HELPS FOR Faith and Patience IN Times of Affliction In Three Parts VIZ. I. Sampson's Riddle spiritualiz'd II. Orthodox Paradox Or The greatest Evil working the greatest Eternal Good III. Heaven and Earth epitomiz'd Or Invisibilities the greatest Realities By James Burdwood late Minister in Dartmouth To which is added A sure Tryal of a Christian's State by John Flavell late Minister also in Dartmouth LONDON Printed by T. W. for Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard 1693. TO THE Religious and my very dear Kinswoman M rs Mary Cholwich Of Hele in Cornwood in Devon AND To the rest of the Family related by the Bonds of Grace and Nature the Author of the ensuing Discourse heartily wisheth encrease of all Grace here and the fulness of Glory hereafter through the Merits of our Dear Lord Jesus Christ THE many multiplied Favours you have continually shewed to my self and Family obligeth me to make this acknowledgment thereof by presenting to you all this little Testimony of my true Love and real Gratitude humbly praying for your kind Acceptance and diligent Perusal Let me mind you and my self no less That we are come towards the Evening of our Days The Contents of this Book by the assistance of the Holy Spirit may help us in making due preparation for our latter end in which I doubt not but you are daily engaged The Sun of our Life is going down on our outward man You my most dear Kinswoman as well as my self have been kept several Years upon the Graves mouth and have been many times brought back from the brink of the Pit Oh that the Sun of Righteousness might shine on our inward man that therein we may be renewed day by day Our God hath tryed our Faith and Patience and made us more than ordinary Monuments of his Mercy and Goodness oh that He would make us Instruments of his Praise and Service What further Tryals our Heavenly Father will call us unto we know not may it please him to help us that our Faith and Patience may have their perfect Work He will have Glory and we shall be Gainers It hath pleased our good GOD to call us off from the enticing lying dying Vanities of this present Evil World for our advantage I hope what have we to do now but to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure Lord pardon former negligence and help us to get on the Wedding-garment of Christ's Righteousness and Holiness that we may bid our blessed Bridegroom welcome To the rest of my Honoured Cousins May I obtain the Favour from you to spend a little of your little unexpired time in reading this small Book and pray for a Blessing on what you read I am sure the Contents do nearly concern you all You are all travelling to another Country Eternity is at hand your Account is near Time is precious so are your Souls the World is vain the Heart is deceitful Oh could I prevail with you to spend some time in close Self-examination in constant heavenly Meditation in Watchfulness in Self-denyal and Mortification you would much engage me and advantage your own Souls I pray the Blessing of God may go along with this poor piece there are many have better Heads and better Hearts may do better Now that you all and your Relations old and young may be taken into the Covenant of Grace and may grow up in all things in Christ Jesus that after our wearisom Pilgrimage in this Wilderness World we may at last enter into the Promised Land and enjoy that everlasting Rest purchased by the most precious Blood of our dearest Lord and there live with him for ever is the earnest Prayer of Your very affectionate and much obliged Kinsman James Burdwood Aug. 1. 1693. TO THE Honest-hearted Reader INstead of an Epistle which for want both of outward and inward strength having been tryed with about Eight or Nine Years Sickness and most part of the time confined to my Chamber and Bed I cannot perform I shall only present you with the several Points of Doctrine handied in the ensuing Treatise having some time since cast one Mite into the Church's Treasury viz. my Hearts Ease do now adventure to cast in this other though very unworthy to be laid up among so many choice Pearls But I remember who will not despise the day of small things Had I not been unfaithful in the improvement of the Talents my Great Master had entrusted me with I might have had more I humbly beg the fervent Prayers of such Readers as truly love the Salvation of Souls to pray the Lord to pardon all my 〈◊〉 fulness and negligence in the Work of the Lord through the most precious Blood of the most precious Lord Jesus Christ without which I perish and which is all I beg of them for my self Now having been a long time disabled to say or do any thing for the edification of others and not likely to be of any use any more in this World I was willing while I could hold my Pen and in any measure compose my Mind