calls no leſſe for our concurrence with him in the work.Jer…m 4 3. Hoſ. 10.12. Thus ſaith the Lord, Breake up your fallow ground. It muſt be then our exerciſe as well as his hand-work; this is nothing elſe but heart-renting, heart-afflicting, and heart-humbling; ſuch a one is a ſweet ſoile for holineſſe, and a deſired reſt by God, to come and dwell there, and fill it with himſelfe. Requiſite is this heart-breaking exerciſe.
3. It is work alſo heart-bending to the ſcope of Gods rod, if we would proſper; our hearts are not fully ſuted to the intended profit of chaſtiſement by thinking, and by breaking, ſomthing elſe muſt be done to reach the mark: Inconſiſtencies with holineſſe muſt be removed, and diſpoſition and reſignation of the heart unto it, muſt be ſetled, ſtones muſt be pickt out, and weeds pluckt up, and ground manur'd and fitted for the ſeed, where we expect a full crop. Rebellious riſings are theſe ſtones, carefull, luſtfull thoughts and affections about the creature are theſe weeds, our hearts themſelves unapt ſoile to nouriſh the ſeed of righteouſneſſe, all muſt be pickt, and pluckt, and cleanſed, that we may ſee the holy fruit abound. Circumciſing and waſhing hearts ſo oft enjoyned,Jer. 4.4.14. have the force of this duty in them; our hearts gain not on God, till God bath gained on them; when once our hard is ſoftned, and our ſtiffe made ſtoope and yeelding, that our hearts lay down gainſaying, and are at the beck of rod, to goe and doe its pleaſure, anſwering to God, Lord, what wilt thou have us doe? then come the ſhowres of grace, then righteouſneſſe raineth downe, then peace abounds, and the dry rod gives forth its pleaſant bloſſome, and pretious fruit. This heart-work then muſt needs fore-goe the crop.
3. The laſt peece of our exerciſe concernes that God who is Father of his chaſtened, Lord and commander of the rod, to uſe it at his pleaſure, to burn it when he will: our work will be to eye God in all our afflictions, as the ſoveraigne that appoints them, that we may doe him honour,Mic. 6.9. if we look to ſhare in holineſſe with him. It is Micahs expreſſion upon Gods cry in his rod, The man of wiſedome ſhall ſee thy name, that is, eye and take notice of Gods known and famous Majeſty, and perceive he hath to doe with God in this matter. I confeſſe there are other readings of this paſſage; that of the Vulgar is wide from the letter, Salvation ſhall be to them that feare thy name, Lorin. in text.though the Jeſuiticall gloſſe ſeekes to maintain it for good. There is another reading which the Learned have, and our Tranſlators expreſſe in their variations, Thy Name ſhall ſee that which indeed is, making it an Apoſtrophe to God,Junius. and intimating the reaſon of his cry unto the Citie, viz. his overſeeing eye beholding what was there in being; this cannot be denied to be very congruous to the letter; yet by ſeverall learned in the originall, is the firſt reading only uſed, as is expreſſed.Ar. Mont. Vatal. The difference ariſeth from one word, which ſignifieth either ſubſtance, eſſence, and truth of being, or elſe wiſedome,foreign vertue of any thing, and the Law it ſelfe, for the ſtable and ſetled being of theſe; the word in ſhort ſignifieth any thing that is ſolid and ſubſtantiall; therefore tranſlated to expreſſe wiſdome, ſo that we muſt read then, Wiſedome ſhall ſee thy Name, but not unfitly tranſlated here, The man of wiſedome, that is, the ſolid ſubſtantiall wiſe man will eye the noted Majeſty of God, when in the rod he crieth to him: but this looking to him is for a further work, to honour that Name, that ſeeth and hath found him out with his rod. It is a full expreſſion by another Prophet,Iſai. 24.15. Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Iſrael in the Iſles of the ſea, that is, in the hotteſt fierie trials, and in the remoteſt parts of your ſolitude, or exile miſery, glorifie the name of the Lord. His glorie is deare to him at all times, he will not give it to another; and becauſe it's ſtolen, or limited, or ſpoiled by creatures, therefore by fierie tortures comes he to require it. Now then, if ever, give glory unto God, unleſſe yee would that he ſhould glorifie himſelfe upon you in ſmiting to deſolation.
How muſt we then glorifie God in our afflictions?Queſt. Anſw.
