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
Children Orphans and Strangers these also ought to be considered in a more especial manner as being great Objects of Charity Job 29.12,13 I delivered the poor that cried and the fatherless and him that had none to help him I caused the widows heart to sing for joy God taketh a special care of the Widows and Fatherless and Strangers Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow And we should labour to resemble God see also Job 31.16,17,18,19,20 5. We should minde what opportunities God puts into our hands and embrace our present opportunities and we should be doing good to those unto whom our opportunity leadeth us to do good Gal. 6.10 As we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men Eccles 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might Prov. 3.27,28 Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it say not to thy neighbour Go and come again and to morrow I will give when thou hast it by thee You see here we should not defer our opportunities of doing good so much as for one day I shall add no more upon this head but only put you in mind of the curteous carriage of the barbarous people of Melita towards such as had suffered shipwrack and were cast upon their coasts they received every one of the shipwracked persons in a curteous manner and at their departure did abundantly supply all their necessities Act. 28.1,2,10 When they were escaped then they knew that the Island was called Melita and the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness for they kindled a fire and received us every one because of the presentrain and because of the cold who also honoured us with many honours and when we departed they laded us with such things as were necessary Will it not be a shame for Christians to be wanting in relieving their brethren that have suffered the loss of their Estates by fire when as these Barbarians shewed great kindness to men that they never saw before when they suffered shipwrack and lost their ship and all their goods in the Sea SECT 9. 9. Render your selves to God by way of gratitude for his sparing of you from this sore judgment which hath fallen so heavily upon others Your Houses and Estates are too little to give unto God for this mercy and therefore you shall do well to give your selves both body and soul all that you have and are unto the Lord. When David was debating the case with himself what he should render to the Lord for his benefits he resolves to give himself to God to be his servant and that not only in profession but indeed and in truth Psal 116.12,16 What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towards me Oh Lord truly I am thy servant I am thy servant 2 Chron. 30.8 Be ye not stiff-necked but yield your selves unto the Lord 2 Cor. 8.5 But first gave their own selves to the Lord. What the Apostle said to the Corinthians 2 Cor. 12.14 I seek not yours but you The like may be said of God He doth not seek ours but us he is more pleased when we give him our selves than with any other gift that we have to give him As a Christian looketh upon it as the greatest favour that God can bestow upon him for God to give himself to him he prizeth none of Gods gifts so much as the gift of himself so it is with God he esteemeth a mans giving up himself to God above all the gifts that he can give to God Let therefore the mercies which God hath given you prevail with you to give your selves your whole selves both body and soul unto God 1. Let Gods mercies prevail with you to give God your bodies Rom. 12.1 I beseech you therefore Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service It may be some will say What Doth God care for our bodies Will that be an acceptable gift to God The Apostle assureth us it will be an acceptable present when they are preserved holy present your bodies holy acceptable unto God And he telleth us elsewhere that the Lord is desirous of our bodies as well as of our souls 1 Cor. 6.13 The body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body Now then we give God our bodies when we keep our bodies in subjection to the will of God when we rule and govern all the members of our bodies by the Word of God when we are content to do or suffer any thing in our bodies for the sake of God that God and Christ may be magnified in our bodies Phil. 1.20 when we do not suffer sin to reign in our bodies neither do yield the members of our bodies as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but do readily yield up all the members of our bodies as instruments of righteousness to do the will of God this is to give God our bodies And this is that which the Apostle calls for Rom. 6.12,13 Let not sin reign in your mortal body that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin but yield your selves unto God as those that are above from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God 2. Give God your souls as well as your bodies otherwise you do not present your bodies to God a living sacrifice according to the forementioned exhortation Rom. 12.1 for The body without the spirit is dead Jam. 2.26 And if the body be a dead carcase without the spirit then we cannot present our bodies a living sacrifice unto God unless we give him our souls together with our bodies The soul is that which God desires above all things Prov. 23.26 My son give me thine heart Matth. 22.37,38 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great Commandement And why should any of us stick at this the giving our selves both body and soul unto God seeing it is our reasonable service Let me shew you the equity of what I am exhorting you unto that so such of you as have received great mercies from God may be perswaded by way of gratitude to give your selves the more cheerfully both body and soul unto the Lord. 1. Our bodies and souls are not our own but the Lords and shall we refuse to give God his own Shall we be backward to glorifie God with that which is his own 1 Cor. 6.19,20 Ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods God did not make either our bodies or our souls for the service of sin or Satan but for himself 1 Cor. 6.13 Now the body is not for
fornication but for the Lord Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself Rev. 4.11 Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power for thou hast created all things and for thy pleasure they are and were created Now seeing our bodies and souls were created for Gods pleasure Is it not meet they should be yielded up unto God 2. The Lord Jesus gave himself both body and soul for us He yielded his body to be crucified for us which was both a shameful and a painful death 1 Cor. 11.24 This is my body which was broken for you 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree that we being dead unto sin should live unto righteousness by whose stripes ye were healed Isa 50.6 I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked of the hair I hid not my face from shame and spitting Why should we refuse to give our bodies to be burned imprisoned banished tortured or to suffer any affliction for the sake of Christ seeing he gave his body to suffer such a shameful and painful death for us The Lord Jesus did not only give his body but his soul also an offering for our sins Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him he hath put him to grief when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin he shall see his seed Shall we stick at giving our souls to Christ when he did not stick at making his soul an offering for our sins 3. It will be much for the advantage both of our bodies and souls to give them unto God for he will sanctifie them and make them his Temple and come and dwell in them 1 Cor. 3.16 Know ye not that ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them Now who are they to whom the Apostle speaks when he saith Ye are the Temple of the living God c. They were such as had given themselves to God as you may see Chap. 8.5 But first gave their own selves to the Lord What greater honour or happiness are our souls and bodies capable of whilst they are in this world than to become Temples of the living God But besides this if we give our bodies and souls unto God he will glorifie both our bodies and souls in an unexpressible manner in the Kingdom of Heaven to all eternity The Sun is a glorious creature it dazleth our eyes to behold it God will give his Saints in Heaven a glory equal to the brightness of the Sun Matth. 13.43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the Sun in the Kingdom of their Father yea they shall excel the Sun in glory for they shall be equal to the Angels and the Angels are far more glorious ceatures than the Sun Luk. 20.36 Neither can they dye any more for they are equal unto the Angels and are the Children of God being the Children of the Resurrection yea they shall be made like to Christ their bodies shall be made like to his glorious body Phil. 3.21 Who shall change our vile body that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body and their souls shall be made like to his glorious soul 1 Joh. 3.2 We shall be like him for we shall see him as he is We that is not our bodies only or our souls only but our persons both body and soul shall be like him SECT 10. 