much broken by Affliction to emit this into the World with my poor yet earnest Prayers That the Blessing of the Lord will go with it as also to testifie my Gratitude to Him who hath wonderfully delivered me from so many Deaths and yet doth deliver and graciously supports me under so many multiplied Afflictions for which I hope through God's great Mercy and Christ's precious Merits I shall have cause to bless God to all Eternity Readers pray for a Blessing on what you read and for Your affectionate Friend and Servant in any thing for your Souls good whilst I am J. B. From my Sick Chamber Aug. 1st 1693. THE CONTENTS PART I. From 2 COR. iv 16. THough our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day Doctrine 1. That it is the Comfort and the Character of truly-gracious persons that as their outward man doth decay decline and perish so their inward man doth revive encrease and is renewed PART II. Ver. 17. For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Doct. 2. That the light and short Afflictions of the People of God here in this World are singularly useful to work them for and to work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory PART III. Ver. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Doct. 3. That because all visible things are temporal and of no long continuance therefore gracious Souls engage not their Hearts too much in them nor concern themselves too much for them or about them Doct. 4. That a right and true Judgment of Earthly things will help much to support and uphold the Lord's Servants in and under all
we must not despise them II. The second is That we must not faint under them nor grow weary of them This is the other Extream that we must carefully avoid Seeing Afflictions which are but light and short work for us and work us for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory therefore we must not grow weary under them By this weariness in general I mean a sinking of Spirit a despondency of Heart under the Rod when a man is as we say Crest-faln and without Spirit so that he cannot bear up his Spirit fails in the day of Adversity when a man is willing to throw off the burthen before God takes it off is Job 4. 5. Psal 88. 14 15. I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Thy fierce wrath goeth over me by terrors have cut me off Thus spake Heman a choice Saint Here I shall briefly shew 1. the Cause 2. the Cure of this Weariness that we may the better avoid it 1. First the Cause and that is manifold as first from Man himself we our selves are the Causes of this Weariness in a threefold respect as 1. Our not expecting Troubles In Health we look not for Sickness and when Troubles come unexpectedly they make us weary 2ly Our over-valuing of our earthly Comforts 3ly Because in truth we are more sensible of our Losses than of our Enjoyments 2. In regard of the Affliction it self 1st When it swells to any great height 2ly When Afflictions are multiplied one upon the back of another 3ly When they be of long continuance 4ly When inflicted on the nobler parts and upon the Spirit 5ly When but little support but few Comforters or miserable Comforters few to help to bear the burthen 6ly When they are heavy and ordinarily they are heavy because Sin is light and Glory is light for when Sin lies heavy on the Soul and Heaven much in the Heart Afflictions are much lighter on the Body Nil sentit in nervo cum aniâ—â— sit in Coelo 3. In regard of God He puts Lead into sonâ— mens Burthens sometimes he sets home Sin and Wrath upon the Conscience and then men grow weary 4. In regard of the Devil he doth his utmost to imbitter every Trouble and adds his Tempations to make it more intolerable So much â—â— the Cause of Weariness 2. Secondly for the Cure We must labour to avoid this Weariness under Affliction and thaâ— we may take these Directions 1 Direct 1st Let us urge our Heavenly Father Command upon our own hearts and the Command of our Lord Jesus upon our selves See the express Command of God Prov. 3. 11. Heb. 12. 5. Be not weary of his chastisements faint not when thâ—â— art corrected Thus speaks our Heavenly Father to his Children And the Command of our Lord Christ is express also John 14. 1. Let not your hearts be troubled Whatever affliction befals you let not your Hearts be troubled Let us urge these Commands upon our selves Consider we 1. Is there any cause of Heart-trouble when our Heavenly Father the great Lord of Heaven and Earth hath his will which we daily pray for All our Troubles are by the Will of God 2. When the great Proprietor and Owner of all things doth most wisely and most righteously dispose of his own 3. When we are called to render back but what we had borrowed Our Health Estates Liberty Relations Life it self all were but lent us 4. When lesser Mercies are removed that greater and better may be bestowed 5. When we have our Iniquities purged which is the sure Evidence that they are pardoned and that we are made more conformable to Christ and so sitted for nearer and fuller Communion with God 6. When our Graces are tryed and acted and so made more apparent and illustrious 7. When by all our Afflictions we are prepared for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Let us weigh all these things well and they will help us against Weariness And for our further help against Heart-trouble see my Discourse on John 14. 