me in the day of his fierce anger Dan. 9.12 Under the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem yet Ezra confesseth that all that they had suffered was far less than they deserved Ezra 9.13 After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing that thou our God hast panished us less than our iniquities deserve Our sins deserve eternal damnation Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sinneth shall die They deserve to be punished with the loss of God and the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven to all eternity 1 Thess 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord Matth. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Now what are the losses and crosses that we meet with in this world compared with the eternal loss of God and the Kingdom of Heaven and with the torments of Hell that must be endured to all eternity 2. What ever we suffer for our sins we our selves are the causes of those sufferings and therefore have no reason to blame the Lord but our selves for provoking the Lord to lay such afflictions upon us Jer. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord that led thee by the way Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction because thy sins were encreased have I done these things unto thee SECT 6. 6. Consider what abundance of mercy you have enjoyed in former times as well as what afflictions you under go at present this was one argument wherewith Job quieted himself and wherewith he laboured to quiet his wife when she advised him to curse God and die Job 2.10 What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil As God in the way of his Providence intermingleth prosperity with our adversity and sets the one against the other that no man may find out any cause of complaining against the Lord Eccles 7.14 In the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider God also hath set the one against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him So should we for the taking away of all occasions of murmuring under our afflictions set our mercies against our crosses our former and present mercies against our present afflictions and that will convince us that we have much cause of thankfulness but no cause to murmur under our greatest afflictions For 1. We may wonder more that God bestoweth one mercy upon us than at his sending of a thousand afflictions for we are altogether unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 and have deserved all sorts of judgments Dan. 9.7 To us belongeth confusion of faces 2. Though we deserve all kinds of misery and no mercy yet they that have met with most and greatest afflictions if they take a view of Gods dealings with them from the day that they were born to this present time shall find that their mercies have been far more and greater than their afflictions Do we meet with some cross or other every day if we do yet the mercies of the day are greater than the crosses for God sends new mercies every day Lam. 3.23 They are new every morning We enjoy so many mercies every day that we are said to be loaded with them Psal 68.19 Blessed be the Lord who dayly loadeth us with his benefits Have our afflictions lyen long upon us Gods mercies have been of a longer date than our afflictions Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him There are intermissions in our afflictions He doth not alwayes chide Psal 103.9 but there is no intermission in Gods mercies there is not one moment all our life long but he is conveying some good things to us Isa 27.3 I will water it every moment Lam. 3.22 His compassions fail not 3. Every affliction that we meet with in this life is allayed and tempered with mercy yea the bitterest cup that ever Gods people drink of hath more of mercy than it hath of judgment Psal 145.9 His tender mercies are over all his works Psal 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies If we consider the sharpest affliction that God lays upon his servants in their procuring cause which is sin if with the good intended by them if in the principle from which they flow which is Gods love to their souls we shall be easily convinced that there is more of mery than severity in them and so consequently that we have much cause in every thing even in every affliction to give thanks but no cause at all to murmur at the hand of the Lord. SECT 7. 7. Consider that it is the will and command of God that we should be content with such things as we have Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee It was but little which those persons possessed to whom the Apostle wrote this Epistle for they had suffered much for Christ their goods were spoiled and taken from them as we may see Heb. 10.34 yet he telleth them it was the will of God that they should be content with such things as they had If we have nothing more than food and rayment we ought to be content 1 Tim. 6.8 Having food and rayment let us be therewith content It is not said having dainty meat and rich attire let us be therewith content but having food and rayment though never so plain and mean we ought to be therewith content Though you have lost much and have very little left yet there are weighty reasons that may perswade you to be content with such things as you have As 1. Though you have very little left you have more left than you brought with you into the world and more than you can carry with you out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither 2. Though you have very little you have as much it may be more than Christ or the Apostles of Christ had when they were in the world Our Lord Jesus Christ lived in a very poor condition when he was in the world 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might become rich He was so poor that he had not an house to dwell in Mat. 8.20 The Foxes have holes and the Birds of the air have nests but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head His diet was mean when he had nothing but barly bread and two small
