BookiV. AFFLICTION coMPARED TO A FURNACE. 925 5· A wife Man under the Rod will endeavor to turn away and pacify the· Anger of God. There is, it appears, a Voice in the Rod, which a wife Man !hives to underlbnd. (1.) There is a chiding Voice in the Rod. (2.) And not only fo, but in fame Rods aa amazing Voice. (3.) A threatening Voice. (4.) An awakening Voice. (5.) A convincing Voice. (6.) There is an humbling Voice in the Rod. §J_geft. Why do fo few Men and Women hear and underfland the Voice that is in the Rod? .llnjw. t. Becaufe the Affiitl:ion or Judgment perhaps is general, it is hard for Men t.o make fpecial and particular Application of common Calamities. 2. Becaufe Men are more lubjetl: to look ro fecondary Caufes in the Rod, than to the immediate Hand of God. 3· Becaufe Men are fo heedlefs and unfenfible, they will not trouble themfelves to find out the Voice that is in the Rod. 4· It is becaufe Men are fo full of other Bufinefs, that they have not Time to hearken to God's Voice in the Rod. 5· It is becaufe they do not fee any prefent Effects of God's Hand ; he is loth to !hike: How jha/IIgive thu up, 0 Ephraim ~ &c. AFFLIcT I 0 N COMPARED TO A FuRN A c E. But the Lord bath taken you, and brought )'OU forth out of the Iron Furnace, De~t. iv. 20. Jer. xi. 4· .llnd lead in the midfl of the Furnace, Ezek. xxii. I 8. A Furnace is either properly, or figuratively. x. Properly. (1.) For a Place which Refiners refine their Gold in, Prov. xvii. 3· (2.) A Place of Torment, fuch as was that which the three Worthies were put into, who refufen to worfhip JVebuchadnezzar's golden Image, Dan. iii. 6, 22. 2. lVLtaphorically, for heavy and cruel Bondage, Deut. iv. 20. Jer. xi. 4For HeJ!.tormt •ts, Matt. xiii. 42 //ndjha/1 caft them iuto a Furnace of Fire. Note. A tfl itl:ions, or lore and cruel Trials, are compared to a Furnace. P A R A L L E L & I. A Furnace is prepared for Gold: 'the Rejiniug-Pot for Silver, and the Furnace for Gold: So Affi,Cl:ions are appointed for the Saints, ·who are compared to Gold. I I. A Furnace refines Gold, and makes it much more pure than before: So doth Affii{lion refine, and make more holy, the Hearts and Lives of godly Chriftians : When he bath tried me, I jhall come forth as Gold, Job xxiii. 1 o. II I. A Furnace is made fometimes very hot: So AffiiCl:ions are fornetimes very fore and grievous to the Godly. A weak Firo will not refine fame Gold; no more will fmall Trials refine fame Chriftians. IV. A Furnace melts the Gold, and makes i< foft, before it is refined: So Affiic– tions melt or make the Hearts of Believers foft :-.llnd I will leaveyou there, (fpeaking of the Furnace) and melt you, Ezek. xxii. 20. V. A Furnace confumes Tin, Lead, &c. and alfo the droffy Part of Gold: So thofe Affiitl:ions and Trials God brings upon his People, burn up or confume all loofe and hypocritical Profeffors, who are compared to bafe Metal, as Tin, Lead, &c. And not only (o, but alfo all the Filth and Corruption of fuch who are ·fiocere. Into finoke Jball they confume, fpeaking of ungodly ones, Pfal. xxxvii. 20. See Chrift a Refiner. VI. Some Furnaces denote great Torment; it is an amazing Thing, to be thrown into a hot fiery Furnace: So fome Affiitlions and] udgments brought upon an ungodly 1>eople, are very terrible, when they are in Wrath. The Wrath of God is to wicked Men like a burning and confuming Furnace: Who can flmtd before his ludignation? or wbo can abide in the Fiercenefs of his Anger? His Fury is pou"d out like Fire, Nab. i. 6.. See Furnace, as it refpe{\s Hdl-tonnenrs. ll c A F F L I c.
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