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
to pitty those that are dogged with this temptation He is so tender over tempted souls that he takes them in his arms and lodgeth them in his bosom to prevent their being devoured by the roaring Lion Isa 40.11 He shall feed his Flock like at Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young Though we be weak like Lambs and Satan be strong and cruel like a Lion yet as long as we lie in the bosom of Christ we are safe enough from this roaring Lion 3. The Lord Jesus is very vigilant over all Satans motions when ever there ariseth any desire in his heart to do us mischief Christ seeth what he designs and prevents his temptations from ruining of us Luk. 22.31,32 The Lord said Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Christ takes care of Peter before Peter knew his danger and so consequently before he sought to Christ Now if Christ be so careful of persons in temptation as to prevent them with mercy to succour them before they cry then surely he will succour and relieve those that cry to him night and day 4. When you find your selves assaulted with this temptation and it comes with that violence and fury that you are afraid you shall one day fall by it have recourse to those Promises which relate to a tempted condition and urge them at the Throne of Grace and hang upon God for the accomplishment of them I wil put you in remembrance of some Promises that may be of great use to you when you are in a tempted condition Rom. 16.20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly It may be you have had a long conflict with Satan and you are afraid at the last he will get you under his feet but fear not the God of Truth hath engaged himself by promise that he will bruise Satan under your feet and he will do it shortly 1 Cor. 10.13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the temptation also make away to escape that ye may be able to bear it Satan is very desirous to tempt us above what we are able to bear but God will not suffer him and that we may rest satisfied that he will not suffer Satan to tempt us above what we are able to bear he hath engaged his faithfulness for the fulfilling of this promise and he that hath made this promise knoweth what we can and what we cannot bear Isa 59.19 When the Enemy shall come in like a stood the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him or as 't is in the margent shall put him to slight Doth Satan come in upon your souls with his temptations like a flood in such a violent impetuous manner that you are in danger to be born down by them yet fear not the Spirit of the Lord will come into your assistance and put him to slight The first Promise that God gave to man after his fall may be of great use to us in our temptations namely That the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head 5. Keep up your hope in the mercy of God by vertue of the merits of Christ and the Covenant of Grace Satan can do little by this temptation of Self-murther until he hath brought the Soul into a despaning condition As long as we are able to cleave to the blood of Christ and the Word of God Satan shall not be able to prevail against us but we shall overcome all his temptations Rev. 12.11 They overcame him that is Satan by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their Testimony 6. Shun idleness and alwayes employ your selves either in some religious exercise or in the works of your Calling and if Satan come upon you with his temptations either when you are performing any religious duties or when you are about the works of your Calling you need not be afraid of him for the good Angels have a charge from God to look after you and defend you when you are in Gods way Psal 91.11 He shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy wayes And by vertue of that assistance which God will give us whilst we keep in his wayes we shall overcome the Powers of Darkness as we may see Ver. 13. Thou shalt tread upon the Lion and Adder the young Lion and the Dragon shalt thou trample under foot But by idleness and neglecting the works of our Calling we give Satan great advantage against us 7. Observe what pleas and reasonings Satan makes use of to draw you to this horrid sin of Self-murder and upon examination you shall find them to be but meer delusions and traps and snares that he makes use of to destroy your souls and that they are of no force and validity to warrant your Commission of this unnatural sin will appear evidently by instancing in and returning an answer to some of the most material pleas which he maketh use of to draw persons under distress to put an end to their own lives Plea 1. My misery and my troubles are exceeding great they are so heavy I know not how to bear them and I see no way how I should put an end to my miseries but by putting an end to my days and I had better put an end to my life than live in such great and continual misery as I live in Answ 1. It is utterly unlawful for a man to procure his own death to put an end to his misery though his sorrows and his troubles be exceeding great Jobs calamities were exceeding great both in respect of what he suffered in his inward and outward man He felt such a load upon his spirit that he thought if all the sand on the Sea-shore had been put into one balance and his grief into another his grief would have been heavier than the sand of the Sea Job 6.2,3 he saith Ver. 4. The Arrows of the Almighty are within me the poison whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me His sorrows and troubles were so great that he was weary of his life and longed to dye ver 8 9. If he might have had his choice he would have chosen strangling or any other kinde of death rather than to have lived such a miserable life Job 7.15,16 yet notwithstanding the case was thus with Job he durst not attempt any thing to take away his life one day before the time appointed by God was come but resolves to wait patiently all his dayes for his change Job 14.14 All the dayes of my appointed time will I wait till my change come 2. By making away thy self thou
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
