reason of mine affliction unto the Lord out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice He was so low in his own apprehension as was possible for him to be in the belly of hell And what did he do I cried to the Lord he applied himself to the Lord and spread his sad condition before the Lord and he did not loose his labour Thou Lord heardest me Now for the grounds of the Point That faith will teach a soul to go to Christ and make his complaint to Christ in all his affliction for faith discovers to a soul that all afflictions are from God the Lords hand is in all the crosses and troubles and whatsoever is matter of complaint the hand of God is in it Is there any evil in the city and I have not done it saith the Lord by the Prophet Amos Is there any evil of affliction that I have not brought upon a people As to the evil of sin that is not from God for that is no being that is a privation but as for affliction all the affliction that doth berall the children of men it is from the hand of God and upon this ground Eliphaz perswadeth Job to apply himself to God Job 5. 6 8. Affliction cometh not forth of the dust neither does trouble spring out of the ground I would speak unto God and unto God would I commit my cause Trouble doth not spring from the ground it is not from second causes whatsoever trouble the people of God meet withall â—any of the sons of men it springs not from the dust Whence then It is from the hand of God there is a secret wheel a great wheel of providence that sets all on work second causes cannot move if that great wheel does not move so then when this comes to be reallized to the soul as faith doth discover it because God hath spoken it that trouble is from God whether inward or outward therefore it will carry the soul unto God and make the soul apply it self to God and Christ alone Secondly Faith doth discover that as all afflictions are from God and makes the soul see the hand of God in every stroke so it doth discover that the end of all afflictions is to carry the soul to God that is the end of all afflictions to bring God and the soul nigher together God doth not love to have any of his people at a distance from him and therefore he sends forth affliction to bring them nigher to himself And therefore in Hosea 5. 15. I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early He brings affliction for this very end that they may draw nigh to him And in chap. 6. 1. you may see the fruit of their affliction Come and let us return to the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal us he hath smitten and he will bind us up This is the fruit of their affliction they were brought nigher to God God will have his people injoy more communion with him dwell with him and make them more conformable to him more like to himself and therefore many times he layes great and sore afflictions upon them For when the Saints shall be in such a staâ—e and such a condition as nothing shall come betwixt God and them when they shall so dwell in God as never to goe out from God when there shall come no sin no corruption betwixt God and them then there shall be no more affliction then the Lord God shall wipe away teares from the faces of his people no more sorrow and sighing now the end is attained when they are gotten so nigh to God as nothing can come betwixt God and them Now when faith discovers this that it is the end of affliction to bring the soul nigher to God it puts the soul upon it in its affliction to return and apply it self to God alone Thirdly Faith will make a soul come to Christ and Christ alone in distress for faith doth discover that the help of the creature is in vain in time of distress it is faith that doth reallize to the soul the vanity of the creature and that the creature cannot help in the day of distress And therefore the Psalmist cries out Psal 60. 11. Help Lord for vain is the help of man Man cannot help and therefore he applies himself to God alone Help Lord for vain is the help of man Till the soul sees that vain is the help of the creature it will not in good earnest cry Help Lord faith shews the soul that in vain is salvation hoped for from the hils and from the multitude of mountains in vain is salvation hoped for from creatures from great men the highest of all There is many a poor soul can tell you by sad experience and say it by sad experience in vain have I sought help from men and cried to men and spread my complaints before men and therefore it is good for me to draw nigh to God for if you look upon all the sons of men you shall see how fruitless a thing it is for a poor soul in distress to apply it self to man and to go and pour out his complaints to man he may speak to such men as are not at all sensible of what he speaks he may tell a sad relation of his sufferings and burdens and yet not at all affect the heart of him that he speaks to There are some such men in the world nay very many that regard not the affliction of Joseph that are altogether insensible of the burden that lay upon other poor creatures that hath no compassion and cannot be affected It is said of Gallio that he cared for none of those things when as they made complaints of things of Religion he cared for none of those things and so when some come and make complaints of their burdens they care for none of those things And thus it was with Lazarus that lay at the rich mans gate it is very like he made many complaints shewed him his sorrow and sores but his heart was not at all affected the very dogs had more pitty upon him they came and licked his sores And so it is many times when we make our complaints to men they regard not Or secondly Sometimes when we make complaints to men though there be some pitty and some compassion in them and they will expresse it in good words yet very little help and assistance will many men afford they will seem to pitty and have compassion but there are some men that will do very little to the relief of a poor creature under distress that comes and makes complaints of his burdens The Apostle James speaks of some such chap. 2. 15 16. If a brother or sister be naked and destitute of daily food and one of you say unto him depart in peace be you warmed and filled notwithstanding
