day and after his sickness he composed a Song or Psalm to set forth Gods praise and resolved to sing this Song in the house of God all the dayes of his life Isa 38.9,20 The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness then follows the Song it self to the 20. verse where he expresseth his resolution by way of gratitude to sing this Song all the dayes of his life The Lord was ready to save me therefore we will sing my Song to the stringed Instruments all the dayes of our life in the house of the Lord. Yet notwithstanding all this Hezekiah is taxed with not returning according to the benefit done unto him 6. They whose Houses and Estates have been preserved from this dreadful Fire may know what they ought to return to God for this great deliverance by observing what the Servants of God have returned unto the Lord at such times as God hath vouchsafed unto them any eminent deliverances though it were not a deliverance from Fire but from some other evil and also by considering what special duties God calleth for in his holy Word from such as have escaped those judgments that have fallen upon other men or have received any other signal mercy from the Lord. These things being premised I shall now answer the third Question SECT 1. 1. Render to God your love for his great mercy in preserving your houses and substance from being consumed by this Fire God deserves to be loved by all those whom he preserveth from any evils Ps 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful When David was in a wonderful manner delivered from the hands of his enemies he resolves with himself that he would love God with an entire and an endeared love for the deliverances he had received from him Psal 18. ver 1. compared with the title of the Psalm A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this Song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul and he said I will love the Lord my strength The Hebrew word that is used in this place signifieth more then barely to love it notes an inward entire cordial love it is translated by Junius and also by Piscator Exintimis visceribus diligam te And at another time when David was communing with his own heart about what return he should make to God for delivering him from the gates of death upon his crying to him Ps 116.3,4,12 he determins to give God his love verse 1. I love the Lord because he heard my voice and my supplications That thing which a Christian prizeth most and desireth of God above all other things is his love Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life So it is with God that which he prizeth most from us and that which he desireth above all other things is that we should give him our love Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Cant. 4.10 How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse how much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine oyntment than all spices If any ask which way shall we express our love to God for this great deliverance I answer 1. By hating and abhorring all evil and endeavouring to root out all manner of sin both from your selves and your families Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Sin is an abominable thing in the sight of God and therefore he entreateth us that if we love him we would not do that which his soul hateth Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate 2. Express your love to God by being careful to keep his Commandments John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments 2 John 6. This is love that we walk after his Commandments God accounted obedience of his Commandments a truer token of love than the offering of a multitude of sacrifices in those times when sacrifices were in use 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams 3. Express your love to God by doing all the service you can for his Saints and Servants You cannot be any wayes beneficial to God but you may be to his people Psal 16.2,3 My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And what you do for them the Lord will account of it as done unto himself Math. 25.40 Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Three times our Lord Jesus calls upon Peter to express his love to him by doing good to his members Joh. 21.15,16,17 Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these He saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my Lambs He saith unto him the second time Lovest thou me He saith unto him yea Lord He saith unto him Feed my Sheep He saith unto him the third time Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep SECT 2. 2. They that have sustained little or no loss by this dreadful fire wherein so many thousands of persons and families have suffered very deeply have great cause to give thanks unto God for sparing and delivering their substance and their houses from this devouring Fire The Prophet Isaiah having mentioned altime of great desolation wherein a little remnant should escape telleth us what this remnant should render unto the Lord Isa 24.13,14 When thus it shall be in the midst of the Land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an Olive Tree and as the gleaning Grapes when the vintage is done they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord Four times in one Psalm doth the Holy Ghost call upon the children of men to praise the Lord for delivering them out of their distresses Psal 107.8,15,21,31 O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men When David was delivered from the hands of violent men he was much affected with the mercy of God and determines to give God hearty thanks for it Psal 18.48,49 Thou hast delivered me from the violent man therefore will I give thanks unto thee O Lord among the Heathen and sing praise unto thy Name To be delivered from the violence
