wilt not put an end to thy miseries but wilt plunge thy self irrecoverably into far greater miseries than those that thou lyest under how great and many soever thy troubles be for Murderers shall have their part in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 Now all the troubles of this life are nothing compared with the torments of Hell if it were possible for one man to have all the pains and tortures inflicted upon him that have been endured by all the men upon the face of the earth since the Creation of the World and he should suffer them a thousand years this would be far short of what the damned suffer in hell What the Apostle saith of the glory that the Saints shall have in heaven Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us the same is true of the torments of hell all the sufferings of this present life are not worthy to be compared with the torments that the damned in hell shall suffer to all eternity 3. It is the Devil tempts thee to put an end to thy miseries by putting an end to thy dayes God counsels thee otherwise he directs thee to a better way of getting out of thy troubles than by destroying thy self and that is by calling upon God and casting thy burdens upon him and flying for refuge to his Son Jesus Christ Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee Psal 55.22 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Matth. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Satan desires to have thee come unto him that he may torment thee and to that end he moves thee to destroy thy self Christ calls thee to come to him that he may give thee rest Now whether is it better to obey the call of Christ which will bring rest or to follow the counsel of the Devil who seeketh nothing else but thy eternal destruction Plea 2. I lived in good credit heretofore but now my Estate is gone I must look to be despised and disrepected and slighted and I cannot tell how to bear the loss of that esteem and respect which I have had formerly I had as good dye as see my self slighted Answ 1. Though you be brought low yet if you have lowly hearts God will respect you as much as ever he did Psal 138.6 Though the Lord be high yet hath he respect unto the lowly He will not only respect your persons but your prayers also Psal 102.17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their prayer If you live in the fear of God all good men will honour you as much as ever they did Psal 15.4 He honoureth them that fear the Lord. 2. If you should meet with shame and scorn and reproach this is the hand of the Lord he is to be eyed in this as well as in other afflictions Isa 43.28 I have prophaned the Princes of the Sanctuary and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches Psal 44.9,13,14 Thou hast cast off and put us to shame Thou makst us a reproach to our neighbours a scorn and division to them that are round about us Thou makest us a by-word among the heathen a shaking of the head among the people and seeing it is the Lords doing you must bear it patiently you must not in anger cast away your lives because God hath taken away your repute and honour 3. Suppose you should lose that credit and respect which you have had in the world if you continue in well-doing God will give you immortal honour and eternal glory in the Kingdom of Heaven Rom. 2.6,7 Who will render to every man according to his deeds to them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life But by destroying your selves you deprive your selves of eternal glory for all murderers shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven Rev. 22.15 Without are dogs and sorcerers and whoremongers and murderers Plea 3. I am afraid I shall be in want or be driven to beg my bread or must be forced to live upon others and I had better dye than live in want or live to be a burden to my self and others or beg my bread Answ 1. God hath given his Servants many encouragements to hope that they shall not want or if they be brought into a necessitous condition that they shall have their wants supplied 2. We should endeavour what we can to maintain our selves without being burdensome to others 2 Cor. 11.9 In all things I have kept my self from being burden some to you and so will I keep my self Acts 20.34,35 Yea you your selves know that these hands have ministred unto my necessities and to them that were with me I have shewed you all things how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he said It is more blessed to give than to receive 3. If God should bring you so low as to live upon alms yet this should not make you weary of your lives there are many of Gods children that shall reign with Christ in heaven to all eternity that received alms whilst they were upon the earth as is evident from Matth. 25.35,36,40 Yea Christ himself when he was upon earth received alms Luke 8.1,2,3 Suppose you should be put to beg for your living yet know 1. That it is better to beg than to sin better to beg than destroy your selves for the one is but an affliction the other is a grievous sin 2. Lazarus who was an heir of heaven whose soul was carried by the Angels into Abraham's bosom was so poor that he begged his bread and would have been glad to have had the crumbs that fell from the rich mans Table Luke 16.20.21,22 There was a certain beggar that was named Lazarus which was laid at his gate full of sores and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich mans Table moreover the dogs came and licked his Sores And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom 3. Our Lord Jesus in his thirst asks a draught of water of a woman of Samaria John 4.7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water Jesus saith unto her Give me to drink 4. If you should be brought to beg your bread the Lord will not forsake you in this desolate condition but will give you his gracious presence Psal 37.25 I have been young and now am old yet have I not seen the righteous for saken nor his seed begging bread It is not ordinary for God to bring righteous persons or their seed to beg their bread but when he doth they are not forsaken of God in that condition 5. The great God condescends so low as to
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
Children did formerly give them to him Job 1.21 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord. 2. It is God that is Holy There is nothing of wrong no injustice no iniquity in this dispensation as it proceedeth out of the hands of God Psalm 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his works When God cometh forth in fiery dispensations we should be so far from murmuring that we should give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness because we know him to be Holy in all his Works Psal 97.3,12 A fire geeth before him and burneth up his enemies round about Rejoyce in the Lord ye righteous and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness The with-drawing of Gods Blessed Presence from our souls is a far greater loss than the losing of our Estates or any thing that we enjoy in this world for there is nothing in the whole world yea there is nothing in heaven it self which a godly man esteemeth so much as he doth the enjoyment of God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Yet we finde David quieting himself upon the account of Gods Holiness when he apprehended himself forsaken of God and the Lord came not to him though he cryed and roared after the Lord Psal 22.1,2,3 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my roaring O my God I cry in the day time but thou hearest not and in the night season and am not silent But thou art holy If David was stayed from repining against God when he apprehended himself forsaken of God and thought God rejected his Prayers by considering that God that dealt thus with him was an holy God then surely the consideration of Gods Holiness may quiet your mindes under the loss of any worldly things what ever they be When the labourers that had born the heat of the day murmured because others that had wrought but one hour were made equal to them the housholder stilled their murmurings by saying to one of them Friend I do thee no wrong Mat. 20.11,12,13 If you finde any murmurings in your mindes at Gods taking away your Estates when others enjoy theirs still endeavour to silence your murmurings by saying unto your souls O my soul God is a just and holy and righteous God he hath done thee no wrong why then dost thou murmur against him 3. It is God that hath a Sovereign Power over you to do with you and all that belongeth unto you whatsoever seemeth good in his sight Job 9.12 Behold he taketh away who can hinder him who will say unto him what dost thou Jer. 18.6 O house of Israel cannot I do with you as this potter saith the Lord behold as the clay is in the potters hand so are ye in mine hand O house of Israel Such is the Sovereign Power of God that he disposeth of all his Creatures both those that are in heaven and all that are in all places of the world Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in heaven and in earth and the seas and all deep places If the Lord disposeth of all things in heaven and earth as he pleaseth shall any particular person fret and think much to have all his concernments disposed of at the pleasure and by the order of the great God When the Lord maketh such desolations in any Nation as that the report of them goeth throughout all the world this must still and quiet our minds that it is the great and Sovereign God that doth these things Psal 46.8,10 Come behold the works of the Lord what desolations he hath made in the earth Be still and know that I am God To murmur at Gods fulfilling his own will is a practical denying his Sovereignty and to deny the Sovereignty of God is to deny his Deity He should not be God if he were not our Sovereign Lord his Sovereignty is essential to his Deity 4. It is God that loveth you and is the best friend that you have in all the world that laid these rebukes upon you and hath taken away your Estates by this Fire Every godly man hath God for his Friend Cant. 5.16 This is my beloved and this is my friend And when God rebukes any of his Servants in their Names Estates Bodies or Souls it is out of love Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Prov. 3.12 Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth Will you take any thing amiss that cometh from so good a friend as the Lord is especially that which cometh from this friend in love We are wont to take rebukes that come from friends in good part though they be such as wound and pierce us to the soul Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend Psal 141.5 Let the righteous smite me and it shall be a kindeness and let him reprove me and it shall be an excellent oyl which shall not break my head Shall we esteem it a kindeness to be smitten and reproved by righteous men and fret and be angry when we are smitten and reproved by the righteous God 5. It is God who is your Father that hath done these things Never any man drank such a bitter cup as was mingled for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ if we consider all the ingredients that were put into it yet because it was his Father that gave him this cup he took it cheerfully John 18.11 The cup which my Father hath given me shall I not drink it We submit our selves to our earthly Parents when they correct us how much more ought we to be subject to our heavenly Father when he chastneth us seeing he hath more power over us than they have and aimeth more purely at our good than they do Heb. 12.9,10 We have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us and we gave them reverence shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits and live for they verily for a few dayes chastned us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness 6. It is God who is pleased with all his own works Psal 135.6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased that did he in Heaven and in Earth and in the Seas and all deep places God calleth the judgements that he executes upon his enemies his pleasure Isa 48.14 He will do his pleasure on Babylon Yea even those afflictions which God sendeth upon his own children are the good pleasure of his will The Prophet speaking of the sufferings of Christ saith Isa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him Our sufferings are in some respects said to grieve the Lord Judges 10.16 His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel But on another account as they are a fulfilling of his eternal