10. Render to God the Sacrifices of righteousness When we have received any eminent mercy from God he expects that we should offer up unto him the sacrifice of a righteous and godly life which will please him better than all the Sacrifices that were offered up under the Law Psal 4.5 Offer the Sacrifices of Righteousness Psal 51.17,19 The Sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Then shalt thou be pleased with the Sacrifices of righteousness When David was wonderfully delivered from the snares of death he determines to offer this Sacrifice to God namely to walk humbly and holily before God all the dayes of his life Psal 116.6,7,8 I was brought low and he helped me Thou hast delivered my soul from death mine eyes from tears and my feet from falling Then see what he renders to God for this mercy I will walk before the Lord in the Land of the living I have touched upon this head before and therefore I shall not enlarge farther upon it only I shall add two Scriptures which do imply that it is our duty after we have received any eminent deliverances to labour after a more eminent degree of holiness than we had before and are also promises that God will sanctifie our deliverances for the making of us more holy Obad. 17. Upon mount Zion shall be deliverance and there shall be holiness Isa 4.2,3 In that day shall the Branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the Earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem In the former Chapter the Prophet had foretold the ruine of Jerusalem and the fall of Judah Isa 2.8 and here he foretells that a little remnant should escape and promiseth that Gods judgments on others and his mercy in delivering them should conduce much to the promoting of their holiness and cause them to prize highly the Lord Jesus who is understood by the Branch of the Lord Zach. 3.8 by whose merits and mediation they should obtain their deliverance SECT 11. 11. Let this deliverance cause you to seek after and to trust in God for farther mercies and deliverances when you are brought into straits This use God servants have been wont to make of their deliverances as you may see by these instances Judg. 15.18 And he was sore a thirst and called on the Lord and said Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of thy servant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised 1 Sam. 17.37 David said moreover The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the Lion and out of the paw of the Bear he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine 2 Cor. 1.10 Who delivered us from so great a death and doth deliver in him we trust that he will yet deliver us This God expects that when he hath shielded us from or helped us out of one trouble we should trust him when we come into another Psal 115.9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield Psal 61.3,4 Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong Tower from the Enemy I will
wherefore thou contendest with me If any ask How shall we come to finde out for what sins God is contending with us I answer 1. Go to God and pray to him as Job did to shew you why he contendeth with you Job 10.2 Job 13.23 and after you have sought to God to discover the cause of his controversie observe what sins he brings to your remembrance and sets before you and gives you secret intimations from his Spirit that for such and such a sin he is now correcting you In times of affliction God is wont by his Spirit to present to the view of our souls the sins for which he corrects us Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then be sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity 2. Consider what sin your consciences suggested to you when God first sent your affliction upon you for oft-times God represents to us by our consciences what the sin is for which he contendeth with us as we may see in Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 3. Search into Gods word and see for what sins God hath been wont to impoverish men and bring them low in their Estates and also for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and if you finde that you have been guilty of the same sins you may then know for what sins you have suffered the loss of your Estates by the late Fire I will give some instances in both kindes 1. For what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and they are such as these 1. Unbelief and distrust of the promises and providence of God Psal 78.21,22 A fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation 2. Neglect of prayer and seeking after God Amos 5.6 Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live lest he break out like Fire in the house of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel 3. Forsaking of God after we have had much experience of Gods goodness in guiding us and delivering us from many dangers and bestowing many other mercies upon us Jer. 2.15,17 His cities are burnt without inhabitant Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way 4. Neglecting to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual manner or prophaning it by doing service or sinful works Jer. 17.28 If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched 5. Taking of bribes to pervert justice Job 15.24 The congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Bribery 6. Oppression and unjust and unrighteous dealings Job 20.19,26 Because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house that he builded not all darkness shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume him it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle 7. Pride Idleness fulness of Bread and neglect of the poor Ezek. 16.49,50 Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her Daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy and they were haughty and committed abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good Now the way by which God took away Sodom for these sins was by fire Gen. 19.24 8. Resting in outward Reformation without seeking after a renewed heart Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings 9. Murmuring at any of Gods Providences though they be such as bring us into straits Numb 11.1 When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp 10. Mocking and misusing of Gods Ministers 2 Chron. 36.16,17,19 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the Sword And they burnt the House of God and brake down the Wall of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire 11. Changing Gods Ordinances and breaking his Covenant Isa 24.5,6 Because they have transgressed the Laws and changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned and few men left 12. Sins of uncleanness as Fornication Adultery c. for these God consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven as we may see Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 13. Idolatry Deut. 32.16,21,22,24 They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction Several other sins for which God hath threatned this judgment of fire you may see in the first and second chapters of Amos and also in other Scriptures which I shall not mention Consider also for what sins God hath taken away or diminished others estates and brought them low and afflicted them with poverty and that may help you to find out your sins for which God hath impoverished you It is true that sometimes God takes away his Peoples estates to exercise and try their graces as we see in the case of Job but usually when he brings us low and bereaves us of our Estates it is for our sins Psal 106.43 They provoked him with their counsels and were brought
such as be in misery and do all the good they can for them 307 to 310 Lending is a duty as well as giving 308 Sect. 6. They must not deal injuriously or cruelly with those that are suffererers 310 to 313 Sect. 7. They whose Houses have been spared should dedicate their houses unto God 313 314 How we should dedicate our Houses to God answered 5 wayes 314 to 318 Who are Gods guests and friends that we must entertain in our houses answered 317 318 Sect. 8. God is to be honoured with our substance 318 How to glorifie God with our Estates answered 3 wayes 318 319 How to know whom we should relieve when we have many objects of charity before us and are not able to relieve all answered 5 wayes 320 321 Sect. 9. We must render our selves to God 323 Three Arguments to perswade us to give our bodies and souls unto God 326 327 Sect. 10. The sacrifice of righteousness is to be rendered unto God 328 Sect. 11. They that have escaped this Fire should trust in God for deliverance from other troubles and also for spiritual blessings 329 Four sorts of spiritual blessings for which temporal deliverances should encourage us to trust in God 330 331 332 Two grounds why temporal deliverances should cause us to trust in God for spiritual mercies 333 Sect. 12. All men should prepare for all sorts of Afflictions 334 Six Reasons why all men had need to be prepared for all sorts of afflictions 334 to 339 What we should do that we may stand prepared for all sorts of afflictions answered in 12 particulars 339 to 360 What we should do to get Gods strength to carry us through the troubles of this world answered 7 wayes 345 to 351 Six sorts of promises very useful for them that are in affliction 360 to 363 Sect. 13. Such as have escaped this Fire should so demean themselves towards God as that he may continue to protect their persons and substance 363 What we should do that we may have Gods protection continued answered 5 wayes 363 to 365 Four Arguments to encourage us to