in a quiet frame and one great means whereby he quieted himself was by getting and keeping his affections weaned from worldly things Psal 131.2 Surely I have behaved and quieted my self as a childe that is weaned of his Mother my soul is even as a weaned child SECT 5. 5. Give up your selves to the doing of works of righteousness Do all the service that you are able for God and for your generation Abound alwayes in the work of the Lord and be ready as far as you have opportunity and ability to do all the good you can for all men hereby you shall obtain a quiet peaceable frame of spirit under all your troubles and afflictions Isa 32.17 The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever The Prophet had threatned great troubles and of many years continuance ver 9 10 11. and then tells them how they might retain quietness under all their troubles namely by working righteousness v. 17. and then tells them farther of the blessedness of such as did sow besides all waters that is who took hold of all opportunities to be doing good they should enjoy peace and quietness when Gods judgements came down as thick as hail round about them ver 18 19 20. Working of righteousness promotes contentment in all estates several wayes I will mention one or two 1. As it produceth the joy of the Lord in our souls God is wont to put joy and gladness into the hearts of those that work righteousness Psal 45.7 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladness above thy fellows Psal 97.11 Light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Now when God puts joy and gladness into our hearts we do not much feel the sorrows and troubles that we meet with in this world Eccles 5.20 He shall not much remember the dayes of his life because God answereth him in the joy of his heart What Solomon saith of wine and strong drink Prov. 30.6,7 Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be of heavy hearts let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more The like I may say of the joyes of the Holy Ghost when God hath made us to drink of the rivers of his pleasures though we be poor and heavy of heart and ready to perish they will make us forget our poverty and remember our sorrow no more 2. Working righteousness promotes contentment on this account because they that work righteousness have many sweet visits from God and enjoy much of Gods presence and the soul is never better at ease or enjoyes more contentment than when it enjoyes God Isa 64.5 Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousness those that remember thee in thy wayes John 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him SECT 6. 6. Take up your rest and contentment in God and and that will keep you from fretting and vexing and being discontented under your losses and all other afflictions Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord fret not thy self There is no better way to prevent fretting and vexing at cross providences than for a man to take up his rest in God for he shall finde such sweetness in God that he shall not feel any great bitterness in affliction When the Spouse was a Lilly among Thorns encompassed with sharp and piercing troubles when she was scorched with heat of Persecution she found such sweetness in solacing her Soul with Christ that she makes no complaints of her Sufferings but maketh her boast of what she found in him Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste She spoke this when Christ resembled her to a Lilly among Thorns ver 2. Now in regard it conduceth much to the helping of us to be contented under all the troubles of this life for a man to take up his rest and satisfaction and contentment in God I shall enlarge a little upon this Head and shew first That there is enough in God to give the soul of a man full satisfaction and contentment in every state and condition 2. I shall shew how a man may take up his rest and contentment in God 1. There is enough in God to give the soul of a man full and compleat satisfaction how poor how afflicted how desolate soever his condition be in this world and this may be demonstrated several wayes 1. God is a suitable good he answers all the wants all the desires all the workings and breathings and motions of the soul of man All that the soul wants is to be found in God Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ All that the soul desires is in God Isa 26.8,9 The desire of our soul is to thy name with my soul have I desired thee in the night Psal 73.25 There is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Now where there is a supply of all wants and an accomplishment of all the desires of the soul there is full satisfaction That which the soul travelleth after that which it laboureth for that which it mainly pursueth and followeth after is that it may enjoy God Psal 63.8 My soul followeth hard after thee which shews that satisfaction is to be had in God for when a man hath obtained that which his soul travelleth after he is satisfied Isa 53.10 He shall see of the travel of his soul and be satisfied God is the center to which all the motions of a sanctified soul do tend The enquiries of the soul are after God Cant. 3.3 Saw ye him whom my soul loveth John 12.21 Sir we would see Jesus The pantings and thirstings and breathings of the soul are after God Psal 42.1,2 My soul panteth after thee O God my soul is athirst for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God The mournings of the souls are after the Lord Zech. 12.10 They shall mourn for him 1 Sam. 7.2 All the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. The seekings and cryes of the soul are after God Psal 63.1 O God thou art my God early will I seek thee Psal 84.2 My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God The main thing the soul hopeth and waiteth for is God Psal 71.5 Thou art my hope Psal 39.7 Now Lord what wait I for my hope is in thee Psal 130,5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait in his word do I hope my soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning I say more than they that watch for the morning The expectations of the soul are from him Psal 62.5 My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is
beholding the things which were done smote upon their breasts and returned We read nothing of their returning to God till the Apostle Peter came and preached the word to them and then follows a great conversion unto the Lord 3000. are added unto the Church in one day Acts 2.41 Wherefore we should esteem it a great blessing and singular mercy to be taught and instructed by God when we are under his correcting hand according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law And we should readily open our ears to discipline by what wayes soever God shall be pleased to convey his minde to us God can and sometimes doth teach us immediately by his Spirit but most ordinarily he instructeth both those that are in affliction and others also in the use of means When the Apostle Paul was in great distress and at a loss to know the minde of Christ and cryed Lord What wilt thou have me to do he sent him to Ananias to be instructed what he should do Acts 9.6 God could have taught Cornelius by his Spirit or by the Angel that appeared to him but he chuseth rather to send him for instruction to one of his Ministers even to Peter who should tell him what he ought to do Acts 10.3.4.5,6 Amongst other means reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is one way whereby God