diffioulties to us have no difficulty at all in the account of God Zech. 8.6 If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes should it also be marvellows in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 55.8,9 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts 2. When you are at that pass that you know not what to do as God knows what to do for you so he is able to help and deliver you his Power is equal to his Wisdom Gen. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord Luke 1.37 With God nothing shall be unpossible Even such things as men judge impossible and what they do not only judge so but those things which are real impossibilities to men are possible with God Luke 18.27 The things which are unpossible with mien are possible with God When the difficulty of your case discourageth you from believing consider what a great and hard work it was to make the heavens and the earth and then you will conclnde that nothing can be too hard for God Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing too hard for thee Suppose there was no way extant whereby you can be delivered out of your troubles God can make away for you to escape he can create deliverance 1 Com. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye ars able but will with the temptation also make a way to efcape that ye may be able to bear it Isa 4.5 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and upon hen assemblies a cloud and smoke by days and the shining of a flaming fire by nights for upon all the glory shall be a defence 3. The Lord is not only able to help you out of great straits but he bath promised that when you are in such distress that you know not what to do if you call upon him and trust in him he will deliver you Psal 25.15 Mins eyes and ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net When Davids feet were entangled in a net that he knew not which way to winde and turn himself he eyes and rests upon Gods promise He shall pluck my feet out of the net Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me They day of trouble taketh in the grearest as well as lesses troubles and the Hebrew word that is used in this place for trouble is the same that is used Daniel 12.2 where the Prophet speaketh of such a time of trouble as never was since the Creation so that the promise implyes thus much when it is a day of trouble with you though your pressures and troubles be such as never any person or people met with greater since the creation of the world if you call upon God be will deliver you Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee The Hebrew word for trouble here is the same with what was mentioned before and is sometimes translated a strait 2 Sam. 34.14 I am in a great strait So that the promise implies thus much that when we are in straits in great straits in many straits God will deliver us and bring us out of them all Psalm 71.20 Thou which hast shewen me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth 4. Though you be in such straits that you know not what to do yet trust in God for your help doth not stand in your own wisdom or in your own strength but in the Lord Psal 124.8 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Your deliverance from trouble doth not come partly from God and partly from your selves but from God only Psal 62.6 He only is my rock and my salvation he is my dofence I shall not be moved When all help faileth he will be a very present help in trouble Psal 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Now seeing your help standeth only in the name of the Lord though your wisdom and your ability to help your selves faileth you this should not hinder you from trusting in God to help you 5. Consider what God hath done for others in their straits when they cried unto God he helped them though their troubles were such as that their souls melted under them and they have been at their wits end Psal 107.26,27,28 They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble they are at their wits end Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distress Psal 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles David was delivered out of a great strait when he penned this Psalm as you may see by the title compared with 1 Sam. 21.10,11,12,13 David gives us divers instances of Gods delivering him out of very great straits such as to an eye of fence seemed inextricable and invincible Psal 18.29 By thee I have run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall Psal 40.2 He brought me up out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay And he telleth us that it was the will of God that those deliverances which God had given him should encourage others to trust in the Lord Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord ver 3. 6. The Holy Ghost recommendeth it to us as that which is very good and profitable for us and very acceptable and pleasing to God that we should trust and hope in God in our greatest straits Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. This was spoken to those who were in great distress and saw no way how they should get out of their troubles ver 7. 9. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chain heavy he hath enclosed my wayes with hewen stone he hath made my paths crooked Hereupon they were ready to despair of deliverance and to say ver 18. My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Yet to them the Holy Ghost saith It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And as it is good for us so also it is pleasing to God that we should hope in him under our greatest troubles Psal 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy If any say I have brought
low for their iniquities Isa 42.24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned Jer. 15.13 Thy Substance and thy Treasure will I give to the spoil without price and that for all thy sins even in all thy borders Now the sins for which God is wont to take away our Estates and bring us low and to send poverty are such as these 1. Unthankfulness for what God hath given us and instead of honouring God with our Substance abusing it to the dishonour of God Hos 2.8,9 She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they prepared for Baal Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedness Two sins are here mentioned as the ground why God would take away not only what was for delight and ornament as Wine Oyl Gold Silver c. but what was necessary to their substance as Corn and Wool and Flax to cover their nakedness the one was they did not know that is take notice of and acknowledge that it was God gave them their food and rayment and riches and so consequently did not give God thanks for them the other was they served their lusts they prepared that for their Idols which God gave them for his own service 2. Pride When men grow proud of their riches God oft-times takes them away Prov. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low 3. Neglect of works of mercy Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty 4. Making over-much hast to be rich Prov. 28.22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil Eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him 5. Not heeding the Commandments of God Deut. 28.15,33,43,44 If thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandements all these Curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed away The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high and thou shalt come down 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 6. Not serving God cheerfully for the abundance of all those good things which the Lord hath given us causeth him to take them away and to bring us into straits Deut. 28.47,48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine Enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things 7. Rejoycing at the ruine and sufferings of others He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished Prov. 17.5 and the punishment which God sometimes sends on such persons is the spoiling of their Goods and loss of their Estates Ezek. 26.2,12 Because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem Aha She is broken that was the Gates of the People They shall make a spoil of thy Riches and make a spoil of thy Merchandise and they shall break down thy Walls and destroy thy pleasant Houses Following of vain persons Prov. 28.19 He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough 9. Gluttony and Drunkenness Prov. 23.21 The Drunkard and Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall cloath a man with rags 10. Refusing instruction Prov. 13.18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth Instruction 11. Oppressing the Poor and giving of bribes to the Rich Prov. 22.16 He that oppresseth the Poor to increase his Riches and he that giveth to the Rich shall surely come to want Thus by observing out of the Word of God for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this judgment of Fire and for what sins God hath impoverished others and then considering how far you have been guilty of any of those sins you may find out for what sins you have suffered loss in your Estates by the late Fire 4. Consider for what sins God did oftenest rebuke you either by his Word or Spirit or Providences before this affliction came upon you and if those sins were not reformed for which you have been often rebuked then it is probable that they are the sins for which God sent this affliction Deut. 8.5 Thou shalt consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Now Parents first admonish and reprove their Children and if reproofs will not make their Children reform then they take the rod and correct them When you have found out the sin for which God is correcting you you must confess it to God and humble your souls for it and apply your selves to Christ for the pardon of it and beg grace from God to help you to leave and forsake it and this leadeth me to the next head SECT 5. 5. Look upon this affliction as a loud call from God to repent of and turn from all your transgressions and therefore let this judgment awaken you to set upon a speedy zealous and unfeigned exercise and practise of the duty of Repentance for this is one main thing that God aims at when he sends his judgments upon us the stirring of us up to a present and zealous and incere repentance Ezek. 18.30 I will judge you O House of Israel every one according to his wayes saith the Lord God repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent When the Lord contended with the Jews by the Sword and by Fire his design in these judgments was to bring them to a speedy and sincere repentance Joel 2.3,12 A Fire devoureth before them and behind them a Flame burneth the Land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate Wilderness yea and nothing shall escape them Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God When the Cities of Judah were burnt with fire Isa 1.7 the design of God was to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of burning Isa 4.4 If therefore you would answer Gods design in this Fire let this burning put you upon cleanling of your selves from all filthiness both of the flesh and of the spirit God sets a brand upon such persons for notorious sinners who are not led to repentance by such an awakening judgment as fire Amos 4.11 I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom
well as for those that are endued with greatest discretion 3. There is a special Providence of God which watcheth and taketh care of such as are simple and shiftless Psal 116.6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Who are more shiftless than strangers widows and fatherless children and we find that God taketh a special care of such as these Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow Were not the Disciples of Christ shiftless when they were sent forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves Matth. 10.16 and yet had neither money in their purses nor staves nor scrip Vers 9 10. but for all this they wanted nothing as you heard before from Luk. 22.35 4. Though you are friendless as well as shiftless let not this discourage you as long as you have a God in Heaven that taketh the care of you you are well enough though you have no friends on earth to look after you 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you When David was in distress and had no friend that took any care of him he stayed himself with this that he had a God that was his refuge who would not only give him Heaven when he died but also be his portion and take the care of him in the land of the living Psal 142.4,5 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living The fewer friends you have in the world and the less help and relief you are like to have from men the more you shall have from God for he is wont in an eminent manner to take care of such as are friendless and helpless Psal 27.10 When my Father and my Mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Jer. 30.17 I will restore health uno thee and I will heal thee of thy wounds saith the Lord because they called thee an out-cast saying this is Zion whom no man seeketh after Psal 10.14 The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless Object 3. But I can't work my age may one say my sickness and other infirmities may another say do disable me from working and how then shall I be able to live in these hard times when I can't work to get my living Answ 1. It is the will of God that as long as we have ability we should work for our living for by that way God is wont to supply our needs namely by industry and diligence in our imployments 1 Thess 4.11,12 That ye studdy to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you that ye may walk honestly towards them that are without that ye may have lack of nothing The promise of being fed runs on these tearms Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed 't is not said trust in the Lord and then though you live idly you shall be fed but do good and thou shalt be fed Idleness will bring a man to want Prov. 19.15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep and an idle soul shall suffer hunger 2. If you would work but cannot because you are disabled by age or sickness or some other infirmity this should not hinder you from trusting in God to maintain you For 1. When you can't work you can pray and if you pray God will stir up some or other to relieve you he will by his Providence send in a supply of your wants so that you need not fear want as long as you can pray Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 2. When you can't work God can and will work for you though God ceased from the works of Creation on the seventh day yet he still continueth to work for his people in the way of his Providence Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work 3. The Lillies cannot spin or do any other work yet the Lord sends upon them rain in due season whereby they are nourished and clotheth them in a very glorious manner Matth. 