A"fFLlC1'ION COMPARED TO 'A RO D.. Bo::;k .!V II. A R od is uft·d to correct, not to kill. ; Aflliction is callccl a Rod, io re.,.ard ot ' the H and that ulcth it; a Sword is in the Hand of a Judge, and a Rod in th~ Hand ·• of a Father. God deals with his People, as a Father with his Children, in chafl:ifing ' them. · When we offend :him, he doth not take a Sword in his 1-Jand·to Oay us, but ·• a Rod to fcourge us.·' Ill. A Rod is ufed by a Father, when no other Means wi·ll reclaim the Child : So .God never afflicts his People, but when he fees ·there is need of it, he feeing no other Means will do. He doth not willingly af!iifl norgrieve the Children if lvlm, Lam. iii. 33· IV. A Father hath divers Rods; if one will not do, and .make tbe Child bow, fubmit, and humble himfelf, another !hall: So ·God hath divers Rods; he fometimes .corrects wit·h ·the Rod <i>f Sicknefs, Lolfes, Croffes, ·&c. Sometimes with ~he Rod of Poverty, fometimes with the Rod of Defertion; and tometimes he ufes .the Wicked in his Hand, as a Rod to afflict and chaften his own People, which is one of the worfi: of ·God'.s Rods; and ·therefore David chafe rather ·to fall into the immediate Hand of God, than to be fcomged with the Rod of the Enemy. TheAJJ3'rimz is called the Rod of God's Anger, !fa. x. 5· V. In ufing the Rod, the tender Father always defigns the Good of the Child : St> •God in afflicting and chafl:ening his People, defigns their great Good : lt is not for his P!eafure, but our Profit, that we might be Partakers of his Holidefs, Heb. xii. 8. I N F E R E N C E ~ Jl. LET thofe Chri!l:ians who are under the Rod, .confefs they ha.ve deferved it: He · hath not punifhed us according as our Sins have merited at his Hands. I!. Let us from hence alfo learn to fubmit to the Rod, and not !l:ri.ve and !l:ruggle with God . 0 how uneafy are fame Men and Women under Affliction. 0, I could bear, faith the Soul, any Thing but this. Alas ! is it necelfary that thou lhotlldelt chufe thine own Rod? Gael will comB: us with what Rod he pleafes, according to his good Pleafure it mull: be, for the Degree and Kind 'of it too; and are you troubled at .the R od, at this Rod? lr may be you had rather God lhould afflict you fame other \'Vay; but Gud fees this is the bell:, and no other will do the Work upon your Hearrs. ~t may be, if we had committed fome other Sins, and not fuch and fuch a Sin, we lhould have been corrected but with fuch and fuch Rods, and not with this which feems moll: crofs and grievous to us. Jll. Let us !abor to find out what God fpeaks to us by the 'Rod : Let us fea>·cb .nnd try our W ays, Lam. iii. 40. Many Times we may ·find out our Sin in the P nnilh– .ment of it. IV. Let us confefs our Faults when we are under the Rod ; God hearkens to hear what we fay: Againft thee o;zly have l done this q·hing, alld iJJ ·thy Sight, ]er. Yiii. 6. Pfal. li. 4· · V. Let us labor to be thoroughly humbled when under the Rod. •Qjceft. Some may fay, Why dMs God ufe tbe Rod-? Anfw. r. Becaule Believers are his Children : Fathers will 'look after the Good of ·their Children. To fpare the Rod, may be the Ruin of the Child, P~ov. xxii. I 5· 2. Becaufe the Sins of God's own People are grievous in his Sight. You have I known above all the Families of the Ear-th, ·and therefore will I pttnijh )'Oil for your Ini– quities, Amos iii. 2. VI. Hear the Rod: '!'he Lord's Yoice crieth to tb'e City, mzd the Man of Wifdomjball fee thy Name. Hear ye the Rod, and who bath appointed it. · I. The Man of Wifdom i> one that fears God, Prov. ix. IO. A holy Man is a wife Man, and a Sinner ·is a Fool; Holinefs is the be{!: vVifdom, and Wickednefs is ·the greate!l: f olly. . . . 2. He that efcapes the greate!l: Ev1l, and chufes.the greate!l: Good, JS aM anofW1fdom. 3· He that prefers the Good of his Soul before ·the Good of his Body, is a Man of. Wifdom. 4 . The Man of Wifdom will hear the Rod. (I.) H e will commune with his own Heart, to find out the Caufe of God's Anger, the Caufe of Afflict.ion. (Q.) He wjll ·tremble at God's Judgments. (3.) He will ju!l:ify God under the Rod. (4.) He is one that finds out God's Name in the Rod: He finds out Anger in the Rod, Mercy dn the Rod, Wifdom in the Rod, Power in the Rod, Faithfulnefs in .the Rod, &c. 5· A
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