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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord. God brought Gideons Army of two and thirty thousand to three hundred and gave this reason they were too many for him to give the Midianites into their hands lest Israel should vaunt himself saying Mine hand hath saved me Judges 7.2,3,4,7 Possibly for some such reason God hath lessened your Estates lest you should vaunt your selves or think that you were maintained by your Estates and not by the Providence of God It may be God saw that your Estates were so great that they would have hindred you entrance in at the strait gate Mat. 19.23,24 and therefore he lessened them that you might have a safer and more easie passage into the Kingdom of Heaven Would you be angry with that Physician that should draw away a great quantity of blood when as it did endanger your lives you have far less cause of being angry with God for taking away a great part of your Estates when they did endanger the salvation of your souls 4. Though your losses have been very great yet take heed of murmuring and repining against God lest he take away greater things from you By murmuring you will provoke God to take away your lives 1 Cor. 10.10 Neither murmure you as some of them murmured and were destroyed of the destroyer Now to lose life is a far greater loss than to lose an Estate By murmuring you are in danger to lose the favour of God Numb 11.1 When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled To lose Gods favour is more than to lose our lives for Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindeness is better than life SECT 2. Obj. 2. I have lost all that ever I had and am quite undone though my losses had been great if I had any thing left I should have been contented but will you blame me for being discontented when I have lost all that I was worth in the world and am quite undone Answ 1. God saw it was needful and expedient for the accomplishing of his designs in order to the promoting of your good to take away all that you had for God sends no more of any affliction than we need 1 Pet. 1.6 for a season if need be ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations It may be God saw nothing less than the taking all that you had would take off your affections from the world or lead you to repentance or put you upon living by Faith you may be assured that upon some account or other God saw it needful to take away your whole Estates from you else he would not have dealt thus with you 2. By undoing you God aims at saving of you He hath undone you in your outward Estates that he may save your Souls 2 Cor. 1.6 Whether we be afflicted it is for your consolation and salvation which is effectual or as it is in the Margin is wrought in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer The Apostle telleth us here that the Corinthians enduring the same sufferings which he suffered was an effectual means of working out their salvation Now a great part of the Apostles sufferings lay in the suffering the loss of all things Phil. 3.8 It is Gods design to prevent our being undone to all eternity when he chastneth us in this world 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world Hath that man any cause to complain whom God undoeth here to prevent his being undone to all eternity 3. If ever you forsook any of your enjoyments for Christ or gave any thing to the poor Members of Christ or any other poor people for Christs sake then you have not lost all for whatever you have given to the poor or forsaken upon the account of Christ or the Gospel all that is yours still it is money laid up in a safe hand which shall be returned to you with an hundred fold encrease Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord and that which he hath given will he pay him again That which is given to the poor is not lost it is but lent and it is lent to one that will pay what is lent with interest You that could not see the poor lack when you had wherewithal to relieve them God will not suffer you to lack any thing that is good for you Prov. 28.27 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack And what is said of that which is given to the poor the same may be said of that which hath been forsaken upon the account of Christ and the Gospel it is not lost but put out to interest and shall be rendered to us again with an hundred fold encrease if not in the same kinde in some other thing as good or better Matth. 19.29 Every one that hath for saken houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Names sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life And that this hundred fold is not meant of the recompence that we shall have in heaven but of that reward that we shall have in this present life besides eternal life in the other world is evident from Mark 10.29,30 Luke 18.29,30 4. Though you have lost all that you had yet you have not lost any of the Promises or the Providence of God You are as rich in promises as ever You have God in many Bonds which are of more value than the whole world Though the Fire had consumed all your Goods yet it hath consumed none of your Bonds I mean none of the Promises wherein God hath bound himself by promise that you shall want no good thing but that he will stand by you all your dayes and supply all your needs I will put you in minde of two or three of those many promises that the Lord hath made to this purpose which are more worth than all the Gold and Silver of the world Phil. 4.19 My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Jesus Christ Heb. 13.5 Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he bath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Mat. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you All these things that is food and raiment and all things that are necessary for this life of which Christ was speaking in the foregoing verses And as you have not lost the promises of God so neither have you lost his providence he will take as much care of you now your Estates are gone as he did when you enjoyed them 1 Pet. 5,7 Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you It is not said who did care for you but he careth for you implying that God doth and ever