seals up instruction to us Daniel was a man of singular wisdom full of the Holy Ghost greatly beloved of God yet he had not all his knowledge by immediate inspiration but much of it was given to him by the study of Books Dan. 9.2 I Daniel understood by Books At the request and for the use of some worthy Friends who were great sufferers by the late Fire I have drawn up an answer to three practical Questions concerning the said Fire the design whereof is to instruct and excite both such as escaped and such as suffered by this dreadful Fire to make an holy use and a Christian improvement of this sad and solemn Providence and also to quiet and comfort such as are troubled and cast down at the loss of their Estates The resolution of which Questions are here presented to thy view Possibly thou mayest have already something of the like nature from more able hands however if the Lord who worketh when and by whom he will shall be pleased by the reading of this small Treatise to convey the least beam of light or breath any quickning influence into thy Soul or to promote in any measure thy holiness or consolation it will be no grief of heart unto thee that thou wert at the cost to buy or at the pains to read it If thou sayest I am not concerned in this Judgment having been no sufferer by it nor any Inhabitant in the City where this Judgment fell and so consequently I am not concerned in the matter that is handled in these questions I answer 1. If thou art not a sufferer by this Fire yet art thou not under other sufferings If so there are several things hinted concerning this Affliction that may be of use to thee under thy Afflictions of what nature soever they be 2. If thou art not a sufferer by this or any other Judgment thou hast the more need to study what thou shalt render to the Lord for his great mercy in sparing thee when his hand lieth so heavy upon so many thousands at this day And then the third Question is of great concernment to thee 3. Though thou hast not suffered hitherto thou knowest not how soon thou mayest suffer by this very Judgment of Fire That passage in Isa 66.15,16 may awaken thee to prepare for fiery tryals Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwinde to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many And as it is our duty to hear for the time to come Isa 42.23 So it will be our prudence to read for time to come 4. Not only the places and persons that suffer by Gods Judgments but all that hear of them are concerned to make a good use of them When the Lord brought a sore Judgment upon Jerusalem he calls to all people in all Nations upon the face of the earth to take notice thereof and make a good use of it Jer. 4.18,19 Hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I will bring evil upon this people If any say this Treatise seemeth to be born out of due time it is now several months since London was burnt the impression of this Judgment begins now to wear off from mens spirits c. I answer 1. I hope better things of the greater part that suffered by this stroke of God then that they should so soon forget the hand that hath been lifted up against them but if it should be so that the impressions of this Judgment should be wearing off from many mens spirits there is the more need of using means to revive them again It is to be feared in regard poverty is coming upon many like an armed man and the sad effects of this Fire are and will be felt more and more by the poorer sort that discontent and trouble of minde will rather grow and encrease then wear off and therefore to such at least it will not be unseasonable to minister something by way of consolation though it be some months since they were brought into a suffering condition 2. Such great Judgments as this was are to be kept in remembrance and to be improved for the promoting of repentance and the fear of God all our dayes and not only as long as we live but the memory of them is to be conveyed to the Ages and Generations that are yet to come that they may learn to fear this God who hath done such great things amongst us When there was a mighty Famine in Judah the Lord gives Commandment that the memory thereof should be perpetuated to all Ages Joel 1.3,4 Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children and their children another generation That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten c. We think unworthily of Gods Judgments if we suppose they are to be regarded for a few dayes or for a few years only They are of larger use Judgments upon particular places and persons are admonitions to the whole world that hear of them as long as the world shall stand It is some thousands of years since Lots Wife was turned into a pillar of Salt yet this Judgment of God on a particular person must not be forgotten by us in this generation nor by others to the worlds end Luke 17.32 Remember Lots Wife It is generally computed to be above three thousand years
such as be in misery and do all the good they can for them 307 to 310 Lending is a duty as well as giving 308 Sect. 6. They must not deal injuriously or cruelly with those that are suffererers 310 to 313 Sect. 7. They whose Houses have been spared should dedicate their houses unto God 313 314 How we should dedicate our Houses to God answered 5 wayes 314 to 318 Who are Gods guests and friends that we must entertain in our houses answered 317 318 Sect. 8. God is to be honoured with our substance 318 How to glorifie God with our Estates answered 3 wayes 318 319 How to know whom we should relieve when we have many objects of charity before us and are not able to relieve all answered 5 wayes 320 321 Sect. 9. We must render our selves to God 323 Three Arguments to perswade us to give our bodies and souls unto God 326 327 Sect. 10. The sacrifice of righteousness is to be rendered unto God 328 Sect. 11. They that have escaped this Fire should trust in God for deliverance from other troubles and also for spiritual blessings 329 Four sorts of spiritual blessings for which temporal deliverances should encourage us to trust in God 330 331 332 Two grounds why temporal deliverances should cause us to trust in God for spiritual mercies 333 Sect. 12. All men should prepare for all sorts of Afflictions 334 Six Reasons why all men had need to be prepared for all sorts of afflictions 334 to 339 What we should do that we may stand prepared for all sorts of afflictions answered in 12 particulars 339 to 360 What we should do to get Gods strength to carry us through the troubles of this world answered 7 wayes 345 to 351 Six sorts of promises very useful for them that are in affliction 360 to 363 Sect. 13. Such as have escaped this Fire should so demean themselves towards God as that he may continue to protect their persons and substance 363 What we should do that we may have Gods protection continued answered 5 wayes 363 to 365 Four Arguments to encourage us to depend upon God for the preservation of our persons substance and habitation 365 to 368 Sect. 14. We should seek unto God that there may be no more such dreadful Fires 368 What we should do that there may be no more such dreadful Fires answered 369 to 371 ERRATA PAge 3. l. ult dele all p. 32. l. 15. put in we p. 47. l. 29. r. immoderately p. 53. l. 1. dele may p. 67. l. 3. r. Hananiah p. 71. l. 2. r. your p. 81. l. 1. put out man l. 22. r. defined p. 88. l. 21. r. fareth p. 92. l. 16. put out better p. 93 l. 13. after servants put in of God p. 101. l. 2. r. minister p. 103. l. 14. r. is p. 