since the Israelites came out of Egypt and passed through the Wilderness into Canaan and yet their sufferings in the Wilderness are ensamples to us to deter us from sinning as they did lest we suffer as they did and not to us only but to all that shall live between this and the end of the world 1 Cor. 10.11 Now all these things happened to them for ensamples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are come 3. In some cases where grief is great counsel and comfort takes place best when the sufferers have had a little space to bemoan their distressed condition When Jobs Friends came to comfort him they forbore speaking a word to him for seven dayes and seven nights because they saw his grief was very great Job 2.11,12,13 I shall detain thee no longer with this preface but commend thee and this work to the blessing of the Lord after I have craved one request at thy hands which is if thou reapest any benefit by this ensuing Treatise give all the glory to God and lift up a prayer for him who is Thine to serve the in the work of the Lord O. S. The Contents Quest 1. How may such as have suffered great loss by the late Fire bear their losses with a contented chearful spirit NIne Propositions premised concerning Contentment pag. 1. to p. 7 Eleven Considerations to help such as have been great sufferers by this Fire to bear their losses contentedly 8. to 41 Eight Directions by way of practice to help such as are in affliction to bear their afflictions contentedly 41. to 69 How a man may take up his rest and satisfaction in God in all estates and conditions 57. to 65 When a man may be said to take up his dwelling in God 63 64. Pleas for Discontent removed 69 1. Plea My loss is exceeding great Answered four wayes 69 70 71 2. Plea I have lost all and am quite undone Answered seven wayes 71. to 75 3. Plea I know not how to live now I have lost my estate Answered four ways 75 76 4. Plea I am afraid I shall want before I die Answered five wayes 77. to 80 5. Plea I am in debt and am not able to pay my debts Answered five wayes 80 to 84. God hath wrought Miracles to help men to pay their debts 82 6. Plea I am already under much misery and fear I shall soon meet with more Answered three wayes 85 86 7. Plea My Family is undone by this Fire and my losses are so great that if I die I can leave my Wife and Children nothing Answered five wayes 86. to 89 A godly man that can leave his Children no visible Estate leaveth them comfortably provided for in four respects 88 8. Plea I have lived high and in good repute and now must fare hardly and be slighted Answered six wayes 89. to 93 Four Arguments to perswade us to be content with course dyet 91 92 9. Plea I have lost a commodious Habitation and am thereby much unsetled and know not where to fix my Habitation Answered five wayes 93 94 95 10. Plea I am disabled from following my Calling and am rendered unserviceable Answered four wayes 95. to 101 3. Arguments to perswade us to submit our selves to God when he will not make use of us to do him service 96 97 What we should do to prevail with God to make use of us to do him service answered 3 wayes 97 98 How to know what calling they should make choice of who are disabled from following their former Callings answered 5 wayes 100 101 11. Plea I am afraid this Judgment came in wrath and that God is angry with me answered 4 wayes 101 to 104 What we should do to pacifie the Lords anger when it is kindled against us answered 3 wayes 102 103 How may a man know when his Afflictions come in love answered 3 wayes 104 12. Plea I am disabled by my losses from giving any thing to the poor answered 4 wayes 104 to 108 13. Plea I lost my goods by my indiscretion answered 3 wayes 108 to 110 14. Plea I have laboured hard many years for what I lost in one day answered 110 111 15. Plea The guilt of my unrighteousness in my dealings troubleth me answered 112 113 114 How such as are troubled in Conscience for their unrighteousness in their dealings may get true peace answered in five particulars 112 113 114 16. Plea I serve God and have lost all that I had many that are regardless of God and his Service have lost nothing answered 4 wayes 115 to 118 17. Plea The glory and strength of England is much impaired by this Fire thousands of Families are ruined many poor people that lived comfortably in Hospitals and Alms-Houses are like to perish c. answered in five particulars 118 to 127 Quest 2. What use should they make of their affliction who have lost their whole or any part of their Estates by this Fire page 128 Sect. 1. Look upon this affliction as the rod of God 128 129 Sect. 2. This affliction must be laid to heart where is shewed how this affliction must be laid to heart in 6 partilars 129 to 132 Sect. 3. Minde the teachings of God in this affliction 132 What they that have been sufferers should learn by this affliction answered in 7 particulars 133 134 135 What the vanity of worldly things should teach us answered in 4 particulars 135 to 138 Sect. 4. Search out the sin for which God sent this affliction 138 How to find out the sin for which God correcteth us Answered four wayes 139 145 For what sins God is wont to send this Judgment of Fire 140 141 142 For what sins God is wont to impoverish men 143 144 Sect. 5. Look upon this affliction as a loud call to Repentance 145 146 Reasons why we should repent and turn unto God when we are under affliction 147 Six Directions about Repentance 147 to 150 Very few are brought to Repentance by their afflictions though they be great 150 151 What we should do that we may be brought to Repentance when we are under afflictions Answered six wayes 152 to 158 Sect. 6. Comply with Gods ends in afflicting you 158 where are mentioned five ends of God on sending this affliction 159. to 164 Sect. 7. God is to be glorified in the fires 164 165 How to glorifie God in our afflictions Answered six wayes 165. to 168 Sect. 8. Lay up Treasure in Heaven where is shewed what that Treasure is which we must lay up in Heaven 168 169 Sect. 9. Be mindful of and careful to avoid four other fires more dreadful then the late fire 170. to 173 Sect. 10. Trust in God for a livelyhood though all your Estates be gone and you have nothing left to live upon 173 174 What considerations may encourage such as have nothing to live upon to trust in God for a livelyhood Answered 174 175 Object 1. I cannot see or think
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
may encrease our inward spiritual comforts Hos 2.7,14 I will take away my corn and my wine and my wooll and my flax I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her I might mention others of a like nature but I forbear by these you may see that God may intend his people much good when he depriveth them of their estates SECT 4. 4. Consider that though God hath taken much from you he might with equity and justice have taken away a great deal more from you and therefore you have no cause to repine that God hath taken away so much but rather to be thankful that God hath taken away no more from you For 1. God might have taken away your lives as well as your estates When Sodom was burnt Lot lost his house and his goods as may be gathered from Gen. 19. It was evening before the Angels came to him Vers 1. and in the morning about the time that the Sun rose God rained fire and brimstone upon the City Vers 23. Some time was spent in entertaining the Angels in going to his sons in law to acquaint them with the purpose of God to destroy Sodom in fleeing to Zoar so that he saved very little if any of his goods for what could a man that had such short warning of Sodom's destruction and was forced to flee for his life carry along with him Besides the loss of his goods and his house he lost his wife V. 26. and his sons in law and his daughters that were married to them V. 14. only Lot and his two Daughters that were unmarried got to Zoar yet he doth not murmur at his losses but looketh upon it as a great mercy that God had spared his life Gen. 19.19 Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in that thou hast spared my life When the Jews were carried captive into Babylon and Jerusalem was burnt with fire though they had lost