a man to kill himself for our time of life and death is only at Gods disposal Psal 31.15 My times are in thine hand Deut 32.39 I kill and I make alive Now as 't is unlawful for us to avenge our selves because it belongs to God to take vengeance Rom. 12.19 Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord So because our times are in Gods hands and it is his Prerogative to kill and to make alive it is utterly unlawful for us to kill our selves 4. We are not our own 1 Cor. 6.19,20 Ye are not your own for you are bought with a price and therefore we must not take upon us to dispose of our selves as we see good but our lives and all that we have are to be at Gods disposal The Lord Jesus died for this end that he might be Lord of our lives and persons and therefore he that takes upon him to live as he list or to die how and when he thinketh good himself sinneth greatly against Jesus Christ for he goeth about to make void the death of Christ Rom. 14.7,8,9 None of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords for to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 5. He that kills himself breaths out his soul in the very act of sin and that not of a small but of a crying hainous sin Now we look upon their case to be very sad who die when they are drunk or who are cut off in the act of Adultery or who die cursing and blaspheming God and so it is But is not their case as sad who die in the act of murther 6. He that kills himself tramples under foot one of the choicest of Gods mercies for what mercy is of greater value I mean what outward mercy than life Life is beyond riches or honour c. and therefore it must needs be a great sin to cast away life 2. When Satan presseth upon you with this temptation to make away your selves resist him and thereby you will overcome him Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from you if you yield he will trample upon you but if you resist him he will flee from you If you say How should we resist the Devil when he tempts us to destroy our selves I answer 1. Resist him by Prayer pray to God to take this temptation from you or to give you grace to overcome it and though the temptation continue after you have prayed to have it removed be not discouraged but pray still The Apostle directing us how to deal with Satan after he hath set down several pieces of the spiritual armour that are useful in our combat with this Adversary exhorts us to pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and to watch thereunto with all perseverance Ephes 6.18 If we continne to pray against the temptations of Satan either God will remove them or give us sufficient grace to hold out in the conflict 2 Cor. 12.7,8,9 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Resist the Devil with the Word When he tempted Christ to cast himself down from a Pinacle which was in effect to destroy himself Christ resisted this and all his other temptations with the written Word Matth. 4.4,7,10 Three times doth Christ repel Satan with the written Word to teach us to make use of the Sword of the Spirit in resisting all our temptations Doth Satan tempt thee to destroy thy self remember it is written Thou shalt not kill It is said of Luther that he was so violently assaulted with this temptation to destroy himself that for some hours together he was necessitated to press that Scripture upon his heart Thou shalt not kill 3. Resist the Devil by Faith There is a great efficacy in faith to resist and subdue the temptations of Satan Ephes 6.16 Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Be sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the faith 3. When Satan follows you with this temptation to destroy your self flie for refuge from this roaring Lion to Jesus Christ cast your selves into his arms commit the keeping of your souls and lives to the Lord Jesus rest upon him to preserve you from being vanquished by this temptation Take some encouragements to flie to Christ and to rest upon him for relief when you are persued with this or any other temptation 1. The Lord Jesus is able to succour thee in all thy temptations Heb. 2.18 In that be himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He conquered all the powers of darkness at his death Col. 2.15 Having spoyled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it He hath all the Devils in Hell under a lock and he keeps the keys of this lock in his own hands Rev. 1.18 I have the Keys of Hell and of death How easily can he command down any temptation that hath the Keys of Hell and that hath triumphed over all the powers of darkness and spoyled them of their strength In the dayes of his humiliatio he had all the Devils at his command he dispossessed them with speaking but a word Luk. 4.36 With authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out If in the dayes of his humiliation when he was in the form of a Servant he had such power over the Devils what power hath he in his Exaltation now that he sitteth at the right hand of God in the highest Heavens 2. Jesus Christ is very pitiful to such as are under temptation What God saith to the Israelites Exod. 23.9 Ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt The like may be said of Christ he knoweth the heart of such as are in temptation seeing he himself was tempted in all points as we are only he never sinned under any of his temptations That Christs being tempted doth encline him to be pitiful and merciful to us in our temptations you may see Heb. 4.15 We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He was tempted to this very sin to destroy himself by casting himself down from a pinacle of the Temple and therefore knows how
