The Golden Scepter

2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways — then will I hear in heaven, and will be merciful to their sin, and will heal their land.

These words contain the answer God gave to Solomon's prayer, which he made when he dedicated the temple. His prayer was that when they prayed on earth, he should hear in heaven. And God promises in the words I have read to do all that Solomon asks, which promise contains three parts.

First, that he would hear in heaven — which phrase denotes either his power, that he is able to bring to pass what he assents to do (men are said to hear on earth, because they can do little; but God in heaven) — or else it implies that though he seems to be far off from his people, indeed though in heaven, yet he will hear at last.

The second part is that he will pardon their sins, and it is of all other mercies the greatest. For sin hinders all good things, and opens a gap to all evils. Therefore David says, 'Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven' — of all requests it is the greatest that we can make, and of all grants the greatest that God vouchsafes.

Thirdly, he will heal their land and remove their affliction. Now observe the order of this — in that before he does it, he pardons their sin.

Now this promise is further set forth by two things.

First, the persons to whom it is made — the people of Israel and Judah, notified by two attributes. First, they are his people. Secondly, called by his name, or on whom his name is called, as the name of the husband is called upon the wife, or of the father upon the sons — and as they in Antioch, and we, are called Christians from Christ.

Secondly, the conditions this promise is made upon, for it is the Lord's manner to put promises upon conditions.

First, if they be humbled, and humble themselves.

Secondly, if that humiliation be not contained within the compass of their breasts only, but expressed by prayer and confession of sins.

Thirdly, if they seek my face — seek to be reconciled, seek his presence as separated from all things else — not seeking corn, wine, oil, but God himself.

Fourthly, if they part with their sins in seeking, for they cannot maintain communion with him otherwise. For God dwells in light, and he who walks in darkness can have no fellowship with him. And thus you have the analysis of the words; we in handling them will not use this method, but begin with the words as they lie, and will first observe these three doctrines from these words.

If my people called by my name

First, God sends sharp afflictions on his own people. This appears by the coherence, for in the words before the text: 'If I send plague, etc., then if my people, etc.'

Secondly, that yet in them the Lord is very tender and full of compassion to his people. This loving form of address — 'my people' — argues as much. It is as if he should say, 'I cannot forget you, for you are called by my name, you are mine, though I thus punish you.'

Thirdly, that the Lord's name is called upon his people. For the first, the Scripture is frequent in examples of this kind, so that I shall not need to pause to name any places to you — they are so well known already.

I come to reasons for it, why it is so.

First, he sends sharp afflictions on them because he loves them — they are such as belong to him. The ground of this reason is that anger is as much from love as from hatred. It is a true rule though it may seem a paradox, because when one loves another, he desires much from the party beloved and expects much from him, and therefore a cross and stubborn action from such a one provokes more to anger than from any other man — as from a son, from a friend, from a wife, it wounds more. Therefore God says of himself that he is a jealous God. Jealousy is a mixed affection of love and anger — the meaning is: if I find my people's affection stealing out from me, I am presently affected, as a jealous husband is used to be in such a case, and there is no anger to that, nor none sooner stirred. God will endure ten times as much from another, but when one that he has taken into covenant with him offends him, he is angry, and will therefore be sure to send some sharp affliction on him, which is the fruit of his anger, for his anger is not in vain.

Secondly, he does it that his name might not be blasphemed. That was the reason he gives why he punished David when he committed adultery. For the Lord must of necessity do it for their sakes that stand by and look on, to show to them that he cannot endure such things — no, not in his own people.

Thirdly, because he has said that he will be sanctified of all that draw near to him. He will have them know that he is a holy God, hating iniquity, and that none should draw near to him but such as have holy hearts and pure hands. This was the reason why he did send fire upon Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. 'The Lord has separated you, and you draw near to himself,' Moses says to them, 'and that in the nearest manner — to do service as priests to offer sacrifice — and you are among the heads of the people, and therefore he will not forbear you.' Others that are far off — it may be — God will long and far forbear; but others that are sanctified to the Lord and draw near to him in profession and in the opinion of others, and also indeed in reality — of those, God will either be sanctified by their bringing holy hearts before him, or else he will vindicate his holiness by punishing them, and will not suffer them to go on with profane hearts.

Fourthly, because they are his people among whom he walks, and with whom he dwells (2 Corinthians 6, the three last verses, and the beginning of the seventh chapter) — he is conversant among them. But you will say, is he not everywhere else? Yes, but he is there as a man is in his own house, among his sons and daughters, observing everything, looking narrowly to them. And because he is still with them, therefore he will endure no uncleanness among them. Hence it was that in the camp he commanded every man to carry his paddle with him when he went aside to bury it, that no outward filthiness might appear — 'for I walk among you' — he did it to show by that which is odious to us, that we should hide what is odious to him, namely sin and filthiness, which caused him to loathe his house, to loathe Israel. When Israel was so unswept and so filthy, God loathed it and so departed from it, and so the enemy came upon them. God will be sure to plow his own ground, whatever becomes of the waste, to weed his own garden, though the rest of the world should be let alone to grow wild.

But you will object and say that the saints, we see, often sin, and afflictions do not follow.

I answer, it may be and does fall out often, and the reason is because God finds his work done to his hand. If they plow themselves up, God will not. But if we do it by halves — as that is our fault, that we leave many gaps behind us — then God always comes with afflictions. Yet then, the less that you leave behind unplowed, the less will God afflict you. If you humble yourselves thoroughly, you shall escape — except only in the case of scandal, and then God must needs do it for their sakes that look on. As in David, God would have all the world see his punishment on him, as well as they knew of his sin. But this comfort you may have: though you have greatly sinned, if not scandalously, humble yourselves thoroughly, and you shall escape.