104. l. ult r. still p. 106. l. 17. r. what l. 20. r. God p. 119. l. 18. put in the. l. 28. r. had been p. 122. l. 10. r. among men p. 131. l. 16. r. affliction p. 140. l. 19. r. servile p. 143. l. 16. r. subsistance p. 144. l. 4. r. alway p. 153. l. 26. after of put out this p. 157. l. 15. for his r. their p. 160. l. 16. r. slothful p. 179. l. 20. for but r. yet p. 188. l. 13. for so prov r. see prove p. 192. l. 15. r. endured p. 196. l. 22. for they r. the. p. 207. l 9. r. Lord. p. 221. l. 21. r. the Lord. p. 251. l. 29. r. clean p. 252. l. ult put in and. p. 266. l. 31. r. lot p. 277. l. 22. put in as p. 303. l. 10. put out not p. 284. l. 27. put in after if it be p. 309. l. 8. for wages r. wayes p. 366. l. 9. r. him p. 371. l. 32. after upon r. us p. 372. l. 9. put in him p. 313. l. 28. r. tear p. 325. l. 14. for above r. alive p. 350. l. 6. r. interest p. 352. l. 34. put in him p. 356. l. 12. for him r. a man Instruction and Consolation FOR Such as have suffered Loss by FIRE WITH Advice to such as have Escaped that sore Judgment Held forth in the Resolution of three Questions QUEST 1. How may such Persons as have sustained great Losses by the late Fire bear their Affliction with a contented and a cheerful spirit BEfore I give an Answer to this Question I shall premise these following Propositions 1. It is the will of God that we should bear all our losses and all other afflictions with a patient contented mind He would not have us murmur or repine at any of his dealings but in every thing and under every state and condition submit our wills unto his That this is the will of God may appear evidently from such Scriptures as these Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as ye have Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Jam. 4.7 Submit your selves to God Luk. 22.42 Not my will but thine be done Jam. 5.8 Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh yea the Lord would not only have us patient but cheerful under all our sufferings Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations 2. It is not only our duty but our interest it conduceth much to our good and welfare to bear our afflictions with a peaceable contented cheerful spirit Eliphaz perswades Job to bear his afflictions quietly with this argument that it was for his good so to do Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Whatever God hath commanded us tends to our good as well as his glory Deut. 10.13 Keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good If all the Commandements of God be for our good then this command of being contented in every estate must needs be for our good When we are contented in our sufferings the soul is at rest though the outward man be full of trouble Matth. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls Whatever the Father laid upon Christ he bore it with a meek and quiet spirit and submitted his will to the will of his Father if we follow this example of his we shall doubtless find rest to our souls The man that hath learnt how to be content in every estate liveth a kind of Heaven upon Earth Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven If you would know how the Apostle came to enjoy as it were a heaven while he was in this world you may see that Chap. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content 3. A man under the power of a froward discontented spirit
bereaveth himself of all good he hath no enjoyment of God no enjoyment of himself no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures He hath no enjoyment of God for They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord Prov. 11.20 Psal 18.26 With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward He hath no enjoyment of himself but is like a man dispossessed of his soul Luk. 21.19 In your patience possess ye your souls He hath no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures though he be one that hath great possessions Prov. 17.20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good He is in continual pain and anguish like a man that walks among thorns Prov. 22.5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them 4. It is a very hard matter to bear afflictions with a cheerful contented spirit When a man is crossed of his will his heart is ready to fret against the Lord even at such times as he brings afflictions upon himself by his own folly Prov. 19.3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. When God rebukes us and binds us in the cords of affliction we are apt to fret and fume like a wild Bull in a net Isa 51.20 Thy sons have fainted they lie at the head of all the streets as a wild Bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord the rebuke of thy God Nothing less than the mighty power of God will quell and keep down all the risings frettings and murmurings of the heart and make a man patient and cheerful in his afflictions Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness There is the power the glorious power of God the power of God put forth in a mighty manner to enable a Christian to suffer afflictions with patience and joy 5. No man that is destitute of the grace of God can bear afflictions with a contented spirit There may be stupidity and insensibleness of Gods hand and there may be a restraining of murmurings in some natural men but true contentment is found only in godly persons 1 Tim. 6.8 Godliness with contentment is great gain As for unregenerate men when God doth not lay a restraint upon them they do not only fret inwardly against God but break out into open blasphemy when they meet with great and painful afflictions Isa 8.21 They shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward Rev. 16.10,11 They gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds 6. The Saints and Servants of God have found it an hard matter to bear their losses with a quiet contented spirit when God hath taken away from them those things which have been near and dear to them When Jacob did but suppose that he had lost his son Joseph he was over-whelmed with grief Gen. 37.34,35 Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days and all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said for I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning thus his father wept for him When God took away Absolom how was David cast down at his death 2 Sam. 18.33 The King was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my son Absolom my son my son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my son my son Jonah was a man that feared God a Type of Christ no ordinary man but a Prophet yet what abundance of discontent did he manifest for the loss of a gourd because it was a refreshment to him by keeping him from the heat of the Sun He fell into a great passion fainted was weary of his life wished that he might die and when God reasoned with him about his froward carriage he stands upon his justification Jonah 4.8,9 He fainted and wished in himself to die and said It is better for me to die than to live And God said to Jonah Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd And he said I do well to be angry even unto death Yet this gourd came up in a night and perished in a night and Jonah had not laboured at all for it neither did Jonah but God made it to grow Vers 10. When we find such a man as Jonah in such a great passion for such a small loss as a gourd which grew up and perished in a night and a day we may cry out Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him