Lord spake And Aaron held his peace Aaron's tryal was exceeding great His two eldest sons were consumed by fire from the Lord when they were in the act of sin this judgment was so great that all Israel are commanded to bewail the burning ver 6. yet Aaron who was most nearly concerned in the affliction held his peace and what caused him to do so Moses put him in remembrance of the Word of God This is that the Lord spake see also Job 6.25 How forcible are right words Now all Gods words are right Psal 33.4 The Word of the Lord is right Prov. 8.8,9 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness They are all right to them that find knowledg And therefore they are of great force to quiet and comfort such as are in affliction Psal 107.20 He sent his Word and healed them Though a man be ready to die with sorrow and grief under his troubles the Word of God will revive him for they of whom the Psalmist speaks when he saith He sent his Word and healed them were such as were ready to die with their troubles as you may see Vers 18. Gods Word will make the stoutest heart yield bow to Gods will Jer. 23.28,29 He that hath my Word let him speak my Word faithfully What is the chaffe to the wheat saith the Lord Is not my Word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces 1 Thess 4.18 Comfort one another with these words No words have such force to comfort the afflicted as what are drawn out of the Scriptures Wherefore I have endeavoured to confirm what I have proposed in answer to these questions with suitable and pertinent Texts of Scripture These Propositions being premised I shall now answer the first question and shall divide my Answer into three branches 1. I shall propose some considerations that may tend to the quieting of their minds who have sustained great loss by this fire 2. I shall propose some things by way of practice to help the afflicted to bear their afflictions contentedly 3. I shall endeavour to remove those pleas and reasonings that hinder those that have been sufferers by this fire from setting down contented under their affliction Considerations to quiet the minds of those that have been great sufferers by the late fire SECT 1. 1. Consider who it is that hath consumed your Houses and taken away your Estates It is God hath done this thing Whoever were the instruments of beginning or promoting and carrying on this dreadful fire that hath destroyed so many goodly buildings and so much treasure you must look beyond all instruments at the hand of the Lord. There is no evil befalleth any City or any family or any particular person but it is the Lord which sends that judgment of what nature soever it be Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it There is nothing comes to pass at any time in any part of the world but it is brought about by the Providence of God Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things A Sparrow is a bird of small value yet not one Sparrow falls to the ground without the concurrence of Gods Providence Matth. 10.29 Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father If not one Sparrow suffereth any thing but by the Providence of God then surely there is a Providence that ordereth all the sufferings of every man who is of more value than many Sparrows There is no loss more inconsiderable than to lose an hair of our heads hundreds of our hairs may be taken away and we regard it not but God is so careful of our persons and of all our concernments that he numbreth every hair of our heads and there doth not fall off one hairat any time but by his appointment Matth. 10.30 The very hairs of your head are all numbred And as to this judgment of Fire we finde it oft asserted in the Scriptures that when Cities or other places are set on fire it is the Lord which kindleth those fires and ordereth all circumstances belonging to them It is the Lord that appointeth the place where the fire shall begin and how far it shall proceed and what houses shall be burnt down by it Amos 2.5 I will send a fire upon Judah and it shall devour the Palaces of Jerusalem Jer. 50.32 I will kindle a fire in his Cities and it shall devour all round about him When a fire rageth with that vehemence that none can quench it it is God which rendereth it unquenchable Jer. 17.27 If ye will not hearken unto 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 When any men do set a City on fire it is God giveth up that City into their hands and causeth their enterprizes to take effect Jer. 32.28,29 I will give this City into the hands of the Caldeans And the Caldeans shall come and set fire on this City Now the considering and believing that it is God which hath taken away your Houses and Estates by this Fire will silence all murmurings and repinings and cause you to bear your losses and crosses with a contented minde Psal 39.9 I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it VVhen Job had lost all that he had in one day by looking at Gods hand in his losses he bore them very cheerfully Job 1.21 The Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord And yet Job lost a very great Estate for he was the richest man in the East Job 1.3 He did not only lose his Estate but all his Children were cut off also ver 19. and that whilst they were eating and drinking wine in their Elder Brothers house ver 18. at which meetings Job was afraid lest his Sons should sin and curse God in their hearts v. 5. which made the affliction the more heavy Now to make this Argument the more effectual towards the producing of contentment consider who this God is that hath taken away your Estates from you by this Fire 1. It is that God that gave you all the good things that ever you did enjoy 1 Chron. 29.12,14 Both riches and honor come of thee All things come of thee James 1.17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights Deut. 8.17,18 Moses biddeth Israel beware of saying in their hearts My power and the might of my hand hath gotten me this wealth but thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth This quieted Jobs minde when he considered that the same God who took away his Estate and his