depend upon God for the preservation of our persons substance and habitation 365 to 368 Sect. 14. We should seek unto God that there may be no more such dreadful Fires 368 What we should do that there may be no more such dreadful Fires answered 369 to 371 ERRATA PAge 3. l. ult dele all p. 32. l. 15. put in we p. 47. l. 29. r. immoderately p. 53. l. 1. dele may p. 67. l. 3. r. Hananiah p. 71. l. 2. r. your p. 81. l. 1. put out man l. 22. r. defined p. 88. l. 21. r. fareth p. 92. l. 16. put out better p. 93 l. 13. after servants put in of God p. 101. l. 2. r. minister p. 103. l. 14. r. is p. 104. l. ult r. still p. 106. l. 17. r. what l. 20. r. God p. 119. l. 18. put in the. l. 28. r. had been p. 122. l. 10. r. among men p. 131. l. 16. r. affliction p. 140. l. 19. r. servile p. 143. l. 16. r. subsistance p. 144. l. 4. r. alway p. 153. l. 26. after of put out this p. 157. l. 15. for his r. their p. 160. l. 16. r. slothful p. 179. l. 20. for but r. yet p. 188. l. 13. for so prov r. see prove p. 192. l. 15. r. endured p. 196. l. 22. for they r. the. p. 207. l 9. r. Lord. p. 221. l. 21. r. the Lord. p. 251. l. 29. r. clean p. 252. l. ult put in and. p. 266. l. 31. r. lot p. 277. l. 22. put in as p. 303. l. 10. put out not p. 284. l. 27. put in after if it be p. 309. l. 8. for wages r. wayes p. 366. l. 9. r. him p. 371. l. 32. after upon r. us p. 372. l. 9. put in him p. 313. l. 28. r. tear p. 325. l. 14. for above r. alive p. 350. l. 6. r. interest p. 352. l. 34. put in him p. 356. l. 12. for him r. a man Instruction and Consolation FOR Such as have suffered Loss by FIRE WITH Advice to such as have Escaped that sore Judgment Held forth in the Resolution of three Questions QUEST 1. How may such Persons as have sustained great Losses by the late Fire bear their Affliction with a contented and a cheerful spirit BEfore I give an Answer to this Question I shall premise these following Propositions 1. It is the will of God that we should bear all our losses and all other afflictions with a patient contented mind He would not have us murmur or repine at any of his dealings but in every thing and under every state and condition submit our wills unto his That this is the will of God may appear evidently from such Scriptures as these Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as ye have Lam. 3.39 Wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Jam. 4.7 Submit your selves to God Luk. 22.42 Not my will but thine be done Jam. 5.8 Be ye also patient stablish your hearts for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh yea the Lord would not only have us patient but cheerful under all our sufferings Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations 2. It is not only our duty but our interest it conduceth much to our good and welfare to bear our afflictions with a peaceable contented cheerful spirit Eliphaz perswades Job to bear his afflictions quietly with this argument that it was for his good so to do Job 22.21 Acquaint now thy self with him and be at peace thereby good shall come unto thee Whatever God hath commanded us tends to our good as well as his glory Deut. 10.13 Keep the Commandements of the Lord and his Statutes which I command thee this day for thy good If all the Commandements of God be for our good then this command of being contented in every estate must needs be for our good When we are contented in our sufferings the soul is at rest though the outward man be full of trouble Matth. 11.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest unto your souls Whatever the Father laid upon Christ he bore it with a meek and quiet spirit and submitted his will to the will of his Father if we follow this example of his we shall doubtless find rest to our souls The man that hath learnt how to be content in every estate liveth a kind of Heaven upon Earth Phil. 3.20 Our Conversation is in Heaven If you would know how the Apostle came to enjoy as it were a heaven while he was in this world you may see that Chap. 4.11 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content 3. A man under the power of a froward discontented spirit
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
Sam. 15.26 If he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him It was a sad message which God sent to Eli by Samuel it is ushered in with this Preface 1 Sam. 3.11 Behold I do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle yet Eli upon the hearing of the whole message lyeth down at Gods foot and speaketh not one repining word against the Lord Vers 18. Samuel told him every whit and hid nothing from him And he said it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good The sufferings of Jesus Christ were exceeding great yet how patiently did he bear them Isa 53.7 He was oppressed and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth We are exhorted to take notice of the patience of Gods servants in their afflictions in order to the helping us to bear our afflictions with patience Jam. 5.8,10,11 Be ye also patient Take my Brethren the Prophets who have spoken in the Name of the Lord for an example of suffering affliction and of patience Behold we count them happy that endure ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy Thus much may suffice by way of consideration I shall now advise you some things by way of practice for the obtaining and promoting a quiet cheerful contented frame of spirit under this affliction of the loss of your Estates which may be useful under other afflictions which the Lord doth at present or may hereafter trie you withal SECT 1. 1. Lay hold on Gods Covenant wherein he hath promised to give his people contented and satisfied minds under all his dealings with them even when he afflicts them most sorely and taketh away their most endeared comforts and enjoyments from them I will mention some promises to this purpose Psal 37.19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time and in the dayes of famine they shall be satisfied Famine is one of the sorest of Gods Judgements it is worse than War which is also a very heavy judgment David chose the Pestilence rather than War as being the lesser evil but famine is worse than War Lam. 4.9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger Yet in the evil time in Famine though the Famine last many dayes God promiseth that his righteous servants shall be satisfied Isa 58.11 The Lord shall guide thee continually and satisfie thy soul in drought or as 't is in the Margin in droughts The Prophet useth the plural number to signifie that God will satisfie his peoples souls in all droughts or in the greatest drought that ever did or ever shall come upon any place When God promiseth to satisfie our souls in drought it implies 1. That he will give us satisfied mindes under the penury and want of all outward comforts for drought brings a consumption upon all earthly enjoyments Hag. 1.10,11 2. That he will stay and support and satisfie our mindes under our greatest sorrows No afflictions bring greater sorrows than Famine which is the companion of drought Jer. 14.2,3,4,17,18 Lam. 2.11,12,18,19 3. It implieth that God will give us satisfied mindes when we walk in the view of death when we see our children and relations dying and our selves are ready every hour to faint and give up the Ghost for want of bread The Prophet describing the Famine that was in Jerusalem saith Lam. 2.11,12 The children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the City they say to their Mothers where is corn and wine when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the City when their soul was poured out into their Mothers bosom The wilderness which was a land of drought is called a land of the shadow of death Jer. 2.6 In times of drought God takes away that which is the stay and staff of a mans life Isa 3.1 The Lord doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water Drought consumes our corn and wine and oyl as was hinted before from Hag. 1.11 And of these the Psalmist saith Psal 104.15 Wine maketh glad the heart of man and oyl makes his face to shine and bread strengtheneth mans heart So that when the Lord promiseth to satisfie our souls in drought there is implyed in this promise that when the joy of our hearts when our glory and strength is taken away when all means of supporting life fail when we are in the most desolate places or desolate conditions imaginable he will under all our troubles give us satisfied mindes The Lord hath not only promised to give us contented satisfied mindes under all our troubles but he hath promised to continue us under a contented frame of spirit that whatever changes or alterations we pass through we shall abide satisfied and contented in all estates and conditions Prov. 19.23 The fear of the Lord tendeth to life and he that hath it shall abide satisfied he shall not be visited with evil The latter clause of this promise is not to be understood as though they that fear God should not meet with any afflictions but when God doth visit them with afflictions they shall have such abundant satisfaction in God and from God that they shall not feel any evil in their afflictions Another promise of the like nature made to such as fear God we have Psal 25.13 His soul shall dwell at ease dwelling implyeth the continuance of the ease and quiet that their souls shall enjoy that fear the Lord though their outward condition may be full of trouble yet their souls shall dwell at ease Psal 119.165 Great peace have they which love thy law and nothing shall offend them Which promise Junius interprets to this effect They that love the Law of God shall enjoy such great peace and tranquility of minde that nothing that doth befal them shall take away their peace They may and do fall into troubles and afflictions as well as other men but their troubles shall not take away their peace from them To be content in all estates and conditions is one way whereby we partake of the divine nature and do resemble God now it is by and through the promises that we become partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature wherefore in order to the obtaining of a contented spirit under this and all other afflictions be much in meditation upon the promises of God and apply them to your own souls and plead them daily with God until you have obtained all that fulness of grace and peace which