all that they owe but are disabled by Gods providence 3. Cry to God that 〈◊〉 would finde out some way for you and raiâ—… up some supplies whereby you may be able to pay you Debts When one of the Sons of the Prophets was felling a beam and the axe head fell into the water he cries out to the Prophet 2 Kings 6.5 Alas Master for it was borrowed And the widow that was in debt crieâ—â—o Elisha to help her and he did help both the one and the other The God of Elisha is more merciful and can do greater things than Elisha therefore do you that are in debt cry unto the Lord and see what he will do for you The willingness of God to help poor Debters to get out of Debt may be seen several waves I will mention two 1. God wrought two Moracles for this end to enable those that were in debt to pay their debts The one was the multiplying the Widows oyl 1 Kings 4.1 to the 8. verse The other was the making iron to swim that the axe that was borrowed might be restored to the owner 1 Kings 6.5,6,7 Now Gods working Miracles to help poor people pay their debts may encourage those that are in debt to cry to God to help them 2. God commandeth us to own no man any thing Rom. 13.8 And we need not doubt but God is willing to help us to keep his Commandments And as you should cry to God to help you out of debt so also humble your souls for your sins for sometimes contracting of debts is inflicted as a judgement for sin Deut 28.15,43,44 If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandments The stranger that is within thee shall get above thee very high and thou shalt be very low he shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him he shall be the head and thou shalt be the tail The Lord hath promised concerning such as are careful to keep his Commandments that he will not only help them to pay their debts but he will so bless them that they shall have no need of borrowing but shall be in a capacity to lend to others Deut. 15.4,5,6 The Lord thy God shall greatly bless thee Only if thou carefully hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God and thou shalt lend unto many Nations and shalt not borrow The like is promised Deut. 28.12,13 The Lord shall open unto thee his good treasure the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season and to bless all the work of thine hand and thou shalt lend unto many Nations and shalt not borrow And the Lord shall make thee the head and not the tail and thou shalt be above only and thou shalt not be beneath if that thou hearken unto the Commandments of the Lord thy God which I command thee this day to observe and to do them Plead these promises with God and encourage your selves to hope in God to finde out some way whereby you may pay your debts And if God do answer your Prayers and raise up means for you whereby to get out of debt pay off your debts as fast as you can When God had multiplyed the oyl of the widow that was in debt the Prophet giveth her this advice 1 Kings 4.7 Go sell the oyl and pay thy debt and live thou and thy Children of the rest 4. It hath been the lot of men fearing God to die in debt and not to leave wherewithal to pay their debts We read of one of the Sons of the Prophets who did fear God that died in debt and left no goods behinde him not any thing in the house but a pot of oyl so that the Creditors came to seize upon his Children for bond-men 2 Kings 4.1,2 There cried a certain woman of the Wives of the Sons of the Prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant my husband is dead and thou knowest that thy Servant did fear the Lord and the Creditor is come to take unto him my two Sons for Bond-men and Elisha said unto her What hast thou in the house and she said thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house save a pot of oyl So that if after all your endeavours you should not be able to pay your debts but should die in debt and leave nothing behinde you this may be some comfort that this hath been the condition of some eminent Servants of God for such was this widows husband he was one of the Sons of the Prophets he was known to be a man fearing God Thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord. Yet he died in debt and left not any thing to pay his debts withal 5. If you should be unable to pay your debts that you owe to men yet make sure you get your debts that you owe to God blotted out of Gods Book of Remembrance Our sins are our debts Mat. 6.12 Forgive us our debts compared with Luke 11.4 Forgive us our sins We should be more solicitous about getting these debts paid than any whatever and because we have nothing of our own to pay we should go to the Lord Jesus who is our surety and desire him to undertake for us What is said of the men of Israels resorting to David 1 Sam. 22.2 Every one that was in distress and every one that was in debt and every one that was discontented gathered themselves unto him and he became a captain over them The like should we do when we have any thing burdens and discontents and troubles our mindes whether it be debt or any other distress we should resort unto Jesus Christ and he will give us ease Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest SECT 6. Obj. 6. I am brought into much misery and great straits already by my losses and may in a little time go through a great deal more and this doth much disquiet my minde Answ 1. Murmuring will not lessen your misery but encrease it for there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction murmuring will not procure you enlargement out of your straits but rather cause God to lay more burden upon you until he hath humbled and subdued your spirit and caused you to accept of the punishment of your iniquity 2. Call not your afflictions wherewith God correcteth you for to promote your spiritual and eternal welfare your misery rather account them a part of your happiness James 5.11 Behold we count them happy which endure Job 5.17 Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth therefore despise not thou the chastning of the Almighty Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest out of thy law We should be so far from disquieting our selves because of our afflictions that we should account it a matter of great joy when God is pleased to exercise us with divers temptations James 1.2 My brethren
my self of much unrighteousness in the getting of my Estate and now my Estate that I get unrighteously is gone my guilt remains and I am full of horror in my conscience because of my sins and especially for this sin of unrighteousness Answ 1. Such as have been guilty of unrighteousness in their dealings have great cause of being troubled for they have committed an hainous fin which without repentance will most certainly shut them out of the Kingdom of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God It is a sin which brings down great wrath from God 1 Thess 4.6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such as we also have forewarned you and testified It makes a man an abomination to God Deut. 25.16 All that do unrighteously are an abomination to the Lord thy God 2. If you be troubled in conscience for your unrighteousness in your dealings with any man your way to get the trouble of your Conscience removed and to get true and solid peace is to do these things 1. Confess your sin to God You have wronged God as well as your neighbour by your unrighteousness in your dealings and therefore 't is meet that you should confess your sin to God and humble your souls in his sight and if you do confess your sin to God he will pardon this sin of unrighteousness as well as other sins 1 John 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1. Leave off and cease from all unrighteous courses for the time to come and then the Lord will pardon all your former unrighteousness although your sin in that kinde hath been exceeding great Isa 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Isa 1.16,18 Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool 3. Flee to the Lord Jesus Christ and lay hold on him by a true and lively Faith Jesus Christ hath satisfied his Father for all our unjust dealings and all our other sins 1 Pet. 3.18 Christ hath once suffered for sins the just for the unjust that he might bring us unto God And such is the efficacy of his death and sufferings that whatever guilt troubleth the Conscience the Blood of Christ is able to remove it 1 John 1.7 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin And every one that believeth in Christ shall partake of the vertue and efficacy of his Blood for they shall be justified from all things whatsoever they have done either against God or men Acts 13.39 By him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses The Corinthians were guilty of unrighteousness in their dealings 1 Cor. 6.8 You do wrong and defraud and that your brethren And ver 11. Such were some of you that is unrighteous thieves covetous extortioners c. as is expressed ver 9 10 Yet he adds ver 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Whence you may see that the Blood of Christ cleanseth from all kindes of unrighteousness as fraud theft extortion c. 4. Labour to get into Covenant with God It is one branch of Gods Covenant to pardon his peoples unrighteousness Heb. 8.10,12 This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more 5. Make restitution to those whom you have wronged whatever you have taken from any man by fraud or extortion or any other unjust way restore it to him again Ezek. 33.15,16 If the wicked restore the pledge give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye none of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawful and right he shall live thereby Without restitution where God gives ability and opportunity there can be no true peace of Conscience Job 20.18,19,20 According to his substance shall the restitution be and he shall not rejoyce therein because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house which he builded not surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly he shall not save of that which he desired Other Scriptures concerning restitution you may see in Levit. 