Learn from this to fear the Lord, to tremble at his words, and seeing he will endure no uncleanness in his own people, stand in awe and sin not. Labor to bring your hearts to such a constitution, to such an awful respect, as to fear to omit any good duty, or commit the least sin. And this needs to be urged upon you, for it is the cause of all that laxity and looseness in our profession, that we do not fear the Lord as we should. If we had the fear of the Lord before our eyes (as the apostle speaks, Romans 3) — that is, if we saw the Lord so as to fear him — we should walk warily and look how and where we set every step. The reason why you are so uneven and not like yourselves is from the lack of the fear of the Lord. Now the reason for that phrase of the apostle, that the fear of God is said to be before your eyes, is from the nature of fear — fear fixes the eye. As if a man be busy about anything, if there be anything that he fears, he will still have an eye to that, and he watches lest it should come with some sidelong blow when he thinks not of it. And so does the fear of the Lord work where it is — it fastens our eyes on him. And if the Lord were thus before our eyes to fear him, it would make us walk more evenly and more constantly with him. Therefore when the Holy Spirit in Scripture would choose to commend a man, he singles out this property especially — the fear of God. As that Job was an upright man, fearing God; and so speaking of Cornelius, it is said that he was a just man, fearing God. And so Abraham, when he would express the wickedness of the court of Abimelech, he says, 'The fear of the Lord is not in this place' — that is, there is no religion nor good men, God is not regarded there. The more fear, the less sin — stand in awe and sin not. If a man stands in awe of the Lord, he would be afraid of every sin — afraid of vain thoughts, to be vain in his speeches and to give way to the least wickedness, afraid of every inordinate affection. He would be afraid how he spent the time from morning till night, and how to give an account of it — afraid of recreations, lest he should sleep too much or too little, eat too much or too little — knowing all is but to sharpen the scythe to make him fitter for his harvest work, and therefore would be afraid to forbear refreshments too much or to use them too little. I beseech you therefore, you that are in covenant with the Lord and nearest to him, that know yourselves to be within the covenant, to consider this and learn to fear. And to help you in this, take two passages of Scripture. 1 Peter 1:7: 'If you call on the Father who judges without respect of persons, according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear' — that is, seeing you have such a Father that judges every person, all his children, he will certainly afflict you if you offend him; therefore fear to do it. The other is Hebrews 12:28-29: 'Let us serve him with all reverence and godly fear, for even our God is a consuming fire' — our God whom we worship is not made all of mercy, he has other attributes joined with them; to you he is a consuming fire. If you will not serve him with fear, though not immediately to consume you utterly, yet to afflict you, and thereby to consume your lusts — so it is a dangerous thing to be negligent of him, to meddle with him who is a consuming fire.

How sharply did God deal with David, who was yet nearer to him than any of us. First he took away the child from him, which to him was a sharp affliction — he being a tender father, and having had a strong affection to his life, as appears by his fastings. And the like he had to Absalom, who yet was a rebel against him. And then to have almost all the people fall from him when he was an old king, to have concubines abused so openly, and the sword never to depart from his house — all these sat close to him, went near his soul. Besides his shame, to have his sin discovered to all the world, as appears by Psalm 51. Have we not cause then to spend our time in fear, if he dealt thus with David? And do not say that though he dealt thus with David when he offended him, yet he will not do thus with me. For is he not a Father that judges all his sons, and that without respect of persons, as the apostle says? Consider also what he did to Jacob and Rebecca for consulting and agreeing to get the blessing by a lie. For though the thing she went about was good and they had a warrant for it, and their end was good, yet they used ill means — a lie. But God met with them both for it. Jacob was therefore put to live twenty years from his mother's house — whereas he should have stayed God's leisure, and not have been too hasty for the accomplishment of that promise. For he that believes does not make haste. And so God promises riches and all good things to his children, as much as they can desire, but they must not make haste — that is their fault. And when he was coming home again, what a fear was he put to from Esau, that lie of his being the cause of their falling out! And how did Rebecca also, for all that while, lack the comfort of a son she loved, and had none to live with but Esau? And so Moses was dearer to God than any man upon earth — he never spoke with any face to face as with him — yet he would have slain him in the inn, for not circumcising his child. And also because of that other sin at the waters of Meribah, he chose an affliction for him wherein he most of all crossed his desires, denying him to go into the land of Canaan. It may be some small affliction in show, as this seemed to be, which yet pinches sorely — and some great affliction on the contrary in bulk to others, that is not so to him that bears it. And thus he also deals with Eli — a zealous man (would any of us were so in these days) — for when news was brought that his sons were dead, and many of the people slain, he was not so much troubled at that as that the ark of the Lord was taken. And this amazed him so that he fell backward and broke his neck. You see the holiness of the man, yet because he had preferred his sons before the Lord and did not govern them well, God did not only take away his life and of his sons, but the priesthood also from his house forever. And have we not all cause to fear then? How did he deal with the good prophet that was slain by a lion — his fault that he believed another man's word, pretending that he had God's word, when he had God's word expressly given to himself? This sin was as the sin of Eve, who believed the devil's word when she had God's word expressly. Therefore, let us, when we have the word of the Lord, stick close to it. And so however he dealt with Gideon — a worthy man reckoned up among those worthies (Hebrews 11) — yet when he made an ephod, see what judgment fell upon his children (Judges 9), and all his house was cut off.