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
our troubles Psal 55.23 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 8. We must take up our dwelling in God He must needs dwell at ease who dwells in God Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Setting implieth continuance When we do not only come to Christs shadow but sit down under it that will bring great delight to our souls What is said of Gods dwelling in Zion Psal 132.13,14 The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell The like may be said of the people of God when they have chosen God for their habitation and taken up their dwelling in God he will be their rest for ever If any say when may we be said to take up our dwelling in God I answer 1. When we live and walk and dwell in love then we dwell in God 1 John 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and he in him 2. When we believe in Jesus Christ and confess Christ before men then God dwelleth in us and we in him Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 1 John 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Understand this of such a confession of Christ as is accompanied with a hearty belief in him Rom. 10.9,10 And of such as are not afraid to confess Christ in the face of dangers for it did expose a man to great dangers and sufferings to confess the Lord Jesus to be the Christ in the first breaking forth of the Gospel as we may see John 9.22 3. We take up our dwelling in God when we maintain an obediential frame of heart and have respect to his Commandments 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him The Commandments which the Apostle doth chiefly hiâ—… at in this place are faith and love as appears from ver 23. 9. When we feel our souls wandering from the Lord and seeking their rest in other things besides God we should say to them as the Prophet said to the Jews Micha 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest And we should call upon them to return unto God and seek their rest in him only Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him 10. We must labour after Gods Image and likeness to be holy as God is holy and merciful as God is mercifull and pure as God is pure for the more like we are to God the more satisfaction we shall finde in God Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness 11. Let us urge God with his promises where he hath promised to cause us to take up our satisfaction in himself Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with my goodness saith the Lord which promise implyeth that when we have the good things of this world we shall not take up our rest in them and when we want them we shall not be disquieted for the want of them but our souls shall rest satisfied with the goodness of the Lord whether we want or enjoy the good things of this world Isa 65.16 He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth which implyeth that God will give his people such a spirit that they shall not count themselves happy and blessed because of their prosperity or any outward enjoyments but in their enjoying the true God for their portion and if they shall account themselves blessed in the enjoyment of God then they may bless themselves in all estates and conditions for God is their portion for ever Psal 73.26 I might quote more promises to this purpose that God will cause his people to take up their satisfaction not in any creature comforts or enjoyments but in himself as Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with what with corn and wine and oyl with riches and preferments no but with the fatness of thy house thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures Isa 58.14 Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord But these may suffice SECT 7. 7. Give your selves unto Prayer When ever you feel any troubles or burdens upon your mindes repair to the Throne of Grace and lay open your hearts and all your maladies and grievances before the Lord and crave his assistance that will bring speedy relief to your souls and keep them in a quiet peaceable contented frame in all conditions Phil. 4.6,7 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And what shall we get by so doing A settled abiding peace as the following words hold forth And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus When we are compassed about with many sorrows by Prayer we shall have all our sorrows dispelled and our hearts shall be filled with joy John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full In the 21. verse Christ faith to his Disciples Ye shall weep and lament ye shall be sorrowful and then tells them ver 24. how they should get their sorrows turned into joy Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Much of the disquietment of our miâ—… ariseth from troubled thoughts Dan. 5.6 His thoughts troubled him Now committing of our selves and our affairs to God by Prayer is a great means of establishing our mindes and quieting all troubled thoughts Prov. 16.3 Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established SECT 8. 8. When we finde any discontent or disquietness arising in our mindes we must search into the grounds and reasons thereof and endeavour the removal of those things which are the causes of our discontent David took this course to quiet his spirit when it was in a disturbed condition he enquireth into the cause and reason of that dejection which was upon his soul Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God I might here instance in several things which do cause murmurings under affliction I will mention two or three 1. Pride of Spirit Our contendings with God and quarrelling at his Providences as well as our contention with our fellow creatures come from the pride of our hearts Prov. 13.10 Only by pride cometh contention If our discontent when God taketh away any mercy or layeth any affliction upon us do arise from the pride of our hearts the way to remove it is to look upon our selves to be unworthy of the least of all Gods Mercies and to judge our selves to have deserved the greatest and severest of all Gods Judgements We
their sin more than the loss of their dignity They do not say wo unto us the Crown is fallen but wo unto us that we have sinned Jer. 3.21 A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the Children of Israel for they have perverted their way and forgotten the Lord their God Their Cities were burnt as we may see Chap. 2.15 Yet they bewail the perverting of their way more than the burning of their houses 4. So lay to heart this affliction as to be restless until you have gotten the sins pardoned that brought down this Judgment upon you Psal 25.18 Look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins Psal 79.7,8,9 They have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling-place O remember not against us former iniquities let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us for we are brought very low help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name and deliver us and purge away our sins for thy Names sake When they were brought low and their dwellings were laid waste they beg twice with great earnestness for the pardon of their sins O remember not against us former iniquities purge away our sins for thy Names sake 5. Lay to heart this affliction till you finde your hearts willing and resolved by Gods Grace to part with all your sins This is Gods end and design in all afflictions to purge out our sins Isa 27.9 By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take away his sin And this is our duty when we are corrected by God to abandon and forsake all our sins Job 34.31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastizement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more 6. So lay to heart this affliction as to give glory to God Mal. 2.2 If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my Name But of this more afterward SECT 3. 