Councils as they illustrate his Glory as they promote our good c. they may be said to please him Now that which pleaseth God should not displease us It is said of David who was a wise and a gracious Prince Whatsoever the King did pleased all the people 2 Sam. 3.36 The Lord our God infinitely transcendeth David in Wisdom and Goodness and therefore whatsoever the Lord doth should please all his people 7. It is God that made you who hath taken away your Estates from you and it is not meet that the Creature should quarrel murmur at or finde fault with any thing that his Maker doth Isa 45.9 Wo unto him that striveth with his Maker let the potsheard strive with the potsheards of the earth shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it what makest thou SECT 2. 2. Consider what it is which God hath taken away from you and this Consideration will minister several Arguments for the quieting of your mindes under all your losses though they have been very great For 1. God hath taken away nothing but that which was his own Your Houses your Goods your Silver and Gold and all that you have or ever had is the Lords 1 Chron. 29.11 All that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine Psal 24 1. The earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Hos 2.7 Therefore will I return and take away my corn and my wine and my wool and my flax What Benhadad said to Ahab and Ahab replyed to Benhadad 1 King 20.3,4 Thy Silver and thy Gold is mine thy Wives also and thy Children even the goodliest are mine and the King of Israel answered and said My Lord O King according to thy saying I am thine and all that I have The like may God say to us Thy Silver and thy Gold is mine c. And we may say to the Lord O my Lord according to thy saying I am thine and all that I have Now we take upon us to dispose of those things which are our own as we see good Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own And shall not we allow unto God that liberty which we take unto our selves shall we murmur against him when he taketh away nothing from us but that which is his own 2. God hath taken away nothing from you but what you were unworthy to enjoy Jacob was a great man the Angel that wrastled with him saith of him As a Prince hast thou power with God and Men and hast prevailed Gen. 32.28 Yet he looked upon himself as unworthy of the least of all the mercies that ever God bestowed upon him Gen. 32.10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant As the Woman of Samaria said to Christ John 4.12 Art thou greater than our Father Jacob So may I say unto you Are you greater and better than Jacob if not then you must confess your selves unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies as he did and if you are unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies then you have no cause to repine at your losses seeing God hath taken nothing from you but what you were unworthy to enjoy 3. God hath taken nothing from you but that which you must of necessity have shortly parted with though this fire had not consumed any thing of your Estates It is but a very little while and you must leave this world and though you have never so much of this worlds goods you cannot carry one penny with you out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 We brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out and upon this account the Apostle urgeth Christians to be content though they have never so little nothing besides food and raiment ver 8. Having food and raiment let us be therewith content And as we can carry nothing with us out of the world so it is altogether uncertain who shall possess what we leave behinde us Luke 12.20 This night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall those things be that thou hast provided If we have children to inherit the substance that we leave behinde us yet who can tell but the Extortioner may catch all that they have and Strangers devour their wealth Psal 109.11 Or if they should enjoy what we leave them yet who can tell whether they will spend it well or ill who can tell whether they will be wise men or fools Such thoughts as these weaned Solomon from the world and made him repent of all the pains he had taken in erecting stately Buildings and gathering together much Treasure Eccles 2.18,19 I hated all my labour which I had taken under the Sun because I should leave it unto the man that shall be after me and who knoweth whether he shall be a wise man or a fool yet shall he have rule over all my labour wherein I have laboured and wherein I have shewed my self wise under the Sun 4. That which God hath taken from you is but vanity yea more that which often proveth a vexation to the Soul and Spirit which is the better part of a man Solomon speaking of all worldly things saith of them Vanity of Vanities all is vanity Eccles 1.2 and afterwards reckoning up his outward enjoyments he doth tell us that his stately Buildings and his great Treasures were vanity as well as other things Eccles 2.4,5,8,17 I made me great works I builded me houses I made me Gardens and Orchards I gathered me also Silver and Gold and the peculiar treasures of Kings All is vanity and vexation of Spirit Should a wise man disquiet himself for the loss of a vanity or vex himself because he is deprived of that which is but vexation of Spirit 5. Riches are not that which most men think them to be They have less of good and more of evil in them than we are aware of I do not mean that riches are evil of themselves they are good blessings of God yet our corrupt natures are apt to turn them to an evil use VVherefore view your riches which you have lost not according to that estimation which men of the world have of riches but according to the judgement which the Holy Ghost giveth of them in the Scriptures where they are stiled Deceitful Riches Mark 4.19 Uncertain riches 1 Tim. 6.17 The Mammon of unrighteousness Luke 16.9 Vanity and vexation of Spirit as was hinted before Thorns Mat. 13.22 That which is not That which should be so far from disquieting our hearts that they are not worthy that such a noble creature as man should set his eyes upon them Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not for riches certainly make themselves wings they flye away as an Eagle towards Heaven The Scriptures inform us that all that disquiet themselves about riches disquiet
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
and more excellent than ever we saw or heard of or can conceive in our minds 1 Cor. 2.9 Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Such is the excellency of those things which God hath laid up in Heaven for us that the thoughts and hope of enjoying the glory and joys of heaven may fill our hearts with joy and comfort under all the losses and crosses that we meet with in the world Rom. 5.2,3 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God and not only so but we glory in tribulations also 1 Pet. 1.3,4,6 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away reserved in Heaven for you wherein ye greatly rejoyce though now for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations Though a servant of God hath lost never such a fair Inheritance on Earth yet he hath more cause of rejoycing in that incorruptible Inheritance that fadeth not away which is reserved for him in Heaven than of being troubled for the loss of his earthly Inheritance SECT 10. 10. Consider what a great evil it is to murmur and to be discontented at your losses and how pleasing and acceptable it is unto the Lord that you should be content and patient under this affliction which it hath seemed good unto the Lord to lay upon you The Israelites went through many difficulties whilst they wandered up and down by the space of forty years in the Wilderness and because they murmured multitudes of them were destroyed neither the greatness nor the long continuance of the affliction did excuse them from punishment and this example of Gods justice on them is set down for an example to us that we might for ever be deterred from murmuring under any of our afflictions 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmur ye as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer To murmur because God hath taken away our Estates is the ready way to provoke God to take away our lives Psal 106.25,26 They murmured in their Tents Therefore he lifted up his hand against them to overthrow them in the Wilderness There is more evil in one repining discontented thought than there is in all your losses though they be very great for the one hath only the evil of punishment the other hath in it the evil of sin And there is more of evil in the least sin than in the greatest punishment All Gods dealings towards his people are managed with infinite wisdom and infinite love in order to the promoting of their good and his own glory and what an hainous sin and how offensive to God is it for a man to murmur when God is doing of him good and bringing glory to his Name seeing also that whatever way God takes to bring about our good is contrived with infinite wisdom and is accompanied with infinite love And as it is is a great evil to be discontented at any of Gods dealings so it is an excellent heavenly frame of spirit and that which is highly pleasing to God for a man in all things to submit himself to God and to lie at his foot and to be content with his will and to say in his heart It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good That is of great excellency which is an ornament to a man in the judgment of a wise holy judicious man that may be deemed more excellent which is accounted an ornament by the Angels of Heaven but that is most excellent which is an ornament in the sight of God and of this nature is a meek and quiet spirit 1 Pet. 3.4 The ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price When the Lord hath brought us to lie at his foot he is so pleased with this submissive frame of spirit that he is wont to bestow very great blessings on such as are brought to his foot and are content that he should do what he pleaseth with them Isa 41.2 Who raised up the righteous man from the East called him to his foot gave the Nations before him and made him Ruler over Kings Contentment under the cross makes great afflictions to seem but small ones and small afflictions none at all The Apostle went through very great sufferings as we may see 1 Cor. 4.9,10,11,12,13 2 Cor. 11.23,24,25,26,27 yet having learnt in every estate to be content Phil. 4.11 he maketh a light matter of all his afflictions 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light affliction c. Rom. 8.18 I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us But a discontented mind thinketh small afflictions great and intolerable burdens The loss of a gourd which sprang up in a day and withered in a day was but a small loss yet Jonah being under a discontented mind is so troubled at this loss that he faints under it and wisheth that he might die and is angry with God and justifieth himself in his frowardness and saith I do well to be angry even to the death Jonah 4.7,8,9 Discontent is like a nail in a yoke which frets and galls and pains the neck far more than the yoke it self doth When God layeth the yoke of affliction upon us discontent troubles and perplexeth the soul far more than any affliction can do SECT 11. 