[3.] Thirdly, The rod is used to "prevent further folly, mischief, and ftiisery: Prov. xxiii. 13, 14, 'Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.' It is said of the ape, that she huggeth her young ones to death ; so many fond parents, by not correcting their children, they come to slay their chil- dren. The best way to prevent their being scourged with scorpions in hell, is to chastise them with the rod here. So God takes up the rod ; he afflicts and chastiseth his dearest children, but it is to prevent soul-mischief and misery ; it is to prevent pride, self-love, worldliness, &c. Paul was one of the holiest men that ever lived on earth ; he was called by some an earthly angel, and yet he needed the rod, he needed a thorn in the flesh, to prevent pride ; witness the doubling of those words in one verse, ' lest I should be exalted above measure, lest I should be exalted above measure,' 2 Cor. xii. 7-9. If Paul had not been buffeted, who knows how highly he might have been exalted in his own conceit ? Prudent physicians do often give their patients physic, to prevent diseases ; and so doth the physician of souls by his dearest servants, Job xl. 4, 5, Hos. ii. 6, 7 : Job xxxiii. 17, 19, 'He is chas- tened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain, that he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.' Afflictions are the Lord's drawing-plasters, by which he draws out the core of pride, earthliness, self-love, covetousness, &c. Pride was one of man's first sins, and is still the root and source of all other sins. Now, to prevent it, God many times chastens man with pain, yea, with strong pain, upon his bed : Job xxxiv. 31, 32, ' Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not, teach thou me ; if I have done iniquity, I wiU do no more.' The burnt child dreads the fire. Sin is but a bitter sweet ; it is an evil worse than hell itself. Look, as salt brine preserves things from putrefying, and as salt marshes keep ' the sheep from rotting, so sanctified rods, sanctified afflictions, pre- serves and keeps the people of God from sinning. But,
' Isa. xxvi. 9 ; Pa. xciv. 12 ; Prov. iii. 12, 13 ; Job xxxvi. 8-10. * Oeul/jg quoi peeeatum claudit, poena aperit. The eye that sin shuts, afflictions open. — Gregory.
146 THE PRIVY KEY OF HEAVEN.
[4.] Fourthly, The rod is to purge out that vanity and folly that is bound up in the heart of the child: Pro v. xxii. 15, ' Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.' The rod is an ordinance, as well as the word ; and such parents that use it as an ordinance, praying and weeping over it, shall find it effectual for the chasing away of evil out of their children's heart. Eli and David were two very choice men, and yet, by their fondness on one hand, and neglect of this ordinance on the other hand, they ruined their sons ; and whether they did not undo their souls, I shall not at this time stand to inquire. When Moses cast away his rod, it became a serpent, Exod. iv. 3 ; and so, when parents cast away the rod of correction, it is ten to one but that their children become the brood of the serpent : Prov. xiii. 24, ' He that spareth his rod hateth his son ; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.' Not only the care, but also the cure of the child, so far as the rod will reach, lies upon the hands of the parent.
Now afflictions are like a rod in this respect also, for, as they are sanctified, they cleanse and purge away the dross, the filth, and the scum^ of the daughter of Zion : Isa. i. 25, 'And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and -take away all thy tin ;' Isa. xxvii. 9, ' By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all the fruit, to take away his sin ;' Dan, xi. 35, ' And some of them of understanding shall fall ' (that is, ' into great afflictions'), ' to try them, and to purge them, and to make them white, even to the time of the end.' All the harm the fire did the three children, or rather the three champions, was to burn off their cords, Dan. iii. 23, 24. Our lusts are cords of vanity, but the fire of afflic- tion shall burn them up : Zech. xiii. 9, ' And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried : they shall call on my name, and I will hear them : I will say, It is my people, and they shall say. The Lord is my God.' Sharp afflictions are a fire to purge out our dross, and to make our graces shine ; they are a potion, to carry away ill humours ; they are cold frosts, to destroy the vermin ; they are a tempestuous sea, to purge the wine from its lees ; they are like the north wind, that drieth up the vapours, that purgeth the blood, and quickens the spirits ; they are a sharp corrosive, to eat out the dead flesh. Afflic- tions are compared to baptizing and washing, that takes away the filth of the soul, as water doth the filth of the body. Mat. x. 38, 39. God would not rub so hard, were it not to fetch out the dirt and spots that be in his people's hearts.
[5.] Fifthly, The rod serves to improve that good that is in the child : Prov. xxix. 15, ' The rod and reproof giveth wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.' So afflictions they serve to improve our graces : Heb. xii. 10, ' For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness ' ; that is, that we might more and more be partakers of his holiness. Ver. 11, 'Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous : nevertheless, after- ward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are
' Spelled ' scumb.' — G.
EPISTLE DEDICATOEY. 147
exercised thereby.' Hence it is that the saints glory in tribulation : Rom. V. 3, 4, ' And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, know- ing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope.' Grace always thrives most when saints are under the rod. When Christians are under the rod, then their graces do not only bud, but blossom and bring forth fruit, as Aaron's rod did, Num. xvii. 8. The snuffing of the candle makes it burn the brighter. God beats a,nd bruises his links,' to make them burn the brighter ; he bruises his spices, to make them send forth the greater aromatical savour.