And if we are kept from fretting and discontent at our losses we must give glory to God and say as the Apostle in another case Not I but the grace of God which is with me keeps me from being discontented at my losses 7. Though it be hard to attain a cheerful contented spirit in all estates and conditions yet it is possible to be attained The Apostle Paul went through variety of afflictions as hunger thirst nakedness shipwrack imprisonment beating with rods stripes above measure cold watchings c. 2 Corinth 11.23,24,25,26,27 yet he had learned to be content in every estate Phil. 4.11,13 I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me And as he was contented so also cheerful and joyful in all his troubles 2 Cor. 7.4 I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation Now what the Apostle Paul attained to in this kind that through the help of Christ we may attain also 8. A word of counsel and advice suitably and seasonably administred to such as are in a suffering condition availeth much for the quieting comforting and supporting of their spirits under their greatest afflictions and deepest sorrows Prov. 12.25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad Prov. 27.9 Oyntment and perfume rejoyce the heart so doth the sweetness of a mans friend by hearty counsel Job 4.3,4 Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees Prov. 15.23 A word spoken in due season how good is it 9. No arguments or other means that are made use of either in preaching writing or private conference have such force and power to quiet support and comfort the hearts of those that faint and are disquieted and cast down under their afflictions as those that are drawn from and bottomed upon the Word of God Lev. 10.3 Moses said unto Aaron this is it that the
Councils as they illustrate his Glory as they promote our good c. they may be said to please him Now that which pleaseth God should not displease us It is said of David who was a wise and a gracious Prince Whatsoever the King did pleased all the people 2 Sam. 3.36 The Lord our God infinitely transcendeth David in Wisdom and Goodness and therefore whatsoever the Lord doth should please all his people 7. It is God that made you who hath taken away your Estates from you and it is not meet that the Creature should quarrel murmur at or finde fault with any thing that his Maker doth Isa 45.9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou SECT 2. 2. Consider what it is which God hath taken away from you and this Consideration will minister several Arguments for the quieting of your mindes under all your losses though they have been very great For 1. God hath taken away nothing but that which was his own Your Houses your Goods your Silver and Gold and all that you have or ever had is the Lords 1 Chron. 29.11 All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine Psal 24 1. The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Hos 2.7 Therefore will I return and take away my corn and my wine and my wool and my flax What Benhadad said to Ahab and Ahab replyed to Benhadad 1 King 20.3,4 Thy Silver and thy Gold is mine thy Wives also and thy Children even the goodliest are mine and the King of Israel answered and said My Lord O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I have The like may God say to us Thy Silver and thy Gold is mine c. And we may say to the Lord O my Lord according to thy saying I am thine and all that I have Now we take upon us to dispose of those things which are our own as we see good Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own And shall not we allow unto God that liberty which we take unto our selves shall we murmur against him when he taketh away nothing from us but that which is his own 2. God hath taken away nothing from you but what you were unworthy to enjoy Jacob was a great man the Angel that wrastled with him saith of him As a Prince hast thou power with God and Men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 Yet he looked upon himself as unworthy of the least of all the mercies that ever God bestowed upon him Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant As the Woman of Samaria said to Christ John 4.12 Art thou greater than our Father Jacob So may I say unto you Are you greater and better than Jacob if not then you must confess your selves unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies as he did and if you are unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies then you have no cause to repine at your losses seeing God hath taken nothing from you but what you were unworthy to enjoy 3. God hath taken nothing from you but that which you must of necessity have shortly parted with though this fire had not consumed any thing of your Estates It is but a very little while and you must leave this world and though you have never so much of this worlds goods you cannot carry one penny with you out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and upon this account the Apostle urgeth Christians to be content though they have never so little nothing besides food and raiment ver 8. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content And as we can carry nothing with us out of the world so it is altogether uncertain who shall possess what we leave behinde us Luke 12.20 This night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided If we have children to inherit the substance that we leave behinde us yet who can tell but the Extortioner may catch all that they have and Strangers devour their wealth Psal 109.11 Or if they should enjoy what we leave them yet who can tell whether they will spend it well or ill who can tell whether they will be wise men or fools Such thoughts as these weaned Solomon from the world and made him repent of all the pains he had taken in erecting stately Buildings and gathering together much Treasure Eccles 2.18,19 I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun 4. That which God hath taken from you is but vanity yea more that which often proveth a vexation to the Soul and Spirit which is the better part of a man Solomon speaking of all worldly things saith of them Vanity of Vanities all is vanity Eccles 1.2 and afterwards reckoning up his outward enjoyments he doth tell us that his stately Buildings and his great Treasures were vanity as well as other things Eccles 2.4,5,8,17 I made me great works I builded me houses I made me Gardens and Orchards I gathered me also Silver and Gold and the peculiar treasures of Kings All is vanity and vexation of Spirit Should a wise man disquiet himself for the loss of a vanity or vex himself because he is deprived of that which is but vexation of Spirit 5. Riches are not that which most men think them to be They have less of good and more of evil in them than we are aware of I do not mean that riches are evil of themselves they are good blessings of God yet our corrupt natures are apt to turn them to an evil use VVherefore view your riches which you have lost not according to that estimation which men of the world have of riches but according to the judgement which the Holy Ghost giveth of them in the Scriptures where they are stiled Deceitful Riches Mark 4.19 Uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 The Mammon of unrighteousness Luke 16.9 Vanity and vexation of Spirit as was hinted before Thorns Mat. 13.22 That which is not That which should be so far from disquieting our hearts that they are not worthy that such a noble creature as man should set his eyes upon them Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flye away as an Eagle towards Heaven The Scriptures inform us that all that disquiet themselves about riches disquiet