such as be in misery and do all the good they can for them 307 to 310 Lending is a duty as well as giving 308 Sect. 6. They must not deal injuriously or cruelly with those that are suffererers 310 to 313 Sect. 7. They whose Houses have been spared should dedicate their houses unto God 313 314 How we should dedicate our Houses to God answered 5 wayes 314 to 318 Who are Gods guests and friends that we must entertain in our houses answered 317 318 Sect. 8. God is to be honoured with our substance 318 How to glorifie God with our Estates answered 3 wayes 318 319 How to know whom we should relieve when we have many objects of charity before us and are not able to relieve all answered 5 wayes 320 321 Sect. 9. We must render our selves to God 323 Three Arguments to perswade us to give our bodies and souls unto God 326 327 Sect. 10. The sacrifice of righteousness is to be rendered unto God 328 Sect. 11. They that have escaped this Fire should trust in God for deliverance from other troubles and also for spiritual blessings 329 Four sorts of spiritual blessings for which temporal deliverances should encourage us to trust in God 330 331 332 Two grounds why temporal deliverances should cause us to trust in God for spiritual mercies 333 Sect. 12. All men should prepare for all sorts of Afflictions 334 Six Reasons why all men had need to be prepared for all sorts of afflictions 334 to 339 What we should do that we may stand prepared for all sorts of afflictions answered in 12 particulars 339 to 360 What we should do to get Gods strength to carry us through the troubles of this world answered 7 wayes 345 to 351 Six sorts of promises very useful for them that are in affliction 360 to 363 Sect. 13. Such as have escaped this Fire should so demean themselves towards God as that he may continue to protect their persons and substance 363 What we should do that we may have Gods protection continued answered 5 wayes 363 to 365 Four Arguments to encourage us to depend upon God for the preservation of our persons substance and habitation 365 to 368 Sect. 14. We should seek unto God that there may be no more such dreadful Fires 368 What we should do that there may be no more such dreadful Fires answered 369 to 371 ERRATA PAge 3. l. ult dele all p. 32. l. 15. put in we p. 47. l. 29. r. immoderately p. 53. l. 1. dele may p. 67. l. 3. r. Hananiah p. 71. l. 2. r. your p. 81. l. 1. put out man l. 22. r. defined p. 88. l. 21. r. fareth p. 92. l. 16. put out better p. 93 l. 13. after servants put in of God p. 101. l. 2. r. minister p. 103. l. 14. r. is p. 104. l. ult r. still p. 106. l. 17. r. what l. 20. r. God p. 119. l. 18. put in the. l. 28. r. had been p. 122. l. 10. r. among men p. 131. l. 16. r. affliction p. 140. l. 19. r. servile p. 143. l. 16. r. subsistance p. 144. l. 4. r. alway p. 153. l. 26. after of put out this p. 157. l. 15. for his r. their p. 160. l. 16. r. slothful p. 179. l. 20. for but r. yet p. 188. l. 13. for so prov r. see prove p. 192. l. 15. r. endured p. 196. l. 22. for they r. the. p. 207. l 9. r. Lord. p. 221. l. 21. r. the Lord. p. 251. l. 29. r. clean p. 252. l. ult put in and. p. 266. l. 31. r. lot p. 277. l. 22. put in as p. 303. l. 10. put out not p. 284. l. 27. put in after if it be p. 309. l. 8. for wages r. wayes p. 366. l. 9. r. him p. 371. l. 32. after upon r. us p. 372. l. 9. put in him p. 313. l. 28. r. tear p. 325. l. 14. for above r. alive p. 350. l. 6. r. interest p. 352. l. 34. put in him p. 356. l. 12. for him r. a man Instruction and Consolation FOR Such as have suffered Loss by FIRE WITH Advice to such as have Escaped that sore Judgment Held forth in the Resolution of three Questions QUEST 1. How may such Persons as have sustained great Losses by the late Fire bear their Affliction with a contented and a cheerful spirit BEfore I give an Answer to this Question I shall premise these following Propositions 1. It is the will of God that we should bear all our losses and all other afflictions with a patient contented mind He would not have us murmur or repine at any of his dealings but in every thing and under every state and condition submit our wills unto his That this is the will of God may appear evidently from such Scriptures as these Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as ye have Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Jam. 4.7 Submit your selves to God Luk. 22.42 Not my will but thine be done Jam. 5.8 Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh yea the Lord would not only have us patient but cheerful under all our sufferings Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations 2. It is not only our duty but our interest it conduceth much to our good and welfare to bear our afflictions with a peaceable contented cheerful spirit Eliphaz perswades Job to bear his afflictions quietly with this argument that it was for his good so to do Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Whatever God hath commanded us tends to our good as well as his glory Deut. 10.13 Keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good If all the Commandements of God be for our good then this command of being contented in every estate must needs be for our good When we are contented in our sufferings the soul is at rest though the outward man be full of trouble Matth. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls Whatever the Father laid upon Christ he bore it with a meek and quiet spirit and submitted his will to the will of his Father if we follow this example of his we shall doubtless find rest to our souls The man that hath learnt how to be content in every estate liveth a kind of Heaven upon Earth Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven If you would know how the Apostle came to enjoy as it were a heaven while he was in this world you may see that Chap. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content 3. A man under the power of a froward discontented spirit
