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
bereaveth himself of all good he hath no enjoyment of God no enjoyment of himself no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures He hath no enjoyment of God for They that are of a froward heart are abomination to the Lord Prov. 11.20 Psal 18.26 With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward He hath no enjoyment of himself but is like a man dispossessed of his soul Luk. 21.19 In your patience possess ye your souls He hath no enjoyment of any good in any of the creatures though he be one that hath great possessions Prov. 17.20 He that hath a froward heart findeth no good He is in continual pain and anguish like a man that walks among thorns Prov. 22.5 Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward he that doth keep his soul shall be far from them 4. It is a very hard matter to bear afflictions with a cheerful contented spirit When a man is crossed of his will his heart is ready to fret against the Lord even at such times as he brings afflictions upon himself by his own folly Prov. 19.3 The foolishness of man perverteth his way and his heart fretteth against the Lord. When God rebukes us and binds us in the cords of affliction we are apt to fret and fume like a wild Bull in a net Isa 51.20 Thy sons have fainted they lie at the head of all the streets as a wild Bull in a net they are full of the fury of the Lord the rebuke of thy God Nothing less than the mighty power of God will quell and keep down all the risings frettings and murmurings of the heart and make a man patient and cheerful in his afflictions Col. 1.11 Strengthned with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness There is the power the glorious power of God the power of God put forth in a mighty manner to enable a Christian to suffer afflictions with patience and joy 5. No man that is destitute of the grace of God can bear afflictions with a contented spirit There may be stupidity and insensibleness of Gods hand and there may be a restraining of murmurings in some natural men but true contentment is found only in godly persons 1 Tim. 6.8 Godliness with contentment is great gain As for unregenerate men when God doth not lay a restraint upon them they do not only fret inwardly against God but break out into open blasphemy when they meet with great and painful afflictions Isa 8.21 They shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry and it shall come to pass that when they shall be hungry they shall fret themselves and curse their King and their God and look upward Rev. 16.10,11 They gnawed their tongues for pain and blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores and repented not of their deeds 6. The Saints and Servants of God have found it an hard matter to bear their losses with a quiet contented spirit when God hath taken away from them those things which have been near and dear to them When Jacob did but suppose that he had lost his son Joseph he was over-whelmed with grief Gen. 37.34,35 Jacob rent his cloaths and put sackloth upon his loins and mourned for his son many days and all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and he said for I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning thus his father wept for him When God took away Absolom how was David cast down at his death 2 Sam. 18.33 The King was much moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept and as he went thus he said O my son Absolom my son my son Absolom would God I had died for thee O Absolom my son my son Jonah was a man that feared God a Type of Christ no ordinary man but a Prophet yet what abundance of discontent did he manifest for the loss of a gourd because it was a refreshment to him by keeping him from the heat of the Sun He fell into a great passion fainted was weary of his life wished that he might die and when God reasoned with him about his froward carriage he stands upon his justification Jonah 4.8,9 He fainted and wished in himself to die and said It is better for me to die than to live And God said to Jonah Dost thou well to be angry for the gourd And he said I do well to be angry even unto death Yet this gourd came up in a night and perished in a night and Jonah had not laboured at all for it neither did Jonah but God made it to grow Vers 10. When we find such a man as Jonah in such a great passion for such a small loss as a gourd which grew up and perished in a night and a day we may cry out Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him And if we are kept from fretting and discontent at our losses we must give glory to God and say as the Apostle in another case Not I but the grace of God which is with me keeps me from being discontented at my losses 7. Though it be hard to attain a cheerful contented spirit in all estates and conditions yet it is possible to be attained The Apostle Paul went through variety of afflictions as hunger thirst nakedness shipwrack imprisonment beating with rods stripes above measure cold watchings c. 2 Corinth 11.23,24,25,26,27 yet he had learned to be content in every estate Phil. 4.11,13 I have learned in whatsoever estate I am therewith to be content I can do all things through Christ which strengthneth me And as he was contented so also cheerful and joyful in all his troubles 2 Cor. 7.4 