happiness is it not unreasonable for any man to doubt whether there be that in God which may give him full and compleat satisfaction in all estates and conditions whatever 7. As there is full satisfaction to be had in God so true rest and contentment is to be had no where but in God Take every creature upon the face of the Earth a-part or take them all together adorned with all their excellencies and if you consider them abstracted from God and Christ they are all vanity and vexation of spirit Eccles 1.2 Vanity of vanities saith the Preacher vanity of vanities all is vanity Eccles 2.17 All is vanity and vexation of spirit This judgment and determination concerning what is in all creatures was given by Solomon one of the wisest of men that ever lived it was given by Solomon that had as much as his heart could wish of the things of this world and made it his work business to search into and study what was in the Creatures that might delight and content the heart of man Eccl. 2.3 and in this his scrutiny he tells us V. 10. Whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any joy Yet after all his diligence and all his experiments to try what was in the creatures he gives this account All is vanity and vexation of spirit yea which is more than what hath been said He was a Pen-man of holy Scripture he was inspired by the Holy Ghost when he gave this judgment of the creatures that all is vanity and vexation of spirit Now what wise man would seek for his rest in that which is vanity and vexation of spirit As it was with Noah's Dove when gone out of the Ark Gen. 8.9 The Dove found no rest for the sole of her foot and she returned unto him into the Ark. So it will be with us though we seek for rest every where we shall find it no where but by returning to God in Christ It is said of the Jews Jer. 50.6 They have gone from Mountain to Hill they have forgotten their resting place If we think to find rest in any place or any condition and do not seek it in God we do but delude our selves with vain hopes for it is to be found only in him Mat. 11.28,29 Come unto me and ye shall finde rest for your souls Seeing then that satisfaction is to be had in God and no where else 〈◊〉 in God it is impossible that any man should have â—…nd lasting contentment that doth not take up his 〈◊〉 in God and therefore whosoever would learn to be content in all estates must learn how to satisfie himself in and with the Lord and that is the next thing I am to enquire into namely How we may come to take up our rest and satisfaction in God in all Estates and Conditions 1. We must get acquaintance with God We must acquaint our selves with his greatness his transcendent goodness his infinite mercy and loving kindeness and the rest of his glorious attributes Raised and right apprehensions of God lay a good foundation for our taking up our rest in God Job 22.21 Acquaint thy self with him and be at peace and thereby good shall come unto thee John 14.8 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us We can desire no more in order to our satisfaction than to be filled with all the fulness of God Now the knowledge of Gods loving kindeness conduceth much towards the obtaining of this fulness Eph. 3.19 And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God 2. We must oft-times set our selves in a solemn and serious manner to meditate upon the glorious attributes of God the more we think and contemplate upon God the more sweetness and satisfaction we shall finde in him Psal 63.5,6 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness when I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Psal 17.15 I will behold thy face I shall be satisfied Psal 104.34 My meditation of him shall be sweet Our contemplating on God will change us into the image of God and make us like God 2 Cor. 3.18 We all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Now the more of Gods image is found upon us the more like we are to God the more satisfaction we shall finde in him Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied with thy likeness But here it will not be amiss to mention two or three cautions to be observed when we set our selves to contemplate on God as 1. We must not be curious to pry into Gods Essence but must content our selves to contemplate on his Attributes When Moses desired to see the Glory of God he tells him Exod. 33.20 Thou canst not see my face which many expound thou canst not see or know my Essence and in way of answer to Moses his request he proclaims his name and thereby discovers his Attributes Exod. 33.19 Exod. 34.5,6,7 which teacheth us that if we desire a sight of God the best course that we can take to behold him is to take a view of his glorious Attributes whereby he hath discovered and made known his name to us 2. We must regulate all our conceptions of the Attributes of God by the Scriptures This caution is necessary because Satan can transform himself into an Angel of Light and present false Idea's or Representations of God to our mindes instead of true ones he dealt thus with our Parents in innocency he mis-represented God to them as though he had envied their happiness and were not a God of his Word Gen. 3.1,4,5 and he will much less fear to try us with the like temptation in our fallen estate It is necessary also because of the vanity and corruption of our mindes which are apt to form strange idolatrous notions concerning God divers instances might be given of this Some have thought God to be altogether such an one as themselves are Psal 50.21 Others have fancied God to be like the Birds or Beasts Rom. 1.22,23 But when we conceive of God according to that revelation which he hath made of himself in his word then we may be sure we conceive of him aright 3. We must contemplate on God according to that discovery which he hath made of himself in Christ Jesus of which the Apostle speaks 2 Cor. 4.6 God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ for we cannot finde sweetness in God out of Christ it will fare with us when we consider God out of Christ as it did with the Psalmist Psal 77.3 I remembred God and was troubled A man that hath been a finner can take no comfort in God