1 2 3. 2. That we may not grow weary of God's Chastisements let us urge Reason also upon our selves as thus If I grow weary I break the express Command of my Heavenly Father and disobey the Counsel of my Dear Lord 2. If I grow weary it argues my Unbelief for who would grow weary of long and grievous Afflictions that did fully believe the gracious ends and designs of God in them and his sweet Promises to his afflicted People and that Afflictions are in the Covenant that they are the Fruits of God's Fatherly Love and shall surely work for our good that the Cross is the way to the Crown Who believes these things and yet is weary Again By Weariness we make our Burthens heavier than God intends them to be Cheerfulness and Patience makes them lighter The like Affliction to a patient humble contented Christian is much lighter than to another fretful weary and discontented person Now it is possible we may make our Burthens heavier than God intends them thus 1st When we think no Trouble like ours Consider Job's Case Trouble was upon all his Relations all his Estate upon his Body Soul and All. 2ly When we let loose our Passions to run whither they will without any restraint 3ly When we refuse the Comforts that God sends us So did good Jacob Gen. 37. 35. 4ly When we continually fix our Thoughts on our Afflictions and are always poring on them so that all the Mercies that we enjoy are quite swallowed up And have we any reason to greaten our own Burthens And again by our Weariness we dishonour God and discomfort our selves and discourage others 3. Thirdly Serious Consideration laying to heart and pondering upon several things that may prevent this weariness as 1. Consider what this Weariness signifieth and implies it hath very ill significations for to be weary signifieth a want or at least a great weakness of Faith for he that believeth maketh not haste want of Hope for we must hope to the end want of Patience for Patience must have her perfect work which is to last as long as Trouble lasts want of Love for Love endeareth all things or at least a great weakness of those Graces 2. Consider God is long-suffering He hath waited long on us 3. It hath been the Practice of all the Saints in all Ages to wait on God 4. That by our weariness we limit the Holy One of Israel and do indeed call in question all the glorious Attributes of God his Power Wisdom Faithfulness Let us consider these things 5. Consider that they that suffer without weariness they are blessed and happy Job 5. 17. Psal 94. 12. Jam. 1. 12. Blessed are they that endure that is that suffer without weariness 6. Consider that Afflictions are signs of our Sonship Heb. 12. and signs of God's Fatherly love 7. Consider God's good and gracious Ends Isa
may be poor in this World yet rich in Faith and an Heir of the Kingdom as James 2. 5. and a man may be rich in this World yet poor in Soul and an Heir of Hell as we see in Dives 6. Faith is a powerful a victorious conquering Grace This is the victory that overcometh the world even our Faith Stephen was full of Faith and Power Acts 6. 8. The work of faith with power 2 Thess 1. 11. Faith brings all visible temporal things under the Believer's Feet it gives the Believer power to use the World and not to abuse it not seeking Rest and Contentment in it to use it moderately without damage and detriment to the Soul to use it for God's honour it s own spiritual advantage and the good of others and power to keep it out of the Heart Christ dwelling there by Faith to use the World and not losing our Hearts our Peace nor our Consciences in it Faith gives the Soul power to withstand the Threats and Temptations of the World and power to be willing to leave it and to go to a better World Oh the mighty power of Faith and by the Power of this Faith gracious Souls are taken off from those visible temporal things And so much for the Doctrinal Part. The Application follows First for Information If it be the Character and Duty of gracious Souls because visible things are temporal therefore they must not they do not much mind or regard them I. It follows then that Earthly-mindedness worldliness is a great Evil and very unbecoming true Christians for their minds and conversations are it Heaven Phil. 3. 