A Dry Rod Blooming and Fruit Bearing, Treatise · Part 2 · Section 8
SECT. VIII. Conviction of ſinne to many.
IT will not be amiſſe in the next place to glance a little light to ſinners from this truth,Vſe 2. that if they will open their eyes they may ſee their ſinne and miſerie to eſcape them.
1. If exerciſe under the rod be Gods ordinance upon his people, for gathering fruit, then idleneſſe in affliction muſt needs be a ſinne; and ſuch a one as will bring utter beggery and undoing upon the ſoule at laſt, while it opens a way to the ſcourge to weare & waſt, and impoveriſh the creature & makes no reſiſtance, nor ſuffers the man to make any ſhift for turning away the bitterneſſe of the evill. God himſelfe ſets a marke upon theſe, and lifts a cry againſt them, that in the time of his ſhaking the rod, and ſcourging his creatures, are profeſs'd idlers, neither ſtudy the rod, nor underſtand its voice, nor ſearch hearts, nor looke unto God; nay not ſo much as ſay within themſelves, What have I done? Abſolutely ſtupefied are theſe,Iſa. 32.…21. or willingly bent with Iſſachar to lye under every burden, and take no notice. Heare how God calles them, women at eaſe,Iſa…. 56.10. Amos 6.1. careleſſe daughters, ſleepy dogges, neither ſhall they goe without their doome, feare, aſtoniſhment, and woes unutterable, ſhall awake them, and make them howle for ever. I confeſſe it may be an infirmitie upon Gods owne, for a moment; but it will be their ſhame and ſorrow at their awakening. It was much that Pagans ſhould beſtirre themſelves in a ſtorme more then Jonah, and bee his remembrancers to raiſe him from his ſleep, that he might call upon his God; yet ſo then it was, but it coſt him deare for it afterward, when he is impriſoned in the belly of hell, hee was taught throughly never to ſleep out an affliction againe. Sluggiſhneſſe may fall upon the Saints, but it is their burden, and abides not with them. But habituated and accuſtomed idleneſſe, is the provocation, upon which God returnes his heavie diſpleaſure. I ſhall commend one word to theſe for their ſerious thoughts, a character of themſelves, and preſage of Gods dealings with them, except they repent,Iſa…. 26.11. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up they will not ſee; they wink, or ſleep, here's their character: but they ſhall ſee, and be aſhamed, the fire of thin: enemies ſhall devoure them. This is their doome.
If it be work for God to bee done under chaſtening, ſuch as may help in holineſſe, then counter-working is ſinne, when men ſhall give God blow for blow, and ſtroke for ſtroke, they are buſie under the rod indeed, but wickedly imployed. Fruits of ſuch exerciſe are Hardening, Impatiencie, Fretting, Fuming againſt God, more hatred of his wayes, and blaſpheming of his Name. Here's worke enough, but all for the Divell, and to bring forth greater ungodlineſſe: It was that fooliſh Womans advice to her afflicted Husband,Iob. 2.9. Curſe God and dye; Folly indeed to fight againſt God, to be ſcourged with Scorpions; and it was that wicked Jehorams practiſe,2 Kings. 6.33. This evill is of the Lord, what ſhould I wait for the Lord any longer? Seeing he is thus angry, as little care we for him, as hee for us. See the proud creature. No more to theſe but this, God will have the victory, and will certainly out-curſe you. Tremble, and returne; if not, the everlaſting curſe ſhall get glory over you.
3. If gracious fruit muſt ſpring from the rod of chaſtening, then ſinners are all unfruitfull ſufferers. No great difficultie to evince this, ſeeing it is againſt the command for ſuch returnes, as well as againſt the helps miniſtred by the rod, to make men fruitfull. Returne, returne, is Gods call upon every ſmiting, and no leſſe the love,Mal. 3.7. ſmart, and ſpirit of the rod given out to them that will make uſe of them, are ſweet helps ingaging to work together with them, to bring forth the fruit of righteouſneſſe. It is ſin indeed againſt grace, as well as againſt command, to be thus unfruitfull, yet ſinners there are of leſſe and of greater guilt: the leſſe, that riſeth of infirmity, is dangerous indeed, but not deadly; to be lamented and abhorred, yet not deſperate: ſuch the ſoule will be aſhamed of, and for it condemne it ſelfe and repent. This I onelyonly call for here; as for other ſcruples concerning theſe ſoules, I ſhall anſwer them among the caſes. The greater, which is of ſtrength and habituated obſtinacie, is fatall; ſuch is evident by mens content and delight in barrenneſſe. I have but little to ſay to theſe; yet a meſſage heavie enough. As love, and rod, and labour, and fruit, righteouſneſſe and peace, are inſeparably linkt in Gods courſe of chaſtening: ſo wrath, and ſmart, and curſe, are individed from idleneſſe and barrenneſſe in midſt of afflictions. The ſentence is gone out againſt all barren ones under Word and Rod, cut them downe, why ſhould they cumber the ground? they are curſt already, and now fit for nothing, but to be ſuell for everlaſting flames to feed upon. Conſider the terrors of the Lord, that they may not be to deſtruction, but correction. Repent, or die.