he day of great afflictions First It carries the heart to God thorough Christ and makes its complaint unto him it doth not cry out against God but as it cries unto God so it runs unto the Lord thorough Christ and pours out his complaints before him So David Psal 142. 1 2. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication I poured out my complaint before him The flesh cries out of his burden yea sinful flesh it complains many times not only of his burden but of God himself Ah but the spirit that cries unted God Job 35. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty v. 10. But none saith where is God nâ—â—â—maker he reproves the sons of men They are apâ—â—to cry but it is the cry of the flesh they cry out of the arme of the mighty but they do not go to God None say where is God that giveth songs in the night season The spirit in the saddest condition goes to God through Christ Secondly The cry of the spirit it doth make a man to cry out as well of sin as of affliction it will make a man to cry out more of sin then of affliction the flesh is not sensible of the burden of sin Ah but where the spirit of the Lord is it will make a man cry out most of all of the burden of sin if God should take away affliction and not take aâ— way corruption this would be little refreshment to him O miserable man that I am as you have the Apostle cry which was the cry of the spirit Rom. 7. the latter end O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord He was more sensible of the body of sin then of any affliction that lay upon him Thirdly The cry of the Spirit it will make the soul cry more after God himself then after any mercy or deliverance that it may injoy God that it may have the presence of God and communion with God that it may be made like to God a gracious heart it cries thus after God yea in the day of affliction when the burden is heavy a gracious heart desires more to injoy God then to be free from his affliction See how the Psalmist doth express himself in Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is David was now in a state of banishment it is like he met with sore afflictions ah but the cry of his soul was after God my soul thirsteth for thee and longeth for thee Fourthly The cry of the spirit it is a cry of faith it cries in faith and cries in hope the flesh cries in despair many times but the spirit cries and believes when it cries it takes hold of God and follows after him follows God crying though God go away See what is said Psal 89. 26. the promise is made to Davids son Christ He shall cry unto me thou art my father my God and the rock of my salvation He shall cry unto me 〈◊〉 but he shall cry in faith when he cries he shall say Thou art my Father and my rock And so the Church Isaiah 26. she cries out with a great cry and it is in faith doubtless thou art our Father And so Psal 119. when as David cryed he trusted he took hold of God and hoped in his mercy 145 146 147. ver though he was in a great affliction and there was great cause to cry yet his cry was the cry of faith and he hoped in the Word of the Lord for the accomplishment of the Word of the Lord. Fifthly As the cry of the spirit is the cry of faith so it is a fervent cry that cry that the Lord doth raise up by his spirit in the day of affliction it is a fervent cry it is no cold nor lazy cry but a strong cry Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh put up strong cries and the Apostle James he speaks of the fervent prayer of Gods people I am 5. The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous prevaileth much When the Spirit of prayer doth set all the faculties of the soul a work to look after God and take hold of God â—hen it takes hold of God and will not let him go and cry out as the Church Awake thou arme of the Lord as in the dayes of old when it will take no rest it self and give God no rest till the Lord comes in a way of grace that is the prayer that is spoken of Isai 62. 6 7 8. that prayer that is accompanied with holy fervency is the cry of the spirit Sixthly and lastly The cry of the spirit is such a cry as will not easily be silent though it meet with no answer from the Lord though it meet with a denial as this woman of Canaan she meets with many discouragements he gave her no answer at first still she goes on to cry her cry was a cry that was raised by the spirit of the Lord the flesh may put a man upon it to cry to the Lord for a season but if the Lord does not come in the flesh grows weary now the cry of the spirit is a constant cry that will not give over but will wait upon the Lord till such time as he shall send from heaven to save Thus you see what the cry of the flesh is and what the cry of the spirit Secondly Now the Saints in all Ages in the dayes of their affliction have been stirred up to cry with their spirits unto the Lord and the greater their afflictions have been the more they have cried unto the Lord So it was with Moses he was in a great strait when as he was before the red Sea and then Moses cryed in spirit God made use of that strait to stir up the cry of the Spirit in Moses And so when Jacob was in a great strait he cryed more earnestly then ever he had done when as his brother came to meet him with an Army of men he saw nothing but death and destruction he applied himself to the Lord and cried mightily It is said in Hosea 12. 4. speaking of Jacob He wept and he made supplication And so you know David in Psal 14â— cryed and it was when his spirit was over whelmed and no man to pity him then he cryed unto the Lord. And you know our Lord Jesus to give you no more instances in the dayes of his affliction he cried louder then ever That place Heb. 7. 7. In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared And the Evangelist Luke doth take notice that as Christs
