A Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit Bearing, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 7
SECT. VII. The inference of ſome truths depending.
HAving thus ſtated the Apoſtles Propoſition,Ʋſe 1. Inſtruct. it will be profitable for us to gather thoſe pretious truths that fall from it: foure fruitfull leſſons I ſhall teach naturally iſſuing thence. 1. It being in the ſcope a correcting aſſertion, to allay the bitterneſſe of the former concerning preſent ſmart of chaſtening, and to rectifie miſguided thoughts, that from ſenſe might be ready to conclude, nothing but evill in the rod, learn this truth,Note 1. A right & perfect judgment of the ſtate of chaſtening, cannot be made from preſent ſenſe, but from future ſucceſſe. The judgement of faith is better then that of ſenſe in this matter; this ſeeth nothing but preſent griefe, therfore judgeth it all evill, but faith perceiveth love & faithfulnes of God in his ſcourge, & diſcovers the inſuing good of it in the promiſe, therfore determines it good, very good, and nothing better; while Jeremy looks no further then preſent ſmart,Jer. 15.10. Job 3.3. Jer. 20.24. he bewails himſelf, Woe is me, he takes himſelfe as a man undone. So Job, while his ſenſe is judge, curſeth the day of his birth, as the other alſo. Senſuall judgement upon Gods dealings, miſguides men to perverſe thoughts of Gods rod, and lets looſe paſſion, and whets the tongue againſt the Almighty; Thus they tumble in the net, and are faſter taken, and murmure themſelves into greater torture: for God will have the maſtery, and whip his own out of ſenſuall raſhnes and complaints. I note this for the profit of Gods own in this day of darkneſſe; ſenſe never deals well with Gods word, nor with his rod; lay that aſide, rectifie your thoughts of the preſent troubles on the Church by beleeving; let faith looke through the providence which now chaſtiſeth us, it will diſcover the after part of it to be very good, ſo full of glory to Gods people that they would not avoid the ſmart, to loſe the gaine. Eaſe and deliverance in this caſe, would be ſpurn'd away by a beleeving ſoul. It was Iſraels ſin to live by ſenſe, to murmure in ſtraits, to be barren in mercies. Unhappy ſenſe, unhappy men that live by it! Senſe makes Murmurers, Beggers and Apoſtates from God in time of trouble; but faith makes Martyrs, gainers, and fruitfull, praiſfull admirers of God in fiery tryalls: beleeve throughly, and then judge aright of Gods chaſtening providence.
2. Looke we upon the linking, of rod, of exerciſe & of fruit; all this gaine is given in to exerciſe, this exerciſe is daily labour, this labour muſt be under the rod, this note is worth the taking; The more exerciſe under affliction, the greater fruit to Gods people; the longeſt labour under the rod hath the largeſt income of peace and righteouſneſſe.Note 2. The more paines, the greater gaines in the trade. If there be a rich veine of metall in a mine, the longeſt, the hardeſt labour brings the greateſt and the richeſt profit.
Now there is abundance of heavenly good hid in Gods chaſtening, as much as his love can compaſſe, and all this to bee wrought out by exerciſe, therefore the longeſt travell will bring the largeſt fruit: Yet not the longeſt continuance of the ſcourge abſolutely gives this advantage, but the longeſt that can ſtand with the Chriſtians exerciſe; for there is an appointed time for the kindly working of every affliction, and exceſſe in it may cut off a mans hands and barre from exerciſe, kill and not quicken to the work: As there is a ſtated time for the ſeede to lye under ground, & if exceſſively it be kept under, it dies for ever and cannot get up to fruit, but within the ſet ſeaſon the longer it lies, the root is deeper, and the fruit greater. There is a time alſo that the refiner ſets for the golds triall, in the furnace, and within theſe limits the longer it continues, the purer it comes forth, but in outlying theſe, it loſeth it ſelfe as well as droſſe: So in our preſent caſe, the time of the rod is meaſured for doing good, while Chriſtian ſpirits are ſpur'd to work, and quickned to labour by it, within theſe bounds the moſt continued labour brings forth the greateſt crop; but beyond this ſtint the rod breakes and kills: Theſe bounds of time our refiner the Lord himſelfe onelyonly knowes; but this we may build on, if it ſhould be all the daies of the ſtanding of our Tabernacle, & all thoſe daies we ſtoutly exerciſe under our afflictions, as our ſtrength is not over-wrought, ſo our returne of fruit will be exceeding great. Theſe ſuggeſtions will evince it. 1 Gods inlarged thoughts of tenderneſſe and reſpect to the long ſufferings of his people, to have them relieved and eaſed; Note one inſtance to his deare Ieruſalem,Iſa. 40.12. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, ſaith the Lord, &c. for ſhe hath received at the Lords hand double for all her ſinnes. How double? Neither ſhe nor any creature can pay a ſingle debt to God; bat yet the Lord ſo indulgeth the long travailing ſoule, that he accounts every laſh two, and provides treble comfort; Its not enough to comfort her once, but againe comfort her, nay and againe ſpeake comfortably to Ieruſalem: ſure there is nothing loſt in the longeſt ſufferings, if God ſo account of his peoples paines.