I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation Now what the Apostle Paul attained to in this kind that through the help of Christ we may attain also 8. A word of counsel and advice suitably and seasonably administred to such as are in a suffering condition availeth much for the quieting comforting and supporting of their spirits under their greatest afflictions and deepest sorrows Prov. 12.25 Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad Prov. 27.9 Oyntment and perfume rejoyce the heart so doth the sweetness of a mans friend by hearty counsel Job 4.3,4 Behold thou hast instructed many and thou hast strengthned the weak hands thy words have upholden him that was falling and thou hast strengthned the feeble knees Prov. 15.23 A word spoken in due season how good is it 9. No arguments or other means that are made use of either in preaching writing or private conference have such force and power to quiet support and comfort the hearts of those that faint and are disquieted and cast down under their afflictions as those that are drawn from and bottomed upon the Word of God Lev. 10.3 Moses said unto Aaron this is it that the
why hast thou made me thus 2. It is for our good to pass through variety of conditions for thereby God awakens the fear of his Name in our hearts and shakes off our security and promoteth the holiness of our hearts and lives A continued course of prosperity without some changes oft-times breeds a great deal of security and forgetfulness of God Psal 55.19 Because they have no changes therefore they fear not God Jer. 48.11 Moab hath been at ease from his youth and he hath settled on his lees and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel neither hath he gone into captivity therefore his taste remained in him and his scent is not changed If God by this change beger or promote the fear of his Name in your souls that will be better treasure than any that you lost by the late Fire Isa 33.6 The fear of the Lord is his treasure 3. The Lord would have us be so far from being dejected at our crosses that he would have us esteem them a ground of joy Jam. 1.2 My brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations He would have men of high degree rejoyce when they are brought low as well as men of low degree to rejoyce when they are exalted James 1.9,10 Let the brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted but the rich in that he is made low 3. Remember how contentedly our Lord Jesus Christ bore his state of humiliation Though he was Lord of all things yet for our sakes he became poor and took upon himself the form of a Servant and made himself of no reputation to bring us unto eternal glory 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich Phil. 2.5,6,7 Let this minde be in you which was in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a Servant Yet there never came one discontented word out of Christs month neither did there arise one repining thought in his minde throughout all the dayes of his humiliation Observe also how contentedly the servants of God have born their changes when God hath brought them from an high to a low condition When David was driven from his Kingdom and necessitated to flee to save his life he quietly submits himself to God 2 Sam. 15.26 When he that was honoured by all the Princes and Elders of Israel had a man of Belial came and cursed him to his face David puts up all his railing language with a meek and quiet spirit 2 Sam. 16.5,6,7,8,9,10,11 5. Though you be brought very low and those that were your friends in the day of your prosperity should now slight and dis-regard you yet if you continue to serve the Lord he will respect and regard you as much as ever he did Psal 136.26 Who remembred us in our low estate for his mercy endureth for ever Psal 106.43,44,45 They provoked him with their counsel and were brought low for their iniquity nevertheless he regarded their efftiction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant and repented according to the multitude of his mercies If your hearts be lowly as well as your conditions low the most high God will respect you more than all the great men upon the face of the earth that are of a proud spirit Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly but the proud he knoweth afar off Whatever account men may have of the Servants of God the Lord esteemeth very highly of them He counts them his Jewels Mal. 3.17 It is said of them Isa 62.3 Thou shalt be a Crown of Glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal Diadem in the hand of thy God This high esteem that God hath of you may abundantly satisfie you under all the slights and dis-respect that you meet with from men 6. If you be brought to fare hard and meanly by this providence whereas before you had a very plentiful table this should not trouble you for 1. God can make a course and mean diet conduce as much to your health and nourishment as the richest fare in the world Daniel and his three companions who eat nothing but pulse and drank water were of a fairer countenance and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the Kings meat Dan. 1.12,13,14,15 2. Though you should be brought to fare very hard yet as good and better men than you are have fared harder than you and yet did not murmur against God We read of an hundred men that were the Lords Prophets that lived in a cave with bread and water 1 Kings 18.13 John the Baptist was a great person Our Saviour telleth us that among them that were born of women there was not a greater than John the Baptist Matth. 