all opposition all persecution the worst that Gods people can meet withall in the world nay their very sins and failings and infirmities shall work together for good the infinite wise God will make advantage of all that all that they meet withall shall tend to the furtherance of his work to the bringing about his purpose All shall work together for good yea for the best good though they see it not for the present but wait to the end and by that time God hath done with his people put all together and you shall see that all things shall work together for good nay we know it by experience we have found that God hath brought good out of the greatest evill and out of the greatest affliction And this is to those who are called according to his purpose Eightly There is another ground of comfort which ariseth from the Doctrine of election which is this that The Lord will shorten all the dayes of tribulation which they meet withall here in the world the dayes of affliction and dayes of tribulation shall be shortned for the Elects sake and it is a great refreshment and comfort that God will shorten all the dayes of darkness dayes of tribulation they shall be shortned for the Elects sake all their winter dayes shall be shor dayes dark dayes short dayes there is an eternity of light a coming a day that shall have no end the Sun shall never set but as for the dayes of darkness of sorrow affliction and tribulation the Lord in mercy will shorten them See what is said Matth. 24. 21 22. For then shall be great Tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor ever shall be and except those dayes should be shortened there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned But for the Elects sake all the dayes of publick calamity shall be shortned dark dayes sad dayes such a sad day as the Jewes saw when Jerusalem was taken by Titus it is spoken first of that dark and sad day to the Jewes when so many millions of them perished such tribulation as never was and if the Lord should not shorten those dayes no flesh should be saved that is not one of them would have been left alive upon the earth those dayes were so dark and so sore but for the Elects sake those dayes of tribulation were shortned And so all the dayes of calamity that Gods people meet withall those dayes of distress yea dayes of publick calamity and the dayes of their particular afflictions yea every dark day the Lord will shorten the Lord in mercy will shorten the dayes of their affliction and that is a great comfort to them that though their dayes of affliction be very grievous the Lord in mercy will make their affliction dayes to be but short In the ninth place there is this comfort that doth flow from the knowledge of our election that the Lord will certainly avenge the cause of his people The Lord doth take notice and he will avenge all the wrongs that any of his elect people doth meet withall in the World See Luke 18. 6 7. And the Lord said heare what the unjust Judge saith and shall not God avenge his own elect which cry day and night unto him though he beare long with them I tell you that he will avenge them speedily I tell you saith Christ that he will avenge their cause and all their wrongs and injuries that they meet withall in the World In the tenth and last place there is this ground of comfort that the Lords people those whom he loves from eternity they shall never fall away from him never be plucked out of his hand it is an impossible thing that they should perish This is a mighty ground of strong consolation which they rob poor souls of that doe plead for conditionall election the condition to be performed by the creature it is alwayes at uncertainties to the end of a mans life whether he shall continue and persevere or no. But now the Doctrine of free and absolute and immutable election doth afford this ground of comfort and the knowledge of our being in Gods election doth assure us of this that not any of Christs Sheep shall perish they shall never be drawne off from Christ never be drawn off from following Christ their Shepherd from laying him as the foundation of their life and happinesse Oh! what need have we to get such a ground of comfort in these back-sliding times when so many that make a profession doe swerve from their profession and make shipwrack of their profession of faith But notwithstanding saith the Apostle the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth those that are his Though never so many that make a profession fall away yet the foundation of the Lord stand sure and therefore in Math. 24. 24. See what Christ saith for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect Christ speaketh of the latter dayes a prophesie of our times that there should arise some that should doe great wonders and be false Christs that shall indeavour to take men off from looking to the true Christ that was crucified at Jerusalem and is risen againe false Christs that shall put you upon it to looke to a Christ within you and they shall come in such a way if it were possible that they should deceive the very Elect but is it not possible that the people of the Lords Election should fall finally they may fall for a time we know not what sinfull practises Gods people may fall into if the Lord leaves them and what errour in judgment if the Lord leaves them but it is not possible that they should be drawne away for ever for the Lord will bring them back againe to the right Christ it is not possible that they should fall away totally and finally for the mighty power of God is ingaged for their security You are kept by the mighty power of God through faith unto salvation If it were in our own hand it were not possible that we should be kept we meet with so much from within from an unbeleeving heart and so much from without but you are kept by the mighty power of God through faith to salvation My Father holds you saith Christ and I hold you and no man can pluck them out of my Fathers hand And so you see the third particular that this doctrine of election doth administer many grounds of strong consolation and great refreshment to the people of God I come now to the fourth particular propounded and that is this That notwithstanding this Doctrine doth administer so much ground of comfort yet The Lords people may meet with many temptations about the Doctrine of Election They may meet with many temptations both