or a month hence but take now he was to set upon the work without delay 5. God calleth upon us with great earnestness to prepare our selves to undergo such afflictions as he shall lay upon us Amos 4.12 Thus will I do unto thee O Israel and because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Jer. 46.14 Declare ye in Egypt and publish in Migdol and publish in Moab say ye Stand fast and prepare thee for the sword shall devour round round about thee This exhortation to prepare for approaching judgments is pressed with great earnestness it is ushered in with a four-fold call Declare ye publish publish say ye What is it must be declared and published with such great earnestness Stand fast prepare thee see also ver 19. O thou danghter dwelling in Egypt furnish thy self to go into captivity 6. If afflictions come upon us before we are prepared for them we shall be in danger to sink under our burdens but if we be well provided before-hand we shall go cheerfully through whatever it seemeth good unto the Lord to lay upon us Psal 57.7 My heart is fixed or as it is in the Margin My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared I will sing and give praise David was fled into a Cave when he penned this Psalm as you may see by the title of it and was surrounded with great calamities as you may see ver 1 4. In the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities be overpast My soul is among lions and I lie even among them that are set on fire even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows and their tongue a sharp sword Yet in the midst of his troubles he sings for joy and praiseth God and what helped him to bear his troubles so cheerfully His heart was prepared for them My heart is prepared I will sing and give praise Joseph who had prepared for seven years Famine lived comfortably and felt no great inconvenience by it other persons that had laid up nothing before-hand would have fainted and dyed had not Joseph relieved them The Apostle was so far from being discouraged at his sufferings that he joyed in the greatest of them even to lay down his life for the Gospels sake Phil. 2.17 Yea and if I be offered upon the Sacrifice and Service of your Faith I joy and rejoyce with you all And how came he to do thus he was ready and prepared to suffer any thing for the sake of Christ and the Gospel Acts 21.13 I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus Now having given you some reasons why we should prepare our selves for all sorts of afflictions I shall in the next place answer a weighty and necessary case of Conscience viz. What shall we do that we may stand prepared to undergo any affliction that the Lord shall be pleased to lay upon us Ans 1. We must give our selves much unto prayer we must pray before our afflictions come and pray in our afflictions we must not pray in a cold manner but cry mightily to God to strengthen and support us in our troubles By prayer we shall obtain from God an heart prepared to undergo any troubles Ps 10.17 Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt cause thine ear to hear Psal 57.2,7 I will cry unto God most high unto God that performeth all things for me And what did David get by crying unto God an heart prepared to bear his afflictions as you may see ver 7. My heart is prepared O God my heart is prepared The Apostle adviseth Christians that would be able to stand in an evil day to be much in prayer Ephes 6.13,18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints Observe how the Apostle multiplieth words to excite us to prayer he doth not barely bid us pray but pray alwayes and as if that were not enough he adds with all prayer and supplication and not only so but he bids us watch thereunto watch with perseverance yea with all perseverance And adds that this duty must be performed in a spiritual manner With all prayer and supplication in the spirit if we do not pray with our hearts and spirits as well as with our lips yea if there be not the graces of Gods Spirit exercised in prayer as well as the actings of our own spirits our Prayers are worth little in Gods account The Apostle joyns these two together Patient in tribulation continuing instant in prayer Rom. 12.12 Implying that such as desire to be patient in all their tribulations must be and continue instant in Prayer 2. Endeavour as much as in you lieth to strengthen and encrease your Faith Faith is the chiefest piece of the spiritual armour which above all the rest will help us to stand in an evil day The Apostle would not have us neglect any piece of the spiritual armor all must be put on but Faith above all the rest Eph. 6.13,16 Take unto you the whole armor of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand Above all taking the shield of Faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked By faith a man may be able to do and suffer all things Mark 9.23 All things are possible to him that believeth The Apostles did and suffered great things for God and how it was through faith 1 Tim. 4.10 Therefore we both labour and suffer reproach because we trust in the living God The servants of God have endured all sorts of tortures and the most painful deaths that their enemies could inflict upon them and all other afflictions by the help of faith Heb. 11.35,36,37 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection and others had tryals of cruel mockings and scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment They were stoned they were sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandered about in sheeps skins and goats skins being destitute afflicted tormented and that they endured all these things through faith you may see ver 33. Whatever difficulties snares or discouragements a man meets with in the world either in respect of the good things or the evil things of the world faith will overcome them all 1 John 5.4 This is the victory that overcometh the world even our faith Faith will enable a man to resist and overcome all the temptations of Satan whereby he endeavoureth to disturb and foil us in times of affliction 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour
their sin more than the loss of their dignity They do not say wo unto us the Crown is fallen but wo unto us that we have sinned Jer. 3.21 A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the Children of Israel for they have perverted their way and forgotten the Lord their God Their Cities were burnt as we may see Chap. 2.15 Yet they bewail the perverting of their way more than the burning of their houses 4. So lay to heart this affliction as to be restless until you have gotten the sins pardoned that brought down this Judgment upon you Psal 25.18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins Psal 79.7,8,9 They have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling-place O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake When they were brought low and their dwellings were laid waste they beg twice with great earnestness for the pardon of their sins O remember not against us former iniquities purge away our sins for thy Names sake 5. Lay to heart this affliction till you finde your hearts willing and resolved by Gods Grace to part with all your sins This is Gods end and design in all afflictions to purge out our sins Isa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin And this is our duty when we are corrected by God to abandon and forsake all our sins Job 34.31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastizement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more 6. So lay to heart this affliction as to give glory to God Mal. 2.2 If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name But of this more afterward SECT 3. 3. Minde the teachings of God under your present afflictions consider and see what it is which God would have you to learn from this dreadful Fire which hath consumed so much of your and other mens Estates As God instructed the Jews out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4.12 The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the Fire So if your ears were open you might hear God speaking to your souls and instructing you by this Fire God is wont to teach his people something or other by every affliction if so be they listen diligently to the voice of his rod Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law It is true that some persons learn nothing by their afflictions but the reason is not because God communicates no instruction to them but because they either regard not or do not understand the voice of God Job 33.14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded We wrong our own souls when we slight the instruction of the Lord whether he instruct us by his word or his rod Prov. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul and do provoke God to depart from us Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate If any say what is it that God would have us learn by our great losses that we have sustained in the late Fire I answer The way to understand the voice of the rod is to make use of the word by searching into the word we may come to know the meaning of the rod and to understand what it is which God would have us to learn by our afflictions as may be gathered from Psal 94.12 I shall hint a few things to you from the word that God would teach you by this sore affliction 1. God would have you learn that it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against the Lord Jer. 2.15,19 His Cities are burnt without inhabitants Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts 2. God would have you learn to fear and stand in awe of his great and glorious Majesty and to be afraid of thinking speaking or doing any thing that may displease him Zeph. 3.6,7 Their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant I said surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction 3. God would have you learn righteousness by this judgment Isa 26.9 When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness 4. God would have you learn obedience by what you have suffered It is said of Christ Heb. 5.8 Though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered This was the lesson that God learn't David by his afflictions Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Wherefore endeavour to obey God more readily and cheerfully more exactly and more sincerely than you have done heretofore 5. God would have you learn contentation in every condition both how to want as well as how to abound Phil. 4.11.12 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need When the Apostle wrote this Epistle he was in bonds Phil. 1.13 and had suffered the loss of all things chap. 3.8 and under his sufferings God taught him this excellent lesson of being content in every state 6. God would teach you by this affliction to pray ofther and to pray better to pray more spiritually more fervently more humbly and more believingly James 5.13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray When Gods judgments are abroad God stirs up his people to pray early in the morning and late at night and to pour out their souls and spirits in prayer Isa 26.8,9 Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Our Lord Jesus alwayes prayed fervently as we may see Heb. 5.7 Who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to
heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. When Ephraim was in affliction and found a refractory spirit Thou hast chastised me and I was as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke and went to God and bemoaned the hardness of his heart and prayed to be turned God promiseth I will surely have mercy upon him that is out of my mercy towards him I will both pardon his rebellious and disobedient carriage under his affliction and subdue his refractory and rebellious spirit That Gods having mercy on him implies both the pardoning and subduing his sins may be gathered from Mic. 7.18,19,20 When the Jews were carried captive into Babylon and found that notwithstanding all the great things that they suffered during the siege and at the destruction of Jerusalem they were not turned from their sins they go to God and pray to him to turn them for they were perswaded that though their afflictions had not turned them yet if the Lord would put forth his Grace and turn them then they should be turned Lam. 5.21 Turn thou us unto thee O Lord and we shall be turned Prayer is of that prevalency with God that no iniquity shall be able to stand long before a praying Christian but Prayer will soon subdue the power and dominion of it Psal 119.2,3 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart they also do no iniquity Prayers and tears will prevail over God himself Hos 12.3,4 By his strength he had power with God yea he had power over the Angel and prevailed he wept and made supplication unto him Now if Prayer will prevail over God fear not but it will prevail over all manner of sin 4. When you feel any workings and stirrings of the Spirit of God upon your hearts take heed of quenching or resisting the Spirit when the Spirit of God worketh upon you either in a way of conviction or by stirring up godly sorrow for sin or exciting purposes and resolutions against sin or working in any other way upon our souls and yield your selves to God joyn in and comply with the motions of the Spirit all the workings of Gods Spirit upon our hearts are in order to the bringing of us to repentance that he may prevent our eternal misery Job 33.16,17 He openeth the ears of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man See also ver 29 30. Lo all these things worketh God often times with man to bring back his soul from the pit to be enlightned with the light of the living We had need attend to the workings of the Spirit because there is no mortifying of any one sin but by the help of the Spirit Rom. 8.13 If ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live And though we can overcome no sin but by the help of the Spirit yet with the Spirits help we may overcome any sin whatever Gal. 5.16 This I say then walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the flesh What would God have done for Israel if they had hearkned to him Psal 81.13,14,15 O that my people had hearkened unto me I should soon have subdued their enemies and turned my hand against their adversaries the haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him The same will the Spirit of God do for those that yield up themselves to be led and guided by him he will soon subdue their sins and turn his hand against their iniquities and make all their spiritual enemies become subject unto them 5. Look unto Jesus Christ to give you repentance and to turn you from your iniquities God hath exalted Christ to give us repentance Acts. 5.31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give repentance unto Israel and forgiveness of sins Because we cannot of our selves turn from sin God sent his Son to turn us from our iniquities Acts 3.26 Unto you first God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities If after you have applyed your selves to Christ in order to his turning of you from your iniquities your sins should still prevail over you yet be not discouraged but hope in Christ that in his own good time he will redeem you from all your iniquities and you shall finde that he will not fail your expectation Psalm 130.7,8 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities Psal 65.3 Iniquities prevail against me as for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away 6. Rest upon God by virtue of his promises to sanctifie your afflictions for the purging out of your sins and leading of you to repentance The Lord hath made many gracious promises of sanctifying those afflictions which he layes upon his people and causing of them to purge and refine their souls I will mention two or three Isa 27.9 By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Here are two things remarkable in this Scripture 1. The end and design of God in afflicting his people which is that he may take away his sins This is all the fruit to take away his sin 2. A promise that the affliction which God sends upon his people shall have this effect upon their souls to purge out their sins By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged Jer. 24 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord and they shall be my people and I will be their God for they shall return unto me with their whole heart This promise relates to a time of affliction when the Jews were carried captives into the Land of the Caldeans ver 5. and herein the Lord promiseth among other blessings that this captivity should produce in them an unfeigned repentance They shall return unto me with their whole heart Another promise to this effect we have Zach. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined and will try them as gold is tryed they shall call on my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God In the former verse the Prophet speaks of a time of great mortality Two parts therein shall be cut off and die but the third part shall be left therein and then he foretels