6.28,29,30 and why should you fear that God will not nourish and clothe you though you should be able to do no work What could you do when you lay in your Mothers womb and for some years after you were born into the world If the Lord provided for you when you could do no work for him or for your generation because of your infancy why should you distrust him for Provision when you are disabled from working by sickness or old age Object 4. But I begin to be in want already I that have lived plentifully heretofore have not now wherewithal to supply my personal and family necessities and it peirceth my heart to see my children orying about me and I have not wherewithal to relieve them Answ 1. If it be so that you are sometimes pinched with hunger yet remember 1. That better men than you are have been exercised with this tryall the Apostle Paul speaking of himself and the other Apostles saith 1 Cor. 4.11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and have no certain dwelling place Yea Jesus Christ himself was tryed with this affliction of hunger and when he was hungry he sought for relief from the trees of the field and was disappointed of his expectation Mar. 11.12,13 When they were come from Bethany he was hungry and seeing a Fig-tree a far of having leaves he came if haply he might find any thing thereon and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves At another time being weary and thirsty in his travel he asked a draught of water of a woman of Samaria and was denyed it Joh. 4.6 when he was upon the Cross full of pain and anguish which made him very thirsty when he cryed out to those that stood round about him I thirst No body gave him any thing to drink but Vinegar which encreased rather than mitigated his torment Joh. 19.28,29 Jeremiah one of the Lords Prophets was ready to die for hunger Jer. 38.9 They have cast Jeremiah into the Dungeon and he is like to die for hunger 2. This affliction of hunger as well as other afflictions is a fatherly chastisement and comes from fatherly love and is sent with a design to do us good Deut. 8.3,5,16 He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger Thou shalt consider is thine heart that as a man chastneth his son so the Lord thy God chastneth thee that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end 3. The grace of God will enable a man to suffer hunger or any other affliction contentedly Phil. 4.12,13 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every
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
beholding the things which were done smote upon their breasts and returned We read nothing of their returning to God till the Apostle Peter came and preached the word to them and then follows a great conversion unto the Lord 3000. are added unto the Church in one day Acts 2.41 Wherefore we should esteem it a great blessing and singular mercy to be taught and instructed by God when we are under his correcting hand according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law And we should readily open our ears to discipline by what wayes soever God shall be pleased to convey his minde to us God can and sometimes doth teach us immediately by his Spirit but most ordinarily he instructeth both those that are in affliction and others also in the use of means When the Apostle Paul was in great distress and at a loss to know the minde of Christ and cryed Lord What wilt thou have me to do he sent him to Ananias to be instructed what he should do Acts 9.6 God could have taught Cornelius by his Spirit or by the Angel that appeared to him but he chuseth rather to send him for instruction to one of his Ministers even to Peter who should tell him what he ought to do Acts 10.3.4.5,6 Amongst other means reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is one way whereby God seals up instruction to us Daniel was a man of singular wisdom full of the Holy Ghost greatly beloved of God yet he had not all his knowledge by immediate inspiration but much of it was given to him by the study of Books Dan. 9.2 I Daniel understood by Books At the request and for the use of some worthy Friends who were great sufferers by the late Fire I have drawn up an answer to three practical Questions concerning the said Fire the design whereof is to instruct and excite both such as escaped and such as suffered by this dreadful Fire to make an holy use and a Christian improvement of this sad and solemn Providence and also to quiet and comfort such as are troubled and cast down at the loss of their Estates The resolution of which Questions are here presented to thy view Possibly thou mayest have already something of the like nature from more able hands however if the Lord who worketh when and by whom he will shall be pleased by the reading of this small Treatise to convey the least beam of light or breath any quickning influence into thy Soul or to promote in any measure thy holiness or consolation it will be no grief of heart unto thee that thou wert at the cost to buy or at the pains to read it If thou sayest I am not concerned in this Judgment having been no sufferer by it nor any Inhabitant in the City where this Judgment fell and so consequently I am not concerned in the matter that is handled in these questions I answer 1. If thou art not a sufferer by this Fire yet art thou not under other sufferings If so there are several things hinted concerning this Affliction that may be of use to thee under thy Afflictions of what nature soever they be 2. If thou art not a sufferer by this or any other Judgment thou hast the more need to study what thou shalt render to the Lord for his great mercy in sparing thee when his hand lieth so heavy upon so many thousands at this day And then the third Question is of great concernment to thee 3. Though thou hast not suffered hitherto thou knowest not how soon thou mayest suffer by this very Judgment of Fire That passage in Isa 66.15,16 may awaken thee to prepare for fiery tryals Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwinde to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many And as it is our duty to hear for the time to come Isa 42.23 So it will be our prudence to read for time to come 4. Not only the places and persons that suffer by Gods Judgments but all that hear of them are concerned to make a good use of them When the Lord brought a sore Judgment upon Jerusalem he calls to all people in all Nations upon the face of the earth to take notice thereof and make a good use of it Jer. 4.18,19 Hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I will bring evil upon this people If any say this Treatise seemeth to be born out of due time it is now several months since London was burnt the impression of this Judgment begins now to wear off from mens spirits c. I answer 1. I hope better things of the greater part that suffered by this stroke of God then that they should so soon forget the hand that hath been lifted up against them but if it should be so that the impressions of this Judgment should be wearing off from many mens spirits there is the more need of using means to revive them again It is to be feared in regard poverty is coming upon many like an armed man and the sad effects of this Fire are and will be felt more and more by the poorer sort that discontent and trouble of minde will rather grow and encrease then wear off and therefore to such at least it will not be unseasonable to minister something by way of consolation though it be some months since they were brought into a suffering condition 2. Such great Judgments as this was are to be kept in remembrance and to be improved for the promoting of repentance and the fear of God all our dayes and not only as long as we live but the memory of them is to be conveyed to the Ages and Generations that are yet to come that they may learn to fear this God who hath done such great things amongst us When there was a mighty Famine in Judah the Lord gives Commandment that the memory thereof should be perpetuated to all Ages Joel 1.3,4 Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children and their children another generation That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten c. We think unworthily of Gods Judgments if we suppose they are to be regarded for a few dayes or for a few years only They are of larger use Judgments upon particular places and persons are admonitions to the whole world that hear of them as long as the world shall stand It is some thousands of years since Lots Wife was turned into a pillar of Salt yet this Judgment of God on a particular person must not be forgotten by us in this generation nor by others to the worlds end Luke 17.32 Remember Lots Wife It is generally computed to be above three thousand years
in a quiet frame and one great means whereby he quieted himself was by getting and keeping his affections weaned from worldly things Psal 131.2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his Mother my soul is even as a weaned child SECT 5. 5. Give up your selves to the doing of works of righteousness Do all the service that you are able for God and for your generation Abound alwayes in the work of the Lord and be ready as far as you have opportunity and ability to do all the good you can for all men hereby you shall obtain a quiet peaceable frame of spirit under all your troubles and afflictions Isa 32.17 The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever The Prophet had threatned great troubles and of many years continuance ver 9 10 11. and then tells them how they might retain quietness under all their troubles namely by working righteousness v. 17. and then tells them farther of the blessedness of such as did sow besides all waters that is who took hold of all opportunities to be doing good they should enjoy peace and quietness when Gods judgements came down as thick as hail round about them ver 18 19 20. Working of righteousness promotes contentment in all estates several wayes I will mention one or two 1. As it produceth the joy of the Lord in our souls God is wont to put joy and gladness into the hearts of those that work righteousness Psal 45.7 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Now when God puts joy and gladness into our hearts we do not much feel the sorrows and troubles that we meet with in this world Eccles 5.20 He shall not much remember the dayes of his life because God answereth him in the joy of his heart What Solomon saith of wine and strong drink Prov. 30.6,7 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more The like I may say of the joyes of the Holy Ghost when God hath made us to drink of the rivers of his pleasures though we be poor and heavy of heart and ready to perish they will make us forget our poverty and remember our sorrow no more 2. Working righteousness promotes contentment on this account because they that work righteousness have many sweet visits from God and enjoy much of Gods presence and the soul is never better at ease or enjoyes more contentment than when it enjoyes God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes John 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him SECT 6. 6. Take up your rest and contentment in God and and that will keep you from fretting and vexing and being discontented under your losses and all other afflictions Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord fret not thy self There is no better way to prevent fretting and vexing at cross providences than for a man to take up his rest in God for he shall finde such sweetness in God that he shall not feel any great bitterness in affliction When the Spouse was a Lilly among Thorns encompassed with sharp and piercing troubles when she was scorched with heat of Persecution she found such sweetness in solacing her Soul with Christ that she makes no complaints of her Sufferings but maketh her boast of what she found in him Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste She spoke this when Christ resembled her to a Lilly among Thorns ver 2. Now in regard it conduceth much to the helping of us to be contented under all the troubles of this life for a man to take up his rest and satisfaction and contentment in God I shall enlarge a little upon this Head and shew first That there is enough in God to give the soul of a man full satisfaction and contentment in every state and condition 2. I shall shew how a man may take up his rest and contentment in God 1. There is enough in God to give the soul of a man full and compleat satisfaction how poor how afflicted how desolate soever his condition be in this world and this may be demonstrated several wayes 1. God is a suitable good he answers all the wants all the desires all the workings and breathings and motions of the soul of man All that the soul wants is to be found in God Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ All that the soul desires is in God Isa 26.8,9 The desire of our soul is to thy name with my soul have I desired thee in the night Psal 73.25 There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Now where there is a supply of all wants and an accomplishment of all the desires of the soul there is full satisfaction That which the soul travelleth after that which it laboureth for that which it mainly pursueth and followeth after is that it may enjoy God Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee which shews that satisfaction is to be had in God for when a man hath obtained that which his soul travelleth after he is satisfied Isa 53.10 He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied God is the center to which all the motions of a sanctified soul do tend The enquiries of the soul are after God Cant. 3.3 Saw ye him whom my soul loveth John 12.21 Sir we would see Jesus The pantings and thirstings and breathings of the soul are after God Psal 42.1,2 My soul panteth after thee O God my soul is athirst for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God The mournings of the souls are after the Lord Zech. 12.10 They shall mourn for him 1 Sam. 7.2 All the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. The seekings and cryes of the soul are after God Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 84.2 My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God The main thing the soul hopeth and waiteth for is God Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope Psal 39.7 Now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee Psal 130,5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait in his word do I hope my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning The expectations of the soul are from him Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is