down and worshipped with the worship of the Spirit Have we been putting forth acts of holy fear and reverence Have we been putting forth acts of love towards God Have we been exercising trust and affiance in the name of the Lord which is a strong Tower the righteous flee into it and are safe Have we made it our work to be submitting to the Lord to have our wills cast into the will of God to submit to God for kinde and for measure and for time O! How far do we come short of this our duty Have we been pouring forth our souls to God in afflicted conditions and tempted conditions Have we made it our work to cry the more earnestly being in an Agony as Christ did Have we spoken well of God at that time Have we not charged God foolishly and spoken unadvisedly with our lips Truly we have cause to be humbled every one either we have not known our duty or not minded our duty in the time of affliction and temptation Nay Instead of worshipping Have not we been dishonouring God in the time of affliction and temptation Have not we been distrusting murmuring repining entertaining hard thoughts of God speaking hard words against God Have we not neglected our duty and said what profit is there if I pray unto the Almighty Have we not thought that we have had to excuse from worship when the afflicting hand of God hath been upon us We have thought that affliction had been our excuse from our duty truly we may take up a sad complaint against our selves we are all guilty before the Lord and O that he would help us to see the evil of our hearts that hath past in the time of affliction and temptation But you will say when some afflictions are upon us alas we cannot pour out supplications to the Lord surely in time of affliction he doth not require it he will have mercy and not sacrifice But can our afflictions be worse then Jobs were Can it be greater then Jonahs he was in the belly of hell Can our afflictions and agonies be greater then Christ's were yet he prayed and prayed the more earnestly the more his afflictions and temptations encreased the more he prayed I know the Lord doth somtimes exercise his people with such conditions such weaknesses as they cannot be much in the performance of this external part of Worship they cannot be much in speaking unto God nor speaking well of God because of that weakness that is upon the outward man and if that be the only hinderance if the spirit be not in fault the Lord Jesus will make an excuse Christ doth tender his poor servants and children in such a condition when he sees the spirit is willing and the flesh weak they shall not need to excuse themselves Christ will But even then we are called upon to be much in giving to the Lord that inward worship of the spirit which may be given when we are in the weakest condition and the more we are hindred from the external part of worship the more should we be in the internal part of worship the more should the spirit be reverencing and loving and exercising acts of Faith and Affiance and the more submitting to the Lord and lying low this the Lord calls for from his people in the worst condition and we have cause to be humbled that we are not found in the performance of this duty in time of affliction or temptation Secondly If it be a duty to worship in time of affliction it is much more our duty to worship when the Lord is pleased to free us from affliction and from temptation if God looks for Worship from his people when under affliction and temptation then much more he looks for worship from his people when free from affliction and temptation This is a duty that lyes upon all Saints to be worshipping the Lord not only with Internal but External worship to take all opportunities of worshipping the Lord in publique and in our families in private to be pouring out supplications and to be speaking well of God is our duty if in sickness then much more in health and if in adversity much more in prosperity and if under temptation much more in the day of freedome when the hand of the Lord is not upon us it is our duty to take all opportunities and the best opportunities and the fittest opportunities both in our families and in publique Take heed that our incumbrances of the world doth not shut out our worship of God Pour out thine indignation upon the Heathen and the Families that call not upon thy name O that that Scripture were remembred Truly we are apt to complain when God lays his hand upon us and exercises us with affliction and temptation our complaint is that we cannot worship that is the grief and the burden that we cannot worship the Lord we are taken off from our duty if so we had more need to take those fairer advantages and opportunities of worshipping while the Lord is pleased to continue his course of mercy and goodness towards us Seek the Lord while he is near and call upon him while he may be found when afflictions come we cry out God is far from us and at a great distance and we know not how to apply our selves to him but examine and see whether this may not be the cause because we have not taken our opportunity while he was near we have neglected to worship him while we had strength and ability of body of pouring out our souls to God and speaking to God and no wonder the Lord doth take those opportunities from us and truly that proves a great burthen to many of Gods own people in the day of adversity when God brings them into affliction and exerciseth them with temptation and they see they cannot worship him in that external way O! that is their grief that they have not laid forth themselves in the worship of the Lord both publique and private while the Lord gave them space and opportunity and therefore as we desire not to lie under that pressure which will be exceeding heavie to God's own people take heed how we neglect worship either in our families or in publique or in both for if it be our duty to worship under affliction much more in health peace and strength To draw to a conclusion one word of Exhortation and so I end Brethren Let us look up to the Lord to teach us this lesson to make Impression of this Divine Truth upon our hearts there is a time a coming that every one of us may be put to the exercise of it and therefore look up to the Lord now to teach you that when affliction and remptation come we may through the Lord's strength be made able to fall down and worship both with Internal and External worship O! that God would make those examples of the Saints that were set before us prevalent with us to draw