6.2,3,4,5,6,7 Luke 19.8 If any say we are not able to make restitution the wrongs we have done are so great and we have so little left us by the Fire I answer 1. The Scripture even now mentioned may give some direction in this case According to his substance shall the restitution be If you are not able to restore the whole restore as far as you are able 2. If you be not able for the present resolve as soon as God makes you able that you will restore whatever you have gotten unjustly and perform your resolution and God will accept of your willing minde although you want ability to perform what your minde stands to 2 Cor. 8.12 SECT 16. Obj. 16. I am one that serve God and make conscience of keeping his Commandments and both I my self and many others that walk close with God have lost all our Estates and are undone by this Fire when as many that have no fear of God before their eyes but live prophane and dissolute lives have suffered nothing at all by this Fire and this troubleth me very much when I consider how God hath dealt with many of his servants and let others that serve him not go free I am ready to fret at the prosperity of the wicked and to repine at my own afflictions Answ 1. Such a temptation as this did sorely assault David when he looked upon his own afflictions how he was plagued all the day long and chastened every morning and looked also upon the prosperity of the wicked and saw that they were not in trouble or plagued like other men he was envious at the foolish and ready to stumble at this providence and was almost brought to say that all the pains he had taken in Religion was to no purpose Psal 73.2,3,4,5,12,13,14 And if such an eminent servant of God as David was assaulted with this temptation we need not wonder if some of Gods servants in these dayes meet with the like 2. When we
wherefore thou contendest with me If any ask How shall we come to finde out for what sins God is contending with us I answer 1. Go to God and pray to him as Job did to shew you why he contendeth with you Job 10.2 Job 13.23 and after you have sought to God to discover the cause of his controversie observe what sins he brings to your remembrance and sets before you and gives you secret intimations from his Spirit that for such and such a sin he is now correcting you In times of affliction God is wont by his Spirit to present to the view of our souls the sins for which he corrects us Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then be sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity 2. Consider what sin your consciences suggested to you when God first sent your affliction upon you for oft-times God represents to us by our consciences what the sin is for which he contendeth with us as we may see in Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 3. Search into Gods word and see for what sins God hath been wont to impoverish men and bring them low in their Estates and also for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and if you finde that you have been guilty of the same sins you may then know for what sins you have suffered the loss of your Estates by the late Fire I will give some instances in both kindes 1. For what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and they are such as these 1. Unbelief and distrust of the promises and providence of God Psal 78.21,22 A fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation 2. Neglect of prayer and seeking after God Amos 5.6 Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live lest he break out like Fire in the house of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel 3. Forsaking of God after we have had much experience of Gods goodness in guiding us and delivering us from many dangers and bestowing many other mercies upon us Jer. 2.15,17 His cities are burnt without inhabitant Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way 4. Neglecting to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual manner or prophaning it by doing service or sinful works Jer. 17.28 If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched 5. Taking of bribes to pervert justice Job 15.24 The congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Bribery 6. Oppression and unjust and unrighteous dealings Job 20.19,26 Because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house that he builded not all darkness shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume him it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle 7. Pride Idleness fulness of Bread and neglect of the poor Ezek. 16.49,50 Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her Daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy and they were haughty and committed abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good Now the way by which God took away Sodom for these sins was by fire Gen. 19.24 8. Resting in outward Reformation without seeking after a renewed heart Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings 9. Murmuring at any of Gods Providences though they be such as bring us into straits Numb 11.1 When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp 10. Mocking and misusing of Gods Ministers 2 Chron. 36.16,17,19 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the Sword And they burnt the House of God and brake down the Wall of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire 11. Changing Gods Ordinances and breaking his Covenant Isa 24.5,6 Because they have transgressed the Laws and changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned and few men left 12. Sins of uncleanness as Fornication Adultery c. for these God consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven as we may see Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 13. Idolatry Deut. 32.16,21,22,24 They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction Several other sins for which God hath threatned this judgment of fire you may see in the first and second chapters of Amos and also in other Scriptures which I shall not mention Consider also for what sins God hath taken away or diminished others estates and brought them low and afflicted them with poverty and that may help you to find out your sins for which God hath impoverished you It is true that sometimes God takes away his Peoples estates to exercise and try their graces as we see in the case of Job but usually when he brings us low and bereaves us of our Estates it is for our sins Psal 106.43 They provoked him with their counsels and were brought