and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth Revel 21.8 The fearful and unbelieving and the Abominable and Murderers and Whoremongers and Sorcerers and Idolaters and all Liars shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Hell fire is so dreadful that you should be willing to do any thing and to suffer any thing so that you may not be cast into Hell fire when you die If you have any sins as profitable to you as your right hand or as dear to you as your right eye you had better a thousand times part with those sins suffer pain and damage and enter into life than retain your sins and be cast into Hell fire when you die Mar. 9.43,44,45,46,47,48 If thy hand offend thee cut it off for it is better for thee to enter into life maimed than having two hands to go into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thy foot offend thee cut it off it is better for thee to enter halt into life than having two feet to be cast into Hell into the fire that never shall be quenched where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched And if thine Eye offend thee pluck it out it is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into Hell fire where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched SECT 10. 10. Trust in God for a livelyhood Though your Estates be gone and Trading fail and Times should be hard yet God will not fail you nor forsake you if you trust in him but he will feed you and clothe you and provide all things that are necessary for you Psal 37.3 Trust in the Lord and do good so shalt thou dwell in the Land and verily thou shalt be fed Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversations be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee These Hebrews as I have hinted before had suffered the spoiling of their goods as we may see Chap. 10.34 and now they might be full of fears that they should not be able to live but the Apostle bids them be content with such things as they had for the Lord would not leave them nor forsake them Consider 1. God knows that you need food and rayment for your bodies as well as grace for your souls Matth. 6.32 Your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things and as he knoweth what and how great your needs are so he will take care to supply all your needs Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus 2. God made provision for you long before you had a being the Kingdom of Heaven was prepared for Gods Saints and Servants before they were born for it was made ready for them from the foundation of the world Matth. 25.34 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Yea before the world began from all Eternity God made preparation for your eternal happiness Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began Now if God made provision for your eternal happiness before you had a being then doubt not but he will provide for you that little time that you have to continue in this world 3. God hath given you better and greater things then food and rayment he hath given you life bodies and souls Matth. 6.25 Take no thought for your life what you shall eat or what ye shall drink nor yet for your body what ye shall put on is not the life more than meat and the body than rayment God hath not with-holden his only Son from you and do you think that he will with-hold food and raiment from you who gave you his own Son Rom. 8.32 He that spared not his own Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things 4. A good man will give his servants convenient food though he have never so many Luk. 15.17 How many hired servants of my Fathers have bread enough and to spare And do you think our good and gracious God will deny his servants their necessary food Doth not God clothe the grass which is but of few dayes continuance And do you think that he will deny you rayment who are made for an eternal state Matth. 6.28,29,30 Why take ye thought for rayment consider the Lillies of the field how they grow they toil not neither do they spin and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arayed like one of these wherefore if God so clothe the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more clothe you O ye of little faith God out of his mercy giveth food to all his creatures Psal 136.25 Who giveth food to all flesh for his mercy endureth for ever He feedeth the Birds and the Beasts Job 38.41 He provideth for the Raven his food when his young ones cry unto God Psal 147.9 He giveth to the Beast his food And do ye think that he who is styled The Preserver of Men Job 7.20 will not provide food for the sons and daughters of men If you think that the Lord is or will be more mindful of the Birds and Beasts than of Men you wrong him exceedingly Matth. 6.26 Behold the Fowls of the Air for they sow not neither do they reap nor gather into barns yet your heavenly Father feedeth them Are ye not much better than they But of this you may see more Quest 1. pag. 75 76 77 c. Sect. 3 4. Object If any say I could trust God for a livelyhood if I could but see which way I should be able to live but when I have considered which way I should be able to maintain my self and my family I can't see or think of any way whereby I and mine should be maintained and this makes me that I can't tell how to trust in God for a subsistance Answ 1. You have strange thoughts of God if you will trust him no farther than you can see him you will trust a dishonest man as far as you can see him And what a reproach is this to the holy God to trust him no farther than you will trust a dishonest man 2. The property of true faith is to perswade the soul as firmly that those things which God hath promised shall be although we neither do or can see them as we are perswaded of those things which we see evidently with our eye Heb. 11.1 Faith is the