us on to our duty you heard how Job worshipped and how Jonah worshipped and Christ worshipped in an Agony in the midst of affliction accompanied with great temptations O that we might look up to God to teach us this duty that we may be ready to fall down and worship as Job was when the evil tydings came that all was taken from him be falls down and worshipped and blesses the Name of God O! Know that we have need then to be pouring out our souls before the Lord and to be crying as this woman did Lord help if ever we had need to cry then Lord help when affliction is upon us especially accompanied with temptations men and Angels cannot help we had need to cry Lord help But you will say what is it that we should cry for to the Lord at such a time It is our duty to worship and to be pouring out supplications but what is it that God expects that his people should cry for in time of affliction and temptation Briefly thus We should cry That the Lord would discover the cause of that affliction and that tryal which the Lord doth exercise his people with Truly it is not without cause and therefore it is not without cause that God doth afflict us if need be you are in temptation it is not without cause and therefore it is our wisdom and duty to cry to the Lord that he would discover to us why it is thus with us to know what is his minde and will towards us what God aims at whether for correction or tryal or for exercise wait upon the Lord to know what is his end it is an addition to our affliction when as our way is hid and God's way towards us is hid and we know not what God intends therefore we should be much in this request fall down and worship him and desire the Lord to shew us the cause what is his end in this affliction this tryal and temptation Secondly Fall down and worship and pray that the Lord would take away the sting of affliction the sting is sin the sting of death is sin and the sting of all lesser deaths affliction is sin therefore pray that the Lord would take away the sting pray that he would not correct us in wrath and that he would not chasten us in his sore displeasure that was David's request Psal 6. 1. that the affliction might not be accompanied with the Lord's displeasure but that the face of the Lord may be towards us and the comforting presence of the Lord with us in affliction we should cry that the Lord would take away the sting and that his presence may be with us in affliction that he would not leave us in the fiery furnace alone but according to his promise would be with us when we go thorow the fire and water Thirdly We should cry That the Lord would make us willing to bear our affliction what-ever it be that he would make our spirits submissive to him that should be the great request of a gracious heart that the Lord would make our spirits submissive unto him O! What a gracious frame of spirit was David in when he was driven out from Jerusalem by his son Absalom 2 Sam. 15. 25. The Priests would have brought the Ark after him No saith he Carry back the Ark of God into the City If I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him Here was a gracious submissive frame of spirit under a great affliction if the Lord will use me no longer as an instrument and I must Reigne no longer let the Lord chuse what instrument he pleaseth and do with me what seemeth good unto him O! Beg that God would give us a submissive frame of heart that when the Lord leads us into any affliction we may be found submitting to the Will of God Fourthly We should beg of the Lord That He would strengthen us to bear our affliction that he would enable us to grapple with our Temptations and so to bear our affliction that we may be no dishonour to his Name so to bear our affliction as we may be to his praise Surely the least affliction will crush us if we have no other strength then our own we shall be soon crusht when under temptation O! We had need cry Lord help we had need cry that the Lord would put under everlasting Armes to bear up the spirit and to enable us so to carry it as we may be an honour to Christ Fiftly When we fall down and worship Beg that the Lord would give a sanctified use of the affliction or temptation whatsoever it be Our spirits should be breathing after a holy improvement of all God's dispensations especially these dispensations of great afflictions or temptations truly as you heard before it is not in affliction it self to do this we cannot profit by it if the Lord doth not teach and therefore we had need go to him and cry to him that he would give a sanctified use that he would make affliction attain its end that he would bore our ear to instruction and correction that we may hear the rod and him that hath appointed it that he would carry on his own work and would make use of this affliction for the subduing of our corrupt nature making us partakers of his Divine Nature Thus we should fall down and worship and beg that God would give us a sanctified use of all afflictions And know Brethren that we shall never have ease nor rest in our spirits till we be brought into this posture we shall be in a woful turmoyl and perplexity as Noahs Dove that found no rest till it came into the Ark so we shall finde no rest till God brings us into this frame bow the spirit and cause it to fall down and worship in time of affliction there will be no sanctified use of affliction never expect any good by affliction till God bring the spirit into this posture to fall down and worship as Job and Jonah and Christ did that is an argument that the affliction is working the right way when as the spirit is thus subdued to God now it is working for good certainly God will make a good end with that soul when it is brought thus to fall down and worship the Lord to fear and love and trust and submit to him and to pray and praise to speak to God and to speak well of God in time of affliction Now the Physick works kindly and the Lord is engaged by his word that this shall work together for good even all afflictions when it thus works you may have assurance of it that all shall work together for good God will make a good end as he did with Job and you may be sure that
