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
wherefore thou contendest with me If any ask How shall we come to finde out for what sins God is contending with us I answer 1. Go to God and pray to him as Job did to shew you why he contendeth with you Job 10.2 Job 13.23 and after you have sought to God to discover the cause of his controversie observe what sins he brings to your remembrance and sets before you and gives you secret intimations from his Spirit that for such and such a sin he is now correcting you In times of affliction God is wont by his Spirit to present to the view of our souls the sins for which he corrects us Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then be sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity 2. Consider what sin your consciences suggested to you when God first sent your affliction upon you for oft-times God represents to us by our consciences what the sin is for which he contendeth with us as we may see in Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 3. Search into Gods word and see for what sins God hath been wont to impoverish men and bring them low in their Estates and also for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and if you finde that you have been guilty of the same sins you may then know for what sins you have suffered the loss of your Estates by the late Fire I will give some instances in both kindes 1. For what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and they are such as these 1. Unbelief and distrust of the promises and providence of God Psal 78.21,22 A fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation 2. Neglect of prayer and seeking after God Amos 5.6 Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live lest he break out like Fire in the house of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel 3. Forsaking of God after we have had much experience of Gods goodness in guiding us and delivering us from many dangers and bestowing many other mercies upon us Jer. 2.15,17 His cities are burnt without inhabitant Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way 4. Neglecting to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual manner or prophaning it by doing service or sinful works Jer. 17.28 If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched 5. Taking of bribes to pervert justice Job 15.24 The congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Bribery 6. Oppression and unjust and unrighteous dealings Job 20.19,26 Because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house that he builded not all darkness shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume him it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle 7. Pride Idleness fulness of Bread and neglect of the poor Ezek. 16.49,50 Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her Daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy and they were haughty and committed abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good Now the way by which God took away Sodom for these sins was by fire Gen. 19.24 8. Resting in outward Reformation without seeking after a renewed heart Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings 9. Murmuring at any of Gods Providences though they be such as bring us into straits Numb 11.1 When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp 10. Mocking and misusing of Gods Ministers 2 Chron. 36.16,17,19 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the Sword And they burnt the House of God and brake down the Wall of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire 11. Changing Gods Ordinances and breaking his Covenant Isa 24.5,6 Because they have transgressed the Laws and changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned and few men left 12. Sins of uncleanness as Fornication Adultery c. for these God consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven as we may see Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 13. Idolatry Deut. 32.16,21,22,24 They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction Several other sins for which God hath threatned this judgment of fire you may see in the first and second chapters of Amos and also in other Scriptures which I shall not mention Consider also for what sins God hath taken away or diminished others estates and brought them low and afflicted them with poverty and that may help you to find out your sins for which God hath impoverished you It is true that sometimes God takes away his Peoples estates to exercise and try their graces as we see in the case of Job but usually when he brings us low and bereaves us of our Estates it is for our sins Psal 106.43 They provoked him with their counsels and were brought
is spent upon your lusts that is not spent to Gods glory for it is mentioned by the Apostle as a vice to spend those things which God gives us upon our lusts James 4.3 Ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your lusts Now no vice glorisieth God 2. Let the abundance wherewith God hath blessed you raise up your hearts to serve God more chearfully than other men who want what you enjoy It is said of Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 17.5,6 The Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought Jehoshaphat presents and he had riches and honour in abundance and his heart was lift up or as 't is in the Margin was encouraged in the wages of the Lord. God is displeased when our riches produce not this effect to make us serve the Lord with chearfulness Deut. 28.47,48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and with 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 3. Do good according to your ability with what God hath given you feed the hungry cloath the naked relieve the Fatherless and the Widows then you glorifie God with your Estates when you do good with them and relieve the poor and the needy Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor He that ministreth to others necessities be it more or less if it be according to the ability that God hath given him glorifieth God 1 Pet. 4.10,11 As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man minister let him do it as of the ability that God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ Wherefore give freely and liberally upon all occasions to such as are in necessity remembring how the Scriptures charge and encourage you to give bountifully to the poor let me minde you of a few places to this purpose 1 Tim. 6.17,18 Charge them that are rich in this world that they do good that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to communicate laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life 2 Cor. 9.6 This I say He which soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap bountifully Prov. 11.25 The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be watered also himself Luke 6.38 Give and it shall be given unto you good measure pressed down and shaken together and running ever shall men give into your bosom for with the same measure that ye meet withal it shall be measured to you again Prov. 22.9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed for he giveth of his bread to the poor Eccles 11.1,2 Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt finde it after many dayes Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth If any say There are so many sufferers by this Fire and so many objects of Charity that we know not where to bestow our Charity seeing we are not able to relieve all who are they whom we are obliged in an especial manner to relieve with our Charity I answer 1. If you have any near Relations that are in want you ought in an especial manner to take care to relieve them 1 Tim. 5.4 If any Widows have Children or Nephews let them learn first to shew piety at home and to requite their Parents for that is good and acceptable before God and ver 8. If any provide not for his own and especially for those of his own house he hath denied the faith and is worse than an Infidel When Job had lost his Estate all his brethren and all his sisters and all they that had been of his acquaintance before gave him every one a piece of money and an ear-ring of gold Job 42.11 2. If you know any godly men to be in want you should in an especial manner be careful to relieve their wants Gal. 6.10 Let us do good unto all men especially unto them who are of the houshold of faith and as you should have respect unto godly men above others so in a more peculiar manner to godly Ministers When the Apostle Paul who was a Minister of Christ was relieved in his necessities