11.11 Yet both his habit and diet were very mean John had his raiment of Camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loins and his meat was locusts and wilde honey Mat. 3.4 and he drank neither wine nor strong drink Luke 1.15 Our Saviour himself eat very course diet and yet was thankful for it When many of his friends were about him that came to hear his word he had nothing better to refresh himself after his labours and to give to his Disciples and those that followed him but Barley Bread and Fish and they had no seats to sit upon at their meat but the grass yet Jesus Christ lift up his eyes and gave thanks John 6.9,10,11 Another time being weary and thirsty he had nothing better than water to quench his thirst and he could not with once asking obtain a draught of water to quench his thirst John 4.6,7,9 Jesus being wearied with his journey sate on the well There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her give me to drink then saith the woman How is it that thou being a Jew askest drink of me which am a woman of Samaria 3. The meaner your diet is the less will be your temptation to excess Such as fare deliciously every day are under a great temptation to make their belly their God which is a fin that will bring unavoidable destruction Phil. 3.19 whose end is destruction whose belly is their God 4. God hath given such of you as are his servants his Son who is the bread of life the bread that came down from heaven John 6.48,51 and the water of life John 4.10 and why should you be discontented because your dyet is mean who have meat to eat that the world knows not of hidden Manna yea who have the bread of life and the water of life SECT 9. Obj. 9. I had a very sweet and commodious dwelling where I lived very comfortably and now I am greatly unsettled I
unloose Mat. 3.11 Whose shooes I am not worthy to bear 2. When it is in our hearts to do any service for God or our Generation God approves of what is in our hearts though we are not able or want opportunity to effect and bring to pass what we desired to do for the advancing of the Glory of God and promoting our own or others good 2 Cor. 8.12 If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Though God did not permit David to build him an house yet God was pleased that there was a desire and purpose in his heart to have done this thing and commends him for it 1 Kings 8.18,19 The Lord said unto David whereas it was in thine heart to build an house to my name thou didst well that it was in thine heart nevertheless thou shalt not build the house 3. God is the Lord and master of the whole world and it belongs to the master of the house to take what servants he pleaseth and to set them about what work he pleaseth and put them out of his service when he pleaseth We that are masters of Families take this liberty to our selves and shall not we grant that to God which we take to our selves 3. If you are troubled because you are disabled from serving God and your Generation use what means you can to prevail with God to call you again into a way of service and to render you useful in your Generation I will commend to you some means whereby you may prevail with God to make use of you to do him service in your Generation 1. Purge out your sins and labour for sanctified hearts and lives Sanctified persons are meet for Gods use and he delighteth to employ them in his Service 2 Tim. 2.21 If a man purge himself from these he shall be a vessel unto honour sanctified and meet for his masters use and prepared unto every good work 2. Act your faith upon the promises of God wherein God hath promised to make his people useful in their places and serviceable to him in their Generation I shall name one or two to this purpose Deut. 30.9 The Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand for good Here are two blessings promised the one is that we shall be full of employment the other is that good shall come of what we take in hand Something of this nature is implied in that promise Mine Elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands Isa 65.22 God hath promised to make us serviceable all the dayes of our life Luke 1.72,74,75 To perform the mercy promised that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life 3. Mourn over your unserviceableness and cry unto God to admit you into his service and offer your selves to undertake any employment that he shall cut out for you and promise the Lord that if he will put you into his service that you will serve him with an upright heart as David did Psal 75.2 When I shall receive the congregation I will judge uprightly When the Lord seeth such a spirit as this in us he will soon employ us in some way of service as Deborah said Judg. 5.9 Mine heart is toward the Governourrs of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people So is Gods heart towards such persons as freely offer themselves unto his Service the Lord ordained it for a Law that if a Levite came to minister with all the desire of his minde he should be admitted to minister in the name of the Lord Deut. 18.6,7 God will assuredly provide work for those that