affliction and sorrow did increase so he cried the louder to his Father Luke 22. 44. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly he prayed the more when his affliction increased when he was in the midst of his agony then he cried more earnestly To make some short application of the Point First of all Let it be a word of examination there is none of us but at one time or other are pouring out our cries and complaints and especially in our affliction we are full of cries Now let us examine whether it be the cry of the flesh or the cry of the spirit whether it be accompanied with pride of heart and with impatiency and unbelief with murmuring and repining O that is the cry of the flesh and the sinful cry of the flesh which is far from the cry of the spirit But to give you two or three things that you may make use of by way of tryall First of all would you know whether your cry be the cry of the flesh or the cry of the spirit why then examine whether or no your cry and your complaint be not above your burden many a mans cry is greater then his bruden that God layes upon him it may be he makes his burden heavy by his strugling Jobs burden was not so it was heavy Now when a man shall cry out and say no affliction like to mine and no burden like to mine O this is a sinful cry Secondly When our cry is so great as to take us off from our duty either to God or man that cry is not a gracious but a sinful cry the cry of the spirit makes a soul wait upon God in a way of duty but now if a man in time of affliction is taken off from his duty surely that cry is a sinful cry Thirdly When a man in the day of affliction cries so loud that he cannot hear what the Lord speaks to him God comes and speaks graciously offers comfort but the cry of the soul is so loud that it cannot hear what God speaks that a man shall be taken up with complaints as to refuse all the comfort that God sends him this is a sinful cry this was the cry of that afflicted man Psal 77. 2. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ran and ceased not my soul refused to be comforted Nay when as a man or woman in the time of affliction shall not only refuse his comfort but justifie his complaint as Jonah did he justified his anger when God asked him Dost thou well to be angry Yea said he I do well to be angry This was a sinful passion And so when a man shall justifie any other passion his sorrow and complaining and say I do well to complain and in the bitterness of my spirit I complain this is a sinful cry And therefore secondly Let me desire in the name of the Lord that we would take heed how we give way to these sinful cries and complainings these cryings out which spring from pride impatiencie and unbelief O I pray take heed of giving way to these sinful complaints For first I pray consider a little that the hand of the Lord is in every affliction that is upon you O that that were seen that the hand of the Lord is in it Thou Lord didst is said David I was dumb and opened not my mouth for thou Lord didst it O that would silence the sinful cries of the flesh if the heart were sensible that the Lord did it and if the Lord did it then infinite wisdome hath done it and if infinite wisdome order this or that affliction why should we cry out of our afflictions Secondly Consider whatever your affliction be though you say none like mine it might have been seven times heavier infinite power could have heated the furnace seven times hotter and made his flery tryals seven times more sharp O then there is no cause why we should complain especially in the Third place If we consider what we have deserved at the Lords hand and O that when we pore so much upon our affliction we would look with one eye upon that which may help to silence our sinful complaints We have deserved that and a thousand times more at the hand of God Why should the living man complain man for the punishment of his sin O there is sin enough though it be true it is not alwayes for that God afflicts yet he may see enough for which he may afflict seven times more Now let our eye be upon this this was that which silenced Jeremiah Jer. 8. 14. Why do we sit still Assemble your selves and let us enter into the defenced Cities and let us be silent there for the Lord our God hath put us to silence and hath given us waters of gall to drink because we have sinned against the Lord. Take heed how we open our mouth in the day of our affliction Thirdly and lastly Let it stir up all our souls to go to God through Christ and to cry more in the spirit and the greater our afflictions are so much the more let our cry be to Christ The time of affliction is no time to give over praying and crying but being in an agony he cryed more earnestly and so we in time of affliction we should cry more earnestly O that we might learn thus to cry with this gracious holy believing and servent cry The Lord Jesus hath given great incouragement to his servants to go and cry thus O what incouragement doth Christ give in Luke 11. 8 â— by a parable there of a man being in bed he hath no mind to rise but through importunity be is overcome And so by that Christ stirs up his Disciples to go and cry importunately to God their Father And so in Luke 18. there is another parable of the unjust Judge who neither feared God nor man yet because of the Widdows importunity he would judge her cause And shall not the Judge of all do right I tell you saith Christ he will avenge the elect that cry to him day and night And therefore Christ gives incouragement to you to go and cry earnestly and to wait upon the Lord and not to give over crying for the Lord hath the bowels of a father as the father pitties the child so the Lord pitties those that fear him Now the tender hearted parent is filled with compassion to the child if the child be under a heavie burden the bowels of a father is filled with compassion and will not let him lie under that burden and so the Lord when the spirit is even gone and the soul ready to saint and the Lord see that their strength is gone then the Lord will come in and exercise the bowels of a tender hearted father And know that many times the Lord doth hide himself and withdraw and seems to be far off from the requests of his people that so he may stir them up to