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
every Promise of his Covenant which relates to our temporal as well as our spiritual welfare Psal 111.5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant 3. Consider what great a care God hath for the satisfying of such as are hungry 1. It hath been his manner of old to provide good things for the hungry Luk. 1.53 He hath filled the hungry with good things When the Israelites were hungry in the Wilderness he gave them bread from heaven to satisfie their hunger and fetched water out of a Rock to quench their thirst Neb. 9.15 Thou gavest them Bread from Heaven for their hunger and broughtest forth Water for them out of the Rock for their thirst He caused the Ravens to bring bread and flesh to feed Elijah in a time of famine 1 King 17.6 The Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening The Ravens of their own nature would rather devour and eat a mans flesh than bring him bread and flesh to preserve his life so Prov. 30.17 so that we see that God hath altered the course of Nature and wrought miracles to satisfie his peoples hunger And as he hath done great things of old for the satisfying the hungry and relieving the poor and needy so he hath promised to be mindful of them in all ages and to do wonderful and unusual things rather than they shall perish for want of necessary food as you may see in the fore-quoted Promises Isa 41.17,18 Psal 111.5 and he will keep his truth for ever in these as well as in his other Promises Psal 146.6,7 Which keepeth truth for ever which executeth judgment for the oppressed which giveth foed to the hungry 2. Gods care of hungry persons appears by the strict charge which he hath given to those that have ability to feed the hungry they must be so careful hereof that they must not neglect giving food to such as are hungry though they have been their Enemies Rom. 12.20 If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink He hath not only commanded us to feed the hungry but also hath promised great rewards to such as feed the hungry Isa 58.20 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Matth. 25.34,15 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an bungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink see farther Psal 41.1,2,3 yea so careful is God of hungry persons that he threatens to condemn those at the day of judgment who have neglected to feed the hungry Matth. 25.41,42 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink May not this care that God hath of the hungry incourage you to trust in God in your greatest straits when you fear that you shall perish with hunger 4. Consider that God is wont to be seen in the Mount our extremity is Gods opportunity When the Widows Provision was all spent to an handful of Meal and a little Oyl in a Cruse and she knew not where to have any more but verily thought that she and her son must die then cometh Elijah and multiplyeth her Provision so that she and all her family were nourished during the time of the famine 1 King 17.12,13,14,15,16 When all the water that was in Hagars bottle was spent and she knew not where to have any more but thought that she and her child must die and had cast the child under a shrub saying Let me not see the death of the child then God opened her eyes and shewed her a well of water by her Gen. 21.15,16,19 When the Altar was built whereon Isaac was to be sacrificed and the wood was laid in order and Isaac was bound and laid upon the Altar and Alraham's hand was stretched out and he had taken his knife then the Angel of God calls to him out of Heaven to spare Isaac and shews him a Ram that was provided to be facrificed in Isaac's stead Gen. 22.9,10,11,12,13 And this act of Gods Providence in refcuing Isaac when he was at the point of death was recorded to strengthen the faith of all Gods servants in all ages that they may trust in God in their greatest extremities as we may see Vers 14. 5. Consider how easie a thing it is with God to provide for you seeing he is the Lord of the whole world and hath all the times of the Sea and all the fowls of the Air and all the creatures of the Earth at his disposal Psal 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 50.10,11 Every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowls of the Mountains and the wild Beasts of the Field are mine yea he can if he please sustain you by his Word without giving of you bread Deut. 8.3 And he himbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live God can send an Angel from Heaven to bring you Provision as he did to Elijah when he fled into the Wilderness to save his life 1 King 19.3,4,5,6 God can turn stones into bread Mat. 3.9 God is able of these Stones toraise up Children unto Abraham If God can raise up Children from Stones he can also turn stones into Bread to nourish the Children of Abraham 6. Consider how willing God is to relieve you he is not only able but willing to feed the hungry This will appear from what was said concerning the care that God takes of such as are hungry Consider 3. However I shall add something farther concerning Gods willingness to supply your wants because it is no easie matter to trust in God when we come into great straits 1. Earthly Parents will not deny their Children Bread when they are hungry and cry for it Mat. 7.9,10 What man is there of you whom if his Son ask Bread will he give him a Stone or if he ask a Fish will he give him a Serpent And God our heavenly Father is more willing to give good things to us when we ask for them than Parents are to give good things to their Children Vers 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him 2. God hath regard to the dry ground though it lie in a desolate place in a