19 20. There is the discriminating Character both of the gracious and ungracious a vast difference between them the one mind Earthly things the otherâ— have their conversation it Heaven Most People look on those things which are seen all seek their own things those that they count their own and those are mostly â—hiefly and principally minded as appears manifestly thus 1. By the stream of their Thoughts which runs steddily upon visible temporal things having vain Minds 2. By the common current of their Discourses their Talk is all of the World 3. By the tide of their Affections Love Joy Fear Sorrow Delight all run strongly Worldâ—â—rd 4. By the course of their Actions their Time Pain Care all is spent about the World rising early going to Bed late eating the Bread of Carefulness and all about the World This is a great Evil because expresly forbidden Matth. 6. 19. Lay not up for your selves treasures on earth Joh. 6. 27. Labour not for that meat which perisheth Col. 3. 2. Set your affections upon things above and not upon things below And this Worldly-mindedness is contrary to the Practice of true Christians as in the Text We look not on those things which are seen So Phil. 3. 20. And it is the Character of such as are in a state of Nature and that cannot please God Rom. 8. 5 8. They that are after the flesh do mind in things of the flesh Such are not crucified to the World but conquered and captivated by it yea crucified by it conquered by the Profits Honours and Pleasures of it and meer Slaves to these and crucified by the Crosses and Losses of the World their Hearts and Spirits lye under the Feet of these and are at the beck of these their Hopes and Comforts lye all at the Courtesie of the World and this is a woful Bondage Remember this we can never conclude that we are truly gracious until we have Grace enough to keep God and our Hearts together and to keep the World and our Hearts asunder 1 John 2. 14 15. Love not the world nor the things of the world for he that loveth the world the love of the Father is not in him Woe to them that have their Portion in this World Psal 17. 14. who have their good things here who have laid up their Treasures upon Earth and there have their Heart That Text Phil. 3. 19. is enough to terrifie aâ— such Their end is destruction who mind earthâ—â— things Inf. II. It follows from the Premises that Contentment with our Condition and with any portion of visible temporal things is a great Virtue and well becoming Christians Discontent proceeds from our over-minding and over-valuing and over-loving earthly things and it is a very great Evil for it practically denies God's All-sufficiency his Wisdom Soveraignty Faithfulness and Mercy it disgraceth the Gospel and Godliness and is in it self a great Plague Q. But how shall I do to be content content to be deprived of my dear Relations Estate Health Liberty c A. Read Mr. Burroughs's Book of Christian Contentment Take also these Directions 1. Labour to make God your own and then you will have a full and sufficient Ballance to all your Losses He is God All-sufficient Weigh well those two Scriptures 1 Sam. 30. 6. 2 Sam. 23. 5. 2. Labour to make Christ your own he offers himself to you in the Gospel with all he is and with all he hath And in him dwelleth all fulness he is all in all Psal 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want said David 3. Search the Scriptures and be acquainted with the many exceeding great and precious Promises that are there suitable to every Condition you can be in Act your Faith on them and apply them lye upon and suck those full Breasts of Consolation 4. Pray for Contentment and pray earnestly for the manifestation of God's Love to your Souls and that will so satisfie and content you that any measure of earthly things will content you 5. Be much in Heavenly Meditations look upon invisible and eternal things spend serious frequent fixed Thoughts on them 6. Consider your Deserts No person in the World how little soever he hath of the good things of the World but hath much more than he deserveth and more than he doth well improve and how much soever he hath of the evil things of the World he hath infinitely less than he deserved for every thing out of Hell is a Mercy It 's of the Lord's Mercy we are not consumed 7. Consider if you be true Christians you have the Spirit of Christ in you Rom. 8. 9. Jesus Christ had a most contented Spirit Contentment is the inseparable Companion of true Godliness 1 Tim. 6. 8. Having food and raiment let us be content Let us that are Christians who have the Great GOD for our Portion and Blessed Jesus for our Treasure and Heaven for our Inheritance having Food and Raiment any Food any Raiment though never so coarse let us be content content with such things as we have Heb. 13. 5. Inf. III. Thirdly hence it follows also that great is the Folly of all by Nature and great is their Blindness which appears in this that they value prize mind and follow after visible temporal things much more eagerly and earnestly than after invisible eternal things