11. Consider how patiently and contentedly others of Gods servants have endured and gone through far greater losses and sorer troubles than you have met withal Job lost a very great Estate and seven Sons and three Daughters even all that he had in one day yet all these losses did not provoke Job to repine or speak one foolish word against God or do any other iniquity but he bore all with such a quiet spirit that in stead of fretting and repining he blesseth God Job 1.21,22 The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord in all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly When David was driven from Jerusalem by his son Absolom who conspired against him to take away not only his Crown and Kingdom but his life also this was a very great affliction and it was the more heavy because it was his own son that came sorth of his bowels that sought to take away his life 2 Sam. 16.11 and this affliction came upon him for his sin in killing Vriah which he knew very well being foretold of it by Nathan the Prophet 2 Sam. 12.9,10,11 yet he submits himself to God under all that was come upon him and is willing that the Lord should lay whatever else he saw meet though he should say of David I have no delight in him 2
from him The boastings and triumphings of the soul are in God Psal 34.2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord. Isa 25.9 Lo this is our God we have waited for him and he will save us this is the Lord we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation The like may be proved of all other motions of the soul they tend to God as their center whence it followeth that the souls rest is in God for all things are at rest when they come to their proper center 2. God is an eternal good If a man be possessed of never such an excellent portion if there be fear or danger of losing what he enjoyeth this is a disturbance to his minde and hindereth in some measure the fulness of his contentment but as for God there is no cause to fear our losing of him when once we have gotten God for our portion for when he bestows himself upon a person he gives himself for a portion to that person for ever Psal 48.14 This God is our God for ever and ever he will be our guide even unto death Psal 73.26 My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever The soul of man being of an immortal eternal nature no less good than that which is eternal can give it satisfaction 3. God is an all-sufficient Good Such is Gods all-sufficiency to satisfie all the desires of the soul that a man that enjoyeth God for his portion need not desire any thing either in heaven or earth to adde to his happiness besides God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire lesides thee Such is Gods all-sufficiency to satisfie the soul that if a man may be deprived of all worldly comforts and enjoyments there is enough in God to fill his soul with joy though all his outward comforts be taken from him he may still rejoyce in God Hab. 3.17,18 Although the fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the vines the labour of the olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Such is the all-sufficiency of God to satisfie the soul that the soul may rejoyce and delight it self in God not only when it wants the good things of this world but also when it is surrounded with many evils Rom. 5.3,11 We glory in tribulations we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement Psal 44.8 In God we boast all the day long and this was spoken under a time of great affliction as may be seen from the following verses especially ver 22. For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are counted as sheep for the slaughter We may boast in God all the day long though it be in such a day wherein we go in danger of our life all the day long or wherein we meet with afflictions as hard to be born and as bitter as death it self 4. The Lord is able to satisfie the desire of every creature Psal 145.16 Thou openest thy hand and satisfiest the desire of every living thing There is that in God which doth or may satisfie all the Saints and Servants of God upon the face of the earth 2 Cor. 12.9 My grace is sufficient for thee This was spoken to Paul when he was in great perplexity being buffeted with the messenger of Satan which was as irksome to his soul as any thorn can be to the flesh and Gods grace that was sufficient for Paul is sufficient for all that trust in him not only to give them satisfaction but such abundant satisfaction that they need not ask any more Psal 37.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house David was so overjoyed with what he met with in and from God that he could not ask more than God had given him 2 Sam. 7.20 And what can David say more unto thee 5. There is that in God which satisfieth all the Saints and Angels in heaven Psal 17.15 As for me I will behold thy face in righteousness I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness The Saints and Angels in heaven are of larger capacity than we are their faculties are more raised than ours they can take in far more joy than we are capable of whilst we dwell here below yet they are as full of joy as they can hold and this their joy ariseth only from the fruition of God Psal 16.11 In thy presence is fulness of joy for after they come to heaven they have no enjoyment of any worldly things Eccles 9.6 Luke 20.35,36 neither do they finde any need of any thing that is under the Sun to augment their happiness Rev. 21.23 6. God is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-sufficient and therefore he must needs be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all-sufficient for all his creatures There is no creature on the earth nor no Saint or Angel in heaven partaketh of such blessedness such joy and delight as the blessed God and whence ariseth that blessedness and contentment which God enjoyeth only from himself as may be proved by several arguments I will mention three 1. Before ever there were any creatures in being either Men or Angels or other creatures he was God blessed in himself and lived as happy and blessed a life as he doth now he hath an innumerable company of Angels to wait upon him He was God the same God that now he is before ever the creatures were produced into being Psal 90.2 He ever was and ever will be infinitely and eternally blessed and therefore being infinitely blessed in himself before the world was created the creatures added nothing to his blessedness 2. It is evident that God is self-sufficient and that his happiness and blessedness proceedeth from himself and that he needeth nothing that any of his creatures can do to adde to his happiness because the creatures have nothing and can do nothing but what they have from him and do by those influences they receive from him Acts 17.24,25 God that made the world and all things therein seeing he is Lord of heaven and earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all life and breath and all things 3 If all creatures should be annihilated and reduced to their first nothing God would still continue the same that ever he was and be as blessed as he is at this day Psal 102.25,26,27 Now seeing there is enough in God to satisfie every living thing to satisfie all his servants on earth and all his Saints and Angels in Heaven yea seeing he is self-sufficient and hath in himself that which sufficeth for his own
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
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 people saying with a loud voice fear God and give glory to him for the hour of his judgment is come If this judgment that is come upon you will not prevail with you to give glory to God God will curse your blessings Mal. 2.2 If ye will not hear and if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my name saith the Lord of hosts I will even send a curse upon you and I will curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart If you ask how and wherein you should glorifie God under this affliction which he hath laid upon you I answer 1. Accept of the punishment of your iniquity and acknowledge that the Lord is just and righteous in all that is come upon you Then we give God the glory of his Judgments when we confess him to be just and righteous therein Rev. 15.3,4 Just and true are thy wayes thou King of Saints Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorifie thy Name Thus Daniel gave glory to God when Jerusalem was laid waste and the Jews spoiled of their goods and carried captive into Babylon Dan. 9.14 The Lord hath watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works that he doth for we obeyed not his voice Yea do not only confess God to be righteous but also acknowledge him to be gracious in this dispensation say whereas our Houses and Estates are consumed by this Fire it is of the Lords mercies that we our selves are not consumed even because his compassions fail not Thus Lot gave glory to God when his house and goods were consumed in Sodom he looked upon it as a great mercy that he himself was not consumed also 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 saving my life 2. Though your sufferings have been very great yet give God thanks and praise his Holy Name for what he hath done for you by so doing you shall glorifie God Psal 50.23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me Isa 42.12 Let them give glory unto the Lord and declare his praise in the islands This relates to a time of Judgment I will destroy and devour at once I will make waste mountains and hills ver 14. 