without reflecting upon Christ for he is in himself a consuming fire But when we look upon God in and through Jesus Christ then we may see him to be a reconciled Father 2 Cor. 5.19 and to be the Father of Mercies and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 3. If we would take up our rest in God we must labour to get and to keep Gods Presence with our Souls When we enjoy Gods gracious and blessed presence we finde that in God that giveth us rest and satisfaction under our greatest troubles Exod. 33.14 My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest Moses had been brought up by the space of forty years in Pharaohs Court where he had fared deliciously every day and he was now in a dry barren solitary Wilderness which afforded nothing that was good but was attended with many evils as Serpents and Scorpions c. What manner of place this Wilderness was we may see Jer. 2.6 Deut. 8.15 Here he was to continue and wander up and down by the space of forty years and that in the midst of a perverse and froward people that in all their straits did murmur against him for bringing of them out of the Land of Egypt his troubles sometimes were so great that we finde him praying to God to kill him out of hand and to make a sudden dispatch of him that he might not see his wretchedness Numb 11.15 Yet though the troubles he met with in the Wilderness were exceeding great and many and of long continuance viz. forty years his soul had rest in God by vertue of the Divine Presence that went along with him We may see also the virtue and power that is in Gods Presence to quiet and satisfie the Soul in the times of greatest trouble in Jer. 46.27,28 Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make him afraid fear thou not O Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee In the former part of the Chapter the Lord had threatned very sore calamities that they should be compassed about with fear on every side ver 5. that the Sword should devour round about and be satiate and made drunk with blood ver 10 14 c. and though these calamities should fall most upon other Nations Jacob was not to go wholly unpunished but was to have a share therein yet Jacob having a promise of Gods presence should thereby have rest and ease in all his troubles 4. We must maintain and keep our communion with God The oftner we draw near unto God the oftner we shall finde him drawing near to our souls according to what we finde James 4.8 Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you and the oftner God draws nigh to our souls the more delight and contentment we shall finde in him The Psalmist speaking of such as approach unto God saith they shall be satisfied with the goodness of Gods House Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and cansest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy Holy Temple There is much in conversing with good men for the filling and satisfying the spirit of one that is truly gracious he hath his greatest delight in the company of the Saints and Servants of God Rons 15.24 If first I be somewhat filled with your company Psal 16.2,3 My goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight If there be such delight and satisfaction in conversing with good men there must needs be much more in conversing with the great God One main cause of the disturbance of our mindes when we meet with crosses is immoderate thirsting after the things of this world communion with God will take off this kinde of thirst from the souls John 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life The oftner we go to God the more we shall ask and crave of him and the more we ask of God the more and better things we shall receive from him in order to the satisfying of our souls Psal 105.40 The people asked and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven Were but our desires after God greater we should finde more abundant satisfaction in him for He satisfieth the desire of every living thing Psal 145.16 5. If we would take up our rest and satisfaction in God we must set our love upon him As it is between a man and his Wife if a man have an entire love to his Wife he will be so satisfied in her that he will have no hankerings after any other women so much is implyed Prov. 5.18,19 Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hinde and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht alwayes with her love So it is between a man and God when a man hath an entire love to God he will be so abundantly satisfied in God that he will have no great desire after any other thing besides God compare Psal 18.1 with Psal 73.25 I will love thee O Lord my strength Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee When God hath set his love upon his people he resteth satisfied in them Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion The Lord hath chosen Zion This is my rest for ever Psal 132.13,14 Zeph. 3.17 He will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing So also it will be with us when we have set our love upon God we shall then take up our rest in God 6. We must labour to get good evidences of Gods love to our souls and get our interest in God made clear Clear and well-grounded apprehensions of our interest in God and of Gods love to our souls do tend much to the bringing of our souls to take up their rest and satisfaction in God Deut. 33.23 O Naphthali satisfied with favour Psal 90.13 O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may be glad and rejoyce all our dayes John 14.8 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us When we know the Father and know him to be our God and Father in Christ we have enough we have that which sufficeth us 7. If we would take up our rest in God and abide satisfied in him when ever any thing disquiets our mindes and we have any load and burden upon our Spirits we must repair to Jesus Christ and cast our selves and our burdens upon the Lord Jesus in so doing we shall finde grace and vertue coming out of the Lord Jesus to preserve and sustain our souls in a quiet peaceable satisfied frame in all
our troubles Psal 55.23 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 8. We must take up our dwelling in God He must needs dwell at ease who dwells in God Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Setting implieth continuance When we do not only come to Christs shadow but sit down under it that will bring great delight to our souls What is said of Gods dwelling in Zion Psal 132.13,14 The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell The like may be said of the people of God when they have chosen God for their habitation and taken up their dwelling in God he will be their rest for ever If any say when may we be said to take up our dwelling in God I answer 1. When we live and walk and dwell in love then we dwell in God 1 John 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and he in him 2. When we believe in Jesus Christ and confess Christ before men then God dwelleth in us and we in him Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 1 John 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Understand this of such a confession of Christ as is accompanied with a hearty belief in him Rom. 10.9,10 And of such as are not afraid to confess Christ in the face of dangers for it did expose a man to great dangers and sufferings to confess the Lord Jesus to be the Christ in the first breaking forth of the Gospel as we may see John 9.22 3. We take up our dwelling in God when we maintain an obediential frame of heart and have respect to his Commandments 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him The Commandments which the Apostle doth chiefly hiâ—… at in this place are faith and love as appears from ver 23. 9. When we feel our souls wandering from the Lord and seeking their rest in other things besides God we should say to them as the Prophet said to the Jews Micha 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest And we should call upon them to return unto God and seek their rest in him only Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him 10. We must labour after Gods Image and likeness to be holy as God is holy and merciful as God is mercifull and pure as God is pure for the more like we are to God the more satisfaction we shall finde in God Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness 11. Let us urge God with his promises where he hath promised to cause us to take up our satisfaction in himself Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with my goodness saith the Lord which promise implyeth that when we have the good things of this world we shall not take up our rest in them and when we want them we shall not be disquieted for the want of them but our souls shall rest satisfied with the goodness of the Lord whether we want or enjoy the good things of this world Isa 65.16 He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth which implyeth that God will give his people such a spirit that they shall not count themselves happy and blessed because of their prosperity or any outward enjoyments but in their enjoying the true God for their portion and if they shall account themselves blessed in the enjoyment of God then they may bless themselves in all estates and conditions for God is their portion for ever Psal 73.26 I might quote more promises to this purpose that God will cause his people to take up their satisfaction not in any creature comforts or enjoyments but in himself as Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with what with corn and wine and oyl with riches and preferments no but with the fatness of thy house thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures Isa 58.14 Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord But these may suffice SECT 7. 7. Give your selves unto Prayer When ever you feel any troubles or burdens upon your mindes repair to the Throne of Grace and lay open your hearts and all your maladies and grievances before the Lord and crave his assistance that will bring speedy relief to your souls and keep them in a quiet peaceable contented frame in all conditions Phil. 4.6,7 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And what shall we get by so doing A settled abiding peace as the following words hold forth And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus When we are compassed about with many sorrows by Prayer we shall have all our sorrows dispelled and our hearts shall be filled with joy John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full In the 21. verse Christ faith to his Disciples Ye shall weep and lament ye shall be sorrowful and then tells them ver 24. how they should get their sorrows turned into joy Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Much of the disquietment of our miâ—… ariseth from troubled thoughts Dan. 5.6 His thoughts troubled him Now committing of our selves and our affairs to God by Prayer is a great means of establishing our mindes and quieting all troubled thoughts Prov. 16.3 Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established SECT 8. 8. When we finde any discontent or disquietness arising in our mindes we must search into the grounds and reasons thereof and endeavour the removal of those things which are the causes of our discontent David took this course to quiet his spirit when it was in a disturbed condition he enquireth into the cause and reason of that dejection which was upon his soul Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God I might here instance in several things which do cause murmurings under affliction I will mention two or three 1. Pride of Spirit Our contendings with God and quarrelling at his Providences as well as our contention with our fellow creatures come from the pride of our hearts Prov. 13.10 Only by pride cometh contention If our discontent when God taketh away any mercy or layeth any affliction upon us do arise from the pride of our hearts the way to remove it is to look upon our selves to be unworthy of the least of all Gods Mercies and to judge our selves to have deserved the greatest and severest of all Gods Judgements We
are not greater than our Father Jacob yet he saith of himself Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth that thou hast shewed unto thy servant We are not better than those Jews that were captives in Babylon for there were many of Gods precious Servants as Ezekiel Daniel Hanniah Mishael and Azariah who chose rather to be cast into a fiery Furnace than to fall down before an Image Nehemiah Ezra c. yet they acknowledged that they had deserved all the evils that they suffered and a great deal more and that it was meerly from the mercy of God that they were not consumed Daniel acknowledged the sufferings they met with to be so great as that they could not be parallel'd Dan. 9.12 yet he saith ver 14. The Lord our God is righteous in all his works The Prophet Jeremiah lamenting the great evils that were come upon the Jews acknowledgeth that though their sorrows were such as scarce any met with the like Lam. 1.12 Behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow Yet he saith Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed If we were fully convinced that we are less than the least of all Gods Mercies we should not repine when God taketh away our Estates our Health our Friends or any other mercies from us And if we were fully convinced that we have deserved to be destroyed and cast into everlasting burnings we should not repine when God sends poverty sickness or any other evils upon us 2. Mis-judging of the nature and quality of Gods Providences and of the ends and designs of God in afflicting causeth some to murmur and rep ne at those Providences for which if they understood them aright they would bless and praise God Gods bringing Israel out of Egypt by the hand of Moses was a great mercy his leading them through the Wilderness was to bring them into the Land of Canaan and the straits they met with in the Wilderness were to humble them and prove them and do them good in their latter end Deut. 8.15,16 Yet because they judged amiss of this Providence of God and thought they were brought into the Wilderness to be slain when they were in straits they murmured against the Lord Numb 14.2,3 Exod. 16.2,3 If our discontent spring from this root the way to remove it is 1. To judge nothing before the time but to wait with patience till we have seen the end as well as the beginning of our afflictions Gods dispensations towards Job were very terrible at the first coming of his troubles but the end of them was very comfortable and full of mercy Jam. 5.11 Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pittiful and of tender mercy 2. We must judge of our afflictions by Faith and not by sense we must judge of them according to that sentence which is given of them in the Word of God and not according to the opinion of the world