and more excellent than ever we saw or heard of or can conceive in our minds 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Such is the excellency of those things which God hath laid up in Heaven for us that the thoughts and hope of enjoying the glory and joys of heaven may fill our hearts with joy and comfort under all the losses and crosses that we meet with in the world Rom. 5.2,3 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulations also 1 Pet. 1.3,4,6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations Though a servant of God hath lost never such a fair Inheritance on Earth yet he hath more cause of rejoycing in that incorruptible Inheritance that fadeth not away which is reserved for him in Heaven than of being troubled for the loss of his earthly Inheritance SECT 10. 10. Consider what a great evil it is to murmur and to be discontented at your losses and how pleasing and acceptable it is unto the Lord that you should be content and patient under this affliction which it hath seemed good unto the Lord to lay upon you The Israelites went through many difficulties whilst they wandered up and down by the space of forty years in the Wilderness and because they murmured multitudes of them were destroyed neither the greatness nor the long continuance of the affliction did excuse them from punishment and this example of Gods justice on them is set down for an example to us that we might for ever be deterred from murmuring under any of our afflictions 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer To murmur because God hath taken away our Estates is the ready way to provoke God to take away our lives Psal 106.25,26 They murmured in their Tents Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wilderness There is more evil in one repining discontented thought than there is in all your losses though they be very great for the one hath only the evil of punishment the other hath in it the evil of sin And there is more of evil in the least sin than in the greatest punishment All Gods dealings towards his people are managed with infinite wisdom and infinite love in order to the promoting of their good and his own glory and what an hainous sin and how offensive to God is it for a man to murmur when God is doing of him good and bringing glory to his Name seeing also that whatever way God takes to bring about our good is contrived with infinite wisdom and is accompanied with infinite love And as it is is a great evil to be discontented at any of Gods dealings so it is an excellent heavenly frame of spirit and that which is highly pleasing to God for a man in all things to submit himself to God and to lie at his foot and to be content with his will and to say in his heart It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good That is of great excellency which is an ornament to a man in the judgment of a wise holy judicious man that may be deemed more excellent which is accounted an ornament by the Angels of Heaven but that is most excellent which is an ornament in the sight of God and of this nature is a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3.4 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price When the Lord hath brought us to lie at his foot he is so pleased with this submissive frame of spirit that he is wont to bestow very great blessings on such as are brought to his foot and are content that he should do what he pleaseth with them Isa 41.2 Who raised up the righteous man from the East called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him Ruler over Kings Contentment under the cross makes great afflictions to seem but small ones and small afflictions none at all The Apostle went through very great sufferings as we may see 1 Cor. 4.9,10,11,12,13 2 Cor. 11.23,24,25,26,27 yet having learnt in every estate to be content Phil. 4.11 he maketh a light matter of all his afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction c. Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us But a discontented mind thinketh small afflictions great and intolerable burdens The loss of a gourd which sprang up in a day and withered in a day was but a small loss yet Jonah being under a discontented mind is so troubled at this loss that he faints under it and wisheth that he might die and is angry with God and justifieth himself in his frowardness and saith I do well to be angry even to the death Jonah 4.7,8,9 Discontent is like a nail in a yoke which frets and galls and pains the neck far more than the yoke it self doth When God layeth the yoke of affliction upon us discontent troubles and perplexeth the soul far more than any affliction can do SECT 11. 11. Consider how patiently and contentedly others of Gods servants have endured and gone through far greater losses and sorer troubles than you have met withal Job lost a very great Estate and seven Sons and three Daughters even all that he had in one day yet all these losses did not provoke Job to repine or speak one foolish word against God or do any other iniquity but he bore all with such a quiet spirit that in stead of fretting and repining he blesseth God Job 1.21,22 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly When David was driven from Jerusalem by his son Absolom who conspired against him to take away not only his Crown and Kingdom but his life also this was a very great affliction and it was the more heavy because it was his own son that came sorth of his bowels that sought to take away his life 2 Sam. 16.11 and this affliction came upon him for his sin in killing Vriah which he knew very well being foretold of it by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.9,10,11 yet he submits himself to God under all that was come upon him and is willing that the Lord should lay whatever else he saw meet though he should say of David I have no delight in him 2
know not well where to bestow my self I can't light of an house that pleaseth me but am put to great straits and am much troubled for the loss of my former habitation and the inconvenience of my present abode Answ 1. You have as good dwellings still as many servants had who were too good to dwell in the world Heb. 11.38 Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth You are as well provided for as the Apostles of Christ Paul speaking of himself and the other Apostles saith 1 Cor. 4.9,11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place You are as well and better provided for in this respect than Christ himself was when he was in the world Mat. 8.20 The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head 2. Every godly man hath God for his habitation and they that have God for their habitation may well be contented how inconvenient soever their habitation be in this world When the Israelites wandered in a desolate Wilderness by the space of forty years where they had no houses to dwell in they were abundantly satisfied in this that God was their dwelling place Psal 90.1 Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations That this Psalm was penned when the Israelites were in a wandering unsettled condition in the Wilderness appeareth both from the Title and several passages in the Psalm 3. When you are troubled at the loss or for the want of a convenient habitation here on earth comfort your