15. Even when God is rising up to judgment and devouring and destroying we must declare his praise and so give him the glory of his Judgments Let not this seem strange to you that I exhort you that have suffered great lostes by this Fire to praise God and give him thanks for 1. Job did thus when God had taken away all his Estate and Children he blesseth God Job 1.21 The Lord hath taken away blessed be the name of the Lord and Job did not sin or act imprudently in blessing God for his losses for it is said in the next words In all this Job sinned not nor charged God foolishly 2. It is the will of God that in every estate and condition and under every dispensation of his providence we should give thanks 1 Thess 5.18 In every thing give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you 3. There is much mercy mingled with the affliction it is mercy that your Estates were consumed and not your Lives it is mercy that your Houses only were burned whereas you might have been cast both body and soul into everlasting burnings and if you cannot give God thanks for the affliction it self yet at least give him thanks for the mercy that was mingled with the affliction 3. Let this affliction put you upon searching and trying your wayes and renewing your repentance and returning unto God of which you heard before for in so doing you shall give glory to God Rev. 16.9 They repented not to give him glory 4. Let this Judgment awaken in your souls a more lively fear and dread of God let it cause you to stand in such awe of God as to be afraid to offend him for then we give glory to God when we are afraid to sin against him Rev. 14.7 Fear God and give glory to him 5. You shall give glory to God by this Judgment if you be stirred up by it to live a more holy and righteous life Isa 60.21 Thy people shall be all righteous that I may be glorified If also it make you fruitful in good works John 15.8 Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit 6. Let this Judgment awaken you to a more diligent practice of what is commanded 1 Cor. 10.31 Whether therefore ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God It was your duty ever since you were born to make Gods glory the highest and chiefest end of all your actions if you have not done so you have great cause to humble your souls before God for you have neglected the great end of your Creation Isa 43.7 Every one that is called by my name for I have created him for my glory If you did seek to advance the glory of God before this Judgment came upon you yet now be awakened hereby to seek Gods glory more zealously with more singleness of heart and do all your works both the works of your Calling and your natural Actions as your eating and drinking and your Religious Actions with more explicite intentions to glorifie God SECT 8. 8. Let the losses which you have sustained by this dreadful Fire take you off from laying up your Treasure upon the earth and put you upon laying up treasure in heaven That treasure which you lay up on earth may be taken from you several wayes you may lose it all in one day or if you do not lose it you must leave it all behinde you when you dye But that treasure which is laid up in heaven can by no means be taken from you but you shall enjoy the benefit of it to all eternity Remember therefore and follow the counsel and command of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Mat. 6.19,20,21 Lay not up for your selves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal but lay up for your selves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through and steal for where your treasure is there will your heart be also If you ask What is that treasure which we should lay up in heaven I answer All the good thoughts which you think and all the good words that you speak are treasure laid up in heaven Mal. 3.16 They that feared the Lord speak often one to another and the Lord hearkined and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and that thought upon his name You see here that God treasureth up in his book of remembrance all the good words which we speak when
well as for those that are endued with greatest discretion 3. There is a special Providence of God which watcheth and taketh care of such as are simple and shiftless Psal 116.6 The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me Who are more shiftless than strangers widows and fatherless children and we find that God taketh a special care of such as these Psal 146.9 The Lord preserveth the strangers he relieveth the fatherless and widow Were not the Disciples of Christ shiftless when they were sent forth as Sheep in the midst of Wolves Matth. 10.16 and yet had neither money in their purses nor staves nor scrip Vers 9 10. but for all this they wanted nothing as you heard before from Luk. 22.35 4. Though you are friendless as well as shiftless let not this discourage you as long as you have a God in Heaven that taketh the care of you you are well enough though you have no friends on earth to look after you 1 Pet. 5.7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you When David was in distress and had no friend that took any care of him he stayed himself with this that he had a God that was his refuge who would not only give him Heaven when he died but also be his portion and take the care of him in the land of the living Psal 142.4,5 I looked on my right hand and beheld but there was no man that would know me refuge failed me no man cared for my soul I cryed unto thee O Lord I said thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living The fewer friends you have in the world and the less help and relief you are like to have from men the more you shall have from God for he is wont in an eminent manner to take care of such as are friendless and helpless Psal 27.10 When my Father and my Mother forsake me then the Lord will take me up Jer. 30.17 I will restore health uno thee and I will heal thee of thy wounds saith the Lord because they called thee an out-cast saying this is Zion whom no man seeketh after Psal 10.14 The poor committeth himself unto thee thou art the helper of the fatherless Object 3. But I can't work my age may one say my sickness and other infirmities may another say do disable me from working and how then shall I be able to live in these hard times when I can't work to get my living Answ 1. It is the will of God that as long as we have ability we should work for our living for by that way God is wont to supply our needs namely by industry and diligence in our imployments 1 Thess 4.11,12 That ye studdy to be quiet and to do your own business and to work with your own hands as we commanded you that ye may walk honestly towards them that are without that ye may have lack of nothing The promise of being fed runs on these tearms Trust in the Lord and do good and verily thou shalt be fed 't is not said trust in the Lord and then though you live idly you shall be fed but do good and thou shalt be fed Idleness will bring a man to want Prov. 19.15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep and an idle soul shall suffer hunger 2. If you would work but cannot because you are disabled by age or sickness or some other infirmity this should not hinder you from trusting in God to maintain you For 1. When you can't work you can pray and if you pray God will stir up some or other to relieve you he will by his Providence send in a supply of your wants so that you need not fear want as long as you can pray Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing 2. When you can't work God can and will work for you though God ceased from the works of Creation on the seventh day yet he still continueth to work for his people in the way of his Providence Joh. 5.17 My Father worketh hitherto and I work 3. The Lillies cannot spin or do any other work yet the Lord sends upon them rain in due season whereby they are nourished and clotheth them in a very glorious manner Matth. 6.28,29,30 and why should you fear that God will not nourish and clothe you though you should be able to do no work What could you do when you lay in your Mothers womb and for some years after you were born into the world If the Lord provided for you when you could do no work for him or for your generation because of your infancy why should you distrust him for Provision when you are disabled from working by sickness or old age Object 4. But I begin to be in want already I that have lived plentifully heretofore have not now wherewithal to supply my personal and family necessities and it peirceth my heart to see my children orying about me and I have not wherewithal to relieve them Answ 1. If it be so that you are sometimes pinched with hunger yet remember 1. That better men than you are have been exercised with this tryall the Apostle Paul speaking of himself and the other Apostles saith 1 Cor. 4.11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and have no certain dwelling place Yea Jesus Christ himself was tryed with this affliction of hunger and when he was hungry he sought for relief from the trees of the field and was disappointed of his expectation Mar. 11.12,13 When they were come from Bethany he was hungry and seeing a Fig-tree a far of having leaves he came if haply he might find any thing thereon and when he came to it he found nothing but leaves At another time being weary and thirsty in his travel he asked a draught of water of a woman of Samaria and was denyed it Joh. 4.6 when he was upon the Cross full of pain and anguish which made him very thirsty when he cryed out to those that stood round about him I thirst No body gave him any thing to drink but Vinegar which encreased rather than mitigated his torment Joh. 19.28,29 Jeremiah one of the Lords Prophets was ready to die for hunger Jer. 38.9 They have cast Jeremiah into the Dungeon and he is like to die for hunger 2. This affliction of hunger as well as other afflictions is a fatherly chastisement and comes from fatherly love and is sent with a design to do us good Deut. 8.3,5,16 He humbled thee and suffered thee to hunger Thou shalt consider is thine heart that as a man chastneth his son so the Lord thy God chastneth thee that he might humble thee and that he might prove thee to do thee good at thy latter end 3. The grace of God will enable a man to suffer hunger or any other affliction contentedly Phil. 4.12,13 I know both how to be abased and I know how to abound every
every Promise of his Covenant which relates to our temporal as well as our spiritual welfare Psal 111.5 He hath given meat unto them that fear him he will ever be mindful of his Covenant 3. Consider what great a care God hath for the satisfying of such as are hungry 1. It hath been his manner of old to provide good things for the hungry Luk. 1.53 He hath filled the hungry with good things When the Israelites were hungry in the Wilderness he gave them bread from heaven to satisfie their hunger and fetched water out of a Rock to quench their thirst Neb. 9.15 Thou gavest them Bread from Heaven for their hunger and broughtest forth Water for them out of the Rock for their thirst He caused the Ravens to bring bread and flesh to feed Elijah in a time of famine 1 King 17.6 The Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening The Ravens of their own nature would rather devour and eat a mans flesh than bring him bread and flesh to preserve his life so Prov. 30.17 so that we see that God hath altered the course of Nature and wrought miracles to satisfie his peoples hunger And as he hath done great things of old for the satisfying the hungry and relieving the poor and needy so he hath promised to be mindful of them in all ages and to do wonderful and unusual things rather than they shall perish for want of necessary food as you may see in the fore-quoted Promises Isa 41.17,18 Psal 111.5 and he will keep his truth for ever in these as well as in his other Promises Psal 146.6,7 Which keepeth truth for ever which executeth judgment for the oppressed which giveth foed to the hungry 2. Gods care of hungry persons appears by the strict charge which he hath given to those that have ability to feed the hungry they must be so careful hereof that they must not neglect giving food to such as are hungry though they have been their Enemies Rom. 12.20 If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink He hath not only commanded us to feed the hungry but also hath promised great rewards to such as feed the hungry Isa 58.20 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day Matth. 