have any man to say God hath cast me off and utterly separated me from his people Isa 56.3 Let not the son of the stranger that hath joyned himself unto the Lord speak saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people We are very subject to mistakes and to think that God hath cast us off when as we have found grace in his sight Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee Zion thought and said God had forgotten and forsaken her when as she lay near Gods heart and was in his thoughts night and day Isa 49.14,15,16 2. Suppose God did cast you off yet you must not cast him off but acknowledge before God that it is just with God to leave you and cry to him and follow hard after him and hang upon him and hope in his word even at such a time as he casteth off your souls When Heman complained Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soul He did not cease calling upon God Ver. 9. I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Jonah when he thought God had cast him off yet resolves still to wait upon him Jonah 2.4 I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy Temple When David thought himself cast off by God he encourageth his soul to hope in the Lord Psal 43.2,5 Why dost thou cast me off why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God 3. Say not I am sure to go to Hell when I dye for it is yet a day of salvation and the door of hope stands open there is yet time and place for repentance 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Though a man be a perfect slave to sin and Satan yet there is a possibility that he may be brought to repentance 2 Tim. 2.25,26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will and if God give thee repentance though thou hast been as wicked a man as lives upon the face of the earth yet thou shalt surely be saved Ezek. 33.15,16 Prov. 28.13 Isa 55.7 4. Suppose thou apprehendest thy self to have as it were the beginnings of Hell in thy soul yet thy case is not desperate Others that have had pains and horrors in their souls like the pains of Hell have found relief from God Jonah after he had fled from the presence of the Lord and was cast into the Sea and swallowed up by a Fish felt himself in such a distressed condition that he compares his condition to the belly of hell yet he crying to God in this condition was delivered out of it Jonah 2.2 I cryed by reason of mine affliction to the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice When David was in such a state that he compares his pains to the pains of Hell by crying to the Lord he was delivered Psal 116.3,4,6 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul I was brought low and he helped me 5. It is true that all the while a man liveth in an impenitent condition he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath and as he encreaseth his sins so also he encreaseth his torments Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Yet this should not cause any man to destroy himself it should only make a man more earnest in seeking unto God to give him repentance As long as there is life there is hope God may give a man repentance God gave one of the thieves that was crucified with Christ repentance but a few hours before he dyed He calls some into his vineyard at the last hour of the day But after death there is no place for repentance Eccles 9.10 Plea 8. I will repent of my sins and confess them to God and pray God to pardon them before I make away my self and if I do so I hope God will pardon my sins and receive my soul into his heavenly Kingdom as soon as I am dead Answ As long as you have any bloody designs and purposes in your hearts your prayers will avail nothing with God Isa 1.15 When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of Blood Lo here though you make many prayers as long as you have any bloody projects either against your selves or others God will hear none of them Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Now so long as you harbour a purpose and resolution to make away your selves you do regard iniquity in your hearts It is said Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy You mistake the meaning of the Promise if you think that you shall finde mercy upon your confessing of this sin when as you still retain a purpose to commit it I might mention other pleas but I should then enlarge too far upon this head I shall therefore only adde a few propositions concerning this temptation of self-murther that may be useful to those that are exercised with it and so dismiss this point 1. Whensoever any man hath any suggestions or motions put in his minde to murther himself it is not God but Satan puts those motions into his minde how specious pretences soever do attend those motions What is said of the motion that was in the heart of Judas to betray Christ John 13.2 The Devil put into the heart of Judas to betray him the same may be said of the motions that come into our hearts to destroy our selves it is the Devil puts them into us If a man be perswaded to make away himself I may say here as the Apostle in another case Gal. 5.8 This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you That it is not God by his Spirit but Satan puts these motions into your hearts is evident for 1. God tempts no man to any sin James 13. Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man 2. The Spirit of God moveth no man to do any thing contrary to the word Now the word saith expresly Thou shalt not kill The word forbids us doing our selves any harm as well as doing harm unto others Acts 16.27,28 The keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep and seeing