do so highly prize his service as to cry and mourn after it 4. If you are by this providence disabled from following your former Calling then follow some other Calling for God would have no man live without a Calling When Adam was in Innocency God would not permit him to be out of employment but gave him a Calling to employ himself in Gen. 2.15 And the Lord took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it Chuse rather the meanest Calling than to live without a calling And if God so order it that you must of necessity take a meaner less honourable and more laborious calling than you had before be not discontented at it but comply thereto with a ready and quiet minde Moses that was delicately brought up in a Kings Court by the space of forty years and was so tenderly nursed up by Pharaohs Daughter as if he had been her own Son did not disdain to serve his Generation for several years in a very mean Calling viz. the Calling of a Shepherd Exod. 3.1 Now Moses kept the Flock of Jethro his Father-in-law It is said of David that he served his Generation according to the will of God Acts 13.36 When it was the will of God that he should serve his Generation as a Shepherd he was content to be a Shepherd and when it was the will of God that he should serve his Generation as a King he was content to be a King when afterward God drove him from his Kingdom and put him into the condition of an Exile he was content with that condition also 2 Sam. 15.25,26 It is probable that our Saviour himself wrought in the Calling of a Carpenter some time before he entered into the Calling of the Ministry and that is both a mean and laborious Calling and this may be gathered from his Countrey-mens upbraiding him with this Calling Mark 6.2,3 From whence hath this man these things and what wisdom is this which is given to him that even such mighty work are wrought by his hands Is not this the Carpenter the Son of Mary If you say we would willingly follow some other Calling now we are disabled from following our former Callings but we do not know what Callings to fix upon How shall we come to understand our way and to know what Callings God would have us make choice of now he hath disabled us from following our former Callings Answ 1. Ask counsel of God what Callings he would have you make choice of that so you may serve your Generation arcording to the will of God and not according to your own will The Lord hath promised to direct you in your choice if you seek to him for counsel Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths Psal 25.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose 2. Consider your own abilities both in respect of parts and skill and also in respect of your stock that you have left to trade withal and what Calling you finde your self best able to manage that you may make choice of and look
low for their iniquities Isa 42.24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers Did not the Lord he against whom we have sinned Jer. 15.13 Thy Substance and thy Treasure will I give to the spoil without price and that for all thy sins even in all thy borders Now the sins for which God is wont to take away our Estates and bring us low and to send poverty are such as these 1. Unthankfulness for what God hath given us and instead of honouring God with our Substance abusing it to the dishonour of God Hos 2.8,9 She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl and multiplyed her Silver and Gold which they prepared for Baal Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof and will recover my Wool and my Flax given to cover her nakedness Two sins are here mentioned as the ground why God would take away not only what was for delight and ornament as Wine Oyl Gold Silver c. but what was necessary to their substance as Corn and Wool and Flax to cover their nakedness the one was they did not know that is take notice of and acknowledge that it was God gave them their food and rayment and riches and so consequently did not give God thanks for them the other was they served their lusts they prepared that for their Idols which God gave them for his own service 2. Pride When men grow proud of their riches God oft-times takes them away Prov. 29.23 A mans pride shall bring him low 3. Neglect of works of mercy Prov. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty 4. Making over-much hast to be rich Prov. 28.22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil Eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him 5. Not heeding the Commandments of God Deut. 28.15,33,43,44 If thou wilt not hearken to the voyce of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandements all these Curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee Thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed away The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high and thou shalt come down very low He shall lend to thee and thou shalt not lend to him he shall be the head and thou shalt be the tail 6. Not serving God cheerfully for the abundance of all those good things which the Lord hath given us causeth him to take them away and to bring us into straits Deut. 28.47,48 Because thou servedst not the Lord thy God with joyfulness and gladness of heart for the abundance of all things therefore shalt thou serve thine Enemies which the Lord shall