25.34,15 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was an bungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink see farther Psal 41.1,2,3 yea so careful is God of hungry persons that he threatens to condemn those at the day of judgment who have neglected to feed the hungry Matth. 25.41,42 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels for I was an hungred and ye gave me no meat I was thirsty and ye gave me no drink May not this care that God hath of the hungry incourage you to trust in God in your greatest straits when you fear that you shall perish with hunger 4. Consider that God is wont to be seen in the Mount our extremity is Gods opportunity When the Widows Provision was all spent to an handful of Meal and a little Oyl in a Cruse and she knew not where to have any more but verily thought that she and her son must die then cometh Elijah and multiplyeth her Provision so that she and all her family were nourished during the time of the famine 1 King 17.12,13,14,15,16 When all the water that was in Hagars bottle was spent and she knew not where to have any more but thought that she and her child must die and had cast the child under a shrub saying Let me not see the death of the child then God opened her eyes and shewed her a well of water by her Gen. 21.15,16,19 When the Altar was built whereon Isaac was to be sacrificed and the wood was laid in order and Isaac was bound and laid upon the Altar and Alraham's hand was stretched out and he had taken his knife then the Angel of God calls to him out of Heaven to spare Isaac and shews him a Ram that was provided to be facrificed in Isaac's stead Gen. 22.9,10,11,12,13 And this act of Gods Providence in refcuing Isaac when he was at the point of death was recorded to strengthen the faith of all Gods servants in all ages that they may trust in God in their greatest extremities as we may see Vers 14. 5. Consider how easie a thing it is with God to provide for you seeing he is the Lord of the whole world and hath all the times of the Sea and all the fowls of the Air and all the creatures of the Earth at his disposal Psal 24.1 The Earth is the Lords and the fulness thereof the world and they that dwell therein Psal 50.10,11 Every Beast of the Forrest is mine and the Cattel upon a thousand Hills I know all the Fowls of the Mountains and the wild Beasts of the Field are mine yea he can if he please sustain you by his Word without giving of you bread Deut. 8.3 And he himbled thee and suffered thee to hunger and fed thee with Manna which thou knewest not neither did thy fathers know that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only but by every word which proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live God can send an Angel from Heaven to bring you Provision as he did to Elijah when he fled into the Wilderness to save his life 1 King 19.3,4,5,6 God can turn stones into bread Mat. 3.9 God is able of these Stones toraise up Children unto Abraham If God can raise up Children from Stones he can also turn stones into Bread to nourish the Children of Abraham 6. Consider how willing God is to relieve you he is not only able but willing to feed the hungry This will appear from what was said concerning the care that God takes of such as are hungry Consider 3. However I shall add something farther concerning Gods willingness to supply your wants because it is no easie matter to trust in God when we come into great straits 1. Earthly Parents will not deny their Children Bread when they are hungry and cry for it Mat. 7.9,10 What man is there of you whom if his Son ask Bread will he give him a Stone or if he ask a Fish will he give him a Serpent And God our heavenly Father is more willing to give good things to us when we ask for them than Parents are to give good things to their Children Vers 11. If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him 2. God hath regard to the dry ground though it lie in a desolate place in a
Wilderness where no man cometh to satisfie it with Rain from Heaven when it is thirsty Job 38.25,26,27 Who hath divided a water-course for the over-flowing of waters or away for the lightning of Thunder to cause it to rain on the Earth where no man is on the Wilderness where there is no man to satisfie the desolate and wast ground Can it enter into your hearts to think that God should forget you in your necessity when as he remembereth the dry and thirsty ground even that which is desolate and lyeth wast The Sparrows are Birds of a small value yet God doth not forget any of them but gives them their meat in due season Luk. 12.6 Are not five Sparrows sold for two farthings and not one of them is forgotten before God fear not therefore you are of mere value than many Sparrows If God do not forget a Sparrow you may certainly conclude that he will not forget you 3. God wisheth his people were in such a condition that he might without doing them hurt feed them with the very best of his Creatures for The Lord hath pleasure in the prosperity of his sorvants Psal 35.27 He is very unwilling to afflict them either with hunger or any other affliction Lam. 3.33 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men If we would be obedient to his voice he would continue our plenty if after he hath taken it away our scarcity lead us to repentance he will restore our plenty again Psal 81.13,15,16 Oh that my people had bearkened unto me and Israel had walked in may wayes their time should have eddured for for ever he should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat and with boney out of the rock should I have satisfied them 4. The Lord Jesus takes notice who they are that have nothing to eat and are in danger of fainting for want of food and is very full of compassion toward those that are in such a condition The Bowels of his Compassion did so yearn towards the multitude that had been three dayes without food and were in danger to faint that he wrought a miracle to feed them Mark 8.1,2,3 c. It may be some will say Since God brought me into distress I have manifested much unbelif and distrust notwithstanding I have formerly had great experience of Gods goodness and therefore I am afraid now he will suffer me to starve and look no more after me Answ If you humble your selves for your unbelief God will both pardon your sin and give you a plentiful supply of your wants The Jews who had seen God providing for them in a wonderful manner did in their straits discover a great deal of distrust Psal 78.19,20 They spake against God they said Can God furnish a table in the Wilderness Behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams over flowed can he give bread also can he provide flesh for his people Yet God did fully supply all their wants ver 25. He sent them meat to the full And also passed by their transgressions ver 38. He being full of compassion forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not God is wont to chasten his children for their unbelief but not to break his promises made to them Zacharias was struck dumb for his unbelief yet his sin did not hinder the fulfilling of the promise that was accomplished in its season Luke 1.20 Behold thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season Rom. 3.3,4 Shall their unbelief make the Faith of God without effect God forbid SECT 11. 11. If by this affliction you are or should hereafter be brought into such great straits as that you know not what to do but are like a man at his wits end that knoweth not which way to winde or turn himself to get out of his troubles be not dismayed at it but look up unto God and commit your selves and all your affairs unto him cry to the Lord to help you and though he do not presently deliver you yet trust in him that he will deliver you in his own good time and wait patiently upon him for his help how great soever your straits are and though it be very long before he send you deliverance Thus the servants of God in former times were wont to do when their condition was so distressed they knew not what to do they looked to the Lord to help them 2 Chron. 20.12 O our God we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Psal 22.4,5 Our Fathers trusted in thee they trusted and thou didst deliver them they cryed unto thee and mere delivered they trusted in thee and were not confounded Psalm 40.1,2 I waited patiently for the Lord and he â—nclined unto me and heard my cry he brought me up also out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings I will adde some things by way of encourage ment to encourage you to trust in God and to wail patiently upon him when you are in such great straies that you know not what to do 1. When you know not what to do God knows what to do for you We read John 6.5 When Jesus list up his eyes and saw a great company come unto him he said unto Philip Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat Philip was at a loss he knew not whence they should have bread enough to suffice such a multitude as you may see ver 7. But though Philip knew not how or which way such a multitude should be provided for Christ did ver 6. This he said to prove him for he himself knew what he would do When a godly mans temptations are such as he knoweth not which way he should be delivered God knows how to deliver him 2 Pet. 2.9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations If such thoughts should arise in your hearts as through the suggestion of Satan possibly they may that your straits are so great that the way of your deliverance is not only hid from your eyes but hid from God also and that it is above the wisdom of God to know how to deliver you abominate all such wicked and ungodly thoughts and remember that Gods Wisdom is infinite far above what we can search into Isa 40.27,28 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 Hast thou not known hast thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not neither is weary there is no searching of his under standing Psal 147.5 Great is our Lord and of great power his under standing is infinite Those things which seem invincible