a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the spirit of the Lord. These believing loving sights of heavenly things will change us into the image of them 9. By this we shall be made more and more willing and desirous to leave this World and to go to a better Compare this Text with the beginning of the next Chapter 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3. the Apostle having said We look not on visible temporal things but on those things which are not seen which are eternal presently adds for we know that when the earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens for in this House we groan earnestly to be clothed upon with our House which is from Heaven And this made Paul desire to be dissolved that he might be with Christ which was far better or best of all Phil. 3. Certainly such as really apprehend and truly believe those invisible eternal things and their title to them and portion in them will be really willing to dye that they may enjoy them knowing that they lye on the other side of Death and cannot be enjoyed but by dying and after Death Death being the In-let to all that purchased promised Glory Now the more we do seriously think and meditate on those glorious things the more willing we shall be to leave all those fading vain and vexing Comforts to enjoy those eternal Delights And it is a great Mercy and sweet Priviledge to be willing to dye and I know nothing will more effect this willingness in us Now let all those Motives effectually perswade us to draw off our hearts from those visible temporal things and to set our Affections upon things above How long shall vain Thoughts lodge within us how long shall this present evil World gnaw and feed upon our Spirits consuming and wasting them and eating out our time and strength how long shall the God of this World blind our Minds and the Dust of it fill our Eyes how long shall we misplace our Affections and mistake our Rest Our Rest is not here our Heaven and Happiness is not here Earth is going from us and we from it and shall we hug what we cannot hold Shall we kiss and embrace that which is withering in our hands and dying in our arms Are there not infinitely-better things to be minded Duke de Alva wickedly said when one told him of an Eclipse that was then present I have so much to do on Earth I have no leisure to mind Heaven O that it may not be so said of any of us Let us call to mind what those invisible eternal things are aforementioned as God Christ the Holy Ghost the Promises the Purchased Inheritance the Glory of Heaven c. withal let us mind Christ's second Coming to Judgment the manner and end of it 2 Thess 1. 6 7 8 9 10. which the Apostle often spoke and wrote of and minded Tit. 2. 13 14. the glorious Appearing of the great God and our Saviour the Resurrection of the Body and the manner of it 1 Cor. 15. the full Redemption and glorious Manifestation of the Sons of God the happy uniting of the Souls and Bodies of the Saints after so long a Separation and the uniting and solemn Marriage of both to Christ the King of Glory the passing of the Saints into Heaven with Christ in Triumph their living for ever with God seeing his Face and knowing him as we are known Oh that we could mind these things and set our Faith and Love our Hopes Dâ—stres and Delights on work upon these things what sweet Contentment what Soul-refreshing Joy and Comfort would such thoughts yield to our Souls even in the midst of all our Troubles No wonder we are such Strangers to the Joy of the Lord because we are such Strangers to God himself and to the great things of his Kingdom I shall conclude this Use with that of the Apostle 2 Pet. 3. 14. Wherefore beloved seeing that ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Be diligent to prepare for the enjoyment of all those great and glorious things and to secure our title to them which Preparation consists in two things mainly as exprest in that Scripture 1. In a state of Reconciliation with God 2. In a spotless blameless Conversation 1. In a state of Reconciliation with God Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace There will be a most strict and accurate search made at the last day all those that look for those invisible eternal good things at last must be exceeding careful about this to make this the Mark Design and Aim all their Life and at Death that they may be found in a reconciled state in a state of Peace with God This is the critical point the main hinge whereupon hangs all the safety and happiness of a Man or Woman for Eternity Not whether