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
where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me 2. If by this Providence you are brought to want and are pinched with hunger let this affliction put you upon renewing your repentance and cause you to cry mightily to the Lord and he will save you from your distressed condition Psal 107.4,5,6 They wandered in the Wilderness hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses Though you are now under great scarcity yet if your scarcity put you upon renewing your repentance the Lord will turn your scarcity into plenty Elihu speaking of such as are in affliction and having shewn how God commandeth them to return from iniquity telleth us what God will do for such as at the command of God do return from their sins Job 36.11,16 If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures Even so would he have removed thee out of a strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy Table should be full of fatness When the Prodigal Son began to be in want his want brought his sins to remembrance and put him upon returning home to his Father and when he came to his Father and confessed his sins to his Father though he would have been glad of such husks as Swine eat and could not get them he was no sooner returned to his Father but he kills the fatted Calf and calls for thebest Robe and a Ring and makes very rich and bountiful provision for him 3. When your children come about you and cry for bread and you have it not to give them remember that their cries do not only pierce your hearts but enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath When the water in Hagar's bottle was spent and the child cryed and she knew not where to have any more but thought that the child must needs perish and therefore cast the child under a shrub because she could not tell how to see the death of the child God heard the cry of the child and sent her relief Gen. 21.15,16,17,19 The water was spent in the bottle and she cast the child under one of the shrubs and she went and sat her down over against him a good way off as it were a Bow shot for she said Let me not see the death of the child and she sat over against him and lift up her voyce and wept And God heard the voyce of the Lad and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of Heaven and said unto her What aileth thee Hagar fear not for God hath heard the voyce of the Lad where he is and God opened her eyes and she saw a Well of water When the young ravens wander up and down seeking meat and can find none and cry unto God he heareth them Job 38.41 Who provideth for the Ravens his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat Psal 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Doth God hear the voyce of the young Ravens when they cry and provide them food and do you think that he will not hear the cryes of your young children and provide them food 4. Though you begin to be in want and both your selves and families are now and then pinched with hunger yet trust still in God that he will provide for you and yours such food as he seeth to be convenient for you Our faith must not flag or fail when we meet with sharp trials you know what Job saith Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him If your hunger and scarcity should be such as that you should think God intended to slay you with hunger yet you must trust in him I will give a few encouragements to such as are under fear or in danger of being famished with hunger to trust in God to relieve them 1. Your bodies are members of Christs Body 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ and temples of the Holy Ghost Vers 19. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you And do you think that God will be unmindful of his Sons members and of the Temple of the Holy Ghost The afflictions of the Saints are said to be the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.23 That which afflicts them is an affliction to him Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted Their hunger and thirst may in some sense be said to be his hunger and thirst Matth. 25.35 I was an bungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink 2. Consider what promises God hath made to preserve his people from being famished and to give them plenty of all such things as are good for them Prov. 10.3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the reghteous to be famisked Joel 2.26 Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God Psal 33.18,19 Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal 136.15 I will abundantly bless aer provision I will satisfie her poor with bread When there was such a great scarcity among the Jews that they could not see which way they should be supplyed with provision Joel 1.16 Is not the meat cut off before your eyes yet even then God promiseth his servants such plenty as should satisfie them Chap. 2.26 Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wonderfully with you and my people shall never be ashamed Another promise you have Isa 41.17,18 When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear thens I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and the dry Land Springs of water Here God promiseth that when his Servants are destitute of necessary provision and are in such straits as they are ready to perish he will send them in unexpected supplies he will alter the very course of Nature rather than they shall perish He will make the Wilderness a Pool of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water Though this promise be not to be restrained to temporal things but includeth also many spiritual blessings yet it may very safely and properly be applyed by such as are in great straits and ready to perish for want of provision for their outward man Let me add this farther That God is mindful of
abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust in the covert of thy wings Psal 4.5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. God was much displeased with the Israelites when they did not trust in him notwithstanding he had done great things for them Psal 78.21,22,23,24 Anger came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven and had rained down Manna upon them to eat see also ver 32 33. For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wonderous works therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble We render that which is very pleasing and acceptable to God when we put our trust in him for The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 If you ask For what should great and remarkable deliverances cause a man to trust in God I answer 1. When a man hath had any remarkable deliverance out of any trouble it should encourage him to trust in God under all his straits and troubles that come upon him all the dayes of his life Psal 18.50 Great deliverance giveth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his anointed to David and to his seed for evermore This Psalm was penned upon the occasion of that deliverance which God gave David out of the hands of Saul as you may see in the title of the Psalm and from this deliverance he concludeth that God would deliver him for ever Psal 6.9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my Prayer see the fore-quoted Scriptures 1 Sam. 17.37 2 Cor. 1.10 But some may say How can this be That deliverance from one trouble or calamity should cause us to trust in God for deliverance from another when as we see they that escape one judgment are cut off or suffer deeply by another I answer 1. When God cuts off and destroys those whom he hath formerly delivered it is usually such as distrust him and turn away from him Jude 5. The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that believed not Josh 24.20 If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he hath done you good 2. When God brings his servants who trust in him into new troubles their faith is not vain but brings down a great blessing for when they are not delivered from troubles they are delivered in trouble and are kept from the evil of trouble that it doth not hurt them and this is a great deliverance Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee 2. Deliverance from temporal evils should encourage the servants of God to trust in the Lord for deliverance from spiritual evils and the bestowing upon them spiritual blessings As for instance 1. When they have had deliverance out of trouble they should conclude that God will also deliver them from all their sins and preserve them in a state of grace till he hath brought them to himself in glory Thus Paul concludes from his deliverance that he had from Nero that God would deliver him from every evil work 2 Tim. 4.17,18 I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom 2. The servants of God that have escaped great calamities and been delivered from great dangers should trust in God for a broken heart to mourn for their sins for God promiseth this mercy to such as escape great judgments Ezek. 7.16 They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. When the servants of God escape out of great troubles it should cause them to trust in God to deliver them from the deceit of their own hearts and to direct the work of faith and repentance in truth in their souls Isa 10.20,21 The remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the House of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in truth the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God This remnant unto whom God promiseth faith and repentance in truth are such as should escape the great calamities that were coming on the Jews as you may see ver 21 22. 4. When the servants of God have received any eminent deliverances they should be encouraged thereby to trust in God for power and strength to walk before God in holiness and righteousness as long as they live Psal 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living If any say What grounds have the servants of God to take encouragement from temporal deliverances to trust in God for all spiritual blessings Amongst others that may be named I will mention these two 1. Redemption from outward troubles is given to the servants of God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace as well as spiritual blessings Psal 111.9 He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever Psal 106.44,45 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant Now when we finde God remembring his Covenant in one kinde it may encourage us to trust in God for all the other blessings which are promised to us in Gods Covenant 2. Redemption from outward troubles is given to the servants of God from the same love of God that spiritual blessings are bestowed upon them Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Isa 38.17 Behold for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption Psal 18.19 He brought me forth into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me Now even outward deliverances being tokens of Gods love to his Servants they may thereby be encouraged to trust in God for spiritual blessings Psal 36.6,7,8 There is much of Gods love seen in his preserving our persons and goods O Lord thou preservest man and beast how excellent is thy loving kindeness his loving kindness should cause us to trust in him therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings And this loving kindeness of God should cause us to trust in him not only for outward but also for spiritual blessings as appears from the eighth verse SECT 12. 12. Let this deliverance cause you to prepare