In generall, to glorifie God, or give glory to him, cannot be by adding any thing to him, but by acknowledging and manifeſting the fundamentall glory that is in him.Glorificare eſt clarificare. Auguſtin. Now the glory of God, is his excellencie, wherein hee out-reacheth, or over-commeth all created being; as his excellencie of Power, excellencie of wiſedome, excellencie of holineſſe, of majeſtie, of juſtice, and of goodneſſe, is that which is unparallel'd, that cannot be matcht, and therefore truly glory: were this given unto God, that is, manifeſted to the world to be in him by his people, in their ſutable demeanour to ſuch a glory by their words, duties, wayes, and converſations, while it is peace, our feet might be kept from ſtumbling upon the dark mountaines. But when creatures deny this,Ier. 13.16. how juſt is it for that glorious majeſtie to require it by his rod? and now it muſt be yeelded, or we yeeld our ſelves to perdition. His glory he will have, and we muſt thus aſcribe it.
1. By abaſing, abhorring, and nullifying our ſelves as unworthy to be, who have lifted up a word or thought againſt ſuch a glory. Impudent pride of heart is in creatures, while they ſet their ſin above God, which they doe, when they obey it in the luſts of it; obedience is a debt to glory, and is there glory in ſinne, poore man, that thou ſhouldeſt obey it? or is there none in God, that thou denieſt it him? Is ſhame become glory, and glory ſhame? Thy ſin thy God, and thy God baſer in thy thoughts then ſin? O abhorre thy ſelfe in duſt and aſhes,Iob 42.5.6. that God may yet be glorified in thee. Job was never right untill he came to this paſſe, I have heard thee by the hearing of the eare, but now mine eye ſeeth thee; wherefore I abhorre my ſelfe, and repent in duſt and aſhes. Goe we muſt as low, and let God be exalted in our abaſement.
2. By juſtifying God in all the wayes of his judgements, and proceedings againſt his creatures;Lam. 3.39. if man ſuffer for his ſin, as who doth not? why doth living man complaine? Yet ſee what ſots ſin makes us, to provoke the Lord to jealouſie, and then quarrell with him for being angry, & ſo ſpoile him twice of his glory: Learn, learn, poore ſoule, of Jeremy, though his ſpan-long thoughts could not reach Gods exquiſite proceedings in his judgements, yet this he laies down as undeniable, Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee. Ier. 12.1.Or learn of David, Againſt thee, thee onelyonly have I ſinned, &c. that thou mightſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, Pſal. 51.4.and bee clear when thou judgeſt. Say thou alſo, I have ſinned, thou Lord, haſt all the wrong, I have rob'd thee of thy glory, for this am I ſcourged, and it is righteous: yet this is mercy, my juſt recompenſe is Hell; Thus ſhould chaſtiſed ſinners glorifie their God.
3. By a ſutable demeanour toward the glory of Gods being, eſpecially now under the rod: deepeſt trembling to higheſt Majeſtie, greateſt feare to Supreme Holineſſe, fulleſt obedience to greateſt Power, ſtrongeſt faith to glorious Truth, and largeſt love to Excelling goodneſſe are equall matches, if man bee judge; All wee are are and have, and can, is but his debt, who gave all this, and is more then all to our poore Soule.Deut. 6.5. No leſſe can ſuch a glory crave than all the heart, and all the Soule, and all the mind, and all the might; and yet our all too little for the leaſt of him. Manaſſeh began to ſtudy this at laſt, when ſhame was fallen on him, to honour God, it is beſt at firſt: Aime at this, ſtrive for this, Gods glory is our trueſt gaine.
4. By going to this onelyonly living fountaine, and drawing from him the bleſſing of the rod; He that praieth, as well as he that praiſeth, honoureth him, and declares him to bee the Abſolute and alſufficient Author of all good. It is neither rod nor word that of themſelves can make us fruitfull in holineſſe, hee onelyonly bleſſeth, and the fruit appeares. It is his owne word, J am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit. Iſa. 48.17.Our profit indeede in righteouſneſſe and peace is the appointed end of chaſtening, but alaſſe the rod it ſelfe cannot give this, no ſtrokes can beate grace into a ſoule, divine light and life and wiſedome and power onelyonly can effect this, to ſtamp holineſſe to the Lord upon any ſoule; The praiſe then is not to the rod, but to the Lord; This muſt bee acknowledged by the ſoule that would be bleſſed in ſuffering, therefore muſt the Lord bee inquired of by him for all this good; This praying worke alſo blazons the glory of the Lord, and ſpeeds a bleſſing on the rod, to make it of a ſanctifying nature and vertue in us; This is our exerciſe, and thus the ſaints have conſtantly done and proſpered. Sum we up now the whole worke to take it at one view, The indiſpenſable condition of the Saints receiving the full fruit of affliction is their activity, and ſtirring exerciſe under the ſcourge; worke they muſt about the rod in hearing, bearing, and obeying the voyce of it; ſtirre they muſt about their hearts, in preſſing, breaking, bending them to the will of the chaſtiſer; Exerciſe they muſt to Godward in giving him his glory, by ſelfe abhorring, by juſtifying his ſcourge, by 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.