3. Minde the teachings of God under your present afflictions consider and see what it is which God would have you to learn from this dreadful Fire which hath consumed so much of your and other mens Estates As God instructed the Jews out of the midst of the Fire Deut. 4.12 The Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the Fire So if your ears were open you might hear God speaking to your souls and instructing you by this Fire God is wont to teach his people something or other by every affliction if so be they listen diligently to the voice of his rod Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him out of thy Law It is true that some persons learn nothing by their afflictions but the reason is not because God communicates no instruction to them but because they either regard not or do not understand the voice of God Job 33.14 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not Prov. 1.24 I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my hand and no man regarded We wrong our own souls when we slight the instruction of the Lord whether he instruct us by his word or his rod Prov. 15.32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul and do provoke God to depart from us Jer. 6.8 Be thou instructed O Jerusalem lest my soul depart from thee lest I make thee desolate If any say what is it that God would have us learn by our great losses that we have sustained in the late Fire I answer The way to understand the voice of the rod is to make use of the word by searching into the word we may come to know the meaning of the rod and to understand what it is which God would have us to learn by our afflictions as may be gathered from Psal 94.12 I shall hint a few things to you from the word that God would teach you by this sore affliction 1. God would have you learn that it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against the Lord Jer. 2.15,19 His Cities are burnt without inhabitants Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God and that my fear is not in thee saith the Lord God of Hosts 2. God would have you learn to fear and stand in awe of his great and glorious Majesty and to be afraid of thinking speaking or doing any thing that may displease him Zeph. 3.6,7 Their towers are desolate I made their streets waste that none passeth by their Cities are destroyed so that there is no man that there is none inhabitant I said surely thou wilt fear me thou wilt receive instruction 3. God would have you learn righteousness by this judgment Isa 26.9 When thy judgements are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness 4. God would have you learn obedience by what you have suffered It is said of Christ Heb. 5.8 Though he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered This was the lesson that God learn't David by his afflictions Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes Wherefore endeavour to obey God more readily and cheerfully more exactly and more sincerely than you have done heretofore 5. God would have you learn contentation in every condition both how to want as well as how to abound Phil. 4.11.12 I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need When the Apostle wrote this Epistle he was in bonds Phil. 1.13 and had suffered the loss of all things chap. 3.8 and under his sufferings God taught him this excellent lesson of being content in every state 6. God would teach you by this affliction to pray ofther and to pray better to pray more spiritually more fervently more humbly and more believingly James 5.13 Is any among you afflicted let him pray When Gods judgments are abroad God stirs up his people to pray early in the morning and late at night and to pour out their souls and spirits in prayer Isa 26.8,9 Yea in the way of thy judgments O Lord have we waited for thee the desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee with my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early for when thy judgments are in the earth the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness Our Lord Jesus alwayes prayed fervently as we may see Heb. 5.7 Who in the dayes of his flesh when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to
and Gomorrah and ye were us a Fire brand pucked but of the burning yet have ye not roturned unto me faith the Lord. I might give you several reasons why this judgment should put you upon repentance and reforming your lives ponder upon these two or three 1. If you will not be reformed by this judgment though this was a great and sore punishment God will lay far greater and heavier afflictions upon you Lev. 26.23,24 If ye will not be reformed by these things but will walk contrary unto me then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sin 2. If this judgment will not lead you to repentance nor any other means that God shall use with you to turn you from your iniquities you will perish eternally and be cast both body and soul into Hell fire and that is a far more dreadful fire than that which consumed your houses and goods Luk. 13.3 Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish 3. God lays his command upon such as are under affliction to depart from iniquity Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from Iniquity Now 't is a contemning of God to rebel against his Commandment and it must needs be a great provocation for a man to go on in his sins when God commandeth him to return from iniquity Wherefore let this affliction prevail with you to set upon the work of Repentance and Reformation and that you may do it the more effectually take these few directions 1. See that you turn from and cast away not only some or most of but all your transgressions Ezek. 18.30,31 Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed for why will ye die O House of Israel 2. Your affliction should cause you to cast away your sins for ever Some deal with their sins as Felix did with Paul Act. 24.25 Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will call for thee They put away their sins for a little time but afterwards when their afflictions are removed and they have a convenient season for the commission of their sins they call for them and imbrace them again When Pharaoh saw the Lightnings and heard the mighty Thunderings he was willing to let Israel go out of Egypt and humbled himself for his sin but when he saw that the Hail and the Lightnings and Thunders were ceased he hardened his heart and sinned as much or more as ever Exod. 9.27,28,34,35 But this is not such a repentance as God expects in a time of affliction he would have us abandon our sins for ever Job 34.31,32 Surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastisement I will not offend any more that which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will do no more Hos 8.14 I will send a Fire upon his Cities and it shall devour the Palaces thereof and what fruit did God expect that this fire should produce Such a forsaking of their sins as to return to them no more Hos 14.8 Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols 3. Let this affliction cause you to reform your hearts as well as your lives Jer. 4.14,15 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee for a voyce declareth from Dan and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim Ezek. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will ye die O House of Israel 4. Reform your Families as well as your own Souls If you discern any thing amiss in your Wives or in your Children or in your Servants or in any that sojourn with you endeavour as much as lieth in you to reform it for this God expects of all those that return to him by true repentance that they should put away all iniquity far from their Tabernacles if they be such as have Families committed to their charge Job 22.23 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy Tabernacles Job 11.13,14 If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands toward him if iniquity be in thine hand put it far away and let not wickedness dwell in thy Tabernacles Gen. 35.2 Jacob said unto his houshold and to all that were with him put away the strange gods that are among you and be clean Joshua did not think it sufficient to serve God himself but resolveth to engage all his family to serve the Lord Josh 24.15 As for me and my House we will serve the Lord. 5. Set upon the work of Reformation speedily make no delay not so much as one day Psal 119.60 I made hast and delayed not to keep thy Commandements Heb. 3.7 Wherefore as the Holy Ghost saith To day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts Sin is of that subtil insinuating nature that though a man be under convictions of an absolute necessity of reforming his life and take up as he thinks firm and strong resolutions to repent of his sins if he do not presently set upon the work of repentance if he put it off but a day he is in danger of having his heart hardned and of continuing in an impenitent condition Heb. 3.13 Exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin 6. You had need look to your selves that your hearts be sincere and real with God in the exercise of repentance for some that seem to be very forward and zealous in humbling of their souls and reforming their lives in times of affliction do but flatter and dissemble with God and do not turn to God with their whole hearts but only in a feigned manner Psal 78.34,35,36,37 When he slew them then they sought him and they returned and enquired early after God and they remembered that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Jer. 3.10 And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord. Now you had need take good heed to your selves that you do not let this judgment pass away without being brought to a true and unfeigned repentance by it for repentance is a very hard work and few persons are wrought upon by their afflictions to forsake their sins and reform their lives though God follow them with one affliction after another till he hath even consumed and destroyed them Rev.