Counsel to the Afflicted OR INSTRUCTION AND CONSOLATION for such as have suffered Loss by FIRE With Advice to such as have escaped that sore JUDGMENT Contained in the Resolution of three Questions occasioned by the Dreadful FIRE in the City of LONDON in the Year 1666. Viz. 1. How may such Persons as have sustained great loss by the said Fire bear their Affliction with a contented cheerful Spirit 2. What use should they make of their Affliction who have lost their whole or any part of their Estates by the said Fire 3. What use should they make of Gods Mercy whose Houses and Goods were preserved from the said Fire In the discussing of which Questions are handled several profitable Cases of Conscience concerning Self-Murder preparing for Afflictions taking up our rest in God c. which are inserted in the Contents By O. S. Isa 25.15 Glorifie ye the Lord in the Fires LONDON Printed by E. Cotes and are to â—e sold by H. Brome in Little Britain 1667 TO THE READER WHat the Prophet Joel saith of the Famine that came upon Judea Joel 1.2 The like may I say of the late deplorable FIRE which the Lord hath sent upon London the Metropolitan City of this Nation Hear this ye old men and give ear all ye inhabitants of the land hath this been in your dayes or even in the dayes of your Fathers God hath often contended with this Land by Fire but neither in our dayes nor in the dayes of our Fathers hath there been any such dreadful Fire as this which began in London Sept. 2.1666 and continued raging for the space of three or four dayes together with that fury and violence that none was able to quench it until it had consumed the greatest part of that renowned City and had made of a City an heap of a defenced City a ruine Elihu speaking of Thunder and Lightning saith Job 37.1 At this my heart trembleth and is moved out of his place And calleth to Job to consider seriously these great works of God ver 11. Hearken unto this O Job stand still and consider the wondrous works of God If Elihu were thus affected at the sight of Lightning and hearing of Thunder and would have Job stand still and consider these wondrous works of God how should the hearts of all that saw or heard of this dreadful Fire tremble and be as it were moved out of their places How should they be awakened to stand still and consider this wondrous judgment of God It thunders and lightens every year these are Gods ordinary works but it is very rare and unusual for God to send such great and terrible Fires There may be and oft-times are mighty Thunders and Lightnings and no man suffereth any damage by them but many thousands have sustained great loss by this Fire Now the more unusual and afflicting any judgment is the more it ought to be laid to heart and the more we ought to fear and tremble before that God that sent it When the Fire had devoured the pastures of the Wilderness and the trees of the Field this made Joel go and cry before the Lord Joel 1.19 O Lord to thee will I cry for the Fire hath devoured the pastures of the Wilderness and the flame hath burnt all the trees of the Field If the Prophet bemoaned the burning of the pastures of the Wilderness and the trees of the Field how ought we to bemoan the burning of this famous City When Hanani told Nehemiah that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates thereof burnt with Fire and his Brethren the Jews were in great affliction see how he was affected with it Nehem. 1.3,4 It came to pass when I heard these words that I sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven They that are of Nehemiahs disposition that is men fearing God can do no less upon the sight or hearing of Londons desolations then he did at Jerusalems namely sit down and mourn and fast and pray to the God of Heaven that he would turn away from the fierceness of his anger which is kindled against us even as the Prophet Isaiah also did in the like case Isa 64.9,10,11,12 As for such as are of a Gallio like spirit caring for none of these things Londons Ruines call out to them as Jerusalem did in the day of her distress Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger From above hath he sent Fire into my bones and it prevaileth against them Yea God himself speaketh dreadfully to such persons Psal 28.5 Because they regard not the works of the Lord nor the operation of his hands he shall destroy them and not build them up Besides being duly and deeply affected with this sad and solemn providence of God it is every mans concernment to make a good use of it No man should let such great judgments as this Fire and the late Pestilence pass away without being some way bettered in his spiritual Estate by them The best use that we can make of this and those other Judgments of God which of late have fallen upon us is to turn every one of us from all our sins unto the Lord with all our hearts and all our souls For this is the design of all Gods Judgments to lead us to repentance If the fall of the Tower of Siloam wherein but eighteen persons suffered be interpreted by Christ to be a call to all the Inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem to repent upon pain of eternal damnation Luke 13.4.5 With what a loud voice doth God call to all the Inhabitants of this Land to repent of their sins by the fall of this great City wherein many thousands have been great sufferers The rod calls to repentance but it seldom works repentance unless it be accompanied with the word but when instruction goeth with correction it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby Whilst Ephraim was only chastised he was like a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke but after he was instructed he repented he smote upon his thigh he was ashamed Jer. 31.18,19 The world never beheld such an amazing sight as when the Lord Jesus the Lord of life and glory suffered death from the sixth to the ninth hour of the day there was darkness over the whole earth the Sun was darkned and the Vail of the Temple was rent in the midst c. Yet how few were brought to repentance by these things One of the Thieves is converted and a Centurion gives glory to God but as for the generality of the people though they were struck with some amazement and remorse for the present they return every one to his own way Luke 23.48 And all the people that came together to that sight