These examples are useful for you to consider, that you might know and fear the Lord. The lack of this is the cause of this remissness and looseness in our profession, and that we do not so consider our ways. Saint Paul was a holy man, and one that stood in close terms with Jesus Christ, yet feared exceedingly (2 Corinthians 5): 'We, knowing the terror of the Lord, persuade men.' And Job, who was very exact in his life — which appears by the 31st chapter, which chapter is nothing else but an expression of the manner of his conduct, which was very exact — in verse 23 he gives this as a reason: 'The punishments of the Lord were a terror to me.' And so in verse 2, the reason why he would not give liberty to his eyes to look on a maid was that he considered, 'What portion then shall I have with the Almighty?' And this fear of the Lord is needful at this time, when God has discovered himself to be angry with the land — which is not only for the gross sins of wicked men, but the sins of the saints also. It is your coldness, remissness, and laxity. I have two grounds for it. First, in Revelation 2: because Ephesus was fallen from her first love, therefore he would remove her candlestick — that is, the whole church among them — and carry them into captivity. For I cannot see by the candlestick how only the ministry should be meant. And so in Revelation 3: because Laodicea was neither hot nor cold, 'therefore I will spit them out of my mouth' — God would endure them no longer. Therefore, you that think your estates the best, even you have had a hand in this plague. You think that other men's sins, the sins of wicked men, are the cause of it. But God knows that they cannot pray and have no life in them, as you have. And though their sins also be a cause, and a main cause — as appears by the Amorites, whose sins when full, God punished — yet I say your sins are also a cause. Therefore, when there is an evident sign that God has a controversy with a kingdom and the churches, and a sign of his wrath is proclaimed from heaven, then every man must do something. Now fear the Lord, be zealous, repent, and do your first works. Begin now to mend your pace toward heaven. And yet — would only there were a lack of zeal among you! Indeed, is it not in disgrace? Is not a zealous man hooted at as an owl among us? This place — the excellence of it is exceedingly abated and eclipsed; the zeal of it is withered; the Lord has departed from us. Learn to be more zealous, and God will return and cause you to flourish again. For when God looks upon a people, it is with them as with the earth in springtime, and when he departs from them, they are as withered trees in winter. Where now is the zeal of former times — the communion of saints, the heating and whetting of one another by mutual exhortations? Where is the boldness for the Lord? Those holy prayers, those former times are gone — the light of those times remains, but not the heat. As also, if we look back upon that generation of Queen Elizabeth — how are we changed! They were zealous, but here is another generation come in their room that is dead and cold; and yet we have their light, but the fire which in them was warm, in us is merely bright. But I beseech you, begin now to stir up yourselves, especially in these times of fasting, when there must be an extraordinary renewing of a man's covenant with God. Do not be so cold and so dilute as you have been. And seeing you have what you would have, and have long desired public days of humiliation, labor to spend them with all care and diligence and quickness of spirit. Consider that the main work is to be done at home with yourselves, for the end of these days is that you may be humbled — which you will never be, until you consider your particular sins. Get up early in the morning, for then your spirits are quick, and so you will have a long time before you come to the congregation. Get yourself all that while alone, and consider your particular sins and the holy duties you neglect, and renew your repentance, and enter into covenant. And then when you come here, you shall find the word to have another manner of working upon you than it does ordinarily.

If God is thus ready to punish his own children, and that thus sharply, it shows the sin of those that are fearless and careless, which provokes God exceedingly (Zechariah 4:15): 'I am very sore displeased with the careless heathen.' The heathens had sins enough besides to anger the Lord, yet this sin did it above other sins. And it is not to be wondered at that it should, for it is a rule in philosophy, and most true, that of all things that which provokes a man most is contempt. In so much that Aristotle makes it the only cause of anger — though therein he is deceived, yet it is the chief cause. We use to say that not to answer is a sign of contempt, as when a man is scolded and struck, and to go by without answering — as if he took no notice of it at God's hand — this is contempt. And thus a father, when he is angry with his son, or a master with his servant, how heinously does he take it! And so God, who now has discovered his wrath to the whole land and to every particular man in it — this neglect of him will cause his wrath to wax hot against us. But yet, for the land in general, we have cause to hope that his wrath does not so, but that God takes it well at our hands that we are thus publicly assembled. But let me say this: to every particular man — though God spare the kingdom, yet if you neglect him and be careless, it will go the worse with you regardless. In the 50th Psalm, when he had expressed great threatenings in the former verses, he concludes with this: 'Consider this, O all you that forget God! you that mind him not — lest he tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver you.' And so in the prophet Jeremiah 5:12-14: because you say that his words are but wind, they shall be as fire, and you as dry wood, and they shall devour you. This is the great fault of men, that they are ready to fear things which they should not fear — the creatures, poverty, and discredit — but are backward to fear the Lord.