Wilderness where no man cometh to satisfie it with Rain from Heaven when it is thirsty Job 38.25,26,27 Who hath divided a water-course for the over-flowing of waters or away for the lightning of Thunder to cause it to rain on the Earth where no man is on the Wilderness where there is no man to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Can it enter into your hearts to think that God should forget you in your necessity when as he remembereth the dry and thirsty ground even that which is desolate and lyeth wast The Sparrows are Birds of a small value yet God doth not forget any of them but gives them their meat in due season Luk. 12.6 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God fear not therefore you are of mere value than many Sparrows If God do not forget a Sparrow you may certainly conclude that he will not forget you 3. God wisheth his people were in such a condition that he might without doing them hurt feed them with the very best of his Creatures for The Lord hath pleasure in the prosperity of his sorvants Psal 35.27 He is very unwilling to afflict them either with hunger or any other affliction Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men If we would be obedient to his voice he would continue our plenty if after he hath taken it away our scarcity lead us to repentance he will restore our plenty again Psal 81.13,15,16 Oh that my people had bearkened unto me and Israel had walked in may wayes their time should have eddured for for ever he should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat and with boney out of the rock should I have satisfied them 4. The Lord Jesus takes notice who they are that have nothing to eat and are in danger of fainting for want of food and is very full of compassion toward those that are in such a condition The Bowels of his Compassion did so yearn towards the multitude that had been three dayes without food and were in danger to faint that he wrought a miracle to feed them Mark 8.1,2,3 c. It may be some will say Since God brought me into distress I have manifested much unbelif and distrust notwithstanding I have formerly had great experience of Gods goodness and therefore I am afraid now he will suffer me to starve and look no more after me Answ If you humble your selves for your unbelief God will both pardon your sin and give you a plentiful supply of your wants The Jews who had seen God providing for them in a wonderful manner did in their straits discover a great deal of distrust Psal 78.19,20 They spake against God they said Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams over flowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Yet God did fully supply all their wants ver 25. He sent them meat to the full And also passed by their transgressions ver 38. He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not God is wont to chasten his children for their unbelief but not to break his promises made to them Zacharias was struck dumb for his unbelief yet his sin did not hinder the fulfilling of the promise that was accomplished in its season Luke 1.20 Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season Rom. 3.3,4 Shall their unbelief make the Faith of God without effect God forbid SECT 11. 11. If by this affliction you are or should hereafter be brought into such great straits as that you know not what to do but are like a man at his wits end that knoweth not which way to winde or turn himself to get out of his troubles be not dismayed at it but look up unto God and commit your selves and all your affairs unto him cry to the Lord to help you and though he do not presently deliver you yet trust in him that he will deliver you in his own good time and wait patiently upon him for his help how great soever your straits are and though it be very long before he send you deliverance Thus the servants of God in former times were wont to do when their condition was so distressed they knew not what to do they looked to the Lord to help them 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Psal 22.4,5 Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cryed unto thee and mere delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psalm 40.1,2 I waited patiently for the Lord and he â—nclined unto me and heard my cry he brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings I will adde some things by way of encourage ment to encourage you to trust in God and to wail patiently upon him when you are in such great straies that you know not what to do 1. When you know not what to do God knows what to do for you We read John 6.5 When Jesus list up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him he said unto Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat Philip was at a loss he knew not whence they should have bread enough to suffice such a multitude as you may see ver 7. But though Philip knew not how or which way such a multitude should be provided for Christ did ver 6. This he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do When a godly mans temptations are such as he knoweth not which way he should be delivered God knows how to deliver him 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations If such thoughts should arise in your hearts as through the suggestion of Satan possibly they may that your straits are so great that the way of your deliverance is not only hid from your eyes but hid from God also and that it is above the wisdom of God to know how to deliver you abominate all such wicked and ungodly thoughts and remember that Gods Wisdom is infinite far above what we can search into Isa 40.27,28 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his under standing Psal 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great power his under standing is infinite Those things which seem invincible