why hast thou made me thus 2. It is for our good to pass through variety of conditions for thereby God awakens the fear of his Name in our hearts and shakes off our security and promoteth the holiness of our hearts and lives A continued course of prosperity without some changes oft-times breeds a great deal of security and forgetfulness of God Psal 55.19 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Jer. 48.11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed If God by this change beger or promote the fear of his Name in your souls that will be better treasure than any that you lost by the late Fire Isa 33.6 The fear of the Lord is his treasure 3. The Lord would have us be so far from being dejected at our crosses that he would have us esteem them a ground of joy Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations He would have men of high degree rejoyce when they are brought low as well as men of low degree to rejoyce when they are exalted James 1.9,10 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted but the rich in that he is made low 3. Remember how contentedly our Lord Jesus Christ bore his state of humiliation Though he was Lord of all things yet for our sakes he became poor and took upon himself the form of a Servant and made himself of no reputation to bring us unto eternal glory 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 be rich Phil. 2.5,6,7 Let this minde be in you which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant Yet there never came one discontented word out of Christs month neither did there arise one repining thought in his minde throughout all the dayes of his humiliation Observe also how contentedly the servants of God have born their changes when God hath brought them from an high to a low condition When David was driven from his Kingdom and necessitated to flee to save his life he quietly submits himself to God 2 Sam. 15.26 When he that was honoured by all the Princes and Elders of Israel had a man of Belial came and cursed him to his face David puts up all his railing language with a meek and quiet spirit 2 Sam. 16.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 5. Though you be brought very low and those that were your friends in the day of your prosperity should now slight and dis-regard you yet if you continue to serve the Lord he will respect and regard you as much as ever he did Psal 136.26 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 106.43,44,45 They provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity nevertheless he regarded their efftiction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies If your hearts be lowly as well as your conditions low the most high God will respect you more than all the great men upon the face of the earth that are of a proud spirit Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off Whatever account men may have of the Servants of God the Lord esteemeth very highly of them He counts them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 It is said of them Isa 62.3 Thou shalt be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of thy God This high esteem that God hath of you may abundantly satisfie you under all the slights and dis-respect that you meet with from men 6. If you be brought to fare hard and meanly by this providence whereas before you had a very plentiful table this should not trouble you for 1. God can make a course and mean diet conduce as much to your health and nourishment as the richest fare in the world Daniel and his three companions who eat nothing but pulse and drank water were of a fairer countenance and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.12,13,14,15 2. Though you should be brought to fare very hard yet as good and better men than you are have fared harder than you and yet did not murmur against God We read of an hundred men that were the Lords Prophets that lived in a cave with bread and water 1 Kings 18.13 John the Baptist was a great person Our Saviour telleth us that among them that were born of women there was not a greater than John the Baptist Matth. 11.11 Yet both his habit and diet were very mean John had his raiment of Camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and wilde honey Mat. 3.4 and he drank neither wine nor strong drink Luke 1.15 Our Saviour himself eat very course diet and yet was thankful for it When many of his friends were about him that came to hear his word he had nothing better to refresh himself after his labours and to give to his Disciples and those that followed him but Barley Bread and Fish and they had no seats to sit upon at their meat but the grass yet Jesus Christ lift up his eyes and gave thanks John 6.9,10,11 Another time being weary and thirsty he had nothing better than water to quench his thirst and he could not with once asking obtain a draught of water to quench his thirst John 4.6,7,9 Jesus being wearied with his journey sate on the well There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her give me to drink then saith the woman How is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria 3. The meaner your diet is the less will be your temptation to excess Such as fare deliciously every day are under a great temptation to make their belly their God which is a fin that will bring unavoidable destruction Phil. 3.19 whose end is destruction whose belly is their God 4. God hath given such of you as are his servants his Son who is the bread of life the bread that came down from heaven John 6.48,51 and the water of life John 4.10 and why should you be discontented because your dyet is mean who have meat to eat that the world knows not of hidden Manna yea who have the bread of life and the water of life SECT 9. Obj. 9. I had a very sweet and commodious dwelling where I lived very comfortably and now I am greatly unsettled I