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
of evil Isa 4.5,6 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and upon her assemblies a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night for upon all the glory shall be a defence and there shall be a Tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain Prov. 12.7 The house of the righteous shall stand 4. The preservation which God hath promised to his people is not limited to this or that particular evil or to any period of time but it extendeth to all sorts of evils and to all times He hath promised to preserve them from all evils Psal 121. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil Psal 91.10 There shall no evil befal thee Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee And as this preservation is not limited in respect of evils so neither in respect of time he hath not promised to preserve them for a time and then give over his care of them but he hath promised them preservation all their dayes Psal 121.8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth and even for evermore Psal 125.2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever Isa 46.3,4 Hearken unto me O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly which are carried from the womb And even to your old age I am he and even to hoare haires will I carry you I have made and I will bear even I will carry and will deliver you If any say notwithstanding these promises of preservation we see the servants of God do oft-times fall into many troubles as well as other men how then can these promises be any encouragement to us to trust in God I answer 1. We must rely on the promises of God when his providence seemeth to run cross to his promise Rom. 4.18 Who against hope believed in hope according to that which was spoken Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him 2. When God doth not preserve his servants from trouble he doth them good by their troubles he fulfils that promise Psal 85.12 Yea the Lord shall give that which is good Now oft-times it is good for the people of God to fall into affliction Psal 119.71 Wherefore we may with much freedom and satisfaction commit our selves to God in our greatest dangers upon this account that he will make all our troubles work for our good when he doth not preserve us from trouble SECT 14. 14. Take heed to your selves and to your wayes that you do not provoke the Lord to send any more such mighty and dreadful Fires as this late Fire was What counsel our Lord Jesus gave the man that was made whole of his infirmity Joh. 5.14 Behold thou art made whole sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee the same may be seasonable to such as have escaped this late Fire sin no more lest a worse thing than what befel those that were sufferers by this Fire come unto you Pharaoh though he was exceedingly hardened in his sins yet when there had been great thunder and lightning was so affrighted at it that he calls to Moses and Aaron and desireth them to pray for him that there might be no more mighty thunderings and promiseth also to let Israel go which was the sin for which God contended with him Ex. 9.27,28 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said unto them I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Intreat the Lord for it is enough that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail and I will let you go and ye shall stay no longer If we be not more hardened than Pharaoh was this dreadful Fire should put us upon confessing our sins to God and reforming our lives and cause us to take heed that we do not provoke the Lord to send any more such mighty Fires amonst us If any say What should we do that we may not have any more such dreadful Fires break out amonst us I answer 1. If we would have no more such dreadful Fires we must make a good use of this Fire so as to be led to repentance by it for if we be not reformed by this Judgment we may well expect that God will follow us with more Judgments Lev. 26.21,23,24 If ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins And 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 sins How we should make a good use of this Fire is shewn at large in the second Question and although the directions given therein do chiefly respect such as have been sufferers by the said Fire there are several things hinted that may direct others also as well as the sufferers how to make a good use of this Judgment 2. We must seek unto God with prayers and tears that he would send no more such dreadful Fires When God contended with the Israelites by Fire by the Prayer of Amos this Judgment was removed Amos 7.4,5,6 Thus hath the Lord God shewed unto me and behold the Lord God called to contend by Fire and it devoured the great deep and did eat up a part Then said I O Lord God cease I beseech thee by whom shall Jacob arise for he is small The Lord repented for this This also shall not be saith the Lord God So also by the Prayer of Moses the Fire was stayed among the Israelites when God had kindled a great burning amongst them because of their murmurings Numb 11.1,2 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 And the people cryed unto Moses and when Moses prayed unto the Lord the fire was quenched Prayers and tears are very prevalent with God for preventing and removing of personal and national Judgments Joel 2.17,18 Let the Priests the Ministers of the Lord weep between the Porch and the Altar and let them say Spare thy people O Lord and give not thine heritage to reproach Then will the Lord be jealous for his land and pity his people When the sentence of death was passed upon Hezekiah by his prayers and his tears he prevailed with God to prolong his life for the space of fifteen years Isa 38.5 I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears behold I will adde unto thy dayes fifteen years 3. If we would have God cease
