Book IV. A F F L I c T I 0 N CO~jPARED TO A R 0 D. I!. There are different Fires: Some are a Judgment, as before; but othere are pro· liable, as the Refiner's Fire: So there are different metaphorical Fires. God's Wrath on che Wicked is like adevouring and confuming Fire, that burns up all; bm the Fire in which he puts his own Children; is like the Refiner's Fire. -Affiiftions and Judg– ments upon the Godly, are but tu burn tlp their Corruption, and make them more pure; they fl1all not confume them. Ill. Some Fires break forth fuddenly and unexpeftcdly: So feme Judgments break forth upon a People and Nation fuddenly, when no Man looks for it, whether it be Plague, Sword, or Famine. IV. Fire burns terribly; when it hath gotten to a Head, it is hard to ftop it: So when the Wrath of God breaks forth in good Earneft upon the Wicked, it is hard to ftop it, though Wrath hath been quenched by Prayer, yet fometimes Prayer cannot quench Wrath, Pray not for this People, Jer. vii. 16. · · V. The Fire will refine Gold, and make it more fit for ufe; but Wood, Hay, and Stubble it confumeth to Afhes : So fincere Chriftians endure the Fire of Affiitlion, and are made better by it; but all drolfy Profelfors and Hypocrites the Fire of Perfecuuorr confume.s. A F F L I c T I 0 N COMPARED TO A R 0 D. Let him take bis Rod·away from me, }ob ix. 34· I will vijit their 'l'ranJgref!ions with a Rod, Pja!. lxxxix. 32. Hear ye the Rod, &c. Mic. vi. 9· THE Rod hath divers Acceptations: z. The Word IOJI:I Shabat, is taken fometimes ftriCl:ly, for a Bough or Spr.igg growing from the Stock of a Tree, becaufe a Rod or Staff is made of a Bough of a Tree. 2. It fignifies a Scepter, the Scepter of a King, an Emblem of Power, &c. And becaufe in ancient Times, as the Learned obferve, they were wont to make Scepters of fuch Rods, and all Scepters have the Form or Shape of a Rod; therefore the Ori– ginal exprelfes the Rod and the Scepter by the fame Word. Gen. xlix 10. '!'he Scepter, Shabat, the Rod, )hall not depart from ]udah, &c. This Scepter, faith Mr. Cary!, denotes two Things. '· Authority to judge or command, (2.) Power to cor– reCt or punifh. 3· The Word fometimes refers to ecclefiaftical or fpiritual Difcipline, or Cenfure of the Church, Shall I come with a Rod, &c. 4· The Word is often ufed in Scipture to fignify Punilhment orCorrec'l:ion, becaufe CorreCtion is often given with a Rod; and therefore to be under the Rod, is to be under Punifhment or AIHiCl:ion, &c. '!'he Rod and Reproofgive Wijdom, Pro·v. xxix. 15. There is a divine Rod of Chattifement for the God!)', and an Iron Rod of Wrath and Vengeance for the Wicked. And in this Senfe the Words are to be taken in the above-cited Texts. P A R A L L E L ~ I. A Rod puts to pain, if it be fharply laid on; it makes the Perfon to fmart, and cry out, &c. So AIHiCl:ions are grievous and painful to Fleth and Blood ; they wound and pain the outward Man 1 whilft the inward Man takes pleafure in them: I take p!eafure in Infirmities, in Reproaches, in Perfecutions, ill Necef!ities, in Diflreffes for Chri.fi's fake, 2 Cor. xii. 1 o. Yet in another Place the fame Apof\le faith, No .1F jfitlion for the prefent feemeth to be joyous, but grievous, Heb. xii. 1 r. As the Spirit would not do thole Evils, which the Flefh would and doeth; fo the Flefh wo11ld not endme thofe Evils of Sorrows and· AIHiCl:ions, which the Spirit gladly yieldeth to. As a Beli«ver delights in tire Law of God after the inward Man, when the Flefh is vexed and troubled at it: So he delights in the Rod after the inward Man, when his corrupt Part is moft impatient and unqu1et under it, Rejoyce when ye fall into divers Temptations, Jam. i. that is, into divers Affiic'l:ions. The Flefh hath its Senfe, and feels Smart; but the Spirit is armed with Faith which overcomes the Smart. Affiic– tions were not fo much as a Rod, if they did not pain, and make fmart; and we are not fo much as Chrif\ians, if we cannot bear the Smart with Patience, &c. 11. A
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