and Gomorrah and ye were us a Fire brand pucked but of the burning yet have ye not roturned unto me faith the Lord. I might give you several reasons why this judgment should put you upon repentance and reforming your lives ponder upon these two or three 1. If you will not be reformed by this judgment though this was a great and sore punishment God will lay far greater and heavier afflictions upon you Lev. 26.23,24 If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sin 2. If this judgment will not lead you to repentance nor any other means that God shall use with you to turn you from your iniquities you will perish eternally and be cast both body and soul into Hell fire and that is a far more dreadful fire than that which consumed your houses and goods Luk. 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 3. God lays his command upon such as are under affliction to depart from iniquity Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from Iniquity Now 't is a contemning of God to rebel against his Commandment and it must needs be a great provocation for a man to go on in his sins when God commandeth him to return from iniquity Wherefore let this affliction prevail with you to set upon the work of Repentance and Reformation and that you may do it the more effectually take these few directions 1. See that you turn from and cast away not only some or most of but all your transgressions Ezek. 18.30,31 Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed for why will ye die O House of Israel 2. Your affliction should cause you to cast away your sins for ever Some deal with their sins as Felix did with Paul Act. 24.25 Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee They put away their sins for a little time but afterwards when their afflictions are removed and they have a convenient season for the commission of their sins they call for them and imbrace them again When Pharaoh saw the Lightnings and heard the mighty Thunderings he was willing to let Israel go out of Egypt and humbled himself for his sin but when he saw that the Hail and the Lightnings and Thunders were ceased he hardened his heart and sinned as much or more as ever Exod. 9.27,28,34,35 But this is not such a repentance as God expects in a time of affliction he would have us abandon our sins for ever Job 34.31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Hos 8.14 I will send a Fire upon his Cities and it shall devour the Palaces thereof and what fruit did God expect that this fire should produce Such a forsaking of their sins as to return to them no more Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols 3. Let this affliction cause you to reform your hearts as well as your lives Jer. 4.14,15 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee for a voyce declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel 4. Reform your Families as well as your own Souls If you discern any thing amiss in your Wives or in your Children or in your Servants or in any that sojourn with you endeavour as much as lieth in you to reform it for this God expects of all those that return to him by true repentance that they should put away all iniquity far from their Tabernacles if they be such as have Families committed to their charge Job 22.23 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Job 11.13,14 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him if iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacles Gen. 35.2 Jacob said unto his houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean Joshua did not think it sufficient to serve God himself but resolveth to engage all his family to serve the Lord Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. 5. Set upon the work of Reformation speedily make no delay not so much as one day Psal 119.60 I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Sin is of that subtil insinuating nature that though a man be under convictions of an absolute necessity of reforming his life and take up as he thinks firm and strong resolutions to repent of his sins if he do not presently set upon the work of repentance if he put it off but a day he is in danger of having his heart hardned and of continuing in an impenitent condition Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin 6. You had need look to your selves that your hearts be sincere and real with God in the exercise of repentance for some that seem to be very forward and zealous in humbling of their souls and reforming their lives in times of affliction do but flatter and dissemble with God and do not turn to God with their whole hearts but only in a feigned manner Psal 78.34,35,36,37 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembered that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 3.10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. Now you had need take good heed to your selves that you do not let this judgment pass away without being brought to a true and unfeigned repentance by it for repentance is a very hard work and few persons are wrought upon by their afflictions to forsake their sins and reform their lives though God follow them with one affliction after another till he hath even consumed and destroyed them Rev.