bereaveth himself of all good he hath no enjoyment of God no enjoyment of himself no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures He hath no enjoyment of God for They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord Prov. 11.20 Psal 18.26 With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward He hath no enjoyment of himself but is like a man dispossessed of his soul Luk. 21.19 In your patience possess ye your souls He hath no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures though he be one that hath great possessions Prov. 17.20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good He is in continual pain and anguish like a man that walks among thorns Prov. 22.5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them 4. It is a very hard matter to bear afflictions with a cheerful contented spirit When a man is crossed of his will his heart is ready to fret against the Lord even at such times as he brings afflictions upon himself by his own folly Prov. 19.3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. When God rebukes us and binds us in the cords of affliction we are apt to fret and fume like a wild Bull in a net Isa 51.20 Thy sons have fainted they lie at the head of all the streets as a wild Bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord the rebuke of thy God Nothing less than the mighty power of God will quell and keep down all the risings frettings and murmurings of the heart and make a man patient and cheerful in his afflictions Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness There is the power the glorious power of God the power of God put forth in a mighty manner to enable a Christian to suffer afflictions with patience and joy 5. No man that is destitute of the grace of God can bear afflictions with a contented spirit There may be stupidity and insensibleness of Gods hand and there may be a restraining of murmurings in some natural men but true contentment is found only in godly persons 1 Tim. 6.8 Godliness with contentment is great gain As for unregenerate men when God doth not lay a restraint upon them they do not only fret inwardly against God but break out into open blasphemy when they meet with great and painful afflictions Isa 8.21 They shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward Rev. 16.10,11 They gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds 6. The Saints and Servants of God have found it an hard matter to bear their losses with a quiet contented spirit when God hath taken away from them those things which have been near and dear to them When Jacob did but suppose that he had lost his son Joseph he was over-whelmed with grief Gen. 37.34,35 Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days and all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said for I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning thus his father wept for him When God took away Absolom how was David cast down at his death 2 Sam. 18.33 The King was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my son Absolom my son my son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my son my son Jonah was a man that feared God a Type of Christ no ordinary man but a Prophet yet what abundance of discontent did he manifest for the loss of a gourd because it was a refreshment to him by keeping him from the heat of the Sun He fell into a great passion fainted was weary of his life wished that he might die and when God reasoned with him about his froward carriage he stands upon his justification Jonah 4.8,9 He fainted and wished in himself to die and said It is better for me to die than to live And God said to Jonah Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd And he said I do well to be angry even unto death Yet this gourd came up in a night and perished in a night and Jonah had not laboured at all for it neither did Jonah but God made it to grow Vers 10. When we find such a man as Jonah in such a great passion for such a small loss as a gourd which grew up and perished in a night and a day we may cry out Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him And if we are kept from fretting and discontent at our losses we must give glory to God and say as the Apostle in another case Not I but the grace of God which is with me keeps me from being discontented at my losses 7. Though it be hard to attain a cheerful contented spirit in all estates and conditions yet it is possible to be attained The Apostle Paul went through variety of afflictions as hunger thirst nakedness shipwrack imprisonment beating with rods stripes above measure cold watchings c. 2 Corinth 11.23,24,25,26,27 yet he had learned to be content in every estate Phil. 4.11,13 I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me And as he was contented so also cheerful and joyful in all his troubles 2 Cor. 7.4 I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation Now what the Apostle Paul attained to in this kind that through the help of Christ we may attain also 8. A word of counsel and advice suitably and seasonably administred to such as are in a suffering condition availeth much for the quieting comforting and supporting of their spirits under their greatest afflictions and deepest sorrows Prov. 12.25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad Prov. 27.9 Oyntment and perfume rejoyce the heart so doth the sweetness of a mans friend by hearty counsel Job 4.3,4 Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees Prov. 15.23 A word spoken in due season how good is it 9. No arguments or other means that are made use of either in preaching writing or private conference have such force and power to quiet support and comfort the hearts of those that faint and are disquieted and cast down under their afflictions as those that are drawn from and bottomed upon the Word of God Lev. 10.3 Moses said unto Aaron this is it that the