send against thee in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things 7. Rejoycing at the ruine and sufferings of others He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished Prov. 17.5 and the punishment which God sometimes sends on such persons is the spoiling of their Goods and loss of their Estates Ezek. 26.2,12 Because that Tyrus hath said against Jerusalem Aha She is broken that was the Gates of the People They shall make a spoil of thy Riches and make a spoil of thy Merchandise and they shall break down thy Walls and destroy thy pleasant Houses Following of vain persons Prov. 28.19 He that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough 9. Gluttony and Drunkenness Prov. 23.21 The Drunkard and Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall cloath a man with rags 10. Refusing instruction Prov. 13.18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth Instruction 11. Oppressing the Poor and giving of bribes to the Rich Prov. 22.16 He that oppresseth the Poor to increase his Riches and he that giveth to the Rich shall surely come to want Thus by observing out of the Word of God for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this judgment of Fire and for what sins God hath impoverished others and then considering how far you have been guilty of any of those sins you may find out for what sins you have suffered loss in your Estates by the late Fire 4. Consider for what sins God did oftenest rebuke you either by his Word or Spirit or Providences before this affliction came upon you and if those sins were not reformed for which you have been often rebuked then it is probable that they are the sins for which God sent this affliction Deut. 8.5 Thou shalt consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee Now Parents first admonish and reprove their Children and if reproofs will not make their Children reform then they take the rod and correct them When you have found out the sin for which God is correcting you you must confess it to God and humble your souls for it and apply your selves to Christ for the pardon of it and beg grace from God to help you to leave and forsake it and this leadeth me to the next head SECT 5. 5. Look upon this affliction as a loud call from God to repent of and turn from all your transgressions and therefore let this judgment awaken you to set upon a speedy zealous and unfeigned exercise and practise of the duty of Repentance for this is one main thing that God aims at when he sends his judgments upon us the stirring of us up to a present and zealous and incere repentance Ezek. 18.30 I will judge you O House of Israel every one according to his wayes saith the Lord God repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent When the Lord contended with the Jews by the Sword and by Fire his design in these judgments was to bring them to a speedy and sincere repentance Joel 2.3,12 A Fire devoureth before them and behind them a Flame burneth the Land is as the Garden of Eden before them and behind them a desolate Wilderness yea and nothing shall escape them Therefore also now saith the Lord turn ye even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rend your heart and not your garments and turn unto the Lord your God When the Cities of Judah were burnt with fire Isa 1.7 the design of God was to wash away the filth of the Daughters of Zion by the Spirit of Judgment and the Spirit of burning Isa 4.4 If therefore you would answer Gods design in this Fire let this burning put you upon cleanling of your selves from all filthiness both of the flesh and of the spirit God sets a brand upon such persons for notorious sinners who are not led to repentance by such an awakening judgment as fire Amos 4.11 I have overthrown some of you as God overthrew Sodom
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
have any man to say God hath cast me off and utterly separated me from his people Isa 56.3 Let not the son of the stranger that hath joyned himself unto the Lord speak saying The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people We are very subject to mistakes and to think that God hath cast us off when as we have found grace in his sight Psal 31.22 I said in my haste I am cut off before thine eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee Zion thought and said God had forgotten and forsaken her when as she lay near Gods heart and was in his thoughts night and day Isa 49.14,15,16 2. Suppose God did cast you off yet you must not cast him off but acknowledge before God that it is just with God to leave you and cry to him and follow hard after him and hang upon him and hope in his word even at such a time as he casteth off your souls When Heman complained Psal 88.14 Lord why castest thou off my soul He did not cease calling upon God Ver. 9. I have called daily upon thee I have stretched out my hands unto thee Jonah when he thought God had cast him off yet resolves still to wait upon him Jonah 2.4 I said I am cast out of thy sight yet I will look again towards thy Temple When David thought himself cast off by God he encourageth his soul to hope in the Lord Psal 43.2,5 Why dost thou cast me off why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope in God 3. Say not I am sure to go to Hell when I dye for it is yet a day of salvation and the door of hope