know not well where to bestow my self I can't light of an house that pleaseth me but am put to great straits and am much troubled for the loss of my former habitation and the inconvenience of my present abode Answ 1. You have as good dwellings still as many servants had who were too good to dwell in the world Heb. 11.38 Of whom the world was not worthy they wandered in deserts and in mountains and in dens and caves of the earth You are as well provided for as the Apostles of Christ Paul speaking of himself and the other Apostles saith 1 Cor. 4.9,11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted and have no certain dwelling place You are as well and better provided for in this respect than Christ himself was when he was in the world Mat. 8.20 The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head 2. Every godly man hath God for his habitation and they that have God for their habitation may well be contented how inconvenient soever their habitation be in this world When the Israelites wandered in a desolate Wilderness by the space of forty years where they had no houses to dwell in they were abundantly satisfied in this that God was their dwelling place Psal 90.1 Lord thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations That this Psalm was penned when the Israelites were in a wandering unsettled condition in the Wilderness appeareth both from the Title and several passages in the Psalm 3. When you are troubled at the loss or for the want of a convenient habitation here on earth comfort your selves with the thoughts and hope of that glorious house which God hath prepared for you in heaven 2 Cor. 5.1 We know if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens The Disciples had left their houses and all that they had for Christ and Christ to comfort them tells them of the mansions that were prepared for them in heaven John 14.1,2 Let not your hearts be troubled In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you The like may I say to you let not your hearts be troubled at the loss of your houses though never so convenient but comfort your selves with the expectation of those glorious mansions that are prepared for you in heaven 4. Had not God unsettled you by this Providence it may be you would have settled upon your Lees Jer. 48.11 It may be you would have said in your heart it is good being here and would have neglected seeking the Kingdom of God and therefore God out of mercy to your souls might unsettle you to cause you to shake off a worldly spirit and to stir you up to make sure of an eternal habitation in heaven 5. If you seek unto God though your houses be laid waste and your selves much unsettled and know not where to fix your habitations God will provide you as good habitations as ever you had Psal 107.4,6,7 They wandered in the Wilderness in a solitary way they found no city to dwell in then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses and he led them forth by the right way that they might go to a city of habitation Ezek. 36.9.10 Behold I am for you and I will turn unto you and the Cities shall be inhabited and the wasts shall be builded But he adds withal that he expected they should enquire of him to bestow this and what other mercies are promised in this Chapter ver 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do this for them SECT 10. Obj. 10. I am by this providence disabled from following my Calling and thereby rendered useless and unserviceable in my Generation and this is that which most of all troubles and disquiets my mind Answ 1. We should covet earnestly to do God and our Generation much service those few dayes we have to live in the world 1 Cor. 15.58 Be ye stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the work of the Lord It is a sore judgement when our dayes are spent unprofitably and inflicted as a punishment of other sins Psal 78.32,33 They sinned still and believed not for his wondrous works therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity It argues great displeasure in God when he suffers us to spend our dayes in an unprofitable manner Psal 90.9 Our dayes are passed away in thy wrath we spend our years as a tale that is told This Scripture implyeth that it is a great token of Gods wrath when we spend our years as a tale Now then we may be said to spend our years as a tale when we spend them idly and unprofitably for there comes no profit in telling of Tales 1 Tim. 4.7,8 Tales have this Epithite given them in the Scripture Idle Tales Luke 24.11 what our Translation renders At a tale that is told some Translations as the Greek Arabick Syriack and Aethiopick render As a spider or As a spiders web The sense is the same namely when our years are spent in fruitless labours whereby neither we our selves or others are the better for them this is from the wrath of the Lord. 2. If we do earnestly desire and endeavour to serve the Lord and our Generation and do long for abilities and opportunities of doing service and the Lord grant them not or after he hath made use of us awhile shall lay us aside we must in this case submit our selves to God and say as David did 2 Sam. 15.26 If he say thus I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do to me as seemeth good unto him There is good reason that we should submit our selves unto God if he should refuse to employ us in doing him any farther service though we have never such strong desires to be serviceable in our Generation for 1. We are altogether unworthy to be employed in any service for God and Christ though the meanest that can be thought of What meaner service could any one have than to stoop down and unty Christs shooes or to carry his shooes after him Yet John the Baptist who was a great person none that was born of women was greater than he according as our Saviour testifieth of him Mat. 11.11 He was filled with the Holy Ghost from his Mothers Womb Luke 1.15 He was such an holy man that Herod the King of the Jews stood in awe of him Mark 6.20 Yet this great this holy man thought himself unworthy to do the least or meanest service for Christ he thought himself unworthy to unty or carry his shooes after him Luke 3.16 One mightier than I cometh the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to
wherefore thou contendest with me If any ask How shall we come to finde out for what sins God is contending with us I answer 1. Go to God and pray to him as Job did to shew you why he contendeth with you Job 10.2 Job 13.23 and after you have sought to God to discover the cause of his controversie observe what sins he brings to your remembrance and sets before you and gives you secret intimations from his Spirit that for such and such a sin he is now correcting you In times of affliction God is wont by his Spirit to present to the view of our souls the sins for which he corrects us Job 36.8,9,10 If they be bound in fetters and be holden in cords of affliction then be sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded he openeth also their ear to discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity 2. Consider what sin your consciences suggested to you when God first sent your affliction upon you for oft