their liberties and their dwellings were consumed they did not murmur because of their losses but looked upon it as a great mercy that themselves were not consumed also Lam. 3.22 It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consumed because his compassions fail not And notwithstanding their sufferings were very great such as could scarce be paralled by any that lived in former ages as we may see Lam. 1.12 yet they acknowledge that they had no cause of complaining seeing God had spared their lives Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain When the Ship in which the Apostle sailed was cast away and all the goods were lost he makes a light matter of their losses seeing their lives were preserved Acts 27.22,25 I exhort you to be of good cheer for there shall be no loss of any mans life among you but of the Ship Wherefore Sirs be of good cheer He calls upon them twice notwithstanding their losses to be of good cheer because their lives were preserved 2. God might have taken away your souls and cast them into everlasting burnings for you have sinned and The wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23 The Angels are more glorious creatures than man yet assoon as they had sinned God cast them into Hell 2 Pet. 2.4 God spared not the Angels that sinned but cast them down to Hell and delivered them into chains of darkness to be reserved unto judgment Now if God had dealt thus with you if instead of burning your houses he had taken away your souls and cast them into everlasting burnings your loss would have been incomparably greater than now it is though you had been owners of the whole world For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul Mark 8.36 5. God might have taken away his loving kindness from you as he did from the Jews Jer. 16.5 I have taken away my peace from this people saith the Lord even loving kindness and mercies Now that would have been a far greater loss than the loss of your estates yea than the loss of your lives for Gods loving kindness is better than life Ps 63.3 Because thy loving kindness is better than life my lips shall praise thee David spoke this when he was in the Wilderness of Judah as appears from the title of the Psalm and in this Wilderness he was destitute of all wordly comforts as appears by calling this place a drie and thirsty land where no water is yet enjoying Gods love in this desolate Wilderness he doth not murmur for want of what he enjoyed whilest he lived at home with his father or in Saul's Court but praiseth God for the sweetness and satisfaction which he enjoyed in the sense of Gods love And as David did so may we bless God if he hath not taken away his loving kindness from us whatever it be which God hath taken from us because his love is better than all other things SECT V. 5. Consider how you have sinned against the Lord and what you have deserved for your sins The reflecting upon your sins will make you patient under this and all other sufferings Micah 7.9 I will bear he indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins The calling to remembrance our sins may cause us to take patiently and contentedly the greatest afflictions on several accounts I will mention two 1. How great soever our sufferings are they are far less than our sins have deserved God never punisheth any man in this world either the godly or the wicked according to the desert of their sins Psal 103.10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Job 's sufferings were very great he was the greatest man that lived in the Eastern part of the world and had all his estate taken from him in one day he did not only lose his estate but his children also his body was smitten with painful and noysome boyls and sores his soul also was full of trouble as he himself expresseth it Job 6.4 The Arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in aray against me yet Job's sins had deserved greater things from God than what God was pleased to lay upon him Job 11.6 Know that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth The afflictions which the Jews endured at the destruction of Jerusalem and during the time of their captivity in Babylon which lasted 70. years were exceeding great so great as scarce any people in the world endured the like as we may see by these two Texts of Scripture Lam. 1.12 Is it nothing to you all ye that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow which is done unto me wherewith the Lord hath afflicted
great soever your losses have been you may well be content I will put you in minde of some things which God hath left you which are far better than those things which he hath taken from you 1. God hath left you his Holy Word in the reading and meditation whereof you may delight your self night and day Ps 1.1,2 Now Gods word is more worth than all the Gold and Silver in the world Psal 119.22 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver And with this David comforted himself when he was robbed and spoiled of his goods by the means of wicked and ungodly men ver 61. You may see also Psal 19.10 and Psal 119.14 2. God hath left you himself for your portion and though a man hath lost all that he had in the world as long as he hath God for his portion he is well enough When the Jews who were carried captive into Babylon were spoiled of all their goods and had seen their dwellings burnt with fire they comforted themselves with this that they had God still for their portion Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him All things in all Nations compared with God are less than nothing and vanity Isa 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity And why then should a man that enjoyeth this great God for his portion not rest satisfied in God but disquiet himself for that which is less than nothing and vanity 3. God hath left you his Spirit which is in you and shall abide with you to teach sanctifie and comfort you as long as you live John 14.16,17 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth he dwelleth with you and shall be in you When David had offended the Lord in the matter of Uriah he wat more afraid of having the Spirit of God takenaway than of losing his Kingdom and therefore he doth not pray take not my Kingdom but take not thy Holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 And though he was told by Nathan that the Sword should never depart from his house and that God would raise up evil against him from his own house 2 Sam. 12.10,11 Yet he resolveth if God would but pardon his sin and continue his Holy Spirit with him his tongue should sing aloud of his Righteousness Psal 51.12,14 4. God hath left you the true riches which are far better than all the riches of this world To be rich in Grace is better than to be rich in Money or Houses or Lands or any other worldly thing He that is rich in worldly Possessions but is not rich towards God is a miserable man Luke 12.19,20,21 but he that is rich in Grace though he be a very poor man as to worldly things is an happy man for he is an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven James 2.5 There is not any one Grace of the Holy Spirit but it is much better than