God says of the church (Revelation 2:12): 'Fear not the things you shall suffer.' What all the world fears — do not you fear. Fear not the things you shall suffer; those things you ought not to fear. But fear those things you should do — and who is afraid of them, lest he should provoke God in them? And so Christ says, 'Fear not men — no, not those that have power of life and death' (if we should fear any, it should be them). Remember that was the commendation of Moses: he feared not the wrath of Pharaoh. When you place your fear thus amiss, it becomes a snare to you, for it makes your hearts busy upon the creatures when they ought to be set upon the Lord. But when your fear is placed upon God, it does exceedingly help you — nothing more. To give you an instance or two: you shall find David exceedingly struck with the fear of the Lord when Ziklag was burnt. No accident ever so amazed him. When he fled before Absalom, he bore it much better. Yet that fear helped all, for it set him to work to pray. So Jehoshaphat's fear did also help him — when he heard of a great army coming against him, it set him to work to pray, and so turned away the judgment. Therefore, things that you so fear, when your fear is placed on God, seldom come to pass, for that sets men to work to prevent them; whereas evil fear brings the thing with it. Saul feared the armies of the Philistines exceedingly — that made him seek to the witch, and this worked his overthrow which he feared. So Jeroboam feared the loss of his kingdom, and that fear made him set up the calves, which lost him his kingdom indeed. Learn therefore to fear the Lord. Nothing brings a judgment so much as the lack of fear; security is the next door to a judgment. Laish was a secure people, and when the army came against them, they and their city fell as ripe figs from a tree — so did they fall into their enemies' mouths. Security is a forerunner to every man's judgment. Isaiah 66:2: 'To him that fears me,' says God, 'and trembles at my words, to him will I look to keep him safe; if not, I will neglect him as much as he does me — I will have no eye to save him, as he has no eye to me to cause him to fear and tremble.' But you will say, 'How may I bring my heart to fear the Lord?' I answer: first, pray to the Lord to strike your hearts with a fear of him. It is the work of God to bring the fear of himself upon us, for it is he that brings the fear of one man upon another. He brought a fear upon all the nations of the land when the people of Israel entered Canaan — much more the fear of himself. For the affections are such things as the Lord only can deal with. Therefore the apostle says, 'You are taught of the Lord to love one another.'

It must be the Lord that must put such an affection into you, for his teaching is planting the affections. And so he is said to teach other creatures — that is, to give this or that inclination. And so the Lord is said to fashion the hearts of men, and then they cannot but fear him. Therefore go to the Lord and say, 'Lord, I am not able to fear you.' And say, 'Lord, you have promised to give the Holy Spirit to those that ask it of you, who works every grace.' If you would seek him so, and seek him importunately, though you had the securest, hardest heart of any in the world, he would at length teach you to fear him. Jeremiah 40: 'I will plant my fear in your hearts, that they shall not depart from me.' Thus you see that God takes the doing of this to himself — it must be of his planting. And he has promised also, you see, to do it.

This is not all, but there is something we must do ourselves.

Therefore secondly, observe the Lord's dealing with his people. Learn to know him in his ways, and that will be a means to cause you to fear him. If any of his children sin, he never lets them go — for then should they thrive in evil and prosper in sin. But if they will be meddling, they shall be sure to find some bitterness in the end. When a man's heart is set upon the creatures, there being thorns in them all, therefore if he will grasp too much of them, or too hard, he shall find it. God's children are trained up so, that God will not let them go away with a sin. If they be too adulterously affected, they shall find a cross in such a thing. You may observe this in the 30th Psalm. There you may see the circle God goes in with his children. David had many afflictions, as appears by verse 5: 'I cried, and then God returned to me, and joy came' — what did David do then? 'I said in my heart, I shall never be moved' — his heart grew wanton. But God would not let him go away so — God turned away his face again, and 'I was troubled.' At verse 7, you see, he is in trouble again. Well, David cries again at verses 8 and 10, and then God turned his mourning into joy again. And this to be his dealing, you shall find it in all the Scriptures. But because we find this his dealing set so close together in this Psalm, therefore I name it. Therefore observe the ways of the Lord to you. And those that are not acquainted with these his ways as yet in themselves — see what he has done to others in all the world, in our neighboring churches. When he had given a bill of divorce to Israel, yet Judah had not feared. Now when God has stricken our neighboring churches, do you think he will take it well if we are idle spectators? Therefore, when he has stricken another place, learn to fear.

If he afflicts his own children thus sharply, let those look to themselves that are not his — whether they be gross sinners, profane persons, of whom there is no question; or mere civil men and formal professors, in whom there is no power of grace. If he is thus hot against his own church, his anger will be seven times hotter against you. It may be longer deferred, as his manner is, yet when he strikes, he will strike you at the root, not in the branches — and that so as he will not strike the second time. Consider that in the 50th Psalm, that he will tear you in pieces. And you that are profane ones — let me say to you, as 1 Corinthians 10:22: 'Do you provoke the Lord to anger? are you stronger than he?' Those that lie in open profaneness and do fight openly against the Lord, and have not so much as a show of turning — indeed those that are merely civil, and yet lie in secret sins, that yet are in health, wealth, and credit in the world — it is a sign that God means them no good. He would not let his own garden go so long unplowed.

And in the second place, for professors that do not answer their profession in their lives — take heed. For he that is not with me is against me. It may be you are no enemy, not very active in any evil way, but because you are not with God in good earnest, because your hearts are not perfect, at the last day you will be found against him. Christ will come against you in good earnest as an enemy. And whereas all your hope lies in that God is merciful and Christ a Savior — learn to know that this Jesus whom you hope to be saved by, will prove the sharpest enemy against you. 'Kiss the Son, lest he be angry' — the Son may be angry, as he who (Revelation 2) has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass to tread you to powder. He shall come against you that are formal. And know that Jesus Christ is not only a Savior, but a Lord — that he came into the world to be a Prince, and the government is upon his shoulders. You forget that part of his office — half the end for which Christ came into the world. And if you would know what kind of governor he is: Exodus 23:21 — 'I will send my Angel with you,' says God (that is, Christ) — 'beware of him and obey his voice, and do not provoke him, for my name is in him.' He is of the same spirit and disposition as his Father, and they are both alike affected by sin. Beware of him — he goes along with you, and he will not spare you, for the Lord has put all the government upon him.