or of our own corrupt mindes Sense saith it is a miserable thing to be in affliction but the word saith Job 5,17 Behold happy is the man whom God correcteth James 1.12 Blessed is the man that endureth temptation for when he is tried he shall receive the Crown of life which the Lord hath promised to them that love him Sense looketh upon afflictions as hurtful things but faith judging according to the word saith Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes 3. We must look at the wholesome fruit of afflictions as well as their present smart Heb. 12.11 No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby As the cloud that parted the Israelites from the Egyptians had a dark side and a bright side Exod. 14.20 so have our afflictions now if we would not sink under our tryals we must look at the bright side as well as the dark side of them at the spiritual and eternal advantages that we reap by our troubles as well as the smart and inconveniences that our outward man sustaineth by them 3. Unbelief and distrust of God is another cause of murmuring when we are brought into straits Ps 106.24,25 They believed not his word but murmured in their tents If our discontent arise from unbelief the way to remove it is to do what we can to strengthen our Faith in the Attributes Providence and Promises of God for if we can but stay our mindes and rest our souls upon God he will keep them in perfect peace Isa 26.3 I might instance in other grounds and causes of discontent but because they will fall more properly under the next head I shall now proceed to the third and last branch of my answer to this question which is The answering of those Reasonings and Objections that arise in the mindes of those that have suffered loss in their Estates by the late Fire which hinder them from sitting down contented under this hand of God Objections that hinder the contentment of those that have suffered loss in their Estates removed SECT 1. Object 1. My loss is exceeding great I have lost thousands of pounds if I had lost but a small matter I could have born it but in regard my loss is so great it troubleth my minde exceedingly and I know not how to bear it with patience Answ 1. Your loss is not greater than Jobs who was the richest man in the Eastern part of the world and lost all his Substance and his Children too in one day yet he did not repine at the greatness of his loss but quietly submitteth himself to God Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. How much soever it be that you have lost God is able to give it you again and much more also 2 Chron. 25.9 But what shall we do for the hundred talents God is able to give thee much more than this Though God took a great Estate from Job yet it is said Job 42.10,12 The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning Though you should be brought to poverty yet God oft-times raiseth poor men to such an high degree that he maketh them equal to Princes Psal 113.7,8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghil that he may set them with Princes even with the Princes of his people 3. It may be God saw that you had too much and therefore out of his infinite Wisdom and Love he hath brought you low There is danger in having too much as well as too little Agur prayeth against too great riches as well as against poverty Prov. 30.7,8 Give me not riches lest I
will continue his care for his people 5. Though you have lost all yet it is possible for you to be as contented as if you had all the world The Apostle Paul suffered the loss of all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 yet he was as full of contentment in his greatest wants as in his greatest abundance Phil. 4.11,12,13 When he had nothing he was as well content as if he had enjoyed the whole world 2 Cor. 6.10 As having nothing and yet possessing all things 6. Have you not forfeited all that ever you did enjoy either by your unthankfulness or by not serving God cheerfully for the abundance of all things Deut. 28.47,48 or by some other means if so you have no occasion to complain of God for taking away all that you had from you 7. Though you have lost all your Estates say not we are undone for if ye be such as have Faith in Christ and live godly lives God is yours and Christ is yours and Heaven is yours and this world is yours and things present and things to come are yours yea all things are yours 1 Cor. 3.21,22,23 All things are yours whether Paul or Apollo or Cephas or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all are yours and ye are Christs and Christ is Gods SECT 3. Obj. 3 I do not know how I shall do to live now I have lost my Estate if I could but tell how to live I could be content though my losses had been very great but because I cannot tell how I shall live now my livelihood is taken from me this perplexeth and troubleth my minde very sorely Answ 1. You have as much left you as you brought into this world for 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world we brought not so much as a rag to cover our nakedness withal Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my Mothers womb And though you came into the world in this poor condition yet you have lived comfortably and plentifully many dayes yea many years together and cannot God provide comfortably and plentifully many years more though all that ever you had be taken from you If you say when I was born into the world I had a Father and a Mother and other Friends that took care of me to provide food and raiment and all things for me but now I have no Friends that will take care for me I answer It was not your Parents or your Friends that fed you and clothed you but God by them Jacob lived many years in his Fathers house and afterwards with his Uncle Laban about 20. years yet he doth not say his Father fed him for so many years and then his Uncle Laban nourished him but he saith it was God that fed him all the dayes of his life Gen. 48.15 The God which fed me all my life long unto this day 2. How did you live before by your Estates or by the Providence of God not by your Estates but by the Providence of God if you think otherwise consider such Scriptures as these Acts 17.28 In him we live and move and have our being Deut. 8.3 Man doth not live by bread only but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live Psal 66.8,9 O bless our God ye people which holdeth our soul in life Psal 36.6 O Lord thou preservest man and beast Now if it be God and not your Estates that have maintained you hitherto why should you distrust him for the time to come Is the Lords hand shortned Is he not as able to provide for you as ever he was 3. Remember the counsel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Math. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what ye shall eat and what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment If the life be more than meat then doubt not but that God who hath given you your lives will give you meat to maintain your lives and he who gave you your bodies will give you raiment to cloath your bodies withal 4. If all that you have be consumed and you have nothing to live upon live by Faith upon the promise and providence of God Hab. 2.4 The just shall live by his Faith We are not to live by Faith for spiritual blessings only but also for temporal And we ought to trust God as firmly by virtue of his promises when we have nothing left as well as when we enjoy greatest plenty SECT 4. Obj. 4. I do make a shift to live for the present but now I have lost my Estate I am afraid I shall come to want before I dye and the fear of want lyeth heavy upon me were it not that I feared I should want my losses would not much trouble me Answ 1. If you fear want now your Estates are gone and did not fear any such thing while you enjoyed your Estates this is a sign that you made your riches your confidence and not God and that is a fearful sin Job 31.24,28 If I have made gold my hope or have said unto the fine gold Thou art my confidence This were an iniquity to be punished by the judge for I should have denied the God that is above 2. Have you not food and raiment sufficient for the day if so do the work of the present day cheerfully and bear the crosses of the day patiently and cast the care of to morrow upon God By to morrow you may be in heaven where you shall need none of these things Mat. 6.34 Take no thought for the morrow for the morrow shall take thought for the things of it self sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof 3. Consider your relation to God 1. God is your Shepherd and thereupon you may be assured that you shall not want Psal 23.1 The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want David doth not say I am King of Israel I shall not want or I have a great Estate or I have rich Friends I shall not want but he grounds his confidence that he should not want upon this that God was his Shepherd Now every godly man in his lowest estate hath God for his Shepherd and thereupon may be confident that he shall never want 2. God is your Father and Fathers will not see their children want when it is in the power of their hands to relieve their wants Luke 11.11 If a Son shall ask bread of any of you that is a Father will he give him a stone or if he ask a fish will he for a fish give him a serpent When the prodigal Son began to be in want and goes to his Father for relief though he had been an ungracious Son that had spent all his substance in riotous courses yet when he came to his Father he calls for the best Robe and fatted Calf and entertains him in a very bountiful manner Luke 15.15,18,19,20,22,23
Such afflictions as make us more humble more heavenly minded or any other way promote the holiness of our hearts and lives come from love Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Apostle speaketh of such as are chastned out of love as we may see ver 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth whence it appears that such chastenings as make us partakers of Gods Holiness come from his Love SECT 12. Obj. 12. My loss hath been so great that I am thereby disabled from giving any thing to the poor and this troubleth me very much that I am by this providence cut off from exercising Charity and that I cannot relieve the poor as I was wont to do heretofore Answ 1. Though you have lost much yet if you have any thing left you must will be doing good according to your ability Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased This is spoken to such as had suffered the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 and notwithstanding their sufferings the Apostle tells them they must not forget to do good and communicate to such as were in greater distress than themselves Such as have nothing to live upon but their labor should give something out of their earnings Eph. 4.28 Let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Acts 20.35 If any say but if I that have but little should give any thing to the poor I may come to want my self I answer Never fear being brought to want by doing acts of Charity Prov. 28.27 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack If any reply the times are like to prove bad and hard and therefore I that have but little had not need give away any thing but rather ought to lay up all that I can against an hard time Answ The uncertainty of the times and the evils that are like to come upon the earth should not hinder our Charity but make us more abundant in works of Mercy Eccles 11.2 Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Loâ— here the Holy Ghost would have us give frequently and give bountifully a portion and that not to one or two but to seven and also to eight when any evils are like to come upon the earth 2. Though you have lost much and have but little left you may give as much as you did before I mean that which God will count as much The widow that gave but two mites cast more into the Treasury in Christs account than those rich men that cast in abundance Mark 12.41,42,43 Jesus sate over against the treasury and behold how the people cast money into the Treasury and many that were rich cast in much and there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing and he called unto him his Disciples and saith unto them Verily I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the treasury God looks at the heart more than the gift and the more freedom of heart and willingness of minde there is in our gifts the better they are accepted with God A man of a mean estate may give with as free an heart as a Prince 2 Sam. 24.23 All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King Yet he was but a mean man compared with David he called David his Lord and stiles himself Davids servant ver 21. both he and his Sons were at hard labour when David came to them they were threshing wheat 1 Chron. 21.20 The Churches of Macedonia were very poor and under many afflictions and yet in the depth of their poverty and their greatest afflictions they abounded in liberality 2 Cor. 8.1,2 We do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality 3. Be not discouraged from acts of Charity because you can give but very little in comparison of what you did before for the least and smallest acts of Charity done in a right spirit shall have a great and glorious reward What a small matter is it to give a cup of cold water yet such as give a cup of cold water only having nothing more or better to bestow shall in no wise lose their reward Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Our Saviours rule is Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11.41 They that have much must give much and they that have but mean things must not be discouraged because it is but little and inconsiderable that they can do but must give alms of such things as they have If there be a willing minde to give much God accepts of a mans willing minde though he be able to give but very little 2 Cor. 8.12 4. If your losses be so great that you are able to give nothing to the poor yet you are not disabled from exercising of your Charity You may pitty them as much as ever you did and it is said Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. You may draw out your souls to them which shall not go unrewarded Isa 58.11 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day You may pray for them you may stir up others to relieve them You may give much spiritual almes when you are so low in the world that you have not one penny of money to give as Peter said Acts 3.6 Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee So though you have no silver nor gold to give yet you may give that which is far better Though you be poor you may enrich your Families and your Relations and your Neighbours with spiritual riches 2 Cor. 6.10 As poor yet making many rich By your godly discourse you may minister grace to those that hear your discourse Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers To minister grace to any man is a thousand times better than to minister the good things of this world to him It is said Prov. 10.21 The lips of the righteous feed many and ver 20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver When you have not bread to feed the hungry withal feed as many as you can with the
