what should befal the third part that should be left I will bring the third part through the fire and then adds a gracious promise that they should be refined by passing through the fire that is God thereby would purge and purifie their hearts and conversations urge God daily with these promises plead them at the Throne of Grace and rest upon God for the performance of them SECT 6. 6. Comply with Gods ends and designs in sending this affliction upon you The Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men Lam. 3.33 but when ever he sends any affliction upon any man he hath gracious ends and designs in those afflictions and therefore as the Jews made enquiry when they were brought into great distress Wherefore doth the Lord our God all these great things unto us Jer. 5.19 And as the Apostle Paul when he was struck blinde with the vision that appeared to him as he was going to Dumascus enquires of the Lord Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.6 So should we make enquiry when the Lord afflicts us wherefore it is that he afflicts us and what it is that he aims at what he would have us to do when his afflicting hand is upon us We are enemies to our own good when we do not study the minde of God in our afflict ons and labour to comply with his ends for he alwayes chastneth us for our profit Heb. 12.10 and aims at the doing of us good Deut. 8.16 If you ask what are Gods ends and designs in sending this affliction upon us I answer The resolving of this question concerning Gods ends in afflicting us what he aims at and what he would have us learn when his rod is upon us may be gathered from Sect. 3. I shall adde a few things more besides what are mentioned there 1. Gods design in this affliction is to take away all pride and to make and keep you humble Isa 2.11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day This may refer to the day of affliction spoken of Isa 1.7 Your countrey is desolate your Cities are burnt with fire In that day when God should bring this desolation the lofty looks of man should be humbled c. When God afflicted the Israelites in the Wilderness with fiery Serpents that and all other afflictions were sent for this end to humble them Deut. 8.15,16 That he might humble thee and prove thee and do thee good in the latter end Elihu tells us that when God speaks once and twice to men It is that he may hide pride from man Job 33.17 When the Apostle Paul was afflicted he telleth us twice that the end of God was to prevent his being exalted above measure 2 Cor. 12.7 If then you would comply with Gods design in this affliction you must be no more proud of your riches beauty parts duties or any other thing but must put away all pride of spirit all high conceits of your selves and all proud looks and all pride of life and you must be of a lowly heart and go alwayes clothed with humility 2. God aims at the making of you more zealous Christians by this affliction Lukewarmness is a very odious detestable sin Rev. 3.15,16 I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou wert cold or hot so then because thou art luke-warm and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth this being so odious in Gods sight for a man to be luke-warm in his Religion When God findes any whom he loves to be in a luke-warm temper he chastens them for this very end to make them more zealous lous Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore Now this is one way and a very sharp one of rebuking us when God contends by Fire Isa 66.15 The Lord will come with fire to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire If therefore you were cold or if not wholly cold yet but luke-warm before God sent this Fire it concerns you now to grow zealous If you ask in what your affliction should make you zealous I answer 1. Be zealous in all acts of service and all religious duties which you perform to God shake off all drowsiness and formality and slightness of heart in prayer and in hearing and reading Gods Holy Word and be fervent in spirit when you are about these or any other holy duties Rom 12.11 Not slothfulness in business fervent in spirit serving the Lord. What is said of the Apostle Paul Acts 22.3 I was zealous towards God and of Phinehas Numb 25.13 He was zealous for his God Let the same be true of you put on an holy zeal for God and shew your zeal for God in all that you do either for or to the Lord. 2. Be zealous against sin strive against sin not in a faint cold manner but with all your might Be zealous and repent Rev. 3.19 Your zeal must be manifested in your repentance When a man is zealous against his sins and zealous in his repentance his zeal will breed indignation against sin a vehement desire to be rid of it a fear and carefulness that he do not commit it again See an example of zealous repentance 2 Cor. 7.11 Behold this self same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire yea what zeal yea what revenge 3. Be zealous of good works Tit. 2.14 Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purifie unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works We should not only do good works but be zealous of and in doing good works We should be so zealous of good works as not only to embrace opportunities of doing good when they come in our way but we should covet earnestly and follow diligently after opportunities of doing good works 1 Tim. 5.10 If she have diligently followed every good work We should not only do good works but be careful to excel and continue constant therein whatever difficulties and discouragements we meet with in doing of them Tit. 3.8 This is a faithful saying and these things I will that thou affirm constantly that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works You see if you would answer Gods design in your affliction that you must be zealous and in what you must be zealous only let me adde here two or three cautions 1. Look that your zeal be regulated with knowledge There may be a zeal which is not guided by knowledge Rom. 10.2 I bear them record that they have a zeal of God but not according to knowledge Zeal without knowledge is dangerous Paul in a blinde zeal persecuted the people of God thinking therein