diffioulties to us have no difficulty at all in the account of God Zech. 8.6 If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these dayes should it also be marvellows in mine eyes saith the Lord of Hosts Isa 55.8,9 My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts than your thoughts 2. When you are at that pass that you know not what to do as God knows what to do for you so he is able to help and deliver you his Power is equal to his Wisdom Gen. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord Luke 1.37 With God nothing shall be unpossible Even such things as men judge impossible and what they do not only judge so but those things which are real impossibilities to men are possible with God Luke 18.27 The things which are unpossible with mien are possible with God When the difficulty of your case discourageth you from believing consider what a great and hard work it was to make the heavens and the earth and then you will conclnde that nothing can be too hard for God Jer. 32.17 Ah Lord God behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arme and there is nothing too hard for thee Suppose there was no way extant whereby you can be delivered out of your troubles God can make away for you to escape he can create deliverance 1 Com. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye ars able but will with the temptation also make a way to efcape that ye may be able to bear it Isa 4.5 The Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion and upon hen assemblies a cloud and smoke by days and the shining of a flaming fire by nights for upon all the glory shall be a defence 3. The Lord is not only able to help you out of great straits but he bath promised that when you are in such distress that you know not what to do if you call upon him and trust in him he will deliver you Psal 25.15 Mins eyes and ever towards the Lord for he shall pluck my feet out of the net When Davids feet were entangled in a net that he knew not which way to winde and turn himself he eyes and rests upon Gods promise He shall pluck my feet out of the net Psal 50.15 Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me They day of trouble taketh in the grearest as well as lesses troubles and the Hebrew word that is used in this place for trouble is the same that is used Daniel 12.2 where the Prophet speaketh of such a time of trouble as never was since the Creation so that the promise implyes thus much when it is a day of trouble with you though your pressures and troubles be such as never any person or people met with greater since the creation of the world if you call upon God be will deliver you Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee The Hebrew word for trouble here is the same with what was mentioned before and is sometimes translated a strait 2 Sam. 34.14 I am in a great strait So that the promise implies thus much that when we are in straits in great straits in many straits God will deliver us and bring us out of them all Psalm 71.20 Thou which hast shewen me great and sore troubles shalt quicken me again and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth 4. Though you be in such straits that you know not what to do yet trust in God for your help doth not stand in your own wisdom or in your own strength but in the Lord Psal 124.8 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth Your deliverance from trouble doth not come partly from God and partly from your selves but from God only Psal 62.6 He only is my rock and my salvation he is my dofence I shall not be moved When all help faileth he will be a very present help in trouble Psal 46.1 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Now seeing your help standeth only in the name of the Lord though your wisdom and your ability to help your selves faileth you this should not hinder you from trusting in God to help you 5. Consider what God hath done for others in their straits when they cried unto God he helped them though their troubles were such as that their souls melted under them and they have been at their wits end Psal 107.26,27,28 They mount up to the heaven they go down again to the depths their soul is melted because of trouble they are at their wits end Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble and he bringeth them out of their distress Psal 34.6 This poor man cryed and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles David was delivered out of a great strait when he penned this Psalm as you may see by the title compared with 1 Sam. 21.10,11,12,13 David gives us divers instances of Gods delivering him out of very great straits such as to an eye of fence seemed inextricable and invincible Psal 18.29 By thee I have run through a troop and by my God have I leaped over a wall Psal 40.2 He brought me up out of an horrible pit out of the miry clay And he telleth us that it was the will of God that those deliverances which God had given him should encourage others to trust in the Lord Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord ver 3. 6. The Holy Ghost recommendeth it to us as that which is very good and profitable for us and very acceptable and pleasing to God that we should trust and hope in God in our greatest straits Lam. 3.26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. This was spoken to those who were in great distress and saw no way how they should get out of their troubles ver 7. 9. He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out he hath made my chain heavy he hath enclosed my wayes with hewen stone he hath made my paths crooked Hereupon they were ready to despair of deliverance and to say ver 18. My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord. Yet to them the Holy Ghost saith It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And as it is good for us so also it is pleasing to God that we should hope in him under our greatest troubles Psal 147.11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy If any say I have brought
vain But whoever they are that seek and serve the Lord he will give them grace and glory and all good things Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal 84.11 The Lord Godiva Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glary and no good thing will to with hold from them that walk uprightly He doth not only 〈◊〉 but giveth great rewards to every one that keepeth his Commandments Psal 19.11 In keeping of them there is great reward 2. When God enyes his servants or takes from then temporal blessings he give them spiritual blessings When he afflicts their Bodies the is good to their Souls Laius 3.25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him The poorest of Gods servants that have least of the things of this world are blessed with all spiritual blessings Eph. 1.3 and spiritual blessings are for better than temponal blessings 3. The very afflictions and troubles of Gods servants are profitable to them as hath been before cleared from several Scriptures as Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted It must needs therefore be unreasonable to say there is no profit in serving God because his servants meet with many afflictions 4. The great day of putting a difference between them that serve God and them that serve him not is the day of Judgment then it shall evidently appear to the whole world even to them that can see no advantage now in godliness how much it profiteth a man to serve the Lord Mal. 3.14,17,18 Ye have said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Sord of Hosts They that is they that serve me shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jenels and I will spare them as a man sparrth his own son that serveth him then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not 2. Take heed of being drawn by this affliction to depart from God Satan hath prevailed with some upon the account of their afflictions to turn afide from God and to give over waiting upon him 2 Kings 6.33 This evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer As some took distaste at Christs words and departed from him John 6.60,66 Many of his Disciples when they had heard this said This is an hard saying who can bear it From that time many of his Disoiples went back and walked no more with him So many take such offence at the providences of God that they depart from God and will walk no more in his wayes If you should be followed with this temptation to prevent your yielding to it let me suggest to you these following considerations 1. Consider whom you forsake when you forsake the Lord God is your life and will you not cleave to your life Deut. 30.20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of the dayes Acts 17.28 In him we live and 〈◊〉 and have our being And will you forsake that God without whom you cannot live or continue in your being one moment A man will chuse rather to part with his Estate his Friends his Liberty yea all that he hath rather than part with his life Joh. 2.4 Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life If life be thus dear should you not rather forsake all that you have than forsake God who is your life God is our glory Psal 3.3 Thou O Lard art a shield for we my glory Now many will chuse rather to dye that to part with their glory 1 Gor. 9.15 It were better for me to dye than that any man should make any glorying void God is your friend and hath been your Fathers friend Now no wise than will readily forsake a true and an ancient friend Prov. 27.10 Thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not God is orought to be your chiefest joy Psal 43.4 I will go unto the Altar of God unit God my exceeding jay Most men are desirous of and follow after joy and will you be so foolish as to forsake your chiefest joy God is the chefest good there is nothing in heaven or in earth comparable to God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there it none upon earth that I desire besides thee There are many that pretend at least to seek after that which is good Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good And will you be so unwise as to forsake the chiefest good Whoever that was in heaven forsook heaven excepting the Devils The best thing in heaven is God Whom have I in heaven but thee and will you forsake the best thing in heaven Did not God make you and hath not he maintained you ever since you were in the world And will you forsake the God that made you and hath redeemed you out of all your troubles and hath maintained you to this day Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Whom have you to go to if you forsake God can any give you eternal life besides God John 6.67,68 Jesus said unto the twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord To whom shall we go thon hast the words of eternal life Can any forgive your sins besides God Mark 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God only and what a sad condition will you be in if your sins be not forgiven who can save you in time of trouble and who can save you from the torments of Hell besides God Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. You must shortly dye and unto whom will you commend your souls when you dye if you for sake the Lord Psal 31.5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth In forsaking God you forsake your own mercies and involve your selves in unspeakable misery 2. Consider how contrary this is to the example and practice of the Saints and Servants of God in all ages to forsake God because of your afflictions if you observe their practice and carriage you shall finde that they have cleaved to God and continued constant in their walking with God in the midst of their greatest troubles Psal 44.17,18,19 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Jobs afflictions were very