from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must cease from those sins which did provoke God to send this sore Judgment Until the cause of a Judgment be removed we can have but little hope it should cease What sins they are that provoke God to send this dreadful Judgment of Fire hath been shewn before Quest 2. Sect. 4. If we cease from our sins and return unto God we may hope and expect that God will cease from his mighty Judgments Mal. 3.7,11,12 Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes And all Nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a a delight some land After Judea had been wasted with Fire and Sword the Lord promiseth if they would cease from their sins he would remove his Judgments Isa 1.7,16,17,19,26 Your Cities are burnt with Fire cease to do evil learn to do well If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness the faithful City 4. If we would have no more such dreadful Fires we must labour to pacifie Gods anger that is kindled against us The mighty Judgments of God that have fallen upon us viz. the Sword the great Pestilence and this dreadful Fire are tokens of great wrath against this Nation and we may fear in regard there is so little reformation that notwithstanding all that is come upon us the anger of the Lord is not turned away but that his hand is stretched out still as it is said three times of Israel after mentioning great and sore Judgment For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 9.12,17,21 Wherefore we must endeavour to pacifie and turn away the Lords anger else we may expect that the same Judgments will return or some others as dreadful as any of these will fall upon us Now if you ask How shall we get Gods anger turned away from the Nation I shall instance only in these two means 1. Gods chosen ones must get into the gap and cry mightily to God in the Name of Jesus Christ that he would turn away his fierce anger that is kindled against us The Prayers of impenitent sinners cannot prevail with God to turn from his wrath but the Prayers of his Saints and Servants will cause him to lay aside his anger Psal 106.23 He said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Jer. 18.20 Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them What Prayers the servants of God put up to God in the Name of Jesus Christ are presented by the Lord Jesus unto his Father Heb. 7.25 Rev. 8.3 and when the Lord Jesus interceeds with his Father for the turning away of his wrath from a Nation or a particular person his request shall certainly be granted Zech. 1.12,13 The Angel of the Lord said O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words and presently after comes tidings of the ceasing of Gods wrath and his returning with mercy to Jerusalem ver 16. 17. Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies My Cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem 2. We must every one turn from his evil wayes and turn unto the Lord with all our hearts and then his wrath shall be turned away from us Jonah 3.8,9 Let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Hos 14.1,4 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and when Israel did return at the call of God hear what God saith unto him ver 4. I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever 5. If we would have God cease from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must set our faith on work on the blood of Christ and on the Promises of God It was the blood of the Sacrifice that made atonement under the law both for particular persons and for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 17.11 It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul And as the blood of the Sacrifice made atonement for particular persons so also for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 4.13,14,17,18,20 These Sacrifices did type out the blood of Christ and signified to us that faith in Christs blood is the way to procure an atonement for our souls and to render God propitious after he hath been provoked to anger by our sins Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This blood of Christ is available to make atonement for whole Nations as well as particular persons Isa 52.15 He shall sprinkle many Nations And as we should set our faith on work upon Christs blood so also on Gods promises If you ask what promises I answer such Promises wherein God hath promised to cease his Judgments after he hath for a long time been sorely contending with a people We have divers promises to this purpose I will mention some of them Lam. 4.22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished O Daughter of Zion he will no more carry thee away into captivity he will visit thine Iniquity O Daughter of Edom he will discover thy sins Nah. 1.12 Though I have afflicted thee I will afflict thee no more Isa 51.21,22,23 Hear now this thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling yea even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee Isa 60.18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy Borders but thou shalt call thy Walls salvation and thy Gates praise Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirits should fail before me and the souls which I have made Zeph. 3.15 The Lord hath taken away thy Judgments he hath cast out thine Enemy the King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more Faith is of great force for preventing and removing of National Judgments and the procuring of National Mercies Heb. 11.32,34 Who through faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of aliens We may see here what great things have been done by faith it hath subdued Kingdoms it hath vanquished and put to flight great and puissant Armies it hath prevailed against the â—orest of Judgements as Fire Sword wild Beasts c. By Faith and Prayer we may even as it were hold Gods hands from destroying a Nation when they are lifted up to destroy a sinful people Exod. 32.9,10 And the Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation Though the Lord was exceedingly provoked against Israel yet by the Faith and Prayer of Moses his hands were held that he did not destroy them Moses takes hold of the Covenant and pleads that in Prayer and thereby prevailed with God to turn from his wreth and to repent of the evil that he thought to do unto the people of Israel ver 11 12 13 14. The Lord stir up the like Spirit of Faith and Pryer in his Servants in this Nation that they that make mention of the Name of the Lord may never hold their peace day nor night but may cry mightily to the Lord and give him no rest until they have prevailed with him through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ to turn from the fierceness of his anger and to cease contending with us by his mighty Judgments and until he establish and make us a praise in the Earth FINIS