beholding the things which were done smote upon their breasts and returned We read nothing of their returning to God till the Apostle Peter came and preached the word to them and then follows a great conversion unto the Lord 3000. are added unto the Church in one day Acts 2.41 Wherefore we should esteem it a great blessing and singular mercy to be taught and instructed by God when we are under his correcting hand according to what the Psalmist saith Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastnest O Lord and teachest him out of thy law And we should readily open our ears to discipline by what wayes soever God shall be pleased to convey his minde to us God can and sometimes doth teach us immediately by his Spirit but most ordinarily he instructeth both those that are in affliction and others also in the use of means When the Apostle Paul was in great distress and at a loss to know the minde of Christ and cryed Lord What wilt thou have me to do he sent him to Ananias to be instructed what he should do Acts 9.6 God could have taught Cornelius by his Spirit or by the Angel that appeared to him but he chuseth rather to send him for instruction to one of his Ministers even to Peter who should tell him what he ought to do Acts 10.3.4.5,6 Amongst other means reading of the Scriptures and other good Books is one way whereby God seals up instruction to us Daniel was a man of singular wisdom full of the Holy Ghost greatly beloved of God yet he had not all his knowledge by immediate inspiration but much of it was given to him by the study of Books Dan. 9.2 I Daniel understood by Books At the request and for the use of some worthy Friends who were great sufferers by the late Fire I have drawn up an answer to three practical Questions concerning the said Fire the design whereof is to instruct and excite both such as escaped and such as suffered by this dreadful Fire to make an holy use and a Christian improvement of this sad and solemn Providence and also to quiet and comfort such as are troubled and cast down at the loss of their Estates The resolution of which Questions are here presented to thy view Possibly thou mayest have already something of the like nature from more able hands however if the Lord who worketh when and by whom he will shall be pleased by the reading of this small Treatise to convey the least beam of light or breath any quickning influence into thy Soul or to promote in any measure thy holiness or consolation it will be no grief of heart unto thee that thou wert at the cost to buy or at the pains to read it If thou sayest I am not concerned in this Judgment having been no sufferer by it nor any Inhabitant in the City where this Judgment fell and so consequently I am not concerned in the matter that is handled in these questions I answer 1. If thou art not a sufferer by this Fire yet art thou not under other sufferings If so there are several things hinted concerning this Affliction that may be of use to thee under thy Afflictions of what nature soever they be 2. If thou art not a sufferer by this or any other Judgment thou hast the more need to study what thou shalt render to the Lord for his great mercy in sparing thee when his hand lieth so heavy upon so many thousands at this day And then the third Question is of great concernment to thee 3. Though thou hast not suffered hitherto thou knowest not how soon thou mayest suffer by this very Judgment of Fire That passage in Isa 66.15,16 may awaken thee to prepare for fiery tryals Behold the Lord will come with Fire and with his Chariots like a whirlwinde to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire for by fire and by his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh and the slain of the Lord shall be many And as it is our duty to hear for the time to come Isa 42.23 So it will be our prudence to read for time to come 4. Not only the places and persons that suffer by Gods Judgments but all that hear of them are concerned to make a good use of them When the Lord brought a sore Judgment upon Jerusalem he calls to all people in all Nations upon the face of the earth to take notice thereof and make a good use of it Jer. 4.18,19 Hear ye Nations and know O Congregation what is among them Hear O Earth behold I will bring evil upon this people If any say this Treatise seemeth to be born out of due time it is now several months since London was burnt the impression of this Judgment begins now to wear off from mens spirits c. I answer 1. I hope better things of the greater part that suffered by this stroke of God then that they should so soon forget the hand that hath been lifted up against them but if it should be so that the impressions of this Judgment should be wearing off from many mens spirits there is the more need of using means to revive them again It is to be feared in regard poverty is coming upon many like an armed man and the sad effects of this Fire are and will be felt more and more by the poorer sort that discontent and trouble of minde will rather grow and encrease then wear off and therefore to such at least it will not be unseasonable to minister something by way of consolation though it be some months since they were brought into a suffering condition 2. Such great Judgments as this was are to be kept in remembrance and to be improved for the promoting of repentance and the fear of God all our dayes and not only as long as we live but the memory of them is to be conveyed to the Ages and Generations that are yet to come that they may learn to fear this God who hath done such great things amongst us When there was a mighty Famine in Judah the Lord gives Commandment that the memory thereof should be perpetuated to all Ages Joel 1.3,4 Tell ye your children of it and let your children tell their children and their children another generation That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten c. We think unworthily of Gods Judgments if we suppose they are to be regarded for a few dayes or for a few years only They are of larger use Judgments upon particular places and persons are admonitions to the whole world that hear of them as long as the world shall stand It is some thousands of years since Lots Wife was turned into a pillar of Salt yet this Judgment of God on a particular person must not be forgotten by us in this generation nor by others to the worlds end Luke 17.32 Remember Lots Wife It is generally computed to be above three thousand years