to do God good service Phil. 3.6 Concerning zeal persecuting the Church And Saul out of a blinde zeal to the children of Israel and Judah slew the Gibeonites for which sin though done in zeal the whole Land was punished with three years Famine 2 Sam. 21.1,2 2. Look that your zeal for God be true and real and not pretended Jehu pretended great zeal for God 2 Kings 10.16 Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord But it was rather a zeal to establish the Kingdom to himself than any true zeal for God 3. Let your zeal be chiefly exercised in those things wherein the life and power of godliness consisteth in the essential and fundamental matters of Religion and not in circumstantials Pharisaical zeal that was punctual in tything Mint and Cummin and Annise and neglected the weightier matters of the Law as Faith and the love of God Judgment and Mercy was disallowed and condemned by Christ 4. Look that your zeal be not for a fit while the sence of your affliction is fresh upon your spirits but let it be constant Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing 3. God aims at the making of you partakers of his holiness by this affliction Heb. 12.10 He chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness These persons to whom the Apostle writes this Epistle had been chastned with the loss of their Goods Heb. 10.34 and this chastning was for this end that they might be partakers of Gods Holiness They were holy before the Apostle calls them chap. 3.1 Holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling They were such as had been sufferers for Christ and had suffered joyfully they had attained to assurance of their salvation chap. 10.32,33,34 Yet these persons were chastned that they might be made more holy Now seeing Gods design in this affliction is to make you partakers of his holiness let this affliction stir you up to follow after holiness if you had only a form of godliness a shew and appearance of holiness before now follow after the power truth reality of godliness if you had true holiness before labour now to be more holy be more holy in your hearts in your thoughts in your affections in your speech and discourse with all men be more holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation This exhortation though it belong to all Gods called ones is more especially directed to such as are in affliction for to such this Epistle is directed as you may see ver 1 6. Let your sufferings excite you to do the works of your Callings in a more godly sort and to perform your Closet and Family Duties in a more holy manner to be more holy in your relative Duties to be more holy in your converses with all sorts of men and to express more of the power of holiness in all manner of conversation 4. God aims at the stirring of you up to a more close and humble walking with himself and to deal justly and mercifully with all men Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God This God required at such a time as he was pleading a controversie with his people as you may see ver 2. The Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel And while he was pleading his controversie he destroyed Jerusalem the chiefest City of the Jews chap. 3.12 Zion shall be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps And Samaria which was one of the principal Cities belonging to the ten Tribes Isa 7.9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria Micah 1.6 I will make Samaria as an heap of the field I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley and I will discover the foundations thereof Now when God had a great controversie with Israel and Judah for this Prophet was sent to both Kingdoms chap. 1.1 and was laying waste their chiefest Cities that which he required from the inhabitants with whom he was pleading his controversie was that they should do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with their God 5. God aims at making of you more fruitful by this affliction that you may bring forth both more and better fruit John 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit When great wrath was coming upon the Jews and the axe was even laid to the root of the tree John the Baptist giveth them this exhortation Mat. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance Now if you would know what it is wherein God would have you more fruitful in you may be resolved from such Scriptures as these Gal. 5.22,23 The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Col. 1.10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work If then you would comply with Gods ends in your present affliction labour to be filled with the fruits of righteousness abound in all the fruits of the Spirit which are as you heard before love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness and temperance Labour to be fruitful in every good work only remember in so doing that you bring forth your fruit to God and not to your selves Rom. 7.4 That we should bring forth fruit unto God for what fruit is brought forth for selfish ends God accounts next to none Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself SECT 7. 7. The losses and other afflictions which you have sustained by this dreadful Fire should stir you up to glorifie God Isa 24.15 Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the Fires even the name of the Lord God of Israel In the former part of the Chapter the Prophet speaks of a time of great desolation as ver 1. Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it up-side down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof ver 3. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled ver 11 12. All joy is darkned the mirth of the land is gone in the City is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction and then tells them what use they should make of these sore Judgments Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires When God is executing any remarkable Judgments it should awaken all men to glorifie God Rev 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thy judgments are made manifest We read Rev. 14.6,7 That when it was an hour wherein God was executing his Judgments that an Angel cryed to every nation and kindred and tongue