2.Iſa. 61.7. Gods inlarged hand for returne to the hard and long traveiles of his children; Heare his proportion, For your ſhame you ſhall have double; for confuſion they ſhall rejoyce in their portion; therefore in their land they ſhall poſſeſſe the double; Everlaſting joy ſhall be unto them. In this reading, we have good gaines, two for one, in joy for ſuffering, in honour for reproach; No cauſe then of repenting bargaine in this paines. But if wee take another as may be fit; For your double ſhame and confuſion, they ſhall praiſe their portion; (it is uſuall thus to change the perſon) as if he had ſaid, ye ſhall be no looſers by your multiplyed afflictions, for your double ſhame, ye ſhall have a worthy portion, your ſelves, and all that ſee it, ſhall commend it; or if this may bee thought two little, eternitie hath enough in its compaſſe to ſatisfie you, everlaſting joy ſhall bee upon you. Make not haſt then, brethren, from under the rod, but labour in the fires, your worke ſhall be well rewarded, and long travailes crown'd with everlaſting peace.
3.Note 3. Remembring that this exerciſe is ſuch ſtiffe, frequent, conſtant labour, age and growth muſt needs be requiſite to this; another uſefull note will iſſue hence: The right managing of afflictions to the full purchaſe of the ſweet fruit intailed, is a manly worke, Heb. 5.13.14.and beſeeming a growne Chriſtian. Exerciſe truly ſtated is the character of diſtinction which the Spirit makes between men and babes in Chriſt. It is true, as in meates there is difference, milke for babes, ſtrong meate for men, yet both eates and digeſt though not the ſame; So in workes there is variety, ſlighter for Children, harder for men; yet both are doing: ſo in rods alſo, there is diſtinction, twigs for children, but cudgells and whips for them of ſtronger growth, yet both ſuffer; God hath ſo fitted correction as well as foode and worke for ſeverall ages in his Kingdome; but ſo to indure affliction, and manage it to the greateſt advantage as may bee attained, to bring in the abundance of peace and righteouſneſſe, this will exerciſe the ſtrongeſt Chriſtians: leſſe ſtrength may gaine a little fruit, but greater muſt be had and uſed to bring in plenty: grown knowledge in the waies of God, grown faith, growne patience, growne experience, and grown ſtrength in grace are needefull to a through exerciſe and a well managing of afflictions for the greateſt advantage.Mat. 9.16. The wiſedome of the Father would not put weake diſciples upon the ſtrong ſervice of faſting while they were as old garments ready to teare upon every little ſtreſſe;Luk. 24.49. nor would hee have them venture on the hard conflicts with the world, nor on the bitterneſſe of ſuffering untill they were indued with power from above. How ſweet is the proportion betweene abilities and worke which God hath ſetled? Medications hence ariſe ſuting all ages: Art thou ſtrong to beare afflictions? pity and tender the weake, that ſink downe under burthens, take them in thine Armes and beare for them. Art thou weake in ſuffering? Infirmity muſt ſhame thee, it is thine owne fault to obſtruct thy growth; yet Gods pity may revive thee, hee will not for all this overcharge thy life: And now up and be growing, bleſſings are promiſed from heaven, and meanes afforded on earth; O heighten thy mind to great gaines, therefore to much paines and high abilities: This marke I drive at onelyonly in giving this note; not to daſh the babes becauſe the worke is manly, but to put them upon growth, that they may be men and worke ſtrongly, ſo beare the yoake, and weare the crowne.
4.Note 4. Conſidering this pretious fruit inſeparably intail'd upon this kind of affliction, take this note of diſcrimination between rods. It is judgement not chaſtening that leaves a man fruitleſſe, or void of righteouſneſſe. No clearer ſigne of a man plagued in vengeance & under the curſe, that to grow worſe, or of a man under grace, and chaſtened in love, than to grow better under the rod: Saul and David are a paire of inſtances fit to exemplifie both parts;1 Sam. 28.7. 1 Sam. 30.6. he the worſe, this the better by all afflictions, hee running to the devill, and this to God in time of trouble; therefore he judged in wrath, and this chaſtis'd in love. Iudge all the variety of ſcourges in the world by this evidence, ſuch as the fruit is, ſuch is the tree; the rod of vengeance if it harden and make worſe, of chaſtening if it correct and make the ſoule better. I doe but hold this out to the world, as a black note of perdition, to Pharaohs, and to Ahabs, anvill-ſoules, that grow harder by every ſtroake from God: but as an Item unto Chriſtians for ſpeciall care in this matter for improvement of the rod, to gratious fruit: oh let not a croſſe, a loſſe, a ſickneſſe, a griefe paſſe over you, but ſee ſome fruit of righteouſneſſe proceeding from it; ſuch profit in holineſſe by the rod will prove you ſonnes and not baſtards: Make this good, that ye bee not diſinherited.