we meet together and all the good thoughts which we think All the tears we shed for our sins and all the sighs and groans which we send up to God by reason of our sins are treasure laid up in heaven for God puts such tears into his bottle and all sighs and groans that come from a penitent heart ascend up to heaven Psal 38.9 Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee All the prayers that we put up to God in the Name of Jesus Christ are treasure laid up in heaven Psal 18.6 In my distress I called upon the Lord and cryed unto my God he heard my voice out of his Temple and my cry came before him even into his ears This is plain from the forementioned Scripture All my desire is before thee All the alms we give to the poor in a right spirit are treasure laid up in heaven Luke 12.33 Give alms provide your selves bags which wax not old a treasure in the heavens that faileth not Matth. 19.21 Sell that thou hast and give to the poor and thou shalt have treasure in heaven Acts 10.4 Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God All the prayers that we make and all the alms that we give to the poor are recorded in heaven as precious treasure All the good works that we do are treasure laid up in heaven Ephes 6.8 Whatsoever good thing any man doth the same he shall receive of the Lord whether he be bond or free All the sins that wicked men commit are treasure laid up in Hell to augment their torments Rom. 2.5 After thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God If all the sins of wicked men are treasure laid up against the day of wrath then surely all the good actions of good men are treasure laid up in heaven SECT 9. 9. Let the losses which you have sustained by the late Fire put you in minde of and make you careful to avoid four other Fires which are more dreadful than this great Fire which consumed many thousand houses in a few dayes 1. Take heed of the fire of Sin Sin is oft compared unto fire Isa 9.18 Wickedness burneth as the fire it shall devour the briars and thorns Prov. 16.27 An ungodly man diggeth up evil and in his lips there is as a burning fire Hos 7.6 They have made ready their heart like an oven whilst they lie in wait their baker sleepeth all the night in the morning it burneth as a flaming fire James 3.6 The tongue is as a fire a world of iniquity so is the tongue among our members that it defileth the whole body and setteth on fire the course of nature and it is set on fire of Hell Now this fire of sin is far more mischievous than the late Fire which burnt so great a part of the City for though that destroyed many stately buildings and much Goods this destroyes mens souls and the soul of one man though the poorest man upon the face of the earth is more worth than the whole world Mark 8.36 The late Fire hath burnt up a great part of the City but sin hath set on fire the whole course of nature it hath fired more or less all persons in all parts and places of the world For there is not a just man upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Eccles 7.20 It hath been burning many thousand years together even ever since the fall of Adam 2. Take heed of the Fire of Gods wrath that burns like fire Nahum 1.6 Who can stand before his indignation and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger his fury is poured out like fire Psal 89.46 Shall thy wrath burn like fire The Apostle saith of God Heb. 12.29 Our God is a consuming fire To whom is God a consuming fire To all impenitent persons that refuse to humble their souls and to break off their sins Isa 27.4 Who would set the briars and thorns against me in Battle I would go through them I would burn them together He is a consuming Fire to all that fall off from the wayes of God after they have been enlightned with the knowledge of the truth Heb. 10.26,27 If we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries 3. Let this fire put you in minde of that fire which shall consume and burn up the whole world It was a dreadful sight to see London on fire but it will be more dreadful to see the whole world on sire yet such a time will come and it is hastening apace upon us wherein the heavens and the earth shall be set on fire and all persons and things burnt in that fire 2 Pet. 3.10,11,12 The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in the which the heav ns shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burnt up seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and hastening unto the coming of the day of God wherein the Heavens being on fire shall be dissolved and the Elements shall melt with fervent heat This fire that shall burn up the whole world shall be to all the servants of God like Elijah's fiery Chariot a means of conveying them into the Kingdom of Heaven but it shall be a day of destruction and perdition to all ungodly men 2 Thess 1.7,8,9 The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. 2 Pet. 3.7 The Heavens and the Earth which are now by the same word are kept in store reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men Mal. 4.1 Behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea and all that do wickedly shall be stubble and the day that cometh shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts that it shall leave them neither root nor branch 4. Let this fire put you in mind and make you careful to avoid Hell fire If this fire were dreadful think with your selves how dreadful it will be to be placed at Christs left hand and hear him pronounce that terrible sentence Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Matth. 25.41 and yet this will be the portion of all the workers of iniquity Matth. 13.41,42 The Son of Man shall send forth his Angels