Let it not seem strange that he has or should deal thus with his churches abroad. What though the candlestick be removed out of the Palatinate, because they were lukewarm and fallen from their first love? What if he should do it in France? What if in England? In the Low Countries? Should it seem strange to us? It is his manner so to do. He removed Judah and Jerusalem often out of their places. We should not be offended at it if he does — or if he should do thus with us — as thinking that it is a sign that our religion is not the true religion, and that he does not love his churches. Yes, those he loves most he soonest afflicts, for judgment must begin at the house of God. That is, he looks on all the world — as on Europe now — and where he sees his house is, there he begins with them, for he is to use others to afflict them, and therefore he begins with them first. Amos 2:2: 'You have I known of all the nations — therefore I will afflict you soonest and most frequently' — though not more deeply than others. For though the church be brought under water, yet she shall rise again. I speak this because men are subject to be offended at it. Bellarmine, I remember, makes that an argument that theirs is the church, because they have had so many victories against the Protestants, and our church has been ever and again brought down. But by that argument, the captivity should not have fallen upon Judah's people, but upon Nebuchadnezzar's.

The second doctrine was that though God sends very sharp afflictions upon his own people, yet in them his kindness and compassions are exceedingly great toward them. He calls them, you see here, 'my people' — as if he should have said, 'You are mine, and I cannot forget you.' A man loves what is his own — much more God, who is all love. And this doctrine needs to be added to the former.

Now the reasons and demonstrations of this are three.

Because he is exceedingly slow to afflict, and exceedingly long about it before he begins. Therefore he makes many offers often before he does it, as one that could find in his heart not to do it at all. Psalm 78:38: 'He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity' — yes, many a time did he call back his anger when his hand was up and he giving the blow — he called it back again, as one that could not find in his heart to do it. And when he did it, he did not stir up all his wrath. He let fall some drops of it, but would not shed the whole shower of it. And he gives the reason of both: 'for they are but flesh.' Indeed, his primary scope is to show mercy, and that he afflicts is but upon occasion. Therefore he is provoked, and provoked much, before he does it. As the bee gives honey — it is natural to it — but it stings only upon occasion, when it is provoked. And this we see to be true in God by experience, who suffers men, and suffers them long — they continue in their sins, and yet he continues his mercies and withholds his judgments.

His compassion is shown in sustaining them in their afflictions, and in helping them in the midst of them. Daniel 11:33-34: when his people should fall by the sword and by the flame, etc., it is said they should be helped with a little help — that is, so much as would sustain them, bear them up. The like we have in Zechariah 13:9: 'I will bring a third part through the fire, and they shall come out refined, as gold and silver is refined' — losing nothing but their dross. So he would sustain them, hold them up. And this he does by doing two things: first, by moderating their affliction; and second, by so framing and fashioning their hearts that they shall be able to bear them.

He moderates them — they are still in measure, and not beyond their strength. Revelation 2:10: Christ says to the church of Smyrna, 'Fear none of those things which you shall suffer; behold, Satan shall cast some of you into prison, that you may be tried, and you shall have tribulation ten days' — as if he should have said, 'I will moderate this persecution, and I do measure out the time to you — but ten days and no more; therefore fear not.' So you shall not have so much as Satan would — for he would never give over — nor so little as you would, for then you should not be afflicted at all. If you ask now what it is to be afflicted in measure, I answer: if afflictions lie so upon his children as to cause them to put forth their hands to wickedness, then it is above measure. But if they never fret nor faint under it, it is not. Now he has promised that he will so accommodate afflictions as they shall not work so with his people. Psalm 125:3: 'The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest he put forth his hand to iniquity' — it shall not be so long as to cause a disorder in the spirit of them, so that they should not carry themselves in a meek manner under it. I mean not so, but that at first it may cause a stirring in their spirits, as it did in Job, when it grew sharp and he spoke unadvisedly — yet not a substantial disquiet; he came to himself again. To this purpose let Psalm 129:3-4 be compared with the former. God compares there the afflicters of his people to plowmen set to plow his ground (the Babylonians and all the other enemies were but God's plowmen). Now they should not do it so as to do his people any real hurt — no more than for his advantage and his church's. They should not go a foot further, for then God cuts their cords in two, and when the traces are cut, the plow stands still and goes not a step further, let the horses do what they will.

The second way of sustaining them is that he so fashions their hearts that they shall be able well to bear it. And then, though it be great, if they have strength to bear it, it is the less. A great burden on a strong man's shoulders is no more than a small one on a weak man's. We often wonder that God should lay so great afflictions on his children, but we do not see their inward strength and ability to bear them.

Now first, he fashions their hearts to pray and not to murmur. And the greatest affliction is nothing if they can but pray. Romans 8:26 — that is one comfort brought in among the rest that sweetens our afflictions: that the Spirit helps our infirmities and teaches us to pray.

He frames their hearts to repent, and that they should not sin against him. And if sin is not mingled with an affliction, it is not bitter — if a good conscience is joined with it. For then it is heavy when it falls upon the shoulder out of joint, or upon the sore place. Therefore Saint Paul cared not for death or the prison, because he had a clear conscience — all his afflictions were nothing to him, for he bore them with a whole shoulder. Sin wounds the soul, and then affliction dropped in causes pain.