good success When Solomon was building the Temple it is said 1 Kings 6.11,14 The word of the Lord came to Solomon so Solomon built the house and finished it So he built the house and finished it that is he was strengthened and encouraged by the word of the Lord that came to him to go on with and finish the building 9. While you are busily employed in building your own houses do not forget or neglect the building up of Gods House Hag. 1.4 Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lie waste Solomon setting his heart to the building of Gods House prosperously effected what ever came into his heart for the building of his own house 2 Chron. 7.11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the Kings house and all that came into Solomons heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house he prosperously effected When I stir you up to build Gods house whilst you are building your own I do not only or chiefly mean places for publick Worship though that also be a very good and laudable undertaking the Centurian who erected a Synagogue was highly respected and extolled by the Jews for this pious work Luke 7.4,5 When they came to Jesus they besought him instantly saying That he was worthy for whom he should do this for he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue but that which I chiesly intend is that you build up your selves an habitation of God through the Spirit Every true believer is styled Gods house Heb. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end All true Believers are Gods Temple 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 They are Gods habitation Eph. 2.22 In whom you are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Now after the foundation of this spiritual building is laid by the souls being drawn to Christ there must be constant and consciencious endeavour to be built up in grace and holiness 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 Besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. If you ask what shall we do that we may be built up a spiritual house unto the Lord I answer 1. You must lay a good and a right foundation The foundation of this spiritual building is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ see also Isa 28.16 Eph. 2.20 The fundamental graces which are wrought in the soul that is built upon Christ are faith and repentance Heb. 6.1 Therefore leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God When God had given you repentance for your sins and faith in the Lord Jesus then the foundation of this spiritual building is laid in your souls 2. You must be daily carrying and casting away the rubbish that hinders the progress of this spiritual building After faith and repentance are wrought in truth there remain several relicks of the old man which we must be daily purging away we must make it our work to destroy our sins if we would be built up in grace 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises that is ye are the Temples of the living God I will dwell in them and walk in them of which he had spoken in the former Chapter ver 16. dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God We cannot go on to perfect holiness unless we do in good earnest set upon cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit 3. You must be daily looking to Christ and going to him to carry on and finish that work of grace which he hath begun in your souls Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith 1 Per. 2. To whom coming as unto a living stone ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house Do not only go to Christ but rest upon him for the perfecting and finishing of what he hath begun in your souls and to that end ponder upon such Scriptures as these Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus taketh a great deal of pleasure not only in beginning but in finishing the work of grace in our souls John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work 4. After you have received Jesus Christ you must not only believe in him but walk in him and by so doing you shall come both to be rooted and to be built up in him Col. 2.6,7 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him By walking in and with Christ you shall keep his presence with your fouls for he hath said If we abide in him he will abide in us John 15.4 Abide in me and I in you and 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him Now by keeping Christs presence with your souls they will be built up in grace Cant. 1.12 While the King sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof When the owner dwells in the house it is kept in good repair if he leave it and it stand empty all things go to decay As Martha said unto Christ John 11.21 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died The like may a deserted soul that findeth it self fallen to decay upon Gods with-drawing of himself say unto God Lord if thou hadst been here these ruines and desolations had not come upon my soul 5. Prayer performed in a spiritual manner is a great means of building up our souls in the grace of God Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Though praying in a slightly dead-hearted customary formal manner availeth little yet praying in the Holy Ghost that is by the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost and stirring up and exercising the graces of the Holy Ghost in prayer as faith fervency reverence humility c. is an effectual means to build up the soul in the grace of God 6. Converse much with the word of God read it frequently treasure it up in your hearts make it your meditation night and day that is the way to be built up a spiritual house unto the Lord 1 Pet. 2.2,5 As