great yet they did not cause him to depart from God or cease from serving him Job 23.2,11,12 Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier than my groaning My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the Commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him David went through many afflictions yet none of them caused him to depart from God but he continued to serve and walk with God notwithstanding all his sufferings Psal 119.83,109,143 I am become like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy Statutes My soul is continually in mine hand yet do I not forget thy law Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delights Psal 31.9,10,14 I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly for my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing But I trusted in thee O Lord 3. It is a foolish and vain thing for any man to forsake God by reason of his afflictions because by forsaking God a man brings upon himself more and greater evils than his present afflictions are how many or great soever they be For 1. They that forsake God bring upon themselves the guilt of an horrible sin such a sin as may astonish the heavens when they hear of it Jer. 2.12,13 Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Now the guilt of sin is a greater evil than any affliction 2. They that forsake God lose his favour Heb. 10.38 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him What loss is comparable to the loss of Gods favour 3. They that forsake God do not only lose his favour but incense and stir up his wrath against their souls Ezra 8.22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him And Gods wrath is far more dreadful than any affliction 4. They that forsake God lose eternal life and glory Jer. 17.13 O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters Their names shall not be written in heaven all their portion that they shall have shall be here on the earth What are worldly losses compared to the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven 5. They that forsake God shall be cast into Hell when they dye Psal 225.5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Now where doth God bestow the workers of iniquity he casts them into Hell Matth. 13.41 The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire What are all the afflictions and troubles of this life compared with the torments of Hell 6. They that forsake God shall be forsaken of God 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever 2 Chron. 15.2 Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Now what greater misery can come upon a man than to be forsaken of God 4. Your afflictions should be so far from causing you to forsake God that they should make you to return to the Lord and to cleave faster to the Lord and to walk more closely with God For 1. your afflictions are sent for this very end and purpose to cause you to return to God Jer. 18.11 Thus saith the Lord Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good The Prophet Joel having mentioned several great calamities which God was sending upon the Jews Joel 2.1 to the 12. verse tells them ver 12. that Gods end in those Jadgments was to turn them to himself Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart Now seeing your afflictions are sent to turn you unto God and to bring you nearer to God is it not horrible perverseness because of your afflictions to depart from God 2. You had need to turn to God and not to forsake him in the day of your distress because you will not know what to do without God in a time of trouble Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where will ye leave your glory The Prophet speaketh to such as did not turn to God when he was smiting of them chap. 9.13 David was of another spirit when he saw trouble coming he gets near to God and labours to get God near to him Psal 22.11 Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help Who shall support and comfort you in your troubles and who shall deliver you out of your troubles if you forsake God in your afflictions If you have any support in your troubles it must come from God Isa 25.4 Thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress Psal 124.1,2,3,4 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul If you have any comfort in your troubles it must come from God Micah 7.8 When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Psal 137.8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me and if God do not give some comfort by his word your hearts will break and you will perish under your afflictions Psal 119.92 Vnless thy law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction If God do not help you out of your afflictions no man whatseever can help you Psal 60.11 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man None can do more for us than Kings yet if God be not pleased to help us they cannot deliver us from our troubles 2 Kings 6.26,27 As the King of Israel was
Psal 119.162 I rejoyced at thy Word as one that findeth great spoyl He esteemed that acquaintance that he got with Gods Word in his afflictions more than thousands of gold and silver Psal 119.71,72 It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes The Law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver Psal 19.9,10 The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than Gold yea than much fine Gold 4. If God stir you up to seek after and make sure of himself for your portion now you have lost the portion you had in this world if you get God for your portion your losses will be abundantly made up in God When David was robbed and spoiled of his goods he saith God dealt well with him and why he gave him himself for his portion Psal 119.61 The bands of the wicked have robbed me yet he adds Ver. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant and what made him say God dealt well with him when he was spoiled of all that he had you may see the ground was he had God for his portion Ver. 57. Thou art my portion O Lord. 5. If God shall give you Communion with himself if he shall be pleased to lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you his blessed and gracious presence in his affliction he gives you that which is better than all this world Psal 73.25 There is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal 4.6,7 There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladness in my heart more than in the time that their Corn and Wine encreased The lowest condition in this world with the enjoyment of God is better than the highest and best estate without God Psal 84.10 A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand I had rather be a door-keeper in the House of my God than to dwell in the tents of wickedness The Wilderness is an uncomfortable place Canaan was a Land flowing with milk and honey yet Moses Chuseth to abide in the Wilderness with Gods presence rather than to go into Canaan without the presence of God Exod. 33.15 If thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence SECT 16. 16. Let the loss of your substance and habitation stir you up to make sure of a better house and better substance in heaven There is an house and substance in heaven as well as here upon earth Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers House are many Mansions Heb. 10.34 Ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring substance Now when we have lost or are in danger to lose our houses and substance on earth it should put us upon making sure of heaven Heb. 13.14 Here have we no continuing City but we seek one to come Heb. 11.9,10 By faith he sojourned in the Land of Promise as in a strange Country He looked for a City which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God The Apostle Paul being without a certain dwelling place 1 Cor. 4.11 made sure of heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens It is very uncomfortable for the body to want an habitation There was great wailing in Zion when the Inhabitants thereof were cast out of their dwellings Jer. 9.19 A voice of wailing is heard out of Zion How are we spoiled we are greatly counfounded because we have forsaken the land because our dwellings have cast us out But it will be far more uncomfortable for our souls to want a dwelling place with God in heaven there will be great weeping and wailing by all those that shall be shut out of the Kingdom of Heaven If a mans dwelling here on earth be burnt or other wayes destroyed he may get as good in another place but he that faileth of a dwelling in heaven must dwell with devouring fire and with everlasting burnings Mat. 25.41 Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels Such as shall not be admitted to dwell with Christ have another habitation provided for them and that is among the Devils in flaming â—ire If a man be deprived of a convenient habitation here it continueth but a little while a few dayes will put an end to his misery but he that faileth of a dwelling with God when he dieth is miserable to all eternity If you say What shall we do that we may be sure of an house in heaven and go to dwell with God when we dye I answer 1. We must open our souls to Jesus Christ and receive him into our hearts and let him dwell with us and then we shall surely dwell with him The Lord Jesus stands at the door of our hearts and knocks and calls to us to open our hearts to him Cant. 5.2 It is the voice of my beloved that knocketh saying Open to me my sister my love my dove my undefiled Rev. 3.20 Behold I stand at the door and knock if any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Now after we have opened the door to Christ and received him into our hearts we must let him dwell with us we should let him dwell in our thoughts we should let him dwell in our affections we should let him dwell in our conversations which we do when we order our conversations by his word and make Christ the end of our conversations Now if we receive Christ and let him dwell in our hearts we shall surely dwell with him for ever 1 John 5.11,12 This is the record that God hath given to us eternal life and this life is in his Son He that hath the Son hath life 2. We must not suffer any sin to dwell either in our hearts or conversations Evil motions and vain and sinful thoughts will be often coming into our mindes but we must not let them dwell there but we must endeavour to cast them out as ost as they come into our mindes This God expects from all those that expect salvation Jer. 4.14 O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee God will not let evil dwell with him Psal 5.4 Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness neither shall evil dwell with thee and therefore if we would dwell with God we must purge our selves from our sins They that do not depart from iniquity Christ will say to them even to every one of them Depart from me Luke 13.27 Depart from me all ye workers of iniquity 3. We must devote our selves to the service of Christ and if we serve the Lord Jesus whilst we are in this world we shall
