;<&on, the free and willinz ſubordination of our Snirits to God, as tic Rod calls for it, receiving th= correction, refurming under 1t and r<{1gning our Soul, to him who 1s the Creator of them o: to the: n.tural and ſpiritual Being, and the Soveraign, Guardian, Protetto;, 266 Diſpoſer of t1em \, Men nor Anzels have any power over them, but this Father of them only, and his creat Work and Concern 1; bout them, Gen. 2. 7. Numb. 27. 16. Eccleſ. 12.7, Zech. 12.1. d By his chaſtening of our Spirits, our Immortal Souls, 79hn 2, 6. Rom, 8, 5, 5. he is furniſhing them with more Spiritual Life, where- by they are enabled to live and move wholly to God, from Grace to Glory. He makes them live more the life of God, which God in Fleſh lived on Earth, Gal.'2. 20. Epheſ. 4. 18; Phil. 1.21. 1 Pet. 4-5. 1 John. g. This chaſtening promotes this Honourable Lite as an Inſtrument and Means in God's hand, and advanceth it daily, till1t is pertetted in Eternal Life, A&s 14. 22. Rom. 5.3, 1, 5. and 8.18. 2 Cor. 4.17, 18. Fames 1. 12. Fude v, 22.
10 For they e verily for a few days chaſtenel ::. after their own pleaſure ; but he / for our profit, rhir we might be partakers of his holineſs.
e As God hath his Prerogative in Paternity, 1ſo he hath the tran ſcendency in the end of chaftening his Children ; tor our natural Parents, Fathers of our Bodies, nurtured us by the Word aud Rot for a little time, the days of Childhood and Youth, as they would and thought good, as they apprehended their Power over them, .\r- bitrarily, Paſſionately, without reachins what 15 beft for they by it ; their own thoughts, whether 800d or bad, were the Rule of their chaſtening, and ſuch as their thoughts are, ſuch is their ent, how 1mperfe& and deteftive muſt that be ? IT, but God, the Fathe: of our Spirits, corre&s us, #7: mT onugzier, which ſtriftly note: comportation, 1intimating, That in his chaſtening his Children, brings 1n his help, puts as it were his Shoulder to it, brings in / ſtock of Grace, and ſo bears together with them unto their adyan- tage and profit 1n Spiritual Life, and this during our whole lives, That whichhe bears home to them, and puts in them by his cl: ſtening, 1s his holineſs ; of which being made partakers, they thrive mightily as to their Spiritual Life, and increaſe in the Divine Nature, with all the increaſes of God, Epheſ. 3. 13, 19. Col. 2.19.
11 Now g no chaſtening for the preſent ſeemech to be joyous, but grievous : nevertheleſs, afterwards / it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteouſneſs unto rhum
which are exerciſed thereby.
2 A further Argument to perſuade Chriſtians not to deſpiſe nor faint under the Lord's Chaſtenings, 1s the good iſſue of them, ſub- joined to fortifie them againſt the ſuggeſtions of Fleſh a:1d Blood, as if they could not be from Love, nor for good, becauſe they are ſmarting and grievous ; therefore the Spirit atlerts the Truth as to both : All theſe Chaſtenings and Rebukes that the Father of Spirits inflids on his Children, not one excepted, are for all the time tnev are ſo inflited, ſenſed by his Children to be as they are ; they 1c! them to have no Foy in them, but a great deal of Grief, Pain, anc Smart, are not pleaſing of themſelves ; and God would not have them to be ſo, but His to feel the ſmart of his Rod, when he corretts thei with it. h Yet have not his Children any reaſon to deſpond or t-!7! under them ; for they are not always to continue, and there acc! eth after them a Benefit to them, that will make amends tor t1c: all the aiter-ward following to Eternity ; this chaſtening rendret: and brinzeth forth to all the correfed Chil{ren, who labour fo 11m- prove the Smart, under God's DireQion and Bleiling, a righteous compliance with the whole Will of Sod, and a purging out Of all Sin, Ja. 27. 9. filling the Soul full of Joy and Peace, and ſecuring to the Chaſtened a confluence of all that Good that iv1ll aPhune dantly reward them tor their Sufferines, ſetting them auove tem, and making them blefſed, Iſa. 32.17. Rom. 5.1, to 5. Zames 1: 2, 3>i0-
12 Wherefore lift up 7: the hands which hang down. and rhe fechle knees.
i This introduceth the uſe of the Doftrine of God's ci if Providences, ſtated before ; Therefore concludes the Ration ity, _ Neceflity of the Duty ſubjoyned, as confequent iron; IC Trut!; aſſerted before. *aro55m:z notes the making, or ſ:11t7 oxight ti 10
. 5 0 _ # 4 NN 1 _ 1 - q, * which was out of its proper place and poſture, as diſoracren ©
on:wn rL s as .
KF. | xz
A i] Chap.X ] 8 bers, into their right ſrame and compoſure, that there be not any Let in our Chriſtian Race, nor fainting by our Courſe in 1t, By h.nging down Hands, and Palſie Knees, are Metaphorically repreſent- ed the Hearts, Spirits, and Souls ot theſe Children, fuch as droop, deſpond, and are ready to faint and die away under chaſtening, Iſa. 35. 3, 4, 5, 6. The Sum of the Counſel, is rightly to compoſe our Thoughts, AffeRions, and Members, under Trials from notori- ous Enemies, and unbelieving Brethren, ſo as to perfe& our Chri- {tian Courſe in the tear and ſtrength of God, continuing ſtedtaſt in Prayer, I Tim. 2. 8. walking conſtantly 4n God's Ways, and obey- ing all his Commandments, Pſ.l. 1 19. 48, 100. patiently bearing all
" Num,1 God's Correftions, and bringing forth the peaceful Fruit of them. 22, Fins 1s the Truth of the Metaphor.
13 And & make || {traighr paths for your feet, leſt thar which is lame be turned our of tae way, bur let It rather be healed.
k Make ſtraizht, ſmooth Ways, ſuch as have Stones of ſtumbling, and Rocks of offence removed, to as themſelves may be ſet right in Comfort, and Duty, and Walking, leſt being lame or halting in their Minds. between 7udai/m and Chriſtianity, becaute of the violent Perſecution of them by their Inadel Brethren, they ſhould be turn- ed aſide out of God's way, erring, and deviating from the Truth ot the Goſpel, but that they be reſtored to it, to as ro lufferings upon that account, under God's Hand, might make them ſupprel: tie Truth, or expoſe them, to Apoſtacy, or to walk as Stumbiing- blocks, to others, wounding their own Souls, A&s 15. 1. Gal. 2. 11, to 25.and 5s. 12.
*Rom. 12. 14 * Follow / peace with all men, and holineſs zz, 18. without which no man 7 ſhall ſee the Lord :