houses and upon all persons that dwell in them and upon all affairs that are transacted in your houses You know it is said Psal 93.5 Holiness becometh thy house O Lord for ever If therefore you would give your houses to God let those that are the masters of the house in the first place look unto themselves that they be holy in all manner of conversation and follow the example of David Psal 101.2,3,4 I will walk within my house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turn aside it shall not cleave to me A froward heart shall depart from me Then endeavour to bring your Children and your Servants and all that live in your houses to serve God in holiness and righteousness Josh 24.15 As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. Endeavour to get godly servants into your houses or at least to make them such after they are come under your roof Psal 101.6,7 Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve me he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lyes shall not tarry in my sight Let holiness be written not only upon all persons but upon all your houshold affairs Be holy in your eating and drinking govern your Children and Servants and follow your Calling in an holy manner entertain all that come to your houses in a godly sort In a word be holy in all manner of conversation and do not think this to be too great preciseness for 't is no more than what is commanded 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation God would have us so eminently holy in managing our civil employments that all that converse with us may see holiness so evidently in what we do as if it were written upon our employments Zech. 14.20,21 In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses holiness unto the Lord and the pots in the Lords house shall be like the bouls before the Altar yea every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of Hosts 3. Suffer none that come to or dwell in your houses to speak or do any thing that may tend to the dishonour of God but endeavour as much as in you lieth to glorifie God your selves and to bring all that live with you so to speak and so to walk as that God in all things may be glorified Psal 29.9 In his Temple doth every one speak of his glory If you would have your houses become as it were Temples of God you must suffer no cursing no lying no scoffing no back-biting no rotten communication in your houses but every one must speak and walk so as God may be glorified When David dedicated his house to the Lord he begins the Psalm that he composed at the dedication thereof with a purpose and resolution to extol and glorifie God Psal 30.1 I will extol thee O Lord. Extol God in your hearts extol God in all your discourses extol God in your conversations extol God in all your wayes After David had been delivered from the hands of his enemies he thought it not enough to give glory to God himself but calleth upon others also to magnifie God with him Psal 34.3 O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together Do you follow his example seeing God hath so graciously preserved your houses and substance from this fire do not only glorifie God your selves but call upon your Wives and Children and Servants and all that are in your Families O magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together 4. If you would dedicate your houses to God make them houses of prayer pray with your Family every morning and every evening and besides praying with your Family go into your Closet and pour out your souls to God in secret and call to your Servants and Children to pray in secret as well as to joyn in family prayer Matth. 21.13 My house shall be called the house of prayer 5. Entertain with a willing and chearful minde all Gods friends and ghests that he at any time sends to your houses After you have dedicated your houses to God you should be as willing to entertain Gods friends and Gods ghests as your own If you ask who are Gods friends and who are his ghests I answer 1. All godly men John 15.14 Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you When God puts it into the hearts of any of his servants to come to your houses you should most gladly receive them for they leave a blessing behinde them Matth. 10.41 He that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous mans reward 2. All godly Ministers when you receive them into your houses the Lord Jesus taketh it as kindly as if you received himself or his Father John 13.20 Verily verily I say unto you he that received whomsoever I send receiveth me and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me 3. Such as are strangers Matth. 25.35 I was a stranger and ye took me in Heb. 13.2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers for thereby some have entertained Angels unawares Job 31.32 The stranger did not lodge in the streets but I opened my doors to the traveller 4. Such as are driven from their own Houses or their own Countrey for Conscience sake Isa 16.3,4 Hide the out-casts bewray not him that wandereth let mine out-casts dwell with thee Moab be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler When we see any persons harbourless that are honest and well disposed we should take pity on them and receive them into our houses Isa 58.6,7 Is not this the fast that I have chosen Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house when thou seest the naked that thou cover him and that thou hide not thy self from thine own flesh SECT 8. 8. Seeing God hath spared and preserved your Estates from this Fire by way of gratitude devote and dedicate your Estates to God and resolve to spend them according to his will and employ them for his glory We are commanded to honour God with our substance and we shall be no losers by spending any part thereof for the advancing of his glory Prov. 3.9,10 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine If you ask how you should honour God with your Estates I answer 1. Do not spend them upon your lusts what is spent for the satissying of pride sensuality curiosity vain glory or the like that is spent upon your lusts and you may be sure that what