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
wilt not put an end to thy miseries but wilt plunge thy self irrecoverably into far greater miseries than those that thou lyest under how great and many soever thy troubles be for Murderers shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Now all the troubles of this life are nothing compared with the torments of Hell if it were possible for one man to have all the pains and tortures inflicted upon him that have been endured by all the men upon the face of the earth since the Creation of the World and he should suffer them a thousand years this would be far short of what the damned suffer in hell What the Apostle saith of the glory that the Saints shall have in heaven Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us the same is true of the torments of hell all the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the torments that the damned in hell shall suffer to all eternity 3. It is the Devil tempts thee to put an end to thy miseries by putting an end to thy dayes God counsels thee otherwise he directs thee to a better way of getting out of thy troubles than by destroying thy self and that is by calling upon God and casting thy burdens upon him and flying for refuge to his Son Jesus Christ Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Satan desires to have thee come unto him that he may torment thee and to that end he moves thee to destroy thy self Christ calls thee to come to him that he may give thee rest Now whether is it better to obey the call of Christ which will bring rest or to follow the counsel of the Devil who seeketh nothing else but thy eternal destruction Plea 2. I lived in good credit heretofore but now my Estate is gone I must look to be despised and disrepected and slighted and I cannot tell how to bear the loss of that esteem and respect which I have had formerly I had as good dye as see my self slighted Answ 1. Though you be brought low yet if you have lowly hearts God will respect you as much as ever he did Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly He will not only respect your persons but your prayers also Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer If you live in the fear of God all good men will honour you as much as ever they did Psal 15.4 He honoureth them that fear the Lord. 2. If you should meet with shame and scorn and reproach this is the hand of the Lord he is to be eyed in this as well as in other afflictions Isa 43.28 I have prophaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches Psal 44.9,13,14 Thou hast cast off and put us to shame Thou makst us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and division to them that are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen a shaking of the head among the people and seeing it is the Lords doing you must bear it patiently you must not in anger cast away your lives because God hath taken away your repute and honour 3. Suppose you should lose that credit and respect which you have had in the world if you continue in well-doing God will give you immortal honour and eternal glory in the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 2.6,7 Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But by destroying your selves you deprive your selves of eternal glory for all murderers shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven Rev. 22.15 Without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers Plea 3. I am afraid I shall be in want or be driven to beg my bread or must be forced to live upon others and I had better dye than live in want or live to be a burden to my self and others or beg my bread Answ 1. God hath given his Servants many encouragements to hope that they shall not want or if they be brought into a necessitous condition that they shall have their wants supplied 2. We should endeavour what we can to maintain our selves without being burdensome to others 2 Cor. 11.9 In all things I have kept my self from being burden some to you and so will I keep my self Acts 20.34,35 Yea you your selves know that these hands have ministred unto my necessities and to them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive 3. If God should bring you so low as to live upon alms yet this should not make you weary of your lives there are many of Gods children that shall reign with Christ in heaven to all eternity that received alms whilst they were upon the earth as is evident from Matth. 25.35,36,40 Yea Christ himself when he was upon earth received alms Luke 8.1,2,3 Suppose you should be put to beg for your living yet know 1. That it is better to beg than to sin better to beg than destroy your selves for the one is but an affliction the other is a grievous sin 2. Lazarus who was an heir of heaven whose soul was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom was so poor that he begged his bread and would have been glad to have had the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table Luke 16.20.21,22 There was a certain beggar that was named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table moreover the dogs came and licked his Sores And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom 3. Our Lord Jesus in his thirst asks a draught of water of a woman of Samaria John 4.7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her Give me to drink 4. If you should be brought to beg your bread the Lord will not forsake you in this desolate condition but will give you his gracious presence Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous for saken nor his seed begging bread It is not ordinary for God to bring righteous persons or their seed to beg their bread but when he doth they are not forsaken of God in that condition 5. The great God condescends so low as to