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
and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Hell fire is so dreadful that you should be willing to do any thing and to suffer any thing so that you may not be cast into Hell fire when you die If you have any sins as profitable to you as your right hand or as dear to you as your right eye you had better a thousand times part with those sins suffer pain and damage and enter into life than retain your sins and be cast into Hell fire when you die Mar. 9.43,44,45,46,47,48 If thy hand offend thee cut it off for it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thy foot offend thee cut it off it is better for thee to enter halt into life than having two feet to be cast into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thine Eye offend thee pluck it out it is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched SECT 10. 10. Trust in God for a livelyhood Though your Estates be gone and Trading fail and Times should be hard yet God will not fail you nor forsake you if you trust in him but he will feed you and clothe you and provide all things that are necessary for you Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversations be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee These Hebrews as I have hinted before had suffered the spoiling of their goods as we may see Chap. 10.34 and now they might be full of fears that they should not be able to live but the Apostle bids them be content with such things as they had for the Lord would not leave them nor forsake them Consider 1. God knows that you need food and rayment for your bodies as well as grace for your souls Matth. 6.32 Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things and as he knoweth what and how great your needs are so he will take care to supply all your needs Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 2. God made provision for you long before you had a being the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for Gods Saints and Servants before they were born for it was made ready for them from the foundation of the world Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Yea before the world began from all Eternity God made preparation for your eternal happiness Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Now if God made provision for your eternal happiness before you had a being then doubt not but he will provide for you that little time that you have to continue in this world 3. God hath given you better and greater things then food and rayment he hath given you life bodies and souls Matth. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment God hath not with-holden his only Son from you and do you think that he will with-hold food and raiment from you who gave you his own Son Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 4. A good man will give his servants convenient food though he have never so many Luk. 15.17 How many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare And do you think our good and gracious God will deny his servants their necessary food Doth not God clothe the grass which is but of few dayes continuance And do you think that he will deny you rayment who are made for an eternal state Matth. 6.28,29,30 Why take ye thought for rayment consider the Lillies of the field how they grow they toil not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith God out of his mercy giveth food to all his creatures Psal 136.25 Who giveth food to all flesh for his mercy endureth for ever He feedeth the Birds and the Beasts Job 38.41 He provideth for the Raven his food when his young ones cry unto God Psal 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his food And do ye think that he who is styled The Preserver of Men Job 7.20 will not provide food for the sons and daughters of men If you think that the Lord is or will be more mindful of the Birds and Beasts than of Men you wrong him exceedingly Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they But of this you may see more Quest 1. pag. 75 76 77 c. Sect. 3 4. Object If any say I could trust God for a livelyhood if I could but see which way I should be able to live but when I have considered which way I should be able to maintain my self and my family I can't see or think of any way whereby I and mine should be maintained and this makes me that I can't tell how to trust in God for a subsistance Answ 1. You have strange thoughts of God if you will trust him no farther than you can see him you will trust a dishonest man as far as you can see him And what a reproach is this to the holy God to trust him no farther than you will trust a dishonest man 2. The property of true faith is to perswade the soul as firmly that those things which God hath promised shall be although we neither do or can see them as we are perswaded of those things which we see evidently with our eye Heb. 11.1 Faith is the
my self into my straits and my troubles by my sins and this keepeth me from trusting in God because my troubles are the fruit of my sins Were it purely the hand of God to try my faith and patience I could in such a case hope in God Ans Though our troubles do come upon us for our sins yet if we humble our souls for our sins and cry to God in our distresses he will raise up deliverance for us Psal 107.10,11,12,13,14 Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron becanse they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsel of the most high therefore he brought down their heart with labour they fell down and there was none to help Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he saved them out of their distress he brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death and brake their bands in sunder And again ver 17 19. Fools because of their transgression and because of oheir iniquities are afflicted then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble he saveth them out of their distresses When David was under such a great sense of sin as made his heart to fail he did yet hope in God for deliverance out of his troubles Psal 40.12,17 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinketh upon me thou art my help and my deliverer make no tarrying O my God When Jonah was cast into the Sea and swallowed up by a Whale it was for his sin in flying from the presence of the Lord yet when in his affliction he cryed to God God heard and delivered him Jonah 2.2,10 I cryed by reason of mine affliction unto the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cried I and thou heardest my voice And the Lord spake unto the Fish and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land SECT 12. 12. Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation Satan useth to be very busie to tempt us when we are in affliction The two seasons wherein the Devil did in a more eminent manner set upon Christ with his temptations were when he was in the Wilderness Mark 1.13 He was in the Wilderness forty dayes tempted of Satan and when he was entring upon his Passion Luke 22.53 This is your hour and the power of darkness The Devils at that time bestirred themselves to the utmost of their power in tempting and afflicting the Lord Jesus Now God hath stripped you of all or the greatest part of your enjoyments and brought you as it were into a Wilderness now that you must expect to suffer more hardship and difficulties then formerly you may look to meet with more then usual temptations The Devil is ready to take occasion from others afflictions to tempt us 2 Thess 3.3,4,5 How much more will he take advantage from our own afflictions to assault us with his temptations If Satan be busie to tempt had you not need to watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation I might here caution you against several temptations I will instance in four or five 1. Take heed of entertaining hard thoughts of God as though God dealt hardly with you or of his wayes as if there were no profit in serving of God because you have suffered so deeply notwithstanding you have endeavoured to serve the Lord Satan hath baffled very eminent persons with this temptation Job in his haste uttered such an expression as this Job 30.21 Thou art become cruel to me Jeremiah in his distress le ts fall such words as these Jer. 15.18 Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable which refuseth to be healed wilt thou be altogether unto me as a lyard and as waters that fail David being exercised with many afflictions said lin his hast though upon second thoughts he called in his words again that all the pains that he had taken in serving God was ladour in vain Psal 73.13,14 Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my bands in innocency for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning To fortifie you against this temptation of calling in question the goodness of God or thinking there is no advantage cometh by serving God let me advise you to do these things 1. Judge of God according to that representation which he maketh of himself in his Word Now the Scriptures represent God to be a good God Ps 86.5 Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all that call upon thee When the Lord proclaimed his Name to Moses he proclaimed his name after this manner Exod. 34.5,6 The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness He is so abundant in goodness that his goodness fills the whole earth Psal 33.5 The Earth is full of the goodness of the Lord. He is so good a God that there are some expressions of his goodness towards every person and every creature upon the face of the earth Psal 145.9 The Lord is good to all and his tender mercies are over all his works His goodness is so great that no words can express it we may admire it but we cannot deciare the greatness of it Zech. 9.17 How great is his goodness and how great is his beauty Even in his most terrible acts there is abundance of goodness Psal 145,6,7 Men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts they shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness 2. Consider what good thoughts of God the servants of the Lord have had in their greatest afflictions though in time of temptation some of Gods servants have uttered some rash expressions derogatory to the good ross of God yet afterwards they have humbled themselves greatly for such speeches as we may see Job 42.3,6 David calls himself fool and heast for speaking dishonourably of God in his afflictions Psal 73.13,22 Take the servants of God when they have been freed from or gotten the victory over temptation and you shall finde them admiring and speaking highly in the commendation of Gods goodness in their greatest afflictions Psal 119.68 Thou art good and dost good and this David spoke when he was spoiled of his goods ver 61. The bands of the wicked have robbed me and when his sorrows were so great that his soul melted under them ver 28. My soul melteth for he aviness Neither his losses nor his sorrows made him question Gods goodness but he saith under both thou art good and dost good In another Psalm after he had expressed the greatness of his sorrows Psal 31.9,10 I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly for my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing He breaks out into
to pitty those that are dogged with this temptation He is so tender over tempted souls that he takes them in his arms and lodgeth them in his bosom to prevent their being devoured by the roaring Lion Isa 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like at Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young Though we be weak like Lambs and Satan be strong and cruel like a Lion yet as long as we lie in the bosom of Christ we are safe enough from this roaring Lion 3. The Lord Jesus is very vigilant over all Satans motions when ever there ariseth any desire in his heart to do us mischief Christ seeth what he designs and prevents his temptations from ruining of us Luk. 22.31,32 The Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Christ takes care of Peter before Peter knew his danger and so consequently before he sought to Christ Now if Christ be so careful of persons in temptation as to prevent them with mercy to succour them before they cry then surely he will succour and relieve those that cry to him night and day 4. When you find your selves assaulted with this temptation and it comes with that violence and fury that you are afraid you shall one day fall by it have recourse to those Promises which relate to a tempted condition and urge them at the Throne of Grace and hang upon God for the accomplishment of them I wil put you in remembrance of some Promises that may be of great use to you when you are in a tempted condition Rom. 16.20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly It may be you have had a long conflict with Satan and you are afraid at the last he will get you under his feet but fear not the God of Truth hath engaged himself by promise that he will bruise Satan under your feet and he will do it shortly 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to bear it Satan is very desirous to tempt us above what we are able to bear but God will not suffer him and that we may rest satisfied that he will not suffer Satan to tempt us above what we are able to bear he hath engaged his faithfulness for the fulfilling of this promise and he that hath made this promise knoweth what we can and what we cannot bear Isa 59.19 When the Enemy shall come in like a stood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him or as 't is in the margent shall put him to slight Doth Satan come in upon your souls with his temptations like a flood in such a violent impetuous manner that you are in danger to be born down by them yet fear not the Spirit of the Lord will come into your assistance and put him to slight The first Promise that God gave to man after his fall may be of great use to us in our temptations namely That the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head 5. Keep up your hope in the mercy of God by vertue of the merits of Christ and the Covenant of Grace Satan can do little by this temptation of Self-murther until he hath brought the Soul into a despaning condition As long as we are able to cleave to the blood of Christ and the Word of God Satan shall not be able to prevail against us but we shall overcome all his temptations Rev. 12.11 They overcame him that is Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony 6. Shun idleness and alwayes employ your selves either in some religious exercise or in the works of your Calling and if Satan come upon you with his temptations either when you are performing any religious duties or when you are about the works of your Calling you need not be afraid of him for the good Angels have a charge from God to look after you and defend you when you are in Gods way Psal 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes And by vertue of that assistance which God will give us whilst we keep in his wayes we shall overcome the Powers of Darkness as we may see Ver. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under foot But by idleness and neglecting the works of our Calling we give Satan great advantage against us 7. Observe what pleas and reasonings Satan makes use of to draw you to this horrid sin of Self-murder and upon examination you shall find them to be but meer delusions and traps and snares that he makes use of to destroy your souls and that they are of no force and validity to warrant your Commission of this unnatural sin will appear evidently by instancing in and returning an answer to some of the most material pleas which he maketh use of to draw persons under distress to put an end to their own lives Plea 1. My misery and my troubles are exceeding great they are so heavy I know not how to bear them and I see no way how I should put an end to my miseries but by putting an end to my days and I had better put an end to my life than live in such great and continual misery as I live in Answ 1. It is utterly unlawful for a man to procure his own death to put an end to his misery though his sorrows and his troubles be exceeding great Jobs calamities were exceeding great both in respect of what he suffered in his inward and outward man He felt such a load upon his spirit that he thought if all the sand on the Sea-shore had been put into one balance and his grief into another his grief would have been heavier than the sand of the Sea Job 6.2,3 he saith Ver. 4. The Arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me His sorrows and troubles were so great that he was weary of his life and longed to dye ver 8 9. If he might have had his choice he would have chosen strangling or any other kinde of death rather than to have lived such a miserable life Job 7.15,16 yet notwithstanding the case was thus with Job he durst not attempt any thing to take away his life one day before the time appointed by God was come but resolves to wait patiently all his dayes for his change Job 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come 2. By making away thy self thou
2. Such as seek to get wealth unrighteously seek their own damnation Prov. 21.6 The getting of Treasure by a lying Tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Is eternal death such a desirable thing as that we should seek after it Doth it not come fast enough of it self Consider what dreadful judgments are denounced against such as get their Estates by unjust and unrighteous courses Job 20. from ver the 15. to ver 29. 3. If you wait upon God and put your trust in him and keep your selves honest God will be with you and provide for you a supply of all your needs Phil. 4.8,9,19 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just think on these things And the God of peace shall be with you My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Psal 37.3,34 Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Isa 33.15,16 He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure And know this also that a little gotten honestly and in the fear of God is better than a great Estate gotten unrighteously Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right Prov. 15.16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith 6. Another temptation which is like to attend those that have been sufferers by this fire is discontent and murmuring at their losses but I shall need to add nothing more concerning this but refer you to what is said in the first question to prevent murmuring and discontent because of the losses you have sustained by this fire SECT 13. 13. Let the loss of your Estates put you upon seeking after and making sure of those mercies and blessings which shall never be taken from you to all eternity I will mind you of some blessings which if once you can get your souls possessed of them they shall be yours for ever 1. Get an interest in God if you once get the Lord for your God and portion he will be your God and your portion for ever Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 2. Get the grace of God implanted in your hearts when God hath bestowed saving grace upon a man that shall remain with him for ever Psal 19.9 The fear of the Lord is clear enduring for ever Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life 3. Make sure of the favour of God and labour to get into Covenant with him and you shall be possessed of these mercies for ever Isa 54.10 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee 4. Seek unto God to give you the Comforter and when once you have gotten him he shall abide with you for ever Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now the way to make sure of these and all other spiritual blessings is to make sure of Christ close with Christ cleave to Christ and abide with him for ever and then all spiritual blessings shall be yours for ever for all spiritual blessings are treasured up in Christ Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ and if we abide with Christ he will abide ours for ever Joh. 15.4 Abide in me and I in you SECT 14. 14. Seek unto God to restore what he hath taken from you and to make up all your losses There are two wayes of having your losses made up 1. When God shall give you as much riches as he hath taken from you 2. When he shall give you that which is as good or better than what you lost by this fire You may lawfully seek to God to restore your Estates which he hath taken from you so you seek them in Gods way Take your directions from Gods Word for the getting of riches and because many that seek after riches do not seek them in Gods way and so either fail of them or have them not with the blessing of God I shall 1. propose some encouragements to stir you up to seek riches from God in Gods way 2. I shall lay before you some directions out of Gods Word for the getting of riches Now to move you to seek your riches of God Consider 1. Riches are Gods gift he gives them to whom he seeth good 1 Chron. 29.12 Both riches and honour come of thee and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Deut. 8.18 Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth 2. God is able to make up all your losses though they be never so great and to give you as much and more than ever you had After Job had lost all his estate it is said Job 42.10,12 The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall we do for the hundred Talents And the man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Though a man be brought very low even to beggery God can easily make him a rich man 1 Sam. 2.8 He raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory 3. It is usual with God after he hath brought a man low and humbled him to raise him up again as we see in the case of Job to whom God gave twice as much as before see to this purpose Psal 66.12 We went through fire and through water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up 4. Those riches that are obtained in Gods way do us most good and convey most comfort to the owners Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it If you ask What course should
Lord is the way to prosper 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By the power of faith strong Walls and Cities have been demolished Heb. 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down ver 33. Who through faith subdued Kingdoms Now if faith be instrumental to demolish Walls and Cities Why may it not also be of great force to build them up If any ask What encouragements can you give us for our faith that we may trust and rely on God for his presence and assistance with us in this work of building I answer 1. Building of desolate Cities is a good work and well-pleasing to God and that which conduceth unto the glory of God when it is managed with a right spirit and in a right manner The building of Jerusalem after it had been wasted by fire and the Sword is called a good work Neh. 2.18 They said let us rise up and build so they strengthened their hands for this good work the building of Jerusalem is called also the pleasure of the Lord it being that which pleased him to see those wast places builded again Isa 44.28 That saith of Cyrus he shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundations shall be laid It did conduce also to Gods glory Psal 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory Jer. 33.7,9 I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return and will build them as at the first And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and an honour before all the Nations of the Earth That building is a good work and acceptable to God when rightly managed may be evidenced several wayes besides the fore-quoted Scriptures As 1. It is oft spoken of a blessing for God to give a man an house to dwell in Exod. 1.21 And it came to pass because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses 1 Sam. 2.35 I will build him a sure house Isa 65.21 They shall build houses and inhabit them 2. Cohabitation conduceth much both to our civil and spiritual good Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity The scattering abroad of persons and separating them each from other is threatned as a judgment Isa 24.1 Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty and maketh it waste and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof If cohabitation conduceth much to our good and scatering abroad be an evil and a judgment then building of Cities in order to cohabitation is a good work 3. By building of houses we prepare Mansions and Recepticles for the bodies of Gods servants which are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that cannot but be a good work to provide Mansions for the bodies of Gods servants The Lord Jesus takes it kindly when we lodge any of his members but for a night or two Matth. 25.34,35 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was a stranger and ye took me in To provide setled habitations for the servants of God is more than to take them in for a night or two 4. Building of Houses and desolate Cities is a means of delivering those that want habitations from great distress as being wet with the dew of heaven and consumed with cold by night and the heat by day c. and to provide a refuge for the distressed is a good work Neh. 2.17 Ye see the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come and let us build up the Wall of Jerusalem that we be no more a reproach Now if building be a good work then you may confidently expect Gods presence with you when you set upon it if you manage it with a right spirit Amos 5.14 Seek good and not evil and so the Lord the God of Hosts shall be with you as ye have spoken and if God will be with you in your work this may greatly encourage you in the management of it Hag. 2.4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Joshua and be strong all ye people of the Land and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts 2. God is able to carry on those that rest upon him in this work how great and how many dissiculties and oppositions and discouragements soever they meet withal This is evident from the building of Jerusalem after it was burnt and laid wast by the Chaldeans Consider to this purpose 1. What a great work the building of Jerusalem was which had been wasted by Fire and Sword from a forreign power and had lyen in its desolation seventy years Neh. 4.19 The work is great and large 2. Consider how weak and unfit the Jews were for this great work after their strength and treasure was exhausted by seventy years captivity Some of them were so discouraged that they thought they should not be able to accomplish so great a work Neh. 4.10 Judah said The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall 3. The times in which they set upon building of Jerusalem were very troublous times Dan. 9.25 The street shall be built again and the wall in troublous times 4. The Enemies of the Jews opposed this work of building Jerusalem with all their might They scoffed at them and derided their work Neh. 4.2,3 What do these feeble Jews Will they fortifie themselves Will they make an end in a day Will they revive the stones out of the heap of the rubbish which are burnt Even that which they build if a Fox go up he will even break down their stone wall They cast false slanders upon them as though they builded out of a design to rebel Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do Will ye rebel against the King Neh. 6.6 Thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayst be their King and when these means would not prevail they attempted by force to make the work cease Neh. 4.7,8,11 They were very wroth and conspired all of them together to come and to sight against Jerusalem And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease And when none of these means would cause them to leave off building they hired Counsellors to mediate with the Kings of Persia and wrote Letters to hinder the building of Jerusalem Ezra 4.4,5,23,24 And notwithstanding all the attempts of their Adversaries both by fraud and violence though there were some intermissions yet the work was compleated And how by the help and assistance of God as their Enemies