unto thee into thy holy Temple When he was in this condition he prayed and he poured out his soul before the Lord. I shall only give you one instance more and that is of Christ himself when as he was in a sore affliction and his affliction accompanied with temptations then he prayed Luke 22. 39 40 41 42. And he came out and went as he was wont to the Mount of Olives and his Disciples also followed him And when he was at the place he said unto them Pray that ye enter not into temptation And he was withdrawn from them about a stones cast and kneeled down and prayed saying Father if thâ—â— be willing remove this cup from me Nevertheless not my Will but thine be done and at vers 44. it is said being in an Agony he prayed more earnestly His affliction doth increase and his temptations do increase and as they encrease so he cries the more earnestly to his Father Afflictions do not make Christ cease to worship no he worships the more and he cryeth the louder and prayeth the more earnestly Thirdly We shall consider the Grounds of the Point Why it is the duty of God's people to worship God in time of affliction and temptation First Because there is no affliction or temptation but it is from the Lord it is his Messenger it is of his sending we have to deal with God in it and it is fit that we should fall down and worship him when God sends affliction Isa 45. 7. I form the light and create darkness I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things It is not spoken of Natural darkness the darkness that is of the Ayre that was not created by God there is no creating cause withdrawing of light causeth darkness but God saith he creates darkness he creates Metaphorical darkness that darkness which he sends as an affliction to his own people I create it there is no darkness but that which is of the Lord 's forming and creating In the Creation of the world God said let there be light but God never said let there be darkness but now when God will afflict any of his people he creates darkness and there is no darkness till God say let there be darkness when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's estate all his comforts shall wither when God says let there be darkness in such a man's family there shall be darkness for he can turn the Sun or Moon or Stars into darkness he can take away the head of the Family the children that are as the Stars of the Family if God speak the word though there be never so many in the family he can turn light into darkness and so when God sayes let there be darkness in such a man's spirit O then though it was comfortable before it will be as sad and as dark in the inward man even as it is with the Ayr at midnight darkness is of God's creating and therefore when-ever the Lord brings us into a state of darkness affliction and temptation either outward or inward it is time then to worship the Lord. Secondly We should then worship the Lord in time of affliction and temptation for it is the Lord only that can enable a man to bear temptation or affliction there is need I say that we should apply our selves to the Lord for he only can enable a poor creature to grapple with his affliction and temptation If the Lord help not the proudest helper in the world shall stoop and not be able to bear up a man under the least affliction especially when the affliction is accompanied with temptation and is wounding A wounded spirit who can bear It is only everlasting Armes that can support under such a condition surely therefore it is our duty in affliction and temptation to fall down and worship Thirdly The Lord only can give a sanctified 〈◊〉 of affliction he only can do us good by our manifold temptations affliction it self cannot profit sad experience shews it a man may have stroke after stroke and yet receive no profit no spiritual advantage I am the Lord thy God that teacheth thee to profit Isa 48. 17. God only can teach to profit Blessed is the man whom thou correctest and teachest Job 5. 17. When God's instruction and teaching go along with his correction that man is blessed that affliction shall be blessed Affliction it self cannot do it and therefore there is need that we should apply our selves to God Fourthly God only can remove the affliction and he only can rebuke the distemper and silence the temptation for certainly both affliction and temptation as I said before they are the Lord's messengers they are the Armies of the Lord of Hosts they go and they come at his command he gives out the word and he bids affliction to charge and it chargeth and if he bids it to retreat it shall retreat God only can deliver from affliction and from temptation therefore surely it is our duty to worship in affliction and temptation Fifthly It is the end of all afflictions and temptations to bring the soul nearer to God to drive the soul nigher God We are very prone to content our selves to live at a distance from God before I was afflicted I went astray saith David Psal 119. 67. Now the end of affliction and temptation is to fetch home the stragling sheep to bring God and the spirit nigher together therefore it is fit that we should fall down and worship for therein do we draw nigh to God when the soul falls down and worships God with Internal worship fear him love him trust him and submit to him and when it is pouring out its soul and lifting up the name of God speaking good words of the Almighty surely herein the soul draws nigh to God and so affliction attains its end Sixtly and lastly This is the way to ease and rest in our afflictions we cry out for ease and rest that is the thing we seek after the way to have ease and rest is to fall down and worship for by so doing the soul doth cast its burthen upon the Lord. When it doth thus fall down and worship with the worship of the Spirit fear and love and trust now the soul casteth its burden upon the Lord and his burden being left there it bringeth in unspeakable rest I say when the soul by inward worship hath gone to God and left his burden upon the Lord O! it bringeth in ease to the spirit whatever the affliction or temptation be Well then to Apply this in a word First What cause have we to be ashamed that we have come so far short of this Duty in the time of affliction or temptation We have been afflicted at one time or other who hath been free many of your souls have been exercised with temptations but O! What hath been the carriage of our spirits under them Have we fallen