by the Philippians see how acceptable this was unto the Lord Phil. 4.18 I have all and abound I am full having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God The smallest kindness that we can imagine done to any of Christs servants whether Ministers or others upon this account because they belong to Christ shall not go without a reward Mark 9.41 Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my Name because ye belong to Christ verily I say unto you He shall not lose his reward 3. Such as are in greatest want and necessity either because they are burdened with Children or have formerly lived plentifully and so know not how to bear a low condition such as on any account are brought into a necessitous condition and are like to perish for want of relief these ought in an especial manner to be looked after and relieved Job 29.13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me Lev. 25.35 If thy brother be waxen poor and fallen in decay with thee then thou shalt relieve him yea though he be a stranger or a sojourner that he may live with thee Here we are directed what sort of persons we should relieve 1. We are to relieve such as have lived well formerly and are waxen poor and fallen in decay whether he be a brother or a stranger 2. We are to relieve those that live in the places where we live before others at a farther distance If a brother be fallen in decay with thee thou shalt relieve him 3. Such as know not how to live without some relief that he may live But as was said before if the necessity of persons fearing God be as great as other mens their necessities are to be considered before others Rom. 12.13 Distributing to the necessity of Saints and if we know or hear of any of Gods servants that are in want we should send relief to them though they live in places that are at great distance from us The Disciples of Antioch sent relief as far as Judea to the distressed Servants of Christ Acts 11.29 Then the Disciples every man according to his ability determined to send relief to the brethren which dwelt in Judea 4. Such persons as are most shiftless and friendless as Widows Fatherless
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
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 puzzled and ready to stumble at the mysteriousness and unaccountableness of any of Gods providences either towards the wicked or the godly it is good for us to have recourse to the word of God which is the best commentary in the world to explain the nature of Gods Providence When David was under the forementioned temptation he got relief by going into the sanctuary Psal 73.16,17 The word fully sets forth the miserable estate of the wicked in the heighth of their prosperity and the happy condition of godly men in their greatest adversity which may take off the Servants of God from repining at their own afflictions or fretting at the prosperity of wicked men 3. It is not meet that we should take upon us to finde any fault with God in his governing the world It is enough for us to minde our own duty we must let God alone to do what seemeth him good Christ rebuked Peter when he having heard what should befal him was curious to know what suffering John should meet with John 21.21,22 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus Lord and what shall this man do Jesus saith unto him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me You may see enough in your selves to justifie God in all that he hath brought upon you and which if God saw meet to spare some remarkable sinners to try if his long-suffering and goodness and the riches of his Grace will lead them to repentance shall your eye be evil because od is good It is expresly against the minde of God that you should fret at the prosperity of wicked men Psal 37.1,7 Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass 4. They that are the servants of God have no cause to repine at their own afflictions or the prosperity of wicked men as may appear on divers accounts as 1. When the servants of God are chastened here it is that they may not be condemned hereafter 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world But when wicked men enjoy a constant course of prosperity and the goodness of God doth not lead them to repentance it is a token that God intends to destroy them for ever Psal 92.7 When the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever 2. The Servants of God get more good by their afflictions than wicked men do by their prosperity for Prov. 1.32 The prosperity of Fools shall destroy them but the Servants of God can say with David Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted 3. The blessings of this life are all the portion that God intends to give unto wicked men Psal 17.13.14 Deliver my soul from the wicked from the men of this world that have their portion in this life but as for godly men God hath laid up wonderful great things for them in heaven Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee He hath laid up for them such things as we never saw with our eyes nor ever heard with our ears 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him He hath made godly men heirs of himself and of all that he hath Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ Now Christ is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 and if Christians be joynt heirs with Christ then are they also heirs of all things As the Father of the Prodigal Child quieted his eldest Son when he repined and was discontented with the bountiful Provision that was made for his Brother the fatted Calf and the best Robe a Ring c. when himself had not a Kid to make merry with his friends Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine Luke 15.31 The like may be said to such of the servants of God as are under a temptation to repine and be discontented because they have but little and many that follow the same course that the Prodigal Son did enjoy abundance and have sustained no losses ye shall ever be with the Lord and all the blessings of Heaven are yours and shall be your portion for ever And is not this enough to satisfie you SECT 17. Object 17. It is not my own private loss that troubleth me I could have born that contentedly if only I and my family had suffered and been undone by this fire but I am much afflicted to see London the glory of England the chief and principal City of this Nation laid in ashes and to see so many magnificent Buildings so many goodly Churches stately Halls fair Houses useful Hospitals c. demolished It grieves me to think of the many thousand families that are ruined by this fire and of the great difficulties and hardship that many good people are like to meet with who lived very comfortably whilst this City stood in its glory It troubleth me to think of the decay of Trade and poverty and misery that is like to follow this dreadful fire If it had not been such a general sore dreadful judgment I should not have been so much troubled at it as now I am Answ 1. It is the duty of all the Inhabitants of this Land to lay to heart and to be much affected with this solemn hand of God When the Amalekites had burnt Ziglag with fire it is said 1 Sam. 30.1,4 David and the people that were with him lift up their voyce and wept until they had no more power to weep Ziglag was not comparable to London and if David and his men wept till they could weep no more for the burning of such a small place as Ziglag How ought we to be affected at the burning of this famous City When but two persons Nadad and Abihu had suffered by fire that came out from the Lord and devoured them God calls to all Israel to lament the burning Lev. 10.1,2,6 Let your Brethren the whole house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled How much more are we concerned to bewail this burning wherein so many thousand families have been sufferers When Nehemiah heard of the affliction of the Jews and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the Gates thereof burnt with fire he sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed Neh. 1.2,3,4 yet then Nehemiah was in a very good condition in respect of his own concernments he was in great favour at the Court he had a great place he was the Kings Cup-bearer and when the King demanded of him why his
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
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
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
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
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 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