all the Riches of the world I will instance in three or four Graces by which a man may give judgement of the rest 1. Wisdom and Understanding by which we know God and the things of God is of such a precious Nature that there is nothing in the world worthy to be compared with it Prov. 3.13,14,15 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of Silver and the gain thereof than fine Gold She is more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her 2. Faith is more precious than all the gold in the world 1 Pet. 1.7 That the tryal of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth Faith is not only as precious but more much more precious than Gold 3. The fear of the Lord that is precious treasure Isa 23.6 The fear of the Lord is his treasure 4. A meek and a quiet spirit is a rich ornament far above gold or silver for these only commend us to men but a meek and a quiet spirit is an ornament of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3.3,4 5. God hath left you all the promises he hath not taken away one promise from you The covenant which comprehends under it all the promises is in all things ordered and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 When God makes the greatest alterations in our conditions there is no alteration in his covenant Psal 89.34 My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Isa 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindeness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Though you should have lost all that you have you are as rich in promises as ever and the promises are more worth than the whole world and may you not then quiet your mindes with what promises God hath left you seeing you have promises not only for the life to come but also for the supply of all your wants in this present life 1 Tim. 4.8 Phil. 4.19 6. God hath blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ where they shall not where they cannot be taken from you You have lost only earthly blessings you have not lost any one spiritual blessing Now this may be a great comfort to you that notwithstanding what you have lost yet you are still blessed with all spiritual blessings The Apostle Paul who had suffered the loss of all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 was not troubled for his losses when he considered what God had laid up for him in Christ but breaks out into blessing and praise Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ SECT 9. 9. Consider what God hath laid up for you in Heaven and that will quiet and comfort your hearts though your goods be spoiled and your houses burnt and you have lost all the estate that you have in the world Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance There are such excellent things treasured up for you in Heaven that the tongues of men are not able to express the goodness or the greatness of them Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee We have seen many desirable and excellent things with our eyes and possibly we may have heard of better things than ever we saw and we can conceive of better things in our minds than ever we saw or heard of but those things which the Lord hath prepared for us in Heaven are far better
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
without reflecting upon Christ for he is in himself a consuming fire But when we look upon God in and through Jesus Christ then we may see him to be a reconciled Father 2 Cor. 5.19 and to be the Father of Mercies and the God of all comfort 2 Cor. 1.3 3. If we would take up our rest in God we must labour to get and to keep Gods Presence with our Souls When we enjoy Gods gracious and blessed presence we finde that in God that giveth us rest and satisfaction under our greatest troubles Exod. 33.14 My presence shall go with thee and I will give thee rest Moses had been brought up by the space of forty years in Pharaohs Court where he had fared deliciously every day and he was now in a dry barren solitary Wilderness which afforded nothing that was good but was attended with many evils as Serpents and Scorpions c. What manner of place this Wilderness was we may see Jer. 2.6 Deut. 8.15 Here he was to continue and wander up and down by the space of forty years and that in the midst of a perverse and froward people that in all their straits did murmur against him for bringing of them out of the Land of Egypt his troubles sometimes were so great that we finde him praying to God to kill him out of hand and to make a sudden dispatch of him that he might not see his wretchedness Numb 11.15 Yet though the troubles he met with in the Wilderness were exceeding great and many and of long continuance viz. forty years his soul had rest in God by vertue of the Divine Presence that went along with him We may see also the virtue and power that is in Gods Presence to quiet and satisfie the Soul in the times of greatest trouble in Jer. 46.27,28 Jacob shall return and be in rest and at ease and none shall make him afraid fear thou not O Jacob my servant saith the Lord for I am with thee In the former part of the Chapter the Lord had threatned very sore calamities that they should be compassed about with fear on every side ver 5. that the Sword should devour round about and be satiate and made drunk with blood ver 10 14 c. and though these calamities should fall most upon other Nations Jacob was not to go wholly unpunished but was to have a share therein yet Jacob having a promise of Gods presence should thereby have rest and ease in all his troubles 4. We must maintain and keep our communion with God The oftner we draw near unto God the oftner we shall finde him drawing near to our souls according to what we finde James 4.8 Draw nigh to God and God will draw nigh to you and the oftner God draws nigh to our souls the more delight and contentment we shall finde in him The Psalmist speaking of such as approach unto God saith they shall be satisfied with the goodness of Gods House Psal 65.4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and cansest to approach unto thee that he may dwell in thy courts we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house even of thy Holy Temple There is much in conversing with good men for the filling and satisfying the spirit of one that is truly gracious he hath his greatest delight in the company of the Saints and Servants of God Rons 15.24 If first I be somewhat filled with your company Psal 16.2,3 My goodness extendeth not unto thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight If there be such delight and satisfaction in conversing with good men there must needs be much more in conversing with the great God One main cause of the disturbance of our mindes when we meet with crosses is immoderate thirsting after the things of this world communion with God will take off this kinde of thirst from the souls John 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life The oftner we go to God the more we shall ask and crave of him and the more we ask of God the more and better things we shall receive from him in order to the satisfying of our souls Psal 105.40 The people asked and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven Were but our desires after God greater we should finde more abundant satisfaction in him for He satisfieth the desire of every living thing Psal 145.16 5. If we would take up our rest and satisfaction in God we must set our love upon him As it is between a man and his Wife if a man have an entire love to his Wife he will be so satisfied in her that he will have no hankerings after any other women so much is implyed Prov. 5.18,19 Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth let her be as the loving hinde and pleasant roe let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and be thou ravisht alwayes with her love So it is between a man and God when a man hath an entire love to God he will be so abundantly satisfied in God that he will have no great desire after any other thing besides God compare Psal 18.1 with Psal 73.25 I will love thee O Lord my strength Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee When God hath set his love upon his people he resteth satisfied in them Psal 87.2 The Lord loveth the gates of Zion The Lord hath chosen Zion This is my rest for ever Psal 132.13,14 Zeph. 3.17 He will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing So also it will be with us when we have set our love upon God we shall then take up our rest in God 6. We must labour to get good evidences of Gods love to our souls and get our interest in God made clear Clear and well-grounded apprehensions of our interest in God and of Gods love to our souls do tend much to the bringing of our souls to take up their rest and satisfaction in God Deut. 33.23 O Naphthali satisfied with favour Psal 90.13 O satisfie us early with thy mercy that we may be glad and rejoyce all our dayes John 14.8 Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us When we know the Father and know him to be our God and Father in Christ we have enough we have that which sufficeth us 7. If we would take up our rest in God and abide satisfied in him when ever any thing disquiets our mindes and we have any load and burden upon our Spirits we must repair to Jesus Christ and cast our selves and our burdens upon the Lord Jesus in so doing we shall finde grace and vertue coming out of the Lord Jesus to preserve and sustain our souls in a quiet peaceable satisfied frame in all
Such afflictions as make us more humble more heavenly minded or any other way promote the holiness of our hearts and lives come from love Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Apostle speaketh of such as are chastned out of love as we may see ver 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth whence it appears that such chastenings as make us partakers of Gods Holiness come from his Love SECT 12. Obj. 12. My loss hath been so great that I am thereby disabled from giving any thing to the poor and this troubleth me very much that I am by this providence cut off from exercising Charity and that I cannot relieve the poor as I was wont to do heretofore Answ 1. Though you have lost much yet if you have any thing left you must will be doing good according to your ability Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased This is spoken to such as had suffered the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 and notwithstanding their sufferings the Apostle tells them they must not forget to do good and communicate to such as were in greater distress than themselves Such as have nothing to live upon but their labor should give something out of their earnings Eph. 4.28 Let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Acts 20.35 If any say but if I that have but little should give any thing to the poor I may come to want my self I answer Never fear being brought to want by doing acts of Charity Prov. 28.27 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack If any reply the times are like to prove bad and hard and therefore I that have but little had not need give away any thing but rather ought to lay up all that I can against an hard time Answ The uncertainty of the times and the evils that are like to come upon the earth should not hinder our Charity but make us more abundant in works of Mercy Eccles 11.2 Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Loâ— here the Holy Ghost would have us give frequently and give bountifully a portion and that not to one or two but to seven and also to eight when any evils are like to come upon the earth 2. Though you have lost much and have but little left you may give as much as you did before I mean that which God will count as much The widow that gave but two mites cast more into the Treasury in Christs account than those rich men that cast in abundance Mark 12.41,42,43 Jesus sate over against the treasury and behold how the people cast money into the Treasury and many that were rich cast in much and there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing and he called unto him his Disciples and saith unto them Verily I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the treasury God looks at the heart more than the gift and the more freedom of heart and willingness of minde there is in our gifts the better they are accepted with God A man of a mean estate may give with as free an heart as a Prince 2 Sam. 24.23 All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King Yet he was but a mean man compared with David he called David his Lord and stiles himself Davids servant ver 21. both he and his Sons were at hard labour when David came to them they were threshing wheat 1 Chron. 21.20 The Churches of Macedonia were very poor and under many afflictions and yet in the depth of their poverty and their greatest afflictions they abounded in liberality 2 Cor. 8.1,2 We do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality 3. Be not discouraged from acts of Charity because you can give but very little in comparison of what you did before for the least and smallest acts of Charity done in a right spirit shall have a great and glorious reward What a small matter is it to give a cup of cold water yet such as give a cup of cold water only having nothing more or better to bestow shall in no wise lose their reward Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Our Saviours rule is Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11.41 They that have much must give much and they that have but mean things must not be discouraged because it is but little and inconsiderable that they can do but must give alms of such things as they have If there be a willing minde to give much God accepts of a mans willing minde though he be able to give but very little 2 Cor. 8.12 4. If your losses be so great that you are able to give nothing to the poor yet you are not disabled from exercising of your Charity You may pitty them as much as ever you did and it is said Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. You may draw out your souls to them which shall not go unrewarded Isa 58.11 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day You may pray for them you may stir up others to relieve them You may give much spiritual almes when you are so low in the world that you have not one penny of money to give as Peter said Acts 3.6 Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee So though you have no silver nor gold to give yet you may give that which is far better Though you be poor you may enrich your Families and your Relations and your Neighbours with spiritual riches 2 Cor. 6.10 As poor yet making many rich By your godly discourse you may minister grace to those that hear your discourse Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers To minister grace to any man is a thousand times better than to minister the good things of this world to him It is said Prov. 10.21 The lips of the righteous feed many and ver 20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver When you have not bread to feed the hungry withal feed as many as you can with the