selves with the thoughts and hope of that glorious house which God hath prepared for you in heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 We know if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens The Disciples had left their houses and all that they had for Christ and Christ to comfort them tells them of the mansions that were prepared for them in heaven John 14.1,2 Let not your hearts be troubled In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you The like may I say to you let not your hearts be troubled at the loss of your houses though never so convenient but comfort your selves with the expectation of those glorious mansions that are prepared for you in heaven 4. Had not God unsettled you by this Providence it may be you would have settled upon your Lees Jer. 48.11 It may be you would have said in your heart it is good being here and would have neglected seeking the Kingdom of God and therefore God out of mercy to your souls might unsettle you to cause you to shake off a worldly spirit and to stir you up to make sure of an eternal habitation in heaven 5. If you seek unto God though your houses be laid waste and your selves much unsettled and know not where to fix your habitations God will provide you as good habitations as ever you had Psal 107.4,6,7 They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no city to dwell in then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation Ezek. 36.9.10 Behold I am for you and I will turn unto you and the Cities shall be inhabited and the wasts shall be builded But he adds withal that he expected they should enquire of him to bestow this and what other mercies are promised in this Chapter ver 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do this for them SECT 10. Obj. 10. I am by this providence disabled from following my Calling and thereby rendered useless and unserviceable in my Generation and this is that which most of all troubles and disquiets my mind Answ 1. We should covet earnestly to do God and our Generation much service those few dayes we have to live in the world 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord It is a sore judgement when our dayes are spent unprofitably and inflicted as a punishment of other sins Psal 78.32,33 They sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity It argues great displeasure in God when he suffers us to spend our dayes in an unprofitable manner Psal 90.9 Our dayes are passed away in thy wrath we spend our years as a tale that is told This Scripture implyeth that it is a great token of Gods wrath when we spend our years as a tale Now then we may be said to spend our years as a tale when we spend them idly and unprofitably for there comes no profit in telling of Tales 1 Tim. 4.7,8 Tales have this Epithite given them in the Scripture Idle Tales Luke 24.11 what our Translation renders At a tale that is told some Translations as the Greek Arabick Syriack and Aethiopick render As a spider or As a spiders web The sense is the same namely when our years are spent in fruitless labours whereby neither we our selves or others are the better for them this is from the wrath of the Lord. 2. If we do earnestly desire and endeavour to serve the Lord and our Generation and do long for abilities and opportunities of doing service and the Lord grant them not or after he hath made use of us awhile shall lay us aside we must in this case submit our selves to God and say as David did 2 Sam. 15.26 If he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him There is good reason that we should submit our selves unto God if he should refuse to employ us in doing him any farther service though we have never such strong desires to be serviceable in our Generation for 1. We are altogether unworthy to be employed in any service for God and Christ though the meanest that can be thought of What meaner service could any one have than to stoop down and unty Christs shooes or to carry his shooes after him Yet John the Baptist who was a great person none that was born of women was greater than he according as our Saviour testifieth of him Mat. 11.11 He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb Luke 1.15 He was such an holy man that Herod the King of the Jews stood in awe of him Mark 6.20 Yet this great this holy man thought himself unworthy to do the least or meanest service for Christ he thought himself unworthy to unty or carry his shooes after him Luke 3.16 One mightier than I cometh the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to
to do God good service Phil. 3.6 Concerning zeal persecuting the Church And Saul out of a blinde zeal to the children of Israel and Judah slew the Gibeonites for which sin though done in zeal the whole Land was punished with three years Famine 2 Sam. 21.1,2 2. Look that your zeal for God be true and real and not pretended Jehu pretended great zeal for God 2 Kings 10.16 Come with me and see my zeal for the Lord But it was rather a zeal to establish the Kingdom to himself than any true zeal for God 3. Let your zeal be chiefly exercised in those things wherein the life and power of godliness consisteth in the essential and fundamental matters of Religion and not in circumstantials Pharisaical zeal that was punctual in tything Mint and Cummin and Annise and neglected the weightier matters of the Law as Faith and the love of God Judgment and Mercy was disallowed and condemned by Christ 4. Look that your zeal be not for a fit while the sence of your affliction is fresh upon your spirits but let it be constant Gal. 4.18 It is good to be zealously affected alwayes in a good thing 3. God aims at the making of you partakers of his holiness by this affliction Heb. 12.10 He chasteneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness These persons to whom the Apostle writes this Epistle had been chastned with the loss of their Goods Heb. 10.34 and this chastning was for this end that they might be partakers of Gods Holiness They were holy before the Apostle calls them chap. 3.1 Holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling They were such as had been sufferers for Christ and had suffered joyfully they had attained to assurance of their salvation chap. 10.32,33,34 Yet these persons were chastned that they might be made more holy Now seeing Gods design in this affliction is to make you partakers of his holiness let this affliction stir you up to follow after holiness if you had only a form of godliness a shew and appearance of holiness before now follow after the power truth reality of godliness if you had true holiness before labour now to be more holy be more holy in your hearts in your thoughts in your affections in your speech and discourse with all men be more holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1.15 As he which called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation This exhortation though it belong to all Gods called ones is more especially directed to such as are in affliction for to such this Epistle is directed as you may see ver 1 6. Let your sufferings excite you to do the works of your Callings in a more godly sort and to perform your Closet and Family Duties in a more holy manner to be more holy in your relative Duties to be more holy in your converses with all sorts of men and to express more of the power of holiness in all manner of conversation 4. God aims at the stirring of you up to a more close and humble walking with himself and to deal justly and mercifully