rich or poor high or low honourable or contemptible in this World the Differences and Distinctions will signifie nothing then nor whether Presbyterian or Independent c. but whether reconciled to God or no. This strict search will be made by the Lord who cannot be blinded nor deceived And the consideration of the issue of this search should quicken us to diligence in our Preparation which shall be 1st on them that shall then be found not reconciled the danger will be to their whole man Soul and Body Depart ye cursed c. most dreadful and most intolerable 2dly On them that are found reconciled their Comfort will be unspeakable the Lord Jesus will own them all as the Purchase of his Blood and will embrace them all Come ye blessed of my Father c. and will commend them Well done c. and will crown them with a Diadem of Eternal Glory Oh then let us presently engage all the Powers of our Souls in striving to be found of God in Peace And if we will be found of God in Peace at that day we must 1. Fall out with all Sin and make an open breach with all Ungodliness and all Worldly lusts Tit. 2. 11 12. No Peace with God so long as we have Peace with any Sin We must search for our Sins of Heart and Life heartily repent of them declare open War against them all not regarding any Iniquity in our Hearts but hating and mortifying all Go to God to give you sound Repentance Acts 5. 31. 3. 19. 2. Fall in and close unfeignedly with Jesus Christ the only Peace-maker accepting him on his Terms taking him for Only Lord and Saviour resigning up our whole selves unto him in all things giving him the Preheminence in us and over us and heartily submitting to his government by his Word and Spirit Thus by true Repentance and Faith we are to make our Peace with God And this
in every Creature-comfort that we enjoy Not only look unto God in our Mercies as was said before in the other particular but let us labour to ascend higher and that is let us labour and learn to live upon God and his Love in those Mercies Let this be minded by us That it is not the Creature but God in the Creature that we must love and live upon The Creature should not content us without some sense of God's Love in it If we have Health Wealth Liberty Friends we should put this Question to our selves Do we enjoy God's Love with these A great Question yet seldom ask'd It is surely the Love of God in a Mercy that doth sanctifie and sweeten the Mercy to us as is evident in that famous Instance of Hezekiah Isa 38. 17. Thou hast in love to my soul delivered me from the pit of corruption Then Deliverance is sweet when it comes from God's Love to our Souls Q. But how may we know that A. As Hezekiah did For saith he thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back When Pardon of Sin comes with a Mercy 't is a Mercy indeed a double Mercy Note When a Soul-mercy comes with a Bodily Mercy a Soul-mercy with Ease Recovery c. then that outward Mercy comes from the Love of God indeed And thus many times our Lord Jesus distributed his Mercies in the days of his Flesh upon the Earth healing Souls and Bodies together forgiving their Sins and curing their Diseases all at once Q. But how shall we know that our Sins are forgiven as well as our Trouble removed Ans 1. When the Soul is stirred up to suitable praising of God as in Hezekiah so in David Psal 103. 1 2 3. the sense of God's Mercies to them enlarged their Hearts with Thankfulness 2. We may know that our Sins are forgiven us if those Conditions are wrought in us unto which forgiveness of Sins is promised and those are chiefly Repentance and Faith Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. Acts 10. 43. To him namely to Jesus do all the Prophets witness that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Now if after Mercies God gives us Hearts to repent and believe we may certainly conclude that those Mercies come to us from the love of God We follow hard in our Prayers and Desires and Endeavours after earthly Mercies when we want them whereas our Souls should follow hard after God in them Psal 63. 8. 31. 23. In every Ordinance Priviledge Duty Providence in every Enjoyment it is the Love of God in it that our Souls should thirst after as David did Psal 63. 1 2 3 My soul thirsteth for God for the living God So Psal 84. 1. Thee thee Lord my soul longeth for He longed for God's Ordinances too but chiefly for God in them So should we cry Health and Ease and Liberty and Deliverance with thy self Lord and with thy Love Peace and Plenty with thy Love Lord not without it Better be without these Mercies than without the Love of God in them Jude 21. Keep your selves in the love of God Gal. 2. 20. Psal 62. 