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
and did eat of the corn of the land Josh 5.12 The Manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land The water also that came out of the rock followed them up and down in all places whereever they went to give them drink 1 Cor. 10.4 Now as it was with the Israelites whilst they were in the Wilderness so will God deal with all his servants whilst they are in the Wilderness of this world he will guard them and guide them by night and by day he will send in a suitable and seasonable supply of all their wants Isa 27.3 I the Lord do keep it I will water it every moment lest any hurt it I will keep it night and day Isa 49.10 They shall not hunger nor thirst neither shall the heat nor Sun smite them for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them even by the springs of water shall he guide them When your wants are many and you know not how or which way they shall be supplyed remember what is said Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus And be assured of this that God who hath been good to you will follow you with goodness and mercy as long as you live Psal 23.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the dayes of my life It may be you will say I have enough to comfort me if I were but sure that goodness and mercy should follow me all the dayes of my life but though David was sure of this it doth not follow that I may rest assured that it shall be so with me I answer They that come to and close with Jesus Christ shall be blessed with the same mercies that God bestowed upon David Isa 45.3 Encline your ear and come unto me hear and your souls shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David 5. Great calamities are oft-times followed with great mercies and this is true both as to Nations and particular persons when those Nations and persons are humbled and brought nearer to God by their afflictions Jobs afflictons were exceeding great both in respect of what he met with in his soul body name estate and relations yet God turned the captivity of Job and made his Estate more glorious and prosperous than ever Job 42.12 The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning I will instance in some mercies which God is wont to bestow upon his people either in or soon after they come out of great troubles 1. God is wont at such times to give his people greater and stronger consolations than at other times Psal 71.20,21 Thou which hast shewen me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth Thou shalt encrease my greatness and comfort me on every side Psal 66.3,5,6 How terrible art thou in thy works Come and see the works of God he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men he turned the Sea into dry land they went through the flood on foot there did we rejoyce in him When God is doing terrible things he is making way for his peoples joy After David had spoken twice of Gods being terrible in his doings he adds there did we rejoyce in him In the night of affliction God puts such comforts into his peoples hearts as makes them sing for joy Job 35.10 None saith Where is God my maker who giveth songs in the night When they are deprived of outward comforts and are in a solitary straitned condition he giveth them internal and spiritual comforts Hos 2.14,15 I will allure her and bring her into the Wilderness and speak comfortably unto her and I will give her her Vineyards from thence and the Valley of Achor for a door of hope and she shall sing there as in the dayes of her youth and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt When our troubles abound he causeth our consolations to abound also 2 Cor. 1.5 As the sufferings of Christ abound in us so our consolation also abounded by Christ 2. Great troubles are oft-times followed with great pourings out of the spirit and great measures of grace The Prophet Joel having foretold times of great distress Chapter 1. Chapter 2. to the 12. verse tells us what God would do for his people after those great calamities Joel 2.28 It shall come to pass afterward that I will poor out my spirit upon all flesh The Prophet Zephaniah also having foretold great judgments promiseth that they should be followed with great measures of grace Zeph. 3.8,9,13 My determination is to gather the Nations that I may assemble the Kingdoms to pour upon them mine indignation even all my fierce anger for all the Earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousie Observe now what mercies follow these judgments Then will I turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity nor speak lies neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth see also Isa 32.10,15 Many dayes and years shall be troubled until the spirit be poured upon us from on high After the Jews had been under sore troubles by their long captivity in Babylon what an encrease of grace and other choice mercies doth God promise them Ezek 36.25,26,27,28,29 3. In times of great trouble God is wont to afford his people more clear manifestations of his love and to give them more communion and fellowship with himself than at other times Zech. 13.9 I will bring the third part through the fire 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 day time the Lord went before the Israelites in a pillar of a cloud but in the night by a pillar of fire Divers of Gods servants that are much clouded in the day of prosperity have clear and bright discoveries of Gods love to their souls in the night of adversity When the three Children were in the fiery furnace the Son of God was so evidently with them that their adversaries themselves could not but take notice of it When the Spouse was as a Lily among Thorns compassed about with sharp afflictions the Lord Jesus conversed with her in a very familiar manner He put his left hand under her and embraced her with his right hand Cant. 2.2,6 And as it is thus with particular persons so also with Nations after God hath afflicted them with great judgments he is wont to bestow upon them great mercies when his judgments lead them to repentance After Judea which was like the Garden of Eden was by Gods judgments made like a Wilderness Joel 2.3 The Inhabitants of the Land being brought to repentance