with all men Micah 6.8 He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God This God required at such a time as he was pleading a controversie with his people as you may see ver 2. The Lord hath a controversie with his people and he will plead with Israel And while he was pleading his controversie he destroyed Jerusalem the chiefest City of the Jews chap. 3.12 Zion shall be plowed as a field and Jerusalem shall become heaps And Samaria which was one of the principal Cities belonging to the ten Tribes Isa 7.9 The head of Ephraim is Samaria Micah 1.6 I will make Samaria as an heap of the field I will pour down the stones thereof into the valley and I will discover the foundations thereof Now when God had a great controversie with Israel and Judah for this Prophet was sent to both Kingdoms chap. 1.1 and was laying waste their chiefest Cities that which he required from the inhabitants with whom he was pleading his controversie was that they should do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with their God 5. God aims at making of you more fruitful by this affliction that you may bring forth both more and better fruit John 15.2 Every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit When great wrath was coming upon the Jews and the axe was even laid to the root of the tree John the Baptist giveth them this exhortation Mat. 3.8 Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance Now if you would know what it is wherein God would have you more fruitful in you may be resolved from such Scriptures as these Gal. 5.22,23 The fruit of the Spirit is love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance Phil. 1.11 Being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ unto the glory and praise of God Col. 1.10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitful in every good work If then you would comply with Gods ends in your present affliction labour to be filled with the fruits of righteousness abound in all the fruits of the Spirit which are as you heard before love joy peace long-suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness and temperance Labour to be fruitful in every good work only remember in so doing that you bring forth your fruit to God and not to your selves Rom. 7.4 That we should bring forth fruit unto God for what fruit is brought forth for selfish ends God accounts next to none Hos 10.1 Israel is an empty vine he bringeth forth fruit unto himself SECT 7. 7. The losses and other afflictions which you have sustained by this dreadful Fire should stir you up to glorifie God Isa 24.15 Wherefore glorifie ye the Lord in the Fires even the name of the Lord God of Israel In the former part of the Chapter the Prophet speaks of a time of great desolation as ver 1. Behold the Lord maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste and turneth it up-side down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof ver 3. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled ver 11 12. All joy is darkned the mirth of the land is gone in the City is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction and then tells them what use they should make of these sore Judgments Glorifie ye the Lord in the fires When God is executing any remarkable Judgments it should awaken all men to glorifie God Rev 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy name for thy judgments are made manifest We read Rev. 14.6,7 That when it was an hour wherein God was executing his Judgments that an Angel cryed to every nation and kindred and tongue
Lord is the way to prosper 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By the power of faith strong Walls and Cities have been demolished Heb. 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down ver 33. Who through faith subdued Kingdoms Now if faith be instrumental to demolish Walls and Cities Why may it not also be of great force to build them up If any ask What encouragements can you give us for our faith that we may trust and rely on God for his presence and assistance with us in this work of building I answer 1. Building of desolate Cities is a good work and well-pleasing to God and that which conduceth unto the glory of God when it is managed with a right spirit and in a right manner The building of Jerusalem after it had been wasted by fire and the Sword is called a good work Neh. 2.18 They said let us rise up and build so they strengthened their hands for this good work the building of Jerusalem is called also the pleasure of the Lord it being that which pleased him to see those wast places builded again Isa 44.28 That saith of Cyrus he shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundations shall be laid It did conduce also to Gods glory Psal 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory Jer. 33.7,9 I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return and will build them as at the first And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and an honour before all the Nations of the Earth That building is a good work and acceptable to God when rightly managed may be evidenced several wayes besides the fore-quoted Scriptures As 1. It is oft spoken of a blessing for God to give a man an house to dwell in Exod. 1.21 And it came to pass because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses 1 Sam. 2.35 I will build him a sure house Isa 65.21 They shall build houses and inhabit them 2. Cohabitation conduceth much both to our civil and spiritual good Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity The scattering abroad of persons and separating them each from other is threatned as a judgment Isa 24.1 Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty and maketh it waste and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof If cohabitation conduceth much to our good and scatering abroad be an evil and a judgment then building of Cities in order to cohabitation is a good work 3. By building of houses we prepare Mansions and Recepticles for the bodies of Gods servants which are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that cannot but be a good work to provide Mansions for the bodies of Gods servants The Lord Jesus takes it kindly when we lodge any of his members but for a night or two Matth. 25.34,35 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was a stranger and ye took me in To provide setled habitations for the servants of God is more than to take them in for a night or two 4. Building of Houses and desolate Cities is a means of delivering those that want habitations from great distress as being wet with the dew of heaven and consumed with cold by night and the heat by day c. and to provide a refuge for the distressed is a good work Neh. 2.17 Ye see the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come and let us build up the Wall of Jerusalem that we be no more a reproach Now if building be a good work then you may confidently expect Gods presence with you when you set upon it if you manage it with a right spirit Amos 5.14 Seek good and not evil and so the Lord the God of Hosts shall be with you as ye have spoken and if God will be with you in your work this may greatly encourage you in the management of it Hag. 2.4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Joshua and be strong all ye people of the Land and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts 2. God is able to carry on those that rest upon him in this work how great and how many dissiculties and oppositions and