10. If riches Friends Ease c. encrease set not your hearts â—â— them but on God in them To look through and beyond and above a Mercy unto the God of that Mercy is a Mercy in that Mercy and a choice one too for none but God's Chosen ones can do it And so to do argues much Grace and much Communion with God Col. 3. 1 2. Let us look up look up to God in all our Mercies Stay not on the Mercy be not content with the outward Mercy for that is but the Shell but look up to God and long to see and taste his Love in it for that is the Kernel his Love in Christ feed on that by Faith Love Meditation O let us labour to have God in all our Thoughts for to look to love and live upon Creature-comforts meerly barely only is but to live upon Husks Ashes Wind and Vanity these are no Bread for the Soul Isa 55. 2. Psal 143. 6. I stretch forth my hands unto thee my soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land When we taste and see the earthly Comforts we have if we can also taste and see the Love of God in them we enjoy a double sweetness an outward and an inward a visible and an invisible sweetness Oh what sweetness then may we taste for both Faith and Sense are fed at once And we may further know that any Mercy comes to us in Love when our Souls are the better for that Mercy more endeared to God and more enlarged after God 3. We must labour to use and enjoy all our Mercies for God for his Honour and Service as was hinted before This is God's end in giving them and it should be ours in using them 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink or whatever ye do do all to the glory of God This great End should always be minded by us We should judge all that good that leads us nearer to God and all that evil that draws us farther from him Prov. 16. 4. The Lord hath made all things for himself We have lost most of our Comforts for want of this to wit our not enjoying them in God and for God and God in them We feed on them but not on God in them and this provokes God to remove them and to take away our best outward Mercies from us even his Gospel for our not using it and not improving it for God and for contenting our selves barely with it without God in it Bare Ordinances bare Duties without God in them are but dry Breasts without Milk which Souls may lye upon all their days and starve and perish notwithstanding if they meet not God in them But now if we thus eye and look unto God and seriously mind the invisible eternal God we shall hereby be sweetly supported under all our Troubles For 1st This will take out the gall and wormwood of our Troubles which is our inordinate love of the Creature for there is no immoderate Sorrow for the loss of any thing but of that which was inordinately loved So that if God had had our Hearts and Affections when we had our Creature-Comforts he will have them much more then they are removed for God remains the â—ime still every way as full and as All-sufficient â—â— supply and support us So that if we had lived â—â—on God the Fountain when we had the Cisterns â— shall live more immediately upon him when the â—â—sterns are broken and shall then have our Comforts more pure and more refreshing And this is not all but if we be truly gracious â— will grieve us to the very Heart when our earthâ—â— Comforts are gone that we set our Hearts so much upon them that
It is the difference of Wills Ends and Interests that begets all the Stirs and Troubles in the Hearts of Men. GOD will have his Will and Man will have his It is the communion of Wills Hearts Interests and Ends that is that fellowship that a Creature hath with its Creator It is the Interest and Honour the Dignity and Duty the Comfort and Quiet the Heaven and Happiness of a Rational Creature to be what God will have him be to do what God will have him do to want what God will have him want and to suffer what God will have him suffer to be wholly at the dispose of God as our Lord was Not my will but thine be done This is true Christianity indeed true Self-denial Matt. 16. 24. To be no more our own nor at our own dispose but to be entirely at the Will of God is the way to true Comfort Psal 142. 5. Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living Now if we would thus look unto the invisible God and resign up our wills to his will in all things in order to our support and comfort in all our Afflictions we must carefully observe these things 1st We must really look unto and heartily own God's absolute Dominion over and his Propriety in all things He is the Lord and Owner of all his Works Job 9. 12. He taketh away who can hinder him who durst say to him What doest thou Isa 45. 9. He is the Potter we are the Clay He is the Creator of all things and therefore the true only and rightful Owner of all things Ezek. 18. 4. All souls are mine saith God and all Creatures are his Hos 2. 9. And we are none of our own 1 Cor. 6. 