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
we take that we may obtain riches from God I answer 1. Let your first and principal care be to get heaven and the grace of God that may make you meet to enjoy his Kingdom and when you do thus God will not only give you heaven when you die but will add also as much of this world as he seeth to be good for you Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you When men are over-eager in seeking after the world they oft-times miss both of heaven and the world also Prov. 28.18 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him 2. Embrace by faith and set your love upon Jesus Christ he promiseth to fill their treasures that love him Prov. 8.20,21 I lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures 3. Repent of your sins and turn to the Lord and then though you be brought low he will build you up again and will give you plenty of such things as he seeth to be good for you Job 22.23,24,25 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away Iniquity far from thy Tabernacles then shalt thou lay up Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks yea the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver 4. Walk in the fear of God and be careful to keep his Commandments Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life 2 Chron. 17.4,5 Jehoshaphat sought to the Lord God of his Fathers and walked in his Commandments and not after the doings of Israel Therefore the Lord established the Kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents and he had riches and honour in abundance 5. Follow your employments with diligence There is a blessing of God goeth along with diligence and industry in our Callings Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 22.29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean men 6. Seek after knowledge and manage all your affairs with wisdom and discretion Prov. 24.3,4 Through wisdom is an house builded and by understanding it is established and by knowledge shall the Chamber be filled with all precious and pleasant riches 7. Be faithful and upright in all your dealings Prov. 28.10,20 The upright shall have good things in possession A faithful man shall abound in blessings Psal 112.3,4 Wealth and riches shall be in his house Vnto the upright ariseth light in darkness 8. Shun those vices that bring men to poverty and hinder their thriving in the world such as prodigality and love of pleasure Prov. 21.17 He that loveth Pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Idleness and drowsiness a negligent and sluggish management of our affairs Prov. 6.9,10,11 How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Prov. 18.9 He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster Gluttony and Drunkenness Prov. 23.21 The Dunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags 9. Be liberal to the poor there may be a liberal soul where there is but a small estate and the more liberal any man is the more likely he is to be a rich man Prov. 11.24,25 There is that scattereth and yet encreaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be also watered himself He that sheweth mercy to the poor honoureth the Lord with his substance Prov. 14.31 And when a man honoureth the Lord with his substance God will multiply it greatly Prov. 3.9,10 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine encrease so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine 10. Be content with what God giveth you and then though you have never so little you are a rich man 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment is great gain SECT 15. 15. If it should not seem good unto the Lord to make up your losses by giving you as much riches as he hath taken from you there is a better way of having your losses made up and that is when God shall make his Providence instrumental to convey those mercies and blessings to your souls which are of more worth than all the riches of the world and this may be done several wayes As 1. If God by this Providence shall teach you wisdom that wisdom which is from above and bring you into more acquaintance with himself and into more acquaintance with the state and condition of your own souls if you gain any degree of heavenly wisdom by your losses then your losses though they have been very great are abundantly made up for wisdom is far better than all the riches of the world Prov. 16.16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver Prov. 8.11 Wisdom is better than Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it Prov. 3.14 2. If God by your losses shall make you partakers of the fruits and graces of his Spirit if he beget or encrease in your souls humility or heavenly mindedness or self-denyal or patience or any other grace then he doth abundantly make up all your losses for the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God are infinitely better than all the riches of the world Prov. 8.19 My fruit is better than gold yea than fine gold and my revenue than choice silver you may see this cleared by instancing in particular graces as Faith 1 Pet. 1.7 Your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth Humility that also excels all riches Prov. 16.19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud the like may be said of all other graces 3. If God under this affliction shall clear up your right to his Promises if he give you an heart to understand believe obey and delight in his Word if he gives in Promises to your souls out of his Word to stay and comfort and support you then he doth make up all your losses in a gracious manner When God gave in a sutable promise to David in his distress he joyed in it as much as in all riches
good success When Solomon was building the Temple it is said 1 Kings 6.11,14 The word of the Lord came to Solomon so Solomon built the house and finished it So he built the house and finished it that is he was strengthened and encouraged by the word of the Lord that came to him to go on with and finish the building 9. While you are busily employed in building your own houses do not forget or neglect the building up of Gods House Hag. 1.4 Is it time for you O ye to dwell in your cieled houses and this house lie waste Solomon setting his heart to the building of Gods House prosperously effected what ever came into his heart for the building of his own house 2 Chron. 7.11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the Kings house and all that came into Solomons heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house he prosperously effected When I stir you up to build Gods house whilst you are building your own I do not only or chiefly mean places for publick Worship though that also be a very good and laudable undertaking the Centurian who erected a Synagogue was highly respected and extolled by the Jews for this pious work Luke 7.4,5 When they came to Jesus they besought him instantly saying That he was worthy for whom he should do this for he loveth our Nation and hath built us a Synagogue but that which I chiesly intend is that you build up your selves an habitation of God through the Spirit Every true believer is styled Gods house Heb. 3.6 But Christ as a Son over his own house whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoycing of the hope firm unto the end All true Believers are Gods Temple 2 Cor. 6.16 Ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them They are Gods habitation Eph. 2.22 In whom you are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit Now after the foundation of this spiritual building is laid by the souls being drawn to Christ there must be constant and consciencious endeavour to be built up in grace and holiness 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1.5 Besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledge c. If you ask what shall we do that we may be built up a spiritual house unto the Lord I answer 1. You must lay a good and a right foundation The foundation of this spiritual building is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3.11 Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid which is Jesus Christ see also Isa 28.16 Eph. 2.20 The fundamental graces which are wrought in the soul that is built upon Christ are faith and repentance Heb. 6.1 Therefore leaving the principles of the Doctrine of Christ let us go on unto perfection not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith towards God When God had given you repentance for your sins and faith in the Lord Jesus then the foundation of this spiritual building is laid in your souls 2. You must be daily carrying and casting away the rubbish that hinders the progress of this spiritual building After faith and repentance are wrought in truth there remain several relicks of the old man which we must be daily purging away we must make it our work to destroy our sins if we would be built up in grace 2 Cor. 7.1 Having therefore these promises that is ye are the Temples of the living God I will dwell in them and walk in them of which he had spoken in the former Chapter ver 16. dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God We cannot go on to perfect holiness unless we do in good earnest set upon cleansing our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit 3. You must be daily looking to Christ and going to him to carry on and finish that work of grace which he hath begun in your souls Heb. 12.2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our Faith 1 Per. 2. To whom coming as unto a living stone ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house Do not only go to Christ but rest upon him for the perfecting and finishing of what he hath begun in your souls and to that end ponder upon such Scriptures as these Psal 138.8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me Phil. 1.6 Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus taketh a great deal of pleasure not only in beginning but in finishing the work of grace in our souls John 4.34 Jesus saith unto them My meat is to do the will of him that sent me