you Prov. 23.10,11 Remove not the old land-mark and enter not into the fields of the fatherless for their redeemer is mighty he shall plead their cause with thee By managing your work in truth and righteousness you shall prosper in what you take in hand Psal 45.4 Ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness 5. Before you enter upon building sit down and consider your cost and charge consider also your own ability whether you have sufficient to defray the charge of Building lest you be necessitated to leave your work imperfect or to run your selves into debt and bring great and unnecessary incumbrances upon your selves Luke 14.28,29,30 Which of you intending to build a tower sitteth not down first and counteth the cost whether he have sufficient to finish it lest haply after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it all that behold it begin to mock him saying This man began to build and was not able to finish Especially be careful that you do not exceed your ability to build your houses in a more stately and magnificent manner than becometh your rank and quality The calamities of the present times and the many objects of charity call for frugality and moderation in this kinde Overmuch curiosity and expensiveness in Building is taxed as a sin Jer. 22.14 We may and many do transgress by too much cost and curiosity in adorning our Bodies 1 Tim. 2.9 1 Pet. 3.3 If not lawful to bestow too much coft in adorning our Bodies then surely we must use moderation in adorning our Houses for our Bodies are of more worth and value than our Houses 6. Follow your work with a willing minde and with diligence if you would have it go on successfully A willing minde will carry on difficult work with great ease Nehem. 4.6 So built we the wall and all the wall was joyned together unto the half thereof for the people had a minde to work Diligence and industry will effect great things but slothfulness and negligence will spoil and bring to nought good undertakings Eccles 10.18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through Yet here is need of caution that you do not immerse your hearts and spirits too much in your worldly business so as to forget or unfit your selves for the coming of Christ either by death or judgment Many men are so immoderate in their use and management of worldly things that they fall into a spirit of slumber and security so that the day of death and of judgment will come upon them as a snare when they neither think of or are prepared to meet the Lord Luke 17.28,29,30 As it was in the dayes of Lot they did eat they drank they bought they sold they planted they builded but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed It is not building or planting any more than eating or drinking but the inordinate affections of men and their worldly spirits their security and sensuality in the management of their worldly business that is here condemned by our Lord Jesus Christ 7. Aim at Gods glory in this work and not your own and so manage the whole business that nothing of reproach or dishonour may redound to the name of God but that God in all things may be glorified That general rule 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God should take place in this as well as any other of your works You should not look only or chiefly at your own conveniences in Building but at the glory of God so the Jews did in building Jerusalem Ezra 4.3 We our selves together will build unto the Lord God of Israel If you be tempted from a vain-glorious painciple to be overcostly and curious in building your Houses consider 1. God would not have us do any action whatever for the procuring of vain-glory Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory Yea God would have us so far from doing any action for vain-glory that he would not have us so much as desirous of it Gal. 5.26 Let us not be desirous of vain-glory 2. With what mean Habitations were our fore-fathers contented Jacob who was a great man a Prince in the estimation of the Angel that wrastled with him Gen. 32.28 contented himself to dwell in a tent which was both a mean and a moveable habitation Gen. 25.27 Jacob was a plain man dwelling in tents so did his Father Abraham Heb. 11.9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as in a strange Countrey dwelling in Tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob heirs with him of the same promise Yet Abraham was a great man he was the heir of the world Rom. 4.13 and the father of all the faithful ver 11 16. 3. If that which is expended by many persons in superfluous and needless adorning of their houses were given to the poor how much good might they do would it not be much to their comfort at the day of judgment wherein they must give an account for all their talents how they have used them and what improvement they have made of them 8. It is of much concernment to you whilest you are about this work of Building or when you are about any other work of moment to give good heed to the Word of God for thereby you will be helped much to carry on your undertakings successively When you faint and are discouraged Gods Word will put strength into you when you are under doubts that will resolve you when you turn aside to the right hand or to the left Gods Word will restore your souls and lead you in paths of righteousness it is of great use in these and divers other resnects to help you to carry on your civil employments successfully Deut. 29.9 Keep the words of this covenant and do them that ye may prosper in all that ye do That is a remarkable passage which you have Ezra 6.14 The elders of the Jews builded and they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai the Prophet and Zechariah the Son of Iddo and they builded and finished it according to the Commandment of the God of Israel The preaching of the word by these two servants of God was a means of carrying on this work of building Jerusalem successfully When God sent forth Joshua about a great work he gave him a special charge to take heed to his word and to read and meditate therein night and day which would be a sure way to be successful Joshua 1.8 This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then thou shalt have