for your day of visitation and to be ready to undergo whatever afflictions God shall see meet to lay upon you Amos 4.11,12 I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and ye were as a fire-brand blucked out of the burning prepare to meet thy God O Israel Both they that have suffered by this Fire should prepare for farther sufferings as hath been hinted in the second Question and they that escaped this burning should prepare against the day of their visitation Preparing your selves for afflictions is no way inconsistent with that trusting in God to which I exhorted you in the former Section but is an effect and fruit of Faith It was Noah's faith and not his diffidence that moved him to prepare an Ark when he understood the Flood was coming Heb. 11.7 By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an Ark This being a needful point for a Christian to be prepared for all sorts of affliction I shall enlarge a little upon it and shew you 1. Why it is needful that we should be prepared for all kindes of affliction 2. How this may be done There is great reason that we should prepare our selves and stand ready for all sorts of affliction because 1. As we are men men that carry about with us a body of sin and death we are liable to troubles and calamities every day as long as we live in this world Job 5.7 Man is born unto trouble as the sparks flie upward Job 14.1 Man that is born of a woman is of few dayes and full of troubles For ought we know every day may bring forth as much trouble as we are able to bear if it be otherwise we must ascribe it to the goodness of God Matth. 6.34 Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof and this is our condition as long as we live to be liable to trouble and sorrow all our dayes Gen. 3.17 Cursed is the ground for thy sake in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the dayes of thy life There is not any one creature in the world no not that from which we promise our selves most comfort but at one time or another it may vex our very souls Eccles 2.17 All is vanity and vexation of spirit 2. As we are godly men so we are liable to many and great troubles Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous Rev. 7.14 These are they which came out of great tribulation Acts 14.22 We must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God God would not have any godly man promise himself immunity from trouble but would have him prepare for the sharpest tryals 2 Tim. 3.12 Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution If we look over the examples of Gods servants we shall finde they have all gone through very great tryals What crosses did Jacob meet with from his brother Esau his Uncle Laban his own Children c. there was scarce a day wherein he did not meet with some trouble as he tells Pharaoh Gen. 47.9 Few and evil have the dayes of the years of my life been David who was a man after Gods own heart had a great portion of troubles Psal 73.14 All the day long have I been plagued and chastned every morning Psal 31.9,10 Mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly for my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing Heman was full of troubles and that from his youth up and those so great that he was ready to dye under them Psal 88.3,15 My soul is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave I am afflicted and ready to dye from my youth up Yea Jesus Christ who was Gods own Son was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief Isa 53.3 3. We cannot assure our selves that we shall be exempted from any kinde of trouble for whilst we are in the body we are liable to all kindes of adversity Heb. 13.3 Remember them that are in bonds as bound with them and them which suffer adversity as being your selves also in the body Better than we are have met with all sorts of troubles Psal 88.7 Thou hast afflicted me with all thy wayes Psal 42.7 All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me We may meet with such afflications as we never looked for or scarce so much as thought of them Isa 64.3 Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for And as all sorts of afflictions do attend us so at all times and in all places we cannot promise our selves freedom from affliction in any place Acts 20.22,23 I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying That bonds and afflictions abide me Neither can we promise our selves freedom from trouble any one day Prov. 27.1 Boast not thy self of to morrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth Now seeing we are liable to all sorts of afflictions in all places and at all times is it not our concernment to stand prepared continually for all sorts of tryals 4. God oft-times makes very great and suddain changes in our conditions when we least think of them when we are in the height of prosperity and adversity is far from our thoughts when we are looking for nothing but good dayes God suddenly exerciseth us with great tryals Job 30.26 When I looked for good then evil came unto me and when I waited for light there came darkness Psal 30.6,7 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved Lord by thy savour thou hast made my mountain to stand strong thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled When Job said I shall dye in my nest I shall multiply my dayes as the sand Job 29.18 It was but a little after he complains Terrors are turned upon me they pursue my soul as the winde and my welfare passeth away as a cloud and now my soul is powred out upon me the dayes of affliction have taken hold upon me Job 30.15,16 When Abraham was full of joy for his Son Isaac there ariseth a great affliction in his Family Ishmael scoffs at Isaac Sarah makes sute to Abraham to cast out Hagar and her Son and it is said The thing was very grievous in Abrahams sight because of his Son Gen. 20.11 Afterwards when God was so eminently present with Abraham that Abimelech takes notice of it and desireth to make a league with him Gen. 20.22,23 and after he had been worshiping God ver 33. on a sudden God brought as great a tryal upon him as possibly could befal him he calls him to offer up his Son Isaac for a burnt-offering and that without any delay Gen. 22.2 Take now thy Son thine only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and get thee into the land Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering 'T is not take a year
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