by these judgments the Lord promiseth to do great things for them ver 21. Fear not O Land be glad and rejoyce for the Lord will do great things The Prophet Isaiah having set forth the miserable and distressed condition of the Jews both in respect of the corruption of all ranks and degrees of men and of the sore judgments of God that were upon them Isa 1.4,5,6,7,8,9,10 Ah sinful Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger they are gone away backward Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint from the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it Your Country is desolate your Cities are burnt with fire your Land strangers devour it in your presence and it is desolate as overthrown by strangers and the Daughter of Zion is left as a Cottage in a Vineyard as a lodge in a Garden of Cucumbers Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom give ear unto the Law of our God ye People of Gomorrah After the rehearsal of their sinful and miserable condition he promiseth that if they would be brought to repentance by these judgments ver 16 17. God would do great things for them notwithstanding they were brought very low ver 25 26 27. I will turn mine hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy Tin 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 Zion shall be redeemed with Judgment and her Converts with Righteousness And in several other places of this Prophesie the Lord promiseth that when he did return with mercy to his afflicted people he would make their estate far more glorious than ever it was Isa 30.26 The light of the Moon shall be as the light of the Sun and the light of the Sun shall be seven fold as the light of seven dayes In the day that the Lord bindeth up the breach of his people and healeth the stroke of their wound Isa 60.15 Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated so that no man went through thee I will make thee an eternal excellency a joy of many Generations Isa 61.7 For your shame you shall have double and for confusion they shall rejoyce in their portion therefore in their Land they shall possess the double everlasting joy shall be unto thee When the Lord is not only shaking a particular City or Nation but all places and all Nations we should not be startled at it God is but making way for the exalting and setting up of his Sons Kingdom Hag. 2.6,7 Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heavens and the earth and the Sea and the dry Land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of Nations shall come SECT 19. 19. If you purpose to set upon building your Houses which have been consumed by this fire so manage this work as that it may prosper under your hands If you ask How should we so mannage this work of building as to have it prosper under our hands I answer 1. Seek unto God by Prayer to be with you and succeed you in this great work Psal 90.17 Establish thou the works of our hands upon us yea the work of our hands establish thou it Uzziah built and prospered 2 Chron. 26.9 and how came he to prosper ver 5. He sought God in the dayes of Zechariah who had understanding in the visions of God and as long as he sought the Lord God made him to prosper By this means Asa prospered in building Cities and other places of strength 2 Chron. 14.7 Let us build these Cities and make about them Walls and Towers Gates and Bars while the Land is yet before us because we have sought the Lord our God we have sought him and he hath given us rest on every side so they built and prospered Now in regard many persons are wont to neglect seeking God in such undertakings as these it will not be amiss if I add two or three considerations to shew those that are purposed to set upon building how much it is their concernment to give themselves unto Prayer whilst they are carrying on this work 1. It is the will of God that in all our undertakings we should seek unto him by Prayer Phil. 4.6 In every thing by Prayer and Supplication with Thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God Prov. 3.6 In all thy wayes acknowledge him and the more difficult and weighty any undertaking is the more need there is of Prayer 2. Such a work as bulding cannot be carryed on but by the help of God and how should they expect Gods help that do not seek it Psal 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vain that build it except the Lord keep the City the watchman waketh but in vain When the Lord had promised that their waste and desolate Cities should be rebuilded he tells them he did expect to be sought to that he might do this for them Ezek. 36.33,37 The wasts shall be builded Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the House of Israel to do it for them 3. The Servants of God have been wont to carry on this work of building as well as their other works by Prayer Psal 51.18 Build thou the walls of Jerusalem When Nehemiah set upon building Jerusalem he went through very great difficulties in carrying on that work yet by Prayer he overcome them all and prosperously effected what he went about Neh. 4.9 Nevertheless we made our Prayer unto God Neh. 6.9,15 O God strengthen my hands So the wall was finished 4. God hath oft-times visibly appeared against those persons and their undertakings that have gone upon great works without seeking help and direction from God by blasting and confounding them in their undertakings Mal. 1.4 Whereas Edom saith We are impoverished but we will return and build desolate places thus saith the Lord of Hosts they shall build but I will throw down When the Inhabitants of Samaria said in the pride and stoutness of their hearts The bricks are fallen down but we will build with hewen Stones the Sycamores are cut down but we will change them into Cedars and did not seek the Lord Did they prosper No But God threatned to cut them off branch and rush head and tail in one day Isa 9.9,10,13,14 2. If you would carry on this work of building successfully go about it in faith believing that God will be with you therein and rest upon him for his help and assistance Neh. 2.20 The God of Heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build To believe and rely on the
need not fear any thing though an host of men should set themselves against him Psal 27.1,3 The Lord is the strength of my life of whom shall I be afraid Though an host should encamp against me mine heart shall not fear though war should rise against me in this will I be confident yea though all the world should set themselves against us if we have God with us we need not fear any thing Psal 118.10 All Nations compassed me about but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them Rom. 8.31 What shall we then say to these things If God be for us who can be against us Though the whole world should be turned upside down and all places should be full of trouble and confusion and there should be no peace or safety either on the Sea or Land that man that hath God for his strength need not fear any thing Psal 46.1,2,3 God is our refuge and strength a very present help in trouble Therefore will we not fear though the Earth be removed and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea though the waters thereof roar and be troubled though the Mountains shake at the swelling thereof If then you would bear up comfortably under all your afflictions rememember the exhortation of the Apostle Ephes 6.10 Finally my Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Do not trust to your own strength but seek to be strong in the Lord and to get his mighty power to assist you It may be some will say What shall we do that we may get Gods strength to support us under and to carry us through all the troubles of this life I answer 1. Be sensible of your own weakness and renounce all confidence in your own strength God is wont to communicate his strength most eminently to his servants when they have lowest thoughts of their own strength and are under deepest apprehensions of their own weakness 2 Cor. 12.9,10 My strength is made perfect in weakness When I am weak then am I strong Isa 40.29 He giveth power to the faint and to them that have no might he encreaseth strength When we grow conceited of our own abilities God withdraws himself from us and leaves us to fall under small tryals Peter being over confident of himself that he could suffer any thing yea death it self for the sake of Christ and that though all men should deny Christ he would not Matth. 26.33,35 fell under the first temptation that assaulted him a Damsel did but say Thou wast with Jesus of Galilee and he denyed Christ in the presence of all that were in the Palace ver 69 70. God is so far from helping proud persons that he is wont to set himself against them Jam. 4.6 God resisteth the proud but giveth grace to the humble I will mention three ways whereby you may be convinced of your own weakness and of the absolute necessity of Gods strength to carry you through your afflictions 1. Weigh well what the Scripture saith of mans impotency we are such weak creatures that without divine assistance we cannot do or suffer any thing though it be never such a small matter Joh. 15.5 Without me ye can do nothing Thinking is much easier than either doing or suffering yet of our selves we have not ability so much as to think any thing 2 Cor. 3.5 Not that we are sufficient of our selves to think anything as of our selves but our sufficiency is of God 2. Observe how unable you have been when God hath withdrawn himself to bear those small and light troubles wherewith God hath exercised you Hath not a trifle that which hath been an affliction and a trouble in your imagination rather than in reality dejected and cast you down If you have fainted under small troubles what will you do when great ones come if you have not the Lords help Jer. 12.5 If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee then how canst thou contend with Horses And if in the Land of Peace wherein thou trustest they wearied thee then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan 3. Consider what great men have fainted under small tryals when the Lord hath left them but a little to themselves Jonah a Prophet of the Lord for the loss of a gourd which sprung up and withered in a day fell into such a fret that he was even angry with God and weary of his life and wished that he might dye The Apostle Peter upon the speech of a maid denyed Christ and swore that he did not so much as know the man If such eminent persons as these fainted under such small tryals what shall we do without the help of God 2. Being sensible of your own weakness cry unto God to give you his strength Psal 86.16 O turn unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strengh unto thy servant Psal 119.28 Strengthen thou me according to thy Word But will this do Will God give us his strength if we cry to him for it yea he will Psal 138.3 In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul 3. Rest and rely upon God for the communicating of his strength to your souls The way to engage God to help and strengthen you is to trust in him 1 Chron. 5.20 They were helped for they cryed to God in the battel and he was entreated of them because they put their trust in him 2 Chron. 13.11 Help us O Lord our God for we rest on thee Psal 28.7 The Lord is my strength and my shield my heart trusted in him and I am helped Gods power is communicated in an eminent manner to those that believe in him Ephes 1.19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power Though we are never so weak in our selves we may become strong by resting upon God Heb. 11.33,34 Who through faith out of weakness were made strong If you ask What ground have we to rely upon God that he will give us his strength to support us under all our troubles I answer We have a sure Word of Promise we have not only one promise but many to assure us that God will not leave us destitute of his help and strength Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Zech. 10.12 I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Psal 29.11 The Lord will give strength unto his people Joel 3.15,16 The Sun and Moon shall be darkened and the Stars shall withdraw their shining the Lord also shall roar out of Zion and utter his voyce from Jerusalem and the Heavens and the Earth shall shake but the Lord will be the hope