new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby Meditation on the word built up David wonderfully in knowledge Psal 119.99 I have more under standing then all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation The Apostle Paul recommends meditation on Gods word to Timothy as an excellent means to promote his growth in grace 1 Tim. 4.15 Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all So also when he took his leave of the Elders of the Church of Ephesus he commends them to the word of the Lord as the means whereby they might be built up in that grace which they had already received Acts 20.32 And now brethren I commend you to God and to the the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them that are sanctified I might have added in the tenth place After God hath prospered you in this work of building and you have finished your houses dedicate them to God It was a custom among the Jews after they had built a new house to dedicate it unto the Lord as you may see Deut. 20.5 but of this I shall have occasion to speak afterward Quest 3. Sect. 7. p. 313. where I shall shew how we should dedicate our Houses to God and therefore I shall adde no more upon this Question but proceed to the third QUEST 3. What shall they render to the Lord for his Mercy whose Houses and Goods were preserved from being consumed by the late Dreadful Fire BEfore I answer this Question I shall premise five or six things 1. It was Gods Providence not your own prudence or diligence or any other act of yours that preserved you from sustaining any loss or damage by the late Fire Psal 16.5 Thou maintainest my lot Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth to the Lord. Psal 40.17 Thou art my help and my deliverer When ever a righteous man is delivered from any trouble his deliverance proceedeth from the Lord Psal 34.17 The righteous cry and the Lord heareth and delivereth them out of all their troubles As God ordereth the rain where it shall fall and where it shall not fall Amos 4.7 I caused it to rain upon one City and caused it not to rain upon another so it is he also that ordered this Fire what City and what Houses and Goods it should consume and what it should not consume The Fire the Winds and all other Creatures do nothing but at Gods appointment Psal 148.7,8 Praise ye the Lord from the earth ye Dragons and all deeps fire and hail snow and vapour stormy wind fullfilling his word The fire and the wind are ruled by God they spare those whom God appoints them to spare they afflict those whom God appoints them to afflict they do nothing but by commission from God The same God that sets the bounds of the Sea and saith Hitherto shalt thou come and no farther and here shall thy proud waves be stayed Job 38.11 did set bounds to this raging Fire and appointed how far it should proceed and where its flames should be stayed wherefore such as were preserved from suffering damage by this Fire must not ascribe their safety partly to Gods Providence and partly to themselves but must give all the glory to God and say as David did of his deliverances Psal 4.8 Thou Lord only makest me to dwell in safety Psal 62.2 He only is my rock and my salvation 2. We ought to look upon it as a great mercy to be spared from Gods judgments Neh. 13.22 Spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed especially we should account it a great mercy to be spared from Gods judgments in a time of common calamity when multitudes as good or better than we are have been great sufferers When Lot escaped with his life out of Sodom though he sustained some loss by the burning of that City yet he looked upon it as an exceeding great mercy that his life was preserved Gen. 19.19 Be hold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life 3. When the Lord hath given us any remarkable deliverance or bestowed any other signal mercy upon us it should put us upon enquiring what return we should make unto God for his benefits When David had received a great deliverance he maketh enquiry what he should render to God for so great a mercy Psal 116.12 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me This is needful because God expects that when he hath done great things for us we should be returning something to him Isa 5.1,2 My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill and he fenced it and he looked that it should bring forth grapes Luke 17.17,18 Jesus answering said Were there not ten cleansed but where are the nine There are not found that returned to give glory to God save this stranger Where we may observe 1. The Lord Jesus expects that when we have received any eminent favour from him we should return something for what we receive else why did he ask Where are the nine 2. The Lord takes notice who they are that do and who they are that do not return according to the mercies that they receive from God The Samaritan returned to give glory to God the others did not 3. There are very few scarce one in ten that make a return according to the mercies that they receive There were ten cleansed and only one returns to give glory to God 4. When any man faileth to return according to the benefits which he hath received though he be a good man God is much displeased at it 2 Chron. 32.25 But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem God had in a wonderful manner delivered Hezekiah from death and though he was a good man so eminently good that he excelled all the Kings that lived before him and came after him according to what we finde 2 Kings 18.5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Judah nor any that were before him Yet this good man Hezekiah failed to reader again according to the benefit done unto him and what followed thereupon wrath came upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem for this very thing 5. It is not every return will answer Gods expectation but there must be some suitableness some proportion between the mercies that we receive from God and the returns that we make to God Hezekiah was not wholly wanting in making return to God for he praised God for recovering him from his sickness Isa 38.19 The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this