2. Such as seek to get wealth unrighteously seek their own damnation Prov. 21.6 The getting of Treasure by a lying Tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death Is eternal death such a desirable thing as that we should seek after it Doth it not come fast enough of it self Consider what dreadful judgments are denounced against such as get their Estates by unjust and unrighteous courses Job 20. from ver the 15. to ver 29. 3. If you wait upon God and put your trust in him and keep your selves honest God will be with you and provide for you a supply of all your needs Phil. 4.8,9,19 Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just think on these things And the God of peace shall be with you My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus Psal 37.3,34 Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed Wait on the Lord and keep his way and he shall exalt thee to inherit the Land Isa 33.15,16 He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly he that despiseth the gain of oppressions that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure And know this also that a little gotten honestly and in the fear of God is better than a great Estate gotten unrighteously Prov. 16.8 Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right Prov. 15.16 Better is little with the fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith 6. Another temptation which is like to attend those that have been sufferers by this fire is discontent and murmuring at their losses but I shall need to add nothing more concerning this but refer you to what is said in the first question to prevent murmuring and discontent because of the losses you have sustained by this fire SECT 13. 13. Let the loss of your Estates put you upon seeking after and making sure of those mercies and blessings which shall never be taken from you to all eternity I will mind you of some blessings which if once you can get your souls possessed of them they shall be yours for ever 1. Get an interest in God if you once get the Lord for your God and portion he will be your God and your portion for ever Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever 2. Get the grace of God implanted in your hearts when God hath bestowed saving grace upon a man that shall remain with him for ever Psal 19.9 The fear of the Lord is clear enduring for ever Joh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life 3. Make sure of the favour of God and labour to get into Covenant with him and you shall be possessed of these mercies for ever Isa 54.10 The Mountains shall depart and the Hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee 4. Seek unto God to give you the Comforter and when once you have gotten him he shall abide with you for ever Joh. 14.16 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of Truth he dwelleth with you and shall be in you Now the way to make sure of these and all other spiritual blessings is to make sure of Christ close with Christ cleave to Christ and abide with him for ever and then all spiritual blessings shall be yours for ever for all spiritual blessings are treasured up in Christ Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ and if we abide with Christ he will abide ours for ever Joh. 15.4 Abide in me and I in you SECT 14. 14. Seek unto God to restore what he hath taken from you and to make up all your losses There are two wayes of having your losses made up 1. When God shall give you as much riches as he hath taken from you 2. When he shall give you that which is as good or better than what you lost by this fire You may lawfully seek to God to restore your Estates which he hath taken from you so you seek them in Gods way Take your directions from Gods Word for the getting of riches and because many that seek after riches do not seek them in Gods way and so either fail of them or have them not with the blessing of God I shall 1. propose some encouragements to stir you up to seek riches from God in Gods way 2. I shall lay before you some directions out of Gods Word for the getting of riches Now to move you to seek your riches of God Consider 1. Riches are Gods gift he gives them to whom he seeth good 1 Chron. 29.12 Both riches and honour come of thee and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Deut. 8.18 Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth 2. God is able to make up all your losses though they be never so great and to give you as much and more than ever you had After Job had lost all his estate it is said Job 42.10,12 The Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning 2 Chron. 25.9 What shall we do for the hundred Talents And the man of God answered The Lord is able to give thee much more than this Though a man be brought very low even to beggery God can easily make him a rich man 1 Sam. 2.8 He raiseth the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghil to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the Throne of Glory 3. It is usual with God after he hath brought a man low and humbled him to raise him up again as we see in the case of Job to whom God gave twice as much as before see to this purpose Psal 66.12 We went through fire and through water but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place 1 Sam. 2.7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich he bringeth low and lifteth up 4. Those riches that are obtained in Gods way do us most good and convey most comfort to the owners Prov. 10.22 The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich and he addeth no sorrow with it If you ask What course should