He frames their hearts to patience, and so that keeps their spirit whole, so that they possess their souls and themselves. As on the contrary, impatience takes the soul off its hinges, puts it out of itself. But while a man's spirit is strong and itself, it will bear its infirmities. But when impatient, it will bear nothing. When therefore afflictions are thus mingled with prayers, and repentance, and a good conscience, and patience, it is easy to bear them — and it is God who mingles their cup thus. And as Christ said, 'Shall I not drink of the cup which my Father has mingled?' Although the cup is bitter, yet the ingredients he puts in it make it sweet. God mingles a cup to them in another manner than to others. See how he mingled a cup to Ahithophel — it was no great thing in itself, it was but that disparagement in the rejection of his counsel. Yet such an ingredient was put in, such an apprehension by God's providence — for though God was not the author of it, yet he suffered Satan to do it — that it broke his heart, and he hanged himself. See the contrary in David, when Ziklag was burnt — a great and sudden affliction. Yet he bore it well, for he had comfort from the Lord, an ingredient with it which encouraged him in God. And so when he fled before Absalom his own son — a great and bitter affliction — yet he bore it with such a mind as if he had been in his bed asleep, as appears by the 3rd Psalm, which was made upon that occasion. When ten thousand were encamped against him, yet he feared no more than if he had not an enemy in the world. 'I will lay me down and sleep,' etc.

Thirdly, his compassion is shown in bringing them through, and giving them a good outcome and comfortable fruit of all. As appears by that place of Zechariah 13:9 — he carried them through the fire and refined them thereby as gold, led them out, and caused them to lose nothing but their dross. Or as the wheat loses nothing in the winnowing but the chaff. There is an excellent place for this purpose in Isaiah 27:8: 'In measure, in the branches thereof, you will debate with it' (so some read it). God promises in the former part that Israel should grow like a fruitful tree and flourish. And though he afflicted them, yet it should not be so as he afflicts others. 'Has he smitten him as he smote those that smote him?' No — he smote them at the root, but him in the branches, so that he should grow the more by it. God compares himself to a man that lops his tree, but meddles not with the root or body of the tree — only with the branches, and that just so far as was needed, and where they should be cut, and that in season and at the just time, that it may grow the more. For this is to do it in measure — and this is no more than necessary, to make the tree shoot the more. It would be spoiled if he did not deal thus with it. Now he smites others at such a time as they are most unfit for it, and that at the root, so that he causes them to wither — they are losers by it. As appears by that wicked king Jehoram (2 Kings 6:33): 'This evil is of the Lord — and what should I wait on the Lord any longer?' And by that of Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:22, etc.): 'Then in time of distress, Ahaz yet trespassed more against the Lord' — this was King Ahaz, this was the end of that affliction.

But some good soul will object and say, 'I do not find this fruit of my afflictions.'

It may be you do not for the present. But wait a little until God has made an end, and you shall see that affliction which you thought most sharp — and for which you saw no reason, and by which for a while you saw you got no good — yet when the Lord has made an end and put all together, then I say you shall find your worst takings, your worst condition, profitable and useful to you. In the time of winter when the trees wither, an unwise man would wonder to see such a ruin. But when the spring comes, you know the benefit of it — you would not have had such a spring but for such a winter. And so those varieties of afflictions and crosses which God leads you through, those sins, those setbacks which we think can no way be advantageous to us — they will ever in the end bring forth a springtime, for all things work together for good. Judge not by one particular, but wait until God has put all together, and you shall see it is for good. Hence it is that Saint James would have us (James 1:2) — when we fall into various trials — count it exceeding great joy. That is, he does not say, 'when you go in step by step,' but when you are precipitated, fall all on a sudden, and are plunged into them — so the word in the original signifies. And secondly, not into one, but into all sorts — into various afflictions at once: affliction in estate, body, wife, children, one upon the neck of another. Yet rejoice — and not only so, but be exceedingly glad, as glad as a merchant is to see his ships come from the Indies laden with riches and full of treasure. So beneficial should they be in the end. Now unless they did always bring home such treasure, and proved in the issue exceedingly good and profitable, he could not have desired them thus to rejoice.

Now if you ask the reasons why it is so — that God deals thus with his children in afflictions — I answer out of the text.

First, says he, 'they are my people' — they are his own, and therefore he is full of compassion toward them, as a man is to his own child, because it is his. Hosea 11:8: 'You are mine, and I cannot deal with you as with a stranger, for my bowels are turned within me' — when it came to the casting away of his child, he cannot do it. So 1 Samuel 12:22: 'The Lord will not forsake you, for you are his people.' And so also Micah 7:18: 'Who is a God like our God, that pardons iniquity and passes by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage?' There lies the reason — they are a remnant, they are chosen out of the rest of the world, and to them he is so merciful that there is none like him. It would make a man stand amazed at it.

They are a people called by his name. As he has chosen them to be his, so it is taken notice of that they are his, and he has owned them. His name is upon them by profession, and therefore he will spare them for his name's sake, because of those that stand by and take notice of them. For if he should deal harshly with them, none would serve him. For when servants are harshly dealt with, who will serve such masters? And this argument Moses uses (Numbers 14): 'Lord, spare them,' says he, 'and if it be but for your name's sake — for what will all the nations say?' Either that you are such a God as is unkind and would not save them, or a weak God and could not.

But you will say, we see the contrary by daily experience. We see great and severe afflictions befall God's people. Indeed, it may be some here of his own will say they have felt and tasted of great afflictions.

I answer: you may be mistaken in afflictions — they are not always such afflictions as they seem to be. For we say of the sun that the sun does not actually suffer eclipse, but only seems to suffer it — the sun keeps its light firm and clear even in eclipses. So often those afflictions which you think great are nothing at all in themselves — they only seem so to us. So the apostle (2 Corinthians 6): 'We seem to be men sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; seem to be poor, but possessing all things' — all was nothing to Paul. For affliction lies only in the apprehension. And so many of those grievous afflictions and tortures which martyrs and the children of God endured — though to us they seem great — yet I am persuaded were nothing to many of them.

But you will say, 'This is not my case; I feel, I am sure, the sting of it.'