20. Whether as Creatures or Christians our Souls Bodies Goods all are God's upon all accounts If we did not look on those earthly Comforts too much as our own we should not grieve too much for the loss of them Now we own God's Dominion and Propriety in all things when we thankfully receive any Creature-comfort from him and silently submit to his dispose of them Psal 39. 9. I was dumb saith David and quietly surrender them up to God when he calls for them as Eli 1 Sam. 3. 18. 2ly We must really and heartily look unto and own God's Righteousness in all his Dispensations towards us though never so hard bitter and pinching to the Flesh yet God is righteous in all By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us O God of our salvation Dan. 9. 14. Righteous art thou O Lord. Psal 145. 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Now we own God's Righteousness in all our Afflictions when we diligently enquire to find out the why and the wherefore of all God's dealings with us We should reason thus The righteous God afflicts me then certainly I must enquire after the Cause and the End Lam. 3. 40. Let us search our hearts and try our ways God is righteous we have deserved this Affliction Hereupon we must search for our Sins confess them hate them turn from them and then this Consideration setleth and satisfieth our Minds under God's correcting Hand It is the righteous God that smites 3ly We must look unto and own the Faithfulness of God in his Chastisements of us When He blasts our Earthly Hopes kills our Creature-comforts takes away our dear Relations deprives us of Health Ease Liberty Name Estate yet He is faithful Psal 119. 75. In faithfulness thou hast afflicted me God hath put chastisement for Sin into his Covenant Psal 89. 31 33. and hath promised to with-hold no good thing from his People Psal 84. 11. Now God sees and knows that Chastisements are good for his People and shall work for their good therefore in very faithfulness he doth correct them to perform his Promise and fulfil his Covenant Oh that we could seriously look to this Faithfulness of God and believe that while He is afflicting and chastising us He is but making good his faithful Promises to us it would mightily support and uphold us But this is our Unhappiness that in Affliction we are apt to judge the quite contrary and to think rather that God is executing his Threatning upon us and that breeds Trouble to us Little do we think that when God strips us of this or that outward Mercy and lays his correcting Hand upon us that now He is in all these Afflictions but performing his Promises to us that He is doing us good by these and accomplishing all his sweet good and gracious ends upon us and that by these Afflictions He is preparing us for that far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Oh could we but believe this and act our Faith upon God's Faithfulness it would help us cheerfully to bear all our Afflictions Lord encrease our Faith 4ly We must look unto and own the infinite Mercy and tender Compassions of the invisible eternal God in all our Afflictions God is the Father of Mercies a God of tender Mercies of tender Bowels his Mercy endureth for ever His tender Mercies are over all his Works and much more over his special Workmanship his own Children whom He hath begotten and formed for himself He is gracious and merciful Exod. 34. 6 7. Plenteous in Mercy His Mercies are a great depth Fury is not in Him towards his poor Children Isa 27. 4. but Pity and Compassion Psal 103. 13. His Compassions fail not Lam. 3. 22 23 24. There is no revengeful Passion in the most holy God it is He that puts Bowels of Mercy and Compassion into his Creatures and then surely He is full of Mercy himself He is rich in mercy and of great love Ephes 2. 4. and full of Mercy The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in them that hope in his mercy Psal 147. 11. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy Psal 33. 18. Let us act Faith on the Mercy of God 5ly We must look unto and own the Omnipotency and All-sufficiency of the invisible eternal God Gen. 17. 1. I am the almighty God Rev. 1. 8. The only Creator of all things out of nothing He can create Salvation and Deliverance Isa 4. 5. 57. 19. God being All-sufficient can never be at a loss nor to seek of ways to help his People in distress He hath infinite ways of his own for helping us either immediately from himself or by raising up other means and those it may be very unlikely yea contrary to deliver us God is most honoured by us when we see nothing but rather all contrary to that we look for Refuge failing Friends Flesh Heart failing then to shut our Eyes to all Creature-helps and look altogether on God's All-sufficiency and only relye on that God can convey himself more comfortably to us when He pleaseth without means than by means This our eying and owning