and to finish his work 4. After you have received Jesus Christ you must not only believe in him but walk in him and by so doing you shall come both to be rooted and to be built up in him Col. 2.6,7 As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him By walking in and with Christ you shall keep his presence with your fouls for he hath said If we abide in him he will abide in us John 15.4 Abide in me and I in you and 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him Now by keeping Christs presence with your souls they will be built up in grace Cant. 1.12 While the King sitteth at his table my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof When the owner dwells in the house it is kept in good repair if he leave it and it stand empty all things go to decay As Martha said unto Christ John 11.21 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died The like may a deserted soul that findeth it self fallen to decay upon Gods with-drawing of himself say unto God Lord if thou hadst been here these ruines and desolations had not come upon my soul 5. Prayer performed in a spiritual manner is a great means of building up our souls in the grace of God Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost Though praying in a slightly dead-hearted customary formal manner availeth little yet praying in the Holy Ghost that is by the help and assistance of the Holy Ghost and stirring up and exercising the graces of the Holy Ghost in prayer as faith fervency reverence humility c. is an effectual means to build up the soul in the grace of God 6. Converse much with the word of God read it frequently treasure it up in your hearts make it your meditation night and day that is the way to be built up a spiritual house unto the Lord 1 Pet. 2.2,5 As
of fire is as great a mercy as to be delivered from violent men and therefore you should resolve to give God thanks for your deliverance as David did for his Be not only affected with this mercy for the present but let the sense and remembrance of it abide with you as long as you live When the Israelites escaped safe through the Red-Sea where the Egyptians were drowned they were much affected with this mercy for a little while but in a short time it was as much forgotten as if it had never been received Psal 106.12,13 They sang his praise they soon forgot his works David was of another spirit he charged his soul never to forget Gods benefits but to bless God and be thankful for them all the dayes of his life Psal 103.2 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal 34.1 I will bless the Lord at all times his praise shall continually be in my mouth Psal 30.12 O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Psal 104.33 I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live I will sing praise unto my God while I have my being We please God exceedingly when we give him praise and thanks by Jesus Christ for the mercies he bestoweth upon us Heb. 13.15,16 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his Name for with such sacrifice God is well-pleased Psal 69.30,31 I will praise the Name of God with a Song and will magnifie him with Thanksgiving this also shall please the Lord better than an Oxe or Buliock that hath horns and hoofs God accounts the praise that his servants offer up to him in the Name of his Son melodious and delightful musick Ephes 5.19,20 Making melody in your heart to the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ To raise up your thankfulness to God for sparing your houses and substance and not suffering them to be destroyed by the late dreadful fire Consider 1. What a great affliction it is to be destitute of an habitation and of necessary food When David was in a wandering unsetled condition he met with such difficulties as made him shed many a tear Psal 56.8 Thou tellest my wanderings put thou my tears into thy bottle And when God gave him a setled habitation he dedicates his house to God and resolves to be thankful all the dayes of his life Psal 30.12 O Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever This purpose of giving thanks for ever relates to the time that he dedicated his house to God as you may see in the title of the Psalm When the Israelites were destitute of an habitation and were tryed with hunger and thirst it was such an affliction as made their souls faint within them Psal 107.4,5 They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no City to dwell in hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them When Jacob was forced to flee from his fathers house to avoid his brother Esau's fury and knew not what straits he might meet with he looked upon it as such a great mercy to have food and raiment that he Covenants with God to become his servant if he would but give him bread to eat and rayment to put on Gen. 28.20,21 Jacob vowed a Vow saying If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on then shall the Lord be my God To be stricken with hunger and not to have wherewith to satisfie our hunger is a greater misery than to be pierced through with a Sword Lam. 4.9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger for these pine away stricken through for want of the fruits of the field 2. Consider how many there are who lived as plentifully and comfortably as you do that were as good or better than you are that are brought to want and exceeding great straits by the losses they have sustained by this Fire And have not you cause to admire Gods goodness and to bless him as long as you live for sparing you when so many have suffered so deeply who yet it may be provoked God less than you have done SECT 3. 3. Let the great calamities that are come upon others and the goodness of God towards you lead you to repentance cause you to humble your souls before God for your sins and to put away far from you all iniquity and to be more careful and conscientious in keeping the Commandments of God Ezra 9.13,14 After thou hast given us such deliverance as this Should we again break thy Commandements Rom. 3.4 The goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance God expects that we should be led to repentance by others sufferings as well as our own Daniel reproveth Belshazzar because he did not humble himble his soul before God notwithstanding he knew what great things his father had suffered Dan. 5.20,21,22 When his heart was lifted up and his mind hardned in pride he was deposed from his Kingly Throne and they took his glory from him c. And thou his son O Belshazzar hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this When Judah had seen the great judgments which God sent upon her sister Israel and was not brought to unseigned repentance by them God was much offended at it and Judah's case was rendered thereby far worse than Israels Jer. 3.7,8,10,11 I said after she had done all these things Turn thou unto me but she returned not and her treacherous sister Judah saw it And I saw when for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel committed adultery I had put her way and given her a bill of divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and played the Harlot also And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but feignedly saith the Lord And the Lord said unto me The back-sliding Israel hath not justified her self more than treacherous Judah When but eighteen persons suffered by the fall of the Tower of Siloam Christ tells us that the meaning of that Providence was to call all that heard of it unto repentance Luk. 13.4,5 In the time of the Law when but one person suffered exemplary punishment and that not by an immediate stroke from God but by the hands of men all Israel was to take warning from his sufferings and to be afraid of sinning against the Lord Deut. 13.10,11 Thou shalt stone him with stones that he die And all Israel shall hear and fear and shall done more any such wickedness as this is among you See also Deut. 17.12,13 Even that man shall die And all the people hear and fear and do no more presumptuosly If the suffering of one man by the hands
whom resist stedfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world Fear weakens the heart and makes it faint at approaching troubles Luke 21.26 Mens hearts failing them for fear Now Faith conduceth much to the fixing and establishing the heart against fears Psal 112.7 He shall not be afraid of evil tydings his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Psal 56.11 In God have I put my trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me And therefore it conduceth much to the preparing of a man to undergo his afflictions I might shew you here what you should believe in reference to your afflictions to enable you to bear them with chearfulness among many things that might be instanced in I will mention only these three 1. Believe that no affliction doth or ever shall befal you but by the wise and gracious providence of God and that not only every affliction but every circumstance in every affliction is ordered and disposed by the infinite wisdom of God This is agreeable to such Scriptures as these Rom. 11.36 Of him and through him and to him are all things Ephes 1.11 Who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will Amos 3.6 Shall there be evil in a City and the Lord hath not done it Matth. 