I answer you, first, that God lays it not on you until you have need. The physician knows the body of the patient better than himself, and the soul has more intricate diseases than the body. He sees your secret pride, security, etc. — it may be when you do not see them yourself, as Hezekiah did not. So that when you see no reason for such a sharp affliction as purging medicine for you, he does, and does not administer it except when there is need.

And secondly, he does not go a step beyond your need. And this will appear by the opening of two excellent similitudes in Isaiah 28, from verse 24 downward. First: 'Does the plowman plow all day to sow? and open and break the clods of his ground — when he has made plain the face of it, does he not cast abroad the vetch? scatter the cumin, the wheat, and the rye? for the Lord has instructed him to do so.' The husbandman, he tells you, plows not but where he means to sow and to have a harvest. And the plow goes no longer than until the clods are broken. And says he, God has given him this discretion. Therefore shall not God have the same and use it himself? Do you think you are plowed longer than you need? It is but until the clods — your stiff spirit — are broken. And whereas you may think your heart soft enough, it may be so for some grace, but God has seeds of all sorts to cast in — the wheat and the rye. And that ground which is soft enough for one is not for another. And again, secondly, when it comes to harvest — to some maturity — he has to thresh it with various kinds of instruments (which is the second similitude), verse 27: 'The vetches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is the cartwheel turned about upon the cumin, but they are beaten out with a staff and a rod.' But bread corn — wheat — is bruised with the wheel, because he should not always be threshing it. So God beholds every man's strength and knows what affliction is most suitable for him. He finds out a fit instrument for every grain. His end is but to drive you out of the husk — of your circumcision, of some lust, some of which sit more close to the heart than others. And as the wheat and the husk sit closer together than in other grains, therefore the wheel goes over it. And when it is threshed enough, and God has unloosed the heart and the sin — the husk and the wheat — he does it no longer. Now says he: 'This is from the Lord, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.' Therefore, as when you see a husbandman do so with his ground and grain, you judge him a wise man in doing so — so also is God therein.

But you will say — for all these good words and setting it forth thus — we are sure, and see and feel by experience, that the saints always fare as ill as the worst when general afflictions come: plague, sword, or captivity. They are swept away by these as well as others. And what afflictions are there — going through the sons of men — that do not fall upon the saints as well as upon others?

For answer: it is true that those floods of afflictions which overwhelm whole countries take away one as well as another. Yet there is a difference, as Jeremiah 24 shows. All were carried into the same captivity by the same king, but yet they were carried in different baskets — the bad in one basket, the good in another. This shows the condition of the one was different from the other. First, the Lord knows the good figs — his eyes are upon them for good, to see that no harm should befall them — that which was harm indeed. And secondly, he did but send them into captivity as one is sent on an errand, but the others are led as a condemned man to the jail. Thirdly, he would bring them back again when they had done the business for which they were sent — when they had humbled themselves and sanctified his name more. Many such ends the Lord has. But the others he utterly destroyed, and they never returned.

But some will say, 'The afflictions that I endure are of an extraordinary nature — never was any so afflicted as I' (as is the manner of man to complain). 'There is a peculiarity in mine, and it is not one but many, and these for a long time have lain upon me.'

I answer: it is true, they are often of an extraordinary nature, and there is good reason for it. For a small affliction would not bring you home to God. It is not a little headache, a scratch with a pin, that drives a man to the physician. But such a disease as a man apprehends death in makes a man seek out for help. And the reason why these afflictions are many is, first, because you have many diseases to be healed — lusts of various sorts — and you must have a diversity of afflictions applied to them. And again, if God should not change afflictions, your affliction would grow familiar. And as medicine, when it is made familiar to the body, works not — so would not those afflictions. And secondly, they are also often long, because some sins stick close and are not easily gotten off — the stain in some sinks deeper and requires a great deal of scouring. Daniel 11: 'Many shall fall by the sword, famine,' etc. — their trials were of many kinds and long, that they might be made white. Into which they would not fall nor continue, if men would be scoured and made white sooner. I have stood longer upon this and the opening of it, because either it has or will be of much use one day to many of us. And seeing we know not what we are reserved for, it is good to treasure up these things, that we may know the ways of God beforehand, and so bear what comes the better. For it is ignorance that makes afflictions so insupportable when they come. We will come to the uses.