fornication but for the Lord Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Now seeing our bodies and souls were created for Gods pleasure Is it not meet they should be yielded up unto God 2. The Lord Jesus gave himself both body and soul for us He yielded his body to be crucified for us which was both a shameful and a painful death 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which was broken for you 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Isa 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked of the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Why should we refuse to give our bodies to be burned imprisoned banished tortured or to suffer any affliction for the sake of Christ seeing he gave his body to suffer such a shameful and painful death for us The Lord Jesus did not only give his body but his soul also an offering for our sins Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Shall we stick at giving our souls to Christ when he did not stick at making his soul an offering for our sins 3. It will be much for the advantage both of our bodies and souls to give them unto God for he will sanctifie them and make them his Temple and come and dwell in them 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them Now who are they to whom the Apostle speaks when he saith Ye are the Temple of the living God c. They were such as had given themselves to God as you may see Chap. 8.5 But first gave their own selves to the Lord What greater honour or happiness are our souls and bodies capable of whilst they are in this world than to become Temples of the living God But besides this if we give our bodies and souls unto God he will glorifie both our bodies and souls in an unexpressible manner in the Kingdom of Heaven to all eternity The Sun is a glorious creature it dazleth our eyes to behold it God will give his Saints in Heaven a glory equal to the brightness of the Sun Matth. 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father yea they shall excel the Sun in glory for they shall be equal to the Angels and the Angels are far more glorious ceatures than the Sun Luk. 20.36 Neither can they dye any more for they are equal unto the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection yea they shall be made like to Christ their bodies shall be made like to his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body and their souls shall be made like to his glorious soul 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is We that is not our bodies only or our souls only but our persons both body and soul shall be like him SECT 10. 10. Render to God the Sacrifices of righteousness When we have received any eminent mercy from God he expects that we should offer up unto him the sacrifice of a righteous and godly life which will please him better than all the Sacrifices that were offered up under the Law Psal 4.5 Offer the Sacrifices of Righteousness Psal 51.17,19 The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of righteousness When David was wonderfully delivered from the snares of death he determines to offer this Sacrifice to God namely to walk humbly and holily before God all the dayes of his life Psal 116.6,7,8 I was brought low and he helped me Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Then see what he renders to God for this mercy I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living I have touched upon this head before and therefore I shall not enlarge farther upon it only I shall add two Scriptures which do imply that it is our duty after we have received any eminent deliverances to labour after a more eminent degree of holiness than we had before and are also promises that God will sanctifie our deliverances for the making of us more holy Obad. 17. Upon mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness Isa 4.2,3 In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the Earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem In the former Chapter the Prophet had foretold the ruine of Jerusalem and the fall of Judah Isa 2.8 and here he foretells that a little remnant should escape and promiseth that Gods judgments on others and his mercy in delivering them should conduce much to the promoting of their holiness and cause them to prize highly the Lord Jesus who is understood by the Branch of the Lord Zach. 3.8 by whose merits and mediation they should obtain their deliverance SECT 11. 11. Let this deliverance cause you to seek after and to trust in God for farther mercies and deliverances when you are brought into straits This use God servants have been wont to make of their deliverances as you may see by these instances Judg. 15.18 And he was sore a thirst and called on the Lord and said Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised 1 Sam. 17.37 David said moreover The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in him we trust that he will yet deliver us This God expects that when he hath shielded us from or helped us out of one trouble we should trust him when we come into another Psal 115.9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield Psal 61.3,4 Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong Tower from the Enemy I will
need not fear any thing though an host of men should set themselves against him Psal 27.1,3 The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encamp against me mine heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident yea though all the world should set themselves against us if we have God with us we need not fear any thing Psal 118.10 All Nations compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us Though the whole world should be turned upside down and all places should be full of trouble and confusion and there should be no peace or safety either on the Sea or Land that man that hath God for his strength need not fear any thing Psal 46.1,2,3 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake at the swelling thereof If then you would bear up comfortably under all your afflictions rememember the exhortation of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Do not trust to your own strength but seek to be strong in the Lord and to get his mighty power to assist you It may be some will say What shall we do that we may get Gods strength to support us under and to carry us through all the troubles of this life I answer 1. Be sensible of your own weakness and renounce all confidence in your own strength God is wont to communicate his strength most eminently to his servants when they have lowest thoughts of their own strength and are under deepest apprehensions of their own weakness 2 Cor. 12.9,10 My strength is made perfect in weakness When I am weak then am I strong Isa 40.29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength When we grow conceited of our own abilities God withdraws himself from us and leaves us to fall under small tryals Peter being over confident of himself that he could suffer any thing yea death it self for the sake of Christ and that though all men should deny Christ he would not Matth. 26.33,35 fell under the first temptation that assaulted him a Damsel did but say Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee and he denyed Christ in the presence of all that were in the Palace ver 69 70. God is so far from helping proud persons that he is wont to set himself against them Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble I will mention three ways whereby you may be convinced of your own weakness and of the absolute necessity of Gods strength to carry you through your afflictions 1. Weigh well what the Scripture saith of mans impotency we are such weak creatures that without divine assistance we cannot do or suffer any thing though it be never such a small matter Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Thinking is much easier than either doing or suffering yet of our selves we have not ability so much as to think any thing 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think anything as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2. Observe how unable you have been when God hath withdrawn himself to bear those small and light troubles wherewith God hath exercised you Hath not a trifle that which hath been an affliction and a trouble in your imagination rather than in reality dejected and cast you down If you have fainted under small troubles what will you do when great ones come if you have not the Lords help Jer. 12.5 If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with Horses And if in the Land of Peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan 3. Consider what great men have fainted under small tryals when the Lord hath left them but a little to themselves Jonah a Prophet of the Lord for the loss of a gourd which sprung up and withered in a day fell into such a fret that he was even angry with God and weary of his life and wished that he might dye The Apostle Peter upon the speech of a maid denyed Christ and swore that he did not so much as know the man If such eminent persons as these fainted under such small tryals what shall we do without the help of God 2. Being sensible of your own weakness cry unto God to give you his strength Psal 86.16 O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strengh unto thy servant Psal 119.28 Strengthen thou me according to thy Word But will this do Will God give us his strength if we cry to him for it yea he will Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul 3. Rest and rely upon God for the communicating of his strength to your souls The way to engage God to help and strengthen you is to trust in him 1 Chron. 5.20 They were helped for they cryed to God in the battel and he was entreated of them because they put their trust in him 2 Chron. 13.11 Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee Psal 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Gods power is communicated in an eminent manner to those that believe in him Ephes 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Though we are never so weak in our selves we may become strong by resting upon God Heb. 11.33,34 Who through faith out of weakness were made strong If you ask What ground have we to rely upon God that he will give us his strength to support us under all our troubles I answer We have a sure Word of Promise we have not only one promise but many to assure us that God will not leave us destitute of his help and strength Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Psal 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people Joel 3.15,16 The Sun and Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope
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
should then have perished in mine affliction It was by the help of the word of truth that the Apostle went through his manifold troubles with great patience 2 Cor. 6.4,5,7 Now there are variety of promises which do relate to an afflicted condition which may be of great use to us in our afflictions which we shall do well to store up against an evil day I will mention some of them 1. God hath promised to moderate our afflictions and to lay no more upon us than he will enable us to bear 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Isa 27.8 In measure when it shooteth forth thou wilt debate with it he stayeth his rough wind in the day of his East wind Jer. 15.11 The Lord said Verily it shall be well with thy remnant verily I will cause the enemy to entreat thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction This promise is added after the mentioning of Gods unalterable purpose to send four sore Judgments upon the Jews Death the Sword Famine and Captivity verse 1 2. So also after mention of a time of trouble such as there had not been the like God comforts his people with his promise that he would not correct them out of measure though he suffered them to partake of the common calamity Jer. 30.7,10,11 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs trouble Yet the Lord encourageth Jacob not to be afraid Fear thou not O my servant Jacob saith the Lord neither be dismayed O Israel for I am with thee saith the Lord to save thee though I make a full end of all Nations whether I have scattered thee yet will I not make a full end of thee but I will correct thee in measure and will not leave thee altogether unpunished 2. God hath promised us his presence in our afflictions Psal 91.15 He shall call upon me and I will answer him I will be with him in trouble Isa 43.1,2 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel Fear not When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee This promise hath dependance on the last verse where the Prophet telleth us what calamities were come upon Israel He hath poured upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battle and it hath set him on fire round about and then addeth but now thus saith the Lord Fear not When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee God would not have his people fear any trouble because he will be with them in all their troubles in one as well as another and that not only when they first enter into them but till they are safely passed through all the troubles of this life 3. God hath promised to strengthen and support and uphold us in all our troubles I have mentioned several promises to this purpose already as Joel 3.15,16 Isa 41.10 I will add two or three more Nahum 1.7 The Lord is good a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Psal 37.39,40 The salvation of the righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble And the Lord shall help them and deliver them he shall deliver them from the wicked and save them because they put their trust in him Isa 41.14 Fear not thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel I will help thee saith the Lord and thy redeemer the Holy One of Israel see also Isa 25.4 4. God hath promised to comfort and revive our souls when we are in affliction Psal 138.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me Micah 7.8 When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Psal 71.20,21 Thou which hast shewn me great and sore troubles shall quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort me on every side Isa 66.13 As one whom his mother comforteth so will I comfort you and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem John 14.18 I will not leave you comfortless I will come to you 5. God hath promised to sanctifie our afflictions and he hath promised they shall purge out our sins and make us more holy and shall be all of them so blessed unto us that they shall work together for our good Isa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away their sin Zech. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose 6. God hath promised in due time to deliver us out of all our afflictions 1 Pet. 5.6 Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all God hath promised when he seeth it to be most for our good and for his own glory to preserve us from afflictions Psal 121.7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil he shall preserve thy soul Psal 32.7 Thou art my hiding place thou shalt preserve me from trouble thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance but when he doth not preserve us from trouble he hath promised to deliver us out of trouble Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me SECT 13. 13. Endeavour to demean your selves in such sort towards God that you may prevail with him to continue still to watch over and preserve both your persons houses and substance If you ask what you should do that you may engage the Lord to continue his preservation of your persons and substance I answer 1. Walk in the fear of the Lord and serve him with an upright and sincere heart Satan saith of Job who was an upright man one that feared God and eschewed evil Job 1.9,10 Doth Job fear God for nought Hast not thou made an hedge about him and about his house and about all that he hath on every side Thou hast blessed the work of his hands and encreased his substance in the land Prov.