from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must cease from those sins which did provoke God to send this sore Judgment Until the cause of a Judgment be removed we can have but little hope it should cease What sins they are that provoke God to send this dreadful Judgment of Fire hath been shewn before Quest 2. Sect. 4. If we cease from our sins and return unto God we may hope and expect that God will cease from his mighty Judgments Mal. 3.7,11,12 Return unto me and I will return unto you saith the Lord of Hosts And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes And all Nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a a delight some land After Judea had been wasted with Fire and Sword the Lord promiseth if they would cease from their sins he would remove his Judgments Isa 1.7,16,17,19,26 Your Cities are burnt with Fire cease to do evil learn to do well If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the Land And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called The City of Righteousness the faithful City 4. If we would have no more such dreadful Fires we must labour to pacifie Gods anger that is kindled against us The mighty Judgments of God that have fallen upon us viz. the Sword the great Pestilence and this dreadful Fire are tokens of great wrath against this Nation and we may fear in regard there is so little reformation that notwithstanding all that is come upon us the anger of the Lord is not turned away but that his hand is stretched out still as it is said three times of Israel after mentioning great and sore Judgment For all this his anger is not turned away but his hand is stretched out still Isa 9.12,17,21 Wherefore we must endeavour to pacifie and turn away the Lords anger else we may expect that the same Judgments will return or some others as dreadful as any of these will fall upon us Now if you ask How shall we get Gods anger turned away from the Nation I shall instance only in these two means 1. Gods chosen ones must get into the gap and cry mightily to God in the Name of Jesus Christ that he would turn away his fierce anger that is kindled against us The Prayers of impenitent sinners cannot prevail with God to turn from his wrath but the Prayers of his Saints and Servants will cause him to lay aside his anger Psal 106.23 He said he would destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them Jer. 18.20 Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them What Prayers the servants of God put up to God in the Name of Jesus Christ are presented by the Lord Jesus unto his Father Heb. 7.25 Rev. 8.3 and when the Lord Jesus interceeds with his Father for the turning away of his wrath from a Nation or a particular person his request shall certainly be granted Zech. 1.12,13 The Angel of the Lord said O Lord of Hosts how long wilt thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and on the Cities of Judah against which thou hast had indignation these threescore and ten years And the Lord answered the Angel that talked with me with good words and comfortable words and presently after comes tidings of the ceasing of Gods wrath and his returning with mercy to Jerusalem ver 16. 17. Thus saith the Lord I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies My Cities through prosperity shall yet be spread abroad and the Lord shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem 2. We must every one turn from his evil wayes and turn unto the Lord with all our hearts and then his wrath shall be turned away from us Jonah 3.8,9 Let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Hos 14.1,4 O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity and when Israel did return at the call of God hear what God saith unto him ver 4. I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from him Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord and I will not keep anger for ever 5. If we would have God cease from sending any more such dreadful Fires we must set our faith on work on the blood of Christ and on the Promises of God It was the blood of the Sacrifice that made atonement under the law both for particular persons and for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 17.11 It is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul And as the blood of the Sacrifice made atonement for particular persons so also for the whole Congregation of Israel Lev. 4.13,14,17,18,20 These Sacrifices did type out the blood of Christ and signified to us that faith in Christs blood is the way to procure an atonement for our souls and to render God propitious after he hath been provoked to anger by our sins Rom. 3.25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood This blood of Christ is available to make atonement for whole Nations as well as particular persons Isa 52.15 He shall sprinkle many Nations And as we should set our faith on work upon Christs blood so also on Gods promises If you ask what promises I answer such Promises wherein God hath promised to cease his Judgments after he hath for a long time been sorely contending with a people We have divers promises to this purpose I will mention some of them Lam. 4.22 The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished O Daughter of Zion he will no more carry thee away into captivity he will visit thine Iniquity O Daughter of Edom he will discover thy sins Nah. 1.12 Though I have afflicted thee I will afflict thee no more Isa 51.21,22,23 Hear now this thou afflicted and drunken but not with wine Thus saith the Lord the Lord and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people Behold I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling yea even the dregs of the cup of my fury thou shalt no more drink it again But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee Isa 60.18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy Land wasting nor destruction within thy Borders but thou shalt call thy Walls salvation and thy Gates praise Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirits should fail before me and the souls which I have made Zeph. 3.15 The Lord hath taken away thy Judgments he hath cast out thine Enemy the King of Israel even the Lord is in the midst of thee thou shalt not see evil any more Faith is of great force for preventing and removing of National Judgments and the procuring of National Mercies Heb. 11.32,34 Who through faith subdued Kingdoms wrought righteousness obtained promises stopped the mouths of Lions quenched the violence of Fire escaped the edge of the Sword out of weakness were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of aliens We may see here what great things have been done by faith it hath subdued Kingdoms it hath vanquished and put to flight great and puissant Armies it hath prevailed against the â—orest of Judgements as Fire Sword wild Beasts c. By Faith and Prayer we may even as it were hold Gods hands from destroying a Nation when they are lifted up to destroy a sinful people Exod. 32.9,10 And the Lord said unto Moses I have seen this people and behold it is a stiff-necked people Now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that I may consume them and I will make of thee a great Nation Though the Lord was exceedingly provoked against Israel yet by the Faith and Prayer of Moses his hands were held that he did not destroy them Moses takes hold of the Covenant and pleads that in Prayer and thereby prevailed with God to turn from his wreth and to repent of the evil that he thought to do unto the people of Israel ver 11 12 13 14. The Lord stir up the like Spirit of Faith and Pryer in his Servants in this Nation that they that make mention of the Name of the Lord may never hold their peace day nor night but may cry mightily to the Lord and give him no rest until they have prevailed with him through the mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ to turn from the fierceness of his anger and to cease contending with us by his mighty Judgments and until he establish and make us a praise in the Earth FINIS