10.30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered The believing that Gods hand is in our afflictions will bow our hearts and make them stoop and submit to God though it be a smarting Rod wherewith the Lord corrects us They were dreadful judgments which Samuel denounced against Eli yet he submits himself readily to it because it came from God 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 2. Believe that in every affliction God designeth the bringing glory to his Name and the doing good to your own souls you have good ground to believe this for the Scriptures do assure us that God aims both at our good and his own glory in all our afflictions Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Rom. 11.36 To him are all things All things are not only of God as the efficient but they also tend to him as their end Isa 5.16 The Lord of Hosts shall be exalted in judgment This made the Apostle joyful in his afflictions that they did illustrate the glory of God 2 Cor. 12.9,10 Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in mine infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me therefore I take pleasure in infirmities in reproaches in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake He rejoyced also in his afflictions because they did promote the good of his soul When some preached Christ out of contention with a design to add affliction to his bonds Phil. 1.14 Was he troubled at the affliction they created to him No for he saith I therein do rejoyce yea and will rejoyce ver 18. And what made him to rejoyce herein He gives us the reason of his joy ver 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your Prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. Believe that you shall be delivered out of your troubles this will be a means to support you under them Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living You have good ground from the Word of God to believe that you shall be delivered out of all your troubles though they be very many Psal 34.19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivereth him out of them all And though they be great as well as many such as you never met with or heard of the like yet you may rest upon God that he will deliver you out of them Jer. 30.7 Alas for that day is great so that none is like it it is even the time of Jacobs trouble but he shall be saved out of it What is your affliction Is it the rod of men God will not suffer it to lye over-long upon you Psal 125.3 The rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous lest the righteous put forth their hand unto iniquity Is it the Rod of God that is upon you Do the arrows of the Almighty stick fast in your soul doth he contend with you This will not last alwayes Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wrath for the spirit should fail before me and the soul which I have made Doth the Lord do more then contend with you doth he seem to reject and cast off your soul you may be assured that he will not deal thus with you alwayes because he himself hath said it that he will not cast off for ever Lam. 3.31,32 The Lord will not cast off for ever but though he cause grief yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Is it a temptation of Satan that disquiets you wait but a while on God and he will tread Satan and all his temptations under your feet Rom. 16.20 The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly Is it some sin that vexeth and troubleth your soul wait a while upon God and he will deliver you from your sins as well as your other troubles Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities Psal 130.7,8 Let Israel hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities When David was under many sorrows that disturbed and cast down his soul he bore up himself with hope of a better state that though for the present he was in a mourning condition the time would come wherein he should praise God for helping him out of his troubles Psal 42.5 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance 3. If we would be prepared to undergo every affliction that God shall lay upon us we must labour to get Gods strength engaged with us for us Though of our selves we can do nothing yet through the help of God we shall be able to do and suffer great things Psal 60.11,12 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man Through God we shall do valiantly Psal 18.29 By thee have I run through a Troup and by my God have I leaped over a Wall By the help of God we may do and suffer every thing Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me If a man have God for his strength he
of his people and the strength of the children of Israel Object I have cryed unto God and hung upon and pleaded his Promises for his strength and still I remain in a weak helpless condition Answ Though it be so yet cry still to the Lord Isa 63.15 Look down from Heaven and behold from the Habitation of thy Holiness and of thy glory where is thy zeal and thy strength the sounding of thy bowels and of thy mercies towards me are they restrained Isa 51.9 Awake awake put on strength O arm of the Lord. Psal 105.4 Seek the Lord and his strength seek his face evermore And wait patiently upon him and in due time he will strengthen you Psal 27.14 Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart wait I say on the Lord. Isa 40.31 They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength they shall mount up with wings like Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint 4. Keep in Gods wayes when we go out of Gods wayes we cause God to withdraw himself and when God withdraws our strength departs from us as it was with Sampson when his God departed from him his strength departed also Judg. 16.19 His strength went from him How came he to lose his strength by losing the presence of God ver 20. I will go out as at other times and he wist not that the Lord was departed from him so it is with Christians when they lose their God they lose their strength But by keeping in Gods wayes they shall keep God with them and increase their strength That this is the way to get Gods strength to keep in Gods ways you may see Prov. 10.29 The way of the Lord is strength to the upright Psal 84.5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee in whose heart are the wayes of them Job 17.19 5. Get your interest in God made out to your souls The knowing of God to be our God conveyeth great strength into our souls and will support us in our greatest troubles What Solomon saith of knowledge Prov. 24.5 A wise man is strong a man of knowledge encreaseth strength is eminently true of this knowledge that God is our God for the more clearly we know God to be our God the more we shall encrease in strength Isa 49.5 My God shall be my strength 1 Sam. 30.6 David was greatly distressed for the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God The knowledg of our interest in God filleth our hearts with joy Luk. 1.47 My spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour and joy strengthens the soul Neh. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Wherefore grow in acquaintance with God if you will grow in strength to suffer the will of God cheerfully Col. 1.10,11 Increasing in the knowledge of God strengthened with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness especially labour to grow in the knowledg of your interest in God 6. Let the Word of Christ dwell richly in your souls the Word of God abiding in you will be a great means to strengthen you 1 Joh. 2.14 Ye are strong and the Word of God abideth in you and ye have overcome the wicked one The efficacy and power of the Word of God is wonderful By speaking of a word God created the whole world Psal 33.6,9 By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth For he spake and it was done he commanded and it stood fast By his Word he governs and upholdeth all his creatures Heb. 1.3 Vpholding all things by the Word of his Power Is there such power in the Word as to uphold all things and dost thou doubt whether it be able to uphold thy soul If a mans heart be broken in pieces and melted with grief the Word of God will heal and strengthen him and settle him in a comfortable condition Psal 107.20 He sent his Word and healed them and delivered them from their destructions Psal 119.28 My soul melteth for heaviness strengthen thou me according to thy Word 7. If you would be strong in the Lord put on the whole armour of God Ephes 6.10,11 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might But some may say How shall we be strong in the Lord the next words shews this Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil No part of the armour of God must be neglected if we would be strong in the Lord. What this armour of God is the Apostle sheweth from the 14 th ver to the 18 th 4. If we would be prepared to undergo all afflictions cheerfully we must labour to get our sins pardoned and get our pardon evidenced and keep clear our evidences of our justified estate Sense of guilt bows down the soul and weakens our strength and renders us unfit for a suffering condition Psal 31.10 My strength faileth because of mine iniquity Such of the Jews as were under the sense of unpardoned guilt were ready to faint under their afflictions when they were carried captive into Babylon Lam. 3.18,19 I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwoed and the gall And if you would know what made their cup so bitter that they fainted under it you may see ver 42. We have transgressed and have rebelled thou hast not pardoned But when our sins are pardoned that will help us to bear afflictions cheerfully Isa 33.24 The Inhabitant shall not say I am sick the People that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Matth. 9.2 They brought unto him a man sick of the Palsie lying on a bed and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the Palsie Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Sickness is a great affliction and this man was so sick that he kept his bed yet Christ bids him be of good cheer because his sins were forgiven him before he speaks one word of removing his sickness A man that is in a justified estate may triumph and glory in his greatest troubles Rom. 5.1,3 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And not only so but we glory in tribulations also 5. If we would be prepared for a suffering condition we must acquaint our selves with and cleave and adhere to the death and sufferings of Christ and labour to understand and get an interest in the imputed righteousness of Christ Christs righteousness is one of the main Pillars our Souls have to lean upon for our support under all our troubles Isa 41.10 I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Our chiefest strength lyeth in our right hand
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