admiration of Gods goodness ver 19. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee And Psal 73.1,10 Truly God is good to Israel God is good to them when they are forced to wander up and down and are full of affliction ver 10. His people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to thems When Doeg the Edomite had accomplished his mischievous design in causing the Priests of the Lord to be slain for entertaining of David which could not but be a great grief to David yet still he extols Gods goodness Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty man the goodness of God endureth continually When the Jews that were carried captive into Babylon had lost all their substance and met with such sorrows that they thought none ever met with the like they notwithstanding all their afflictions think honourably of Gods goodness Lam. 3.25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him unto the soul that seeketh him 3. When you are ready to have hard thoughts of God because of your afflictions turn your eyes from looking at Gods Providences and look upon his Promises they represent God to be full of love when his Providences represent him to be terrible There is a thousand times more sweetness in the Promises than there is shapness in your afflictions David viewing his afflictions cryed out Psal 60.3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment But when he turns his eye to the Promise he forgets his sorrow and is filled with joy ver 6. God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce 4. When hard thoughts of God arise in your minds because of your afflictions behold God as he hath manifested himself in and through Jesus Christ and there you shall see him to be a God of unspeakable love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son John 3.16 When you look upon God in Christ you shall finde him without fury towards such as believe in his Son when he is executing his greatest judgments Isa 26.21 Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Fury is not in me And to whom is it that he saith Fury is not in me it is to such as take hold of his Son who is his strength ver 5. When you look upon God in Christ you may behold him a reconciled Father a God pardoning iniquity transgression and sin 2 Cor. 5.19 a God that hath blessed you with all spiritual blessings Eph. 1.3 a God that will deny you nothing that is good on t will give you all things freely Rom. 8.32 Did he pass by the fallen Angels and look upon you and yet will you not have good thoughts of him Can you harbour any hard thoughts of God whilst you look upon him in Christ Jesus Shall some light and short afflictions make you overlook all the spiritual and eternal blessings which God hath treasured up in Jesus Christ for you If you say this helps me but little because I cannot make it out that God hath given Jesus Christ to me if I could see that God had given Christ to me I think I should never entertain an hard thought of God any more I answer God hath made a free offer of his Son Jesus Christ with all his benefits unto your soul as well as to any other ever since you have heard the Gospel and doth still continue to offer him to you and calls upon you by his Ministers and by his Holy Spirit to come and take him freely Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every creature Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely By the water of life is meant Christ and life through him Christ and all his saving benefits and the Spirit of God who searcheth the deep things of God and knoweth the minde of God and of Christ assureth us that whosoever will may come and take this water of life freely 5. When you finde hard thoughts of God arising in your mindes by reason of your affliction call to minde what God hath been doing for you from all eternity and what he will do for you in heaven to all eternity God hath been setting his wisdom on work from all eternity to make you happy in the enjoyment of himself and he hath prepared such things for you in heaven as eye never saw the like neither hath ear heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive the worth of them When David in time of temptation was ready to think hardly of God and of his wayes Psal 73.13,14 After he had overcome the temptation he saith ver 28. It is good for me to draw near to God and what caused him to take up this conclusion among other things this was one he had his eye upon that blessedness he should enjoy with God in heaven to all eternity ver 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory 6. If you would keep up good thoughts of God in your afflictions observe what goodness God manifests to you in your affliction and what good he designs to you by your afflictions If you did observe the dealings of God with your inward and outward man you might see much of the love and meroy and goodness of God in your greatest afflictions The people of Israel met with variety of afflictions when they were in the Wilderness yet there was much of the love and goodness of God in all his dealings with them Isa 63.7,9 And as for the ends and designs of God in out afflictions if you consider what they are you shall finde that in every affliction God aimeth at your good 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 And as you should keep up good thoughts of God so also keep up good thoughts of his Service and believe firmly in your greatest sufferings that it is not a vain thing to wait upon God and this you will easily do if you keep up good thoughts of God so that there is little need of adding any thing more concerning this temptation I shall therefore but briesly hint two or three things and then proceed to the next temptation 1. It is very unreasonable to think that there is no profit comes by walking in the wayes of God when as the Scripture assure us that Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 God never did stir up any man to seek his face in vain Isa 45.19 I said not unto the seed of Jacob seek ye me in
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