Learn from this not to be discouraged, whatever your case may be. Whether you have been afflicted in name by reproaches, so that you think you shall never get your credit again; or in body by diseases, so that you think you shall never have your health again; or in soul by doubts, so that you think you are in such an estate that you shall never be raised again — remember the exceedingly great kindness of the Lord, and know that whatever your afflictions are, he is able easily to scatter them. I speak this because, as men in prosperity think it will always continue — 'tomorrow will be as today, and much more abundant' — so in affliction they think it will never be otherwise. What unfaithfulness this is! Are not all times in God's hands, as David says (Psalm 31)? He who alters the weather, he who turns the winter into summer — it is a storm now, and half an hour after the sun shines. All is in the weather, and so such alterations God is able to make in men's estates. Comfort yourself with this: it shall lie no longer on you than there is need. The plaster shall not lie a bit longer than the sore is healing. If it were sooner healed, it would fall off sooner. But then it shall fall off on its own. Though sorrow be in the evening, yet joy shall come in the morning — because the anger of God never lasts but for a while. And the reason is given in Micah 7:8: for mercy pleases him. Take God always when he is angry with his children — and there is but a short burst of it, his constant course is otherwise. For mercy pleases him — and that which a man delights in, he will be doing long; he can hardly be taken off from it, as if it grieved him to do otherwise. When therefore it is long, I say, it is an exception — as when your heart is harder than ordinary, for some are more stubborn than others. Ah, but you will say, 'This of mine is a great affliction, and I know not how it should be helped, unless the Lord should work miracles.' It may be so. And indeed, when God will send an affliction, all the world cannot keep it off. In Zechariah 1 there were four horns that beset the children of Israel to afflict them, so that whichever way they went and would have fled, one would have met them — whether to the east or to the west — no way left to escape, no evasion. For when God will afflict, he will afflict, and there shall be no door to go out at — else it were not an affliction. For what does it matter for a man to be in a smoky house if he has a door to go out at? But yet, what do these horns serve for but to push them home to the Lord? And though a man cannot escape them, yet there is this comfort: though those horns be as strong as the horns of a unicorn, so that all the world cannot knock them off, yet when they have pushed them to the Lord, then the prophet saw four craftsmen — and why did those craftsmen come? — to knock off every horn and cast them out, so that every nation that was against Judah was frightened away. Not the Assyrian, not Babylon, nor any of them left. So that as when God will afflict a man, nothing can hinder him — so also when the Lord will scatter the affliction again and will raise a man, nothing shall hinder it either. He will do it, be it never so great. Be not discouraged then. What though the storm grow great and violent? One word of his mouth will allay and still both storms and winds, as in Mark 5 one word did it. So take the most grievous disease that you have long lain under, and which you often think you shall never recover from — yet one word will rebuke it. Take the worst and bitterest and most powerful enemy of the church — such as Haman — if God speak but a word to him, as he did to Laban, 'Hurt not this man,' he cannot hurt you. One word of the Lord Jesus tames them all — only bring faith with you. Mark 4:40-41: in the great storm, 'Why did you fear, O you of little faith,' Christ says to his disciples when they were so exceedingly troubled. As if he had said: 'It is not the greatness of this storm that breeds this fear, but the littleness of your faith.' So when all the people murmured at the Red Sea — what was the reason that Moses was quiet all that while when they murmured? 'Stay,' says he, 'a while, and you shall see the salvation of God.' The reason for the difference was that Moses believed, and they did not.

So the trouble comes not from the greatness of the affliction, but the littleness of your faith. When therefore afflictions shall come, do not be discouraged — do not lose yourselves, but possess yourselves with patience. Keep this as a sure conclusion against all objections: that God will be merciful to his people.

Is the Lord then so full of pity and compassion toward his own people? Learn to come to the Lord when you have offended him. If indeed God had so hard a heart as would never relent, then when you had sinned, you might go somewhere else for comfort. But now come again to the Lord, being assured of good success. This use we see made of it by Samuel in a like case to the people of Israel (1 Samuel 12). When the people had committed that great sin, in which, as he told them, they had not only cast away him but the Lord — and God had declared his wrath against them in storms from heaven in the time of the latter harvest — yet at verse 20, Samuel says: 'Fear not; you have done all this wickedness, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord.' And he gives two reasons. First, because all other things they would go to would not profit them — they were vain. Secondly, because the Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake, because it has pleased him to make you his people. As if he had said: 'I would not have you lessen the sin, seek out excuses' — as indeed that is our fault in such cases. No, that is not the way. You have committed a monstrous transgression — yet do not forsake the Lord. Samuel said this because what keeps men off from the Lord is discouragement. For many a man, if he had (it may be) a voice from heaven that would assure him that if he came in his sins would be pardoned, I do not think but they would come in — though they love their sins well. But the main thing that keeps them off is that men do not think God so ready to receive and pardon them. Now therefore, says Samuel, you are his people, and the Lord cannot forsake his own. Let a man have a child of his own — even when it is young and troublesome, and nothing pleasant in it — yet because it is his own, his affections will not come off from it. Indeed his affections will hold on although when it is grown up it provokes him a hundred times, because it is his own. Now if they should ask how it comes to pass that they are his, Samuel tells them: 'Because it pleased him to make you his people' — there is no other reason that can be given for it. So if any of the children of God, looking upon all the world lying in wickedness, should ask the reason why they should be in this good condition rather than the rest — there is no other answer than that it pleased God to make them so. God loves for no merits, which should teach us to look outside ourselves, less into our hearts in this case, and more to the attributes of God. To return — in Jeremiah 3, God says there: 'It is true indeed, that if you come to any man in the world when his wife has played the harlot, will he receive her again?' No — a man's heart in this case cannot relent; he has not mercy enough, his heart is too narrow. 'But you have played the harlot many a time — yet return to me,' says God. For look how much larger God's heart is than a man's — so much larger are his mercies.

If God is thus exceedingly merciful and pitiful, this should lead men to repentance. There is that in the thing that leads you — so Romans 2:4. When either God expresses his mercies toward us by his behavior and merciful dealings with us, or causes his ministers to offer mercies to us, it leads to repentance. It has indeed a contrary effect on almost all in the world — for whom do not God's mercies lead away from him rather than to him? But take heed lest you turn the grace of God into licentiousness, which yet men ordinarily do. The more favor, the more means they have enjoyed, the more wanton they grow — that is, the more bold, losing their respect to God. Even as a child is apt to do when his father carries himself kindly toward him — he cannot bear it; he has not the discretion to consider that it should lead him to obedience, but grows bold and undisciplined. And you should also make this use of mercies: that the meditation of them should stir up your hearts to a more kindly sorrow for your sins. Think that you have deserved to be cut off long ago, and that you have committed such sins for which many are in hell long since. God expects this at your hands. And let us make this use of it in these days of humiliation — the main work of which is to humble yourselves. And we are to labor to humble you, not only by denouncing God's judgments, but by expressions of his mercies also.