and when God calleth his righteousness his right hand it may imply that Christs Righteousness which is oft called the Righteousness of God as Rom. 1.17 Rom. 3.22,23 is the chief and principal means for the strengthning and upholding of our souls David found great support in all his troubles by looking to this righteousness Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy Righteousness even of thine only It is recorded of the servants of God mentioned in the Revelation who went through great tribulations that they were carried through their sufferings by looking and adhering to the sufferings of Christ Revel 7.14 These are they which come out of great tribulation and have washed their Robes and made them white in the bloud of the Lamb. Rev. 12.11 They overcame that is the Devil who raised up persecutions against them as you may see ver 17. by the bloud of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 6. Let us get good evidences that we are in the love and favour of God Well-grounded apprehensions of Gods love to our souls will help us to bear up cheerfully under the greatest trials as Persecution Sword Famine c. and enable us to overcome them all Rom. 8.35,37 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall Tribulation or Distress or Perscution or Famine or Nakedness or Peril or Sword Nay in all these things we are more than Conquerours through him that loved us The apprehensions of Gods love to us will cause us to love God 1 Joh. 5.19 We love him because he first loved us And when we love God we shall bear any thing that comes from him Love to men will make us bear with all things that we meet with from them The Apostle speaking of love saith It beareth all things beliveth all things hopeth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 How much more will love to God cause us to bear and endure all things that we meet with from God Love will carry us out to suffer all afflictions even death it self Cant. 8.6,7 Love is strong as death Many waters cannot quench love neither can the flouds drown it When it was a time of great affliction with the people of God they pray hard for the light of Gods countenance and if they could but obtain that they would account themselves in a safe and happy condition notwithstanding all their troubles Psal 80.4,5,6,7 O Lord God of Hosts How long wilt thou be angry with the Prayers of thy People Thou feedest them with the bread of tears and givest them tears to drink in great measure Thou makest us a strife unto our Neighbours and our enemies laugh among themselves Turn us again O God of Hosts and cause thy face to shine and we shall be saved 7. We must get and keep Gods presence with our souls that will fortifie our souls to undergo any troubles with courage and chearfulness Psal 23.4 Yea though I walk through the Valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me Isa 50.7,8 The Lord God will help me therefore shall I not be confounded therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed He is near that justifieth me who will contend with me Psal 46.2 We will not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be cast into the midst of the Sea And why What put such courage into them they had Gods presence with them ver 5 7. God is in the midst of her she shall not be moved God shall help her and that right early the Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge This upheld Christ and carried him comfortably through all his sufferings who went through greater sufferings than ever any man met with all Act. 2.25,26 I foresaw the Lord alwayes before my face for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved therefore did mine heart rejoyce and my tongue was glad moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope As Gods presence with Christ upheld him so it will also uphold us in all our sufferings If any say It is true Gods presence with a man will help him to do great things but God is departed from me How shall I gain his presence again I answer Gods departing from us usually aristh from our departing from him and if after we are departed from him and he is departed from us we return to him he will return again unto us Zech. 1.3 Turn unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Mal. 3.7 Even from the dayes of your Fathers ye are gone away from mine Ordinances and have not kept them return unto me and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts After we are returned to God and he is returned to us if we keep with him he will keep with us 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him Joh. 15.4 Abide in me and I in you 8. We must get our hearts weaned from the world if our affections be set inordinately on any earthly things we shall find it an hard matter to bear up under our afflictions Jer. 45.3 Thou didst say Wo is me now for the Lord hath added grief to my sorrow I fainted in my sighing and I find no rest And what caused Baruch to faint under his tryals we may see the root of his distemper ver 5. Seekest thou great things for thy self seek them not Though Baruch was a good man his affections were carried out too much after great things in the world and that made affliction very burdensom to him The Apostle Paul who was crucified to the world was prepared and ready to suffer whatever God should call him to Gal. 6.14 The world is crucified unto me and I unto the world Acts 21.13 I am ready not to be bound only but also to die at Jerusalem for the Lord Jesus We must not only set loose to all worldly things but to our own lives also when we are willing to yield up our lives to God we shall not be much moved by any troubles that come upon us for the Lords sake Acts 20.23,24 The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me neither count I my life dear unto my self Rev. 12.11 They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death 9. We must accustom our selves to bear our lesser tryals with patience and submission to the wil of God and that will fit and prepare us for greater There is scarce a day passeth over our heads wherein the Lord doth not in one kind or another try our patience and submission to his will now the right bearing of those crosses
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