of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Object I have cryed unto God and hung upon and pleaded his Promises for his strength and still I remain in a weak helpless condition Answ Though it be so yet cry still to the Lord Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord. Psal 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore And wait patiently upon him and in due time he will strengthen you Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint 4. Keep in Gods wayes when we go out of Gods wayes we cause God to withdraw himself and when God withdraws our strength departs from us as it was with Sampson when his God departed from him his strength departed also Judg. 16.19 His strength went from him How came he to lose his strength by losing the presence of God ver 20. I will go out as at other times and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him so it is with Christians when they lose their God they lose their strength But by keeping in Gods wayes they shall keep God with them and increase their strength That this is the way to get Gods strength to keep in Gods ways you may see Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the wayes of them Job 17.19 5. Get your interest in God made out to your souls The knowing of God to be our God conveyeth great strength into our souls and will support us in our greatest troubles What Solomon saith of knowledge Prov. 24.5 A wise man is strong a man of knowledge encreaseth strength is eminently true of this knowledge that God is our God for the more clearly we know God to be our God the more we shall encrease in strength Isa 49.5 My God shall be my strength 1 Sam. 30.6 David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God The knowledg of our interest in God filleth our hearts with joy Luk. 1.47 My spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and joy strengthens the soul Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Wherefore grow in acquaintance with God if you will grow in strength to suffer the will of God cheerfully Col. 1.10,11 Increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness especially labour to grow in the knowledg of your interest in God 6. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in your souls the Word of God abiding in you will be a great means to strengthen you 1 Joh. 2.14 Ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one The efficacy and power of the Word of God is wonderful By speaking of a word God created the whole world Psal 33.6,9 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast By his Word he governs and upholdeth all his creatures Heb. 1.3 Vpholding all things by the Word of his Power Is there such power in the Word as to uphold all things and dost thou doubt whether it be able to uphold thy soul If a mans heart be broken in pieces and melted with grief the Word of God will heal and strengthen him and settle him in a comfortable condition Psal 107.20 He sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions Psal 119.28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy Word 7. If you would be strong in the Lord put on the whole armour of God Ephes 6.10,11 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might But some may say How shall we be strong in the Lord the next words shews this Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil No part of the armour of God must be neglected if we would be strong in the Lord. What this armour of God is the Apostle sheweth from the 14 th ver to the 18 th 4. If we would be prepared to undergo all afflictions cheerfully we must labour to get our sins pardoned and get our pardon evidenced and keep clear our evidences of our justified estate Sense of guilt bows down the soul and weakens our strength and renders us unfit for a suffering condition Psal 31.10 My strength faileth because of mine iniquity Such of the Jews as were under the sense of unpardoned guilt were ready to faint under their afflictions when they were carried captive into Babylon Lam. 3.18,19 I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwoed and the gall And if you would know what made their cup so bitter that they fainted under it you may see ver 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned But when our sins are pardoned that will help us to bear afflictions cheerfully Isa 33.24 The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Matth. 9.2 They brought unto him a man sick of the Palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Sickness is a great affliction and this man was so sick that he kept his bed yet Christ bids him be of good cheer because his sins were forgiven him before he speaks one word of removing his sickness A man that is in a justified estate may triumph and glory in his greatest troubles Rom. 5.1,3 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And not only so but we glory in tribulations also 5. If we would be prepared for a suffering condition we must acquaint our selves with and cleave and adhere to the death and sufferings of Christ and labour to understand and get an interest in the imputed righteousness of Christ Christs righteousness is one of the main Pillars our Souls have to lean upon for our support under all our troubles Isa 41.10 I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Our chiefest strength lyeth in our right hand