stands open there is yet time and place for repentance 2 Cor. 6.2 Behold now is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Though a man be a perfect slave to sin and Satan yet there is a possibility that he may be brought to repentance 2 Tim. 2.25,26 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the Devil who are taken captive by him at his will and if God give thee repentance though thou hast been as wicked a man as lives upon the face of the earth yet thou shalt surely be saved Ezek. 33.15,16 Prov. 28.13 Isa 55.7 4. Suppose thou apprehendest thy self to have as it were the beginnings of Hell in thy soul yet thy case is not desperate Others that have had pains and horrors in their souls like the pains of Hell have found relief from God Jonah after he had fled from the presence of the Lord and was cast into the Sea and swallowed up by a Fish felt himself in such a distressed condition that he compares his condition to the belly of hell yet he crying to God in this condition was delivered out of it Jonah 2.2 I cryed by reason of mine affliction to the Lord and he heard me out of the belly of hell cryed I and thou heardest my voice When David was in such a state that he compares his pains to the pains of Hell by crying to the Lord he was delivered Psal 116.3,4,6 The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow then called I upon the Name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul I was brought low and he helped me 5. It is true that all the while a man liveth in an impenitent condition he treasureth up wrath against the day of wrath and as he encreaseth his sins so also he encreaseth his torments Rom. 2.5 Thou after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Yet this should not cause any man to destroy himself it should only make a man more earnest in seeking unto God to give him repentance As long as there is life there is hope God may give a man repentance God gave one of the thieves that was crucified with Christ repentance but a few hours before he dyed He calls some into his vineyard at the last hour of the day But after death there is no place for repentance Eccles 9.10 Plea 8. I will repent of my sins and confess them to God and pray God to pardon them before I make away my self and if I do so I hope God will pardon my sins and receive my soul into his heavenly Kingdom as soon as I am dead Answ As long as you have any bloody designs and purposes in your hearts your prayers will avail nothing with God Isa 1.15 When ye spread forth your hands I will hide mine eyes from you yea when ye make many prayers I will not hear your hands are full of Blood Lo here though you make many prayers as long as you have any bloody projects either against your selves or others God will hear none of them Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Now so long as you harbour a purpose and resolution to make away your selves you do regard iniquity in your hearts It is said Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercy You mistake the meaning of the Promise if you think that you shall finde mercy upon your confessing of this sin when as you still retain a purpose to commit it I might mention other pleas but I should then enlarge too far upon this head I shall therefore only adde a few propositions concerning this temptation of self-murther that may be useful to those that are exercised with it and so dismiss this point 1. Whensoever any man hath any suggestions or motions put in his minde to murther himself it is not God but Satan puts those motions into his minde how specious pretences soever do attend those motions What is said of the motion that was in the heart of Judas to betray Christ John 13.2 The Devil put into the heart of Judas to betray him the same may be said of the motions that come into our hearts to destroy our selves it is the Devil puts them into us If a man be perswaded to make away himself I may say here as the Apostle in another case Gal. 5.8 This perswasion cometh not of him that calleth you That it is not God by his Spirit but Satan puts these motions into your hearts is evident for 1. God tempts no man to any sin James 13. Let no man say when he is tempted I am tempted of God for God cannot be tempted with evil neither tempteth he any man 2. The Spirit of God moveth no man to do any thing contrary to the word Now the word saith expresly Thou shalt not kill The word forbids us doing our selves any harm as well as doing harm unto others Acts 16.27,28 The keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep and seeing