discouragements soever they meet withal This is evident from the building of Jerusalem after it was burnt and laid wast by the Chaldeans Consider to this purpose 1. What a great work the building of Jerusalem was which had been wasted by Fire and Sword from a forreign power and had lyen in its desolation seventy years Neh. 4.19 The work is great and large 2. Consider how weak and unfit the Jews were for this great work after their strength and treasure was exhausted by seventy years captivity Some of them were so discouraged that they thought they should not be able to accomplish so great a work Neh. 4.10 Judah said The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall 3. The times in which they set upon building of Jerusalem were very troublous times Dan. 9.25 The street shall be built again and the wall in troublous times 4. The Enemies of the Jews opposed this work of building Jerusalem with all their might They scoffed at them and derided their work Neh. 4.2,3 What do these feeble Jews Will they fortifie themselves Will they make an end in a day Will they revive the stones out of the heap of the rubbish which are burnt Even that which they build if a Fox go up he will even break down their stone wall They cast false slanders upon them as though they builded out of a design to rebel Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do Will ye rebel against the King Neh. 6.6 Thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayst be their King and when these means would not prevail they attempted by force to make the work cease Neh. 4.7,8,11 They were very wroth and conspired all of them together to come and to sight against Jerusalem And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease And when none of these means would cause them to leave off building they hired Counsellors to mediate with the Kings of Persia and wrote Letters to hinder the building of Jerusalem Ezra 4.4,5,23,24 And notwithstanding all the attempts of their Adversaries both by fraud and violence though there were some intermissions yet the work was compleated And how by the help and assistance of God as their Enemies
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
whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world Fear weakens the heart and makes it faint at approaching troubles Luke 21.26 Mens hearts failing them for fear Now Faith conduceth much to the fixing and establishing the heart against fears Psal 112.7 He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Psal 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me And therefore it conduceth much to the preparing of a man to undergo his afflictions I might shew you here what you should believe in reference to your afflictions to enable you to bear them with chearfulness among many things that might be instanced in I will mention only these three 1. Believe that no affliction doth or ever shall befal you but by the wise and gracious providence of God and that not only every affliction but every circumstance in every affliction is ordered and disposed by the infinite wisdom of God This is agreeable to such Scriptures as these Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things Ephes 1.11 Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Matth. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered The believing that Gods hand is in our afflictions will bow our hearts and make them stoop and submit to God though it be a smarting Rod wherewith the Lord corrects us They were dreadful judgments which Samuel denounced against Eli yet he submits himself readily to it because it came from God 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2. Believe that in every affliction God designeth the bringing glory to his Name and the doing good to your own souls you have good ground to believe this for the Scriptures do assure us that God aims both at our good and his own glory in all our afflictions Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Rom. 11.36 To him are all things All things are not only of God as the efficient but they also tend to him as their end Isa 5.16 The Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment This made the Apostle joyful in his afflictions that they did illustrate the glory of God 2 Cor. 12.9,10 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake He rejoyced also in his afflictions because they did promote the good of his soul When some preached Christ out of contention with a design to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1.14 Was he troubled at the affliction they created to him No for he saith I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce ver 18. And what made him to rejoyce herein He gives us the reason of his joy ver 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your Prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. Believe that you shall be delivered out of your troubles this will be a means to support you under them Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living You have good ground from the Word of God to believe that you shall be delivered out of all your troubles though they be very many Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all And though they be great as well as many such as you never met with or heard of the like yet you may rest upon God that he will deliver you out of them Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it What is your affliction Is it the rod of men God will not suffer it to lye over-long upon you Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity Is it the Rod of God that is upon you Do the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in your soul doth he contend with you This will not last alwayes Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wrath for the spirit should fail before me and the soul which I have made Doth the Lord do more then contend with you doth he seem to reject and cast off your soul you may be assured that he will not deal thus with you alwayes because he himself hath said it that he will not cast off for ever Lam. 3.31,32 The Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Is it a temptation of Satan that disquiets you wait but a while on God and he will tread Satan and all his temptations under your feet Rom. 16.20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Is it some sin that vexeth and troubleth your soul wait a while upon God and he will deliver you from your sins as well as your other troubles Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities Psal 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 When David was under many sorrows that disturbed and cast down his soul he bore up himself with hope of a better state that though for the present he was in a mourning condition the time would come wherein he should praise God for helping him out of his troubles Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance 3. If we would be prepared to undergo every affliction that God shall lay upon us we must labour to get Gods strength engaged with us for us Though of our selves we can do nothing yet through the help of God we shall be able to do and suffer great things Psal 60.11,12 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man Through God we shall do valiantly Psal 18.29 By thee have I run through a Troup and by my God have I leaped over a Wall By the help of God we may do and suffer every thing Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me If a man have God for his strength he