from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must cease from those sins which did provoke God to send this sore Judgment Until the cause of a Judgment be removed we can have but little hope it should cease What sins they are that provoke God to send this dreadful Judgment of Fire hath been shewn before Quest 2. Sect. 4. If we cease from our sins and return unto God we may hope and expect that God will cease from his mighty Judgments Mal. 3.7,11,12 Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes And all Nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a a delight some land After Judea had been wasted with Fire and Sword the Lord promiseth if they would cease from their sins he would remove his Judgments Isa 1.7,16,17,19,26 Your Cities are burnt with Fire cease to do evil learn to do well If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness the faithful City 4. If we would have no more such dreadful Fires we must labour to pacifie Gods anger that is kindled against us The mighty Judgments of God that have fallen upon us viz. the Sword the great Pestilence and this dreadful Fire are tokens of great wrath against this Nation and we may fear in regard there is so little reformation that notwithstanding all that is come upon us the anger of the Lord is not turned away but that his hand is stretched out still as it is said three times of Israel after mentioning great and sore Judgment For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 9.12,17,21 Wherefore we must endeavour to pacifie and turn away the Lords anger else we may expect that the same Judgments will return or some others as dreadful as any of these will fall upon us Now if you ask How shall we get Gods anger turned away from the Nation I shall instance only in these two means 1. Gods chosen ones must get into the gap and cry mightily to God in the Name of Jesus Christ that he would turn away his fierce anger that is kindled against us The Prayers of impenitent sinners cannot prevail with God to turn from his wrath but the Prayers of his Saints and Servants will cause him to lay aside his anger Psal 106.23 He said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Jer. 18.20 Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them What Prayers the servants of God put up to God in the Name of Jesus Christ are presented by the Lord Jesus unto his Father Heb. 7.25 Rev. 8.3 and when the Lord Jesus interceeds with his Father for the turning away of his wrath from a Nation or a particular person his request shall certainly be granted Zech. 1.12,13 The Angel of the Lord said O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words and presently after comes tidings of the ceasing of Gods wrath and his returning with mercy to Jerusalem ver 16. 17. Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies My Cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem 2. We must every one turn from his evil wayes and turn unto the Lord with all our hearts and then his wrath shall be turned away from us Jonah 3.8,9 Let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Hos 14.1,4 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and when Israel did return at the call of God hear what God saith unto him ver 4. I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever 5. If we would have God cease from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must set our faith on work on the blood of Christ and on the Promises of God It was the blood of the Sacrifice that made atonement under the law both for particular persons and for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 17.11 It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul And as the blood of the Sacrifice made atonement for particular persons so also for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 4.13,14,17,18,20 These Sacrifices did type out the blood of Christ and signified to us that faith in Christs blood is the way to procure an atonement for our souls and to render God propitious after he hath been provoked to anger by our sins Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This blood of Christ is available to make atonement for whole Nations as well as particular persons Isa 52.15 He shall sprinkle many Nations And as we should set our faith on work upon Christs blood so also on Gods promises If you ask what promises I answer such Promises wherein God hath promised to cease his Judgments after he hath for a long time been sorely contending with a people We have divers promises to this purpose I will mention some of them Lam. 4.22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished O Daughter of Zion he will no more carry thee away into captivity he will visit thine Iniquity O Daughter of Edom he will discover thy sins Nah. 1.12 Though I have afflicted thee I will afflict thee no more Isa 51.21,22,23 Hear now this thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling yea even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee Isa 60.18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy Borders but thou shalt call thy Walls salvation and thy Gates praise Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirits should fail before me and the souls which I have made Zeph. 3.15 The Lord hath taken away thy Judgments he hath cast out thine Enemy the King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more Faith is of great force for preventing and removing of National Judgments and the procuring of National Mercies Heb. 11.32,34 Who through faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of aliens We may see here what great things have been done by faith it hath subdued Kingdoms it hath vanquished and put to flight great and puissant Armies it hath prevailed against the â—orest of Judgements as Fire Sword wild Beasts c. By Faith and Prayer we may even as it were hold Gods hands from destroying a Nation when they are lifted up to destroy a sinful people Exod. 32.9,10 And the Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation Though the Lord was exceedingly provoked against Israel yet by the Faith and Prayer of Moses his hands were held that he did not destroy them Moses takes hold of the Covenant and pleads that in Prayer and thereby prevailed with God to turn from his wreth and to repent of the evil that he thought to do unto the people of Israel ver 11 12 13 14. The Lord stir up the like Spirit of Faith and Pryer in his Servants in this Nation that they that make mention of the Name of the Lord may never hold their peace day nor night but may cry mightily to the Lord and give him no rest until they have prevailed with him through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ to turn from the fierceness of his anger and to cease contending with us by his mighty Judgments and until he establish and make us a praise in the Earth FINIS
substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Our Lord Jesus pronounceth those blessed which believe what they see not Joh. 20.29 Jesus saith unto him Thomas because thou hast seen me thou hast believed blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed 3. What though you cannot see or think which way you should be maintained God is able to do abundantly more than you are able to think Ephes 3.20 To him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think according to the power that worketh in us God hath hidden riches such as no man knoweth of to give his servants when and where he seeth good Isa 45.3 I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places that thou mayest know that I the Lord which call thee by thy name am the God of Israel God oft-times gives wicked men hidden treasure David speaking of Gods Providence towards the wicked saith Psal 17.14 Whose belly thou fillest with thy hid treasure And cannot he find out hidden treasure for his servants even such as they think not of 4. What visible maintenance did Jesus Christ give his Disciples when he sent them on a journey and bid them Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses nor scrip for your journey neither two coats neither shooes nor yet staves Matth. 10.9,10 yet he provided so carefully for them that they lacked nothing Luk. 22.35 He said unto them When I sent you without purse and scrip and shooes lacked ye any thing and they said Nothing What visible maintenance did God give the children of Israel in the Wilderness As for bread they had none but what fell from heaven and of that they had but for the day excepting on the sixth day wherein they were to gather a double portion on other days if they kept any till the morning it bred worms and stank and what fell in the morning was dried up when the Sun was hot Exod. 16.4,19,20,21,22 so that God gave them nothing before hand but put them upon living by faith for their dayly bread And as for flesh though God had given them a promise that they should eat flesh a month together Moses himself was put to a great stand to think how such a vast multitude should be fed with flesh in the Wilderness Numb 11.21,22,23 Moses said the people amongst whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen and thou hast said I will give them flesh that they may eat a whole month Shall the Flocks and the Heards be slain for them to suffice them or shall all the Fish of the Sea he gathered together for them to suffice them And the Lord said unto Moses Is the Lords hand maxed short thou shalt see now whether my words shall come to pass unto thee or not Now though God kept this people in such dependance on himself that for forty years together he did not give them one days bread before hand excepting every sixt day but they were to expect it a new from heaven every day yet all that forty years he did so carefully and constantly provide for that great multitude that they lacked nothing Dept. 2.7 The Lord thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thine hand he knoweth thy walking through this great Wilderness these forty years the Lord thy God hath been with thee thou hast lacked nothing Neb. 9.21 Yea forty years didst thou sustain them in the Wilderness so that they lacked nothing their clothe waxed not old and their feet swelled not 5. The Birds have nothing before hand neither do they know one day where they shall have their food the next yet God provideth for them every day Matt. 6.26 And why should not you depend upon God for your daily bread though you know not one day how or which way you shall be provided for the next If you say The Birds have a greater latitude than we have they may take their meat where they can get it they being under no law are under no transgression we are bound up by the Law of God not to meddle with that which belongs to other men I answer The Birds do not find out or gather any thing but what God gives them Psal 104.28 That thou givest them they gather thou openest thine hand they are filled with good Matth. 6.26 Your heevenly Father feedeth them 6. Consider the examples of Gods servants who have trusted God at such times as they could not see how or which way those mercies should be given them which they stood in need of When Isaac said unto Abraham My-Father Behold the fire and wood but where is the Lamb for a burnt offering Abraham said My son God will provide himself a Lamb for a burnt offering Gen. 22.7,8 Abraham could not tell how or which way God would provide a Lamb for a burnt offering yet he did rest upon God that he would do it If troubled thoughts arise in your hearts and you begin to say within your selves where shall I have bread for my self and for my family answer your selves as Abraham did Isaac God will provide bread for me and mine When Mordecai could not tell how or which way deliverance should come to the Jews there being but one way visible and that was by Esther but she was loath to appear and hazard her self by interceeding for them but he for all this rests upon God that if this means failed deliverance should come some other way Esth 4.14 If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place Object 2. I am a simple shiftless person and besides I have no friends to take care of me or look after me and now my Estate is gone and my Calling fails I shall not be able to live I could trust God for a livelyhood if I could shift for my self in the world as others can do and had any friends to look after me but I and both shiftless and friendless Answ 1. You are not more shiftless now than you were in your infancy yet then God provided for you when you were a little Infant and could not shift for your self God drew you out of your Mothers womb and fed you and clothed you and defended and supported you Psal 71.6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb thou art he that took me out of my Mothers bowels my praise shall be continually of thee 2. If you had never so much craft and subtilty yet you could not get a subsistance without the help of Gods Providence for all the devices of the crafty come to nought when God succeedeth them not Job 5.12 He disappointeth the devices of the crafty so that their hands cannot perform their enterprize Your want of subtilty is no impediment to Gods Providence he by his wisdom is able to provide for those that have little or no wisdom to order their affairs as