those that have cast away their hope and hath encouraged them to seek and hope for salvation that have thought there was no hope for such as they were When some amongst the Jews thought God had done with them and given them over and would look no more after them God reproves them for it Isa 40.27 Why sayest thou O Jacob and speakest O Israel my way is hid from the Lord and my judgment is passed over from my God And at another time when they thought there was no hope but they must perish in their sins and looked upon it as an improbable if not as an impossible thing that such as they were should obtain life God swears to them that he did not delight in their death but rather did desire that they should repent that they might live Ezek. 33.10,11 Thus ye speak saying If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them How should we then live say unto them As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live Turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will ye die O house of Israel We find also God encouraging the Jews when they were in a despairing condition in Babylon Lam. 3.18,19 I said my strength and my hope is perished from the Lord remembring mine affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall But though they said their hope was perished God saith it was good for them to hope still Ver. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. God may have great mercy in store for them that think there is no mercy for them When the house of Israel said Our bones are dried and our hope is lost we are cut off for our parts God promiseth to do great things for them to put his Spirit in them and give them life c. Ezek. 37,11,12,13,14 And though Satan may make use of some Scriptures to drive us to despair yet he perverts the sense and meaning of those Scriptures for no passage of Scripture was written to drive us to despair but the design of the Scripture is to encourage us to hope in God Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 4. Prop. No man ought to conclude that he is a graceless person or cast out of the favour of God because he is assaulted with this temptation to make away himself or because he hath often prayed to God to have his temptation removed and it continueth still in as great violence as ever The best of men may be tempted to the foulest of sins What sin is more hideous than for a man to fall down and worship the Devil yet the Lord Jesus was tempted to this sin Matth. 4.9 All these things will I give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me Dost thou think God doth not love thee because he suffers the Devils to tempt thee to make away thy self Christ was the beloved Son of God yet the Devil tempted him to cast down himself from a pinacle of the Temple which was in effect to have destroyed himself Matth. 4.5,6 yea God suffered the Devil to do more than barely to tempt Christ he suffered him to carry him from the Wilderness into Jerusalem and to set him upon the pinacle of the Temple Matth. 4.5 and from thence to carry him to an exceeding high Mountain Ver. 8. This is more than God permits the Devil to do to you yet Christ was the beloved Son of God Did not the Devil tempt Job who was the most upright man that lived in his days by the instigation of his wife to destroy himself Job 2.9 His wife said unto him Dost thou still retain thine integrity Curse God and die And though you pray to have the temptation removed and still it continueth so did Paul who was a chosen Vessel when he was buffeted with a temptation from Satan he prayed often to have it removed and still it continued 2 Cor. 12.7,8,9 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh a messenger of Satan to buffet me For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness But let thus much suffice for the preventing of this temptation of Self-murther 5. It is probable that Satan will tempt such as are brought low by this fire to use some unrighteous courses to enrich themselves especially if they be brought into great straits he will be urging of them to help themselves by some sinful means rather than to continue under their straits Agur prayes that God would remove poverty from him and gives this reason Prov. 30.9 Lest I be poor and steal and take the Name of my God in vain which implies that Satan doth usually tempt such as are brought to poverty to help themselves by unlawful and sinful means I might suggest several things to prevent your yielding to this temptation As 1. You will lose more and better things than you will get by unrighteousness in your dealings though you should get a vast estate by this means For 1. Hereby you will lose the favour of God Deut. 25.16 All that do unrighteously are an abomination unto the Lord thy God And what is all this world compared to the favour of God 2. All that you get by sinful courses is the price of blood it is gotten with the loss of your souls Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sinneth it shall die Now the soul is of that value that the gaining of the whole world will not countervail the loss of one soul Mar. 8.36.3 What you get unrighteously is purchased with the loss of Heaven 1 Cor. 6.9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 4. What is gotten unrighteously is gotten with the loss of peace of Conscience Isa 59.8 They have made them crooked paths whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace Prov. 20.17 Bread of deceit is sweet to a man but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel 2. You do not only deprive your selves of all good but you bring upon your selves woful misery by seeking to enrich your selves by unjust courses for 1. Hereby you bring down the wrath and curse and vengeance of God upon your selves Jer. 22.13 Wo unto him that buildeth his House by unrighteousness and his Chambers by wrong 1 Thes 4.6 That no man go beyond and defraud his Brother in any matter because that the Lord is the avenger of all such Job 20.23 When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating This is spoken of such as get their Estates unrighteously as you may see Ver. 19.