the heart established in the knowledge of the love and free grace of God it is a great work and a long time before the heart be established upon Christ and the Promises and till that be done little work or service is done for God But when men begin betimes they have time to get their hearts established upon Christ and the Promises and upon the free grace and righteousness of Christ and then they have time also to act for God and the Lord makes use of them to do him much service in their generation And O what a great advantage is that So that you have seen the Point handled First What it is to Remember God Secondly What Cause the Sons of men have to Remember God Thirdly What Advantage it is for the Sons of men to Remember God in youth Now by way of Application First of all It discovers and reproves the folly and madness that is bound up in the heart of the children of men If this be the duty of all the sons of men and a point of great wisdome to remember God betimes then this discovers the folly and madness that is in mens hearts to forget God How many in this Congregation I fear may fall under this reproof that have not yet emembred God How many in their youth and how many past youth that have not yet remembred God that have all their dayes forgotten the Holy One of Israel O that the Lord would convince poor creatures of this evil not Remembring God Shall I shew you the evil of it and O that God would shew you the evil of forgetting God First of all It is the Mother and cause of all other sins whatsoever for it were not possible that many should sin against God as they do if they did not forget God all sin grows upon this root of Forgetting God The Psalmist maketh it the cause of all evil that is committed because men do forget God Psal 50. 19 20 21 22. Verse 18. When thou sawest a thief then thou consentedst with him and hast been partaker with Adulterers Verse 19. Thou givest thy mouth to evil and thy tongue frameth deceit Verse 20. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother thou slanderest thine own mothers son Verse 21. These things hast thou done and I kept silence thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thy self but I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes Verse 22. Now consider this YE THAT FORGET GOD lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver you As much as if he should say here is the cause of this evil that is committed by you your Forgetting God It were not possible that men should dare to sin in the face of God if they did not forget God And it were not possible that men should sin in secret against God if they did not forget God they forget that God is an all-seeing God and that for all these things he will bring them to judgement It is not possible that children and servants should lye and steal and be unfaithful if they did not forget God if they did but remember that he would bring them to judgement and that no lyar shall come into the New Jerusalem if men did remember God they would not sin against God But this is the cause of all the sin in the world Mens forgetting God Secondly There is this Evil It makes a man spend all his time in vanity he comes up and goes down to the grave in a momen and hath lost all the time that he hath lived The truth is he hath not yet begun to live that hath not remembred God he hath not lived to the end of his life what is the end of his life but that he may remember God But man forgetting God his life is a fruitless life a vain life he comes up and sins and lives in vanity and goes down to the pit and never lives to the end of life because man remembers not God Thirdly There is this evil in it It makes men altogether unwilling and unable to dye as it makes their lives unprofitable so it makes their deaths dreadful what is the cause that men fear death Because they did not remember God in life if they had remembred God if they had known God and trusted in God and walked with God they would not have been so fearful of death but when men come to be made sensible that they have spent no thoughts upon God but upon their lusts and sin and so brought their dayes to an end they must needs fear to go to God see then how much evil there is in this great sin of not remembring God But you will say We hope that we do remember God God forbid that we should forget him What Forget God We hope we shall never do that while we live O my friends It is a harder matter to remember God then the world dream of how many thousands in the world are there that forget God that would be loth to be told that they are forgetters of God And yet I fear will be found so another day They that walk contrary in wayes of sin they are forgetters of God let them say what they will though they may have a way of worship and prayer to God and hear of God and read of God yet if they be found walking contrary to God such men will be interpreted by God to be forgetters of him Consider this all ye that forgâ—â— God Psal 50. 22. speaking of the Hypocrites â— Why they had many prayers and did many good works are they forgetters of God Yes their hearts were never upright with God they never trusted in the Name of God they were never found serving of God so as they might pleasâ—â— him and therefore the Lord calls them Forgetters of God O that the Lord would convince you of this great evil of forgetting God Secondly By way of Exhortation I beseechâ— you in the Name of the Lord to Remember God This day Remember God Remember him and Remember him in youth I shall speak a little to each of these First I beseech you Remember God to know God to trust in him to love him to obey him and to spend your thoughts upon him let the endeavours of your heart be after the Lord This is to Remember God And O that God would call upon you all and call you up to such a remembrance of him O remember how worthy God is to be remembred and remember what God hath done that so the sons of men might remember him and if after all this that God hath done after all the remembrance that God hath written of himself in his Word and upon his Works and upon his Ordinances and Providences men shall be found Forgetters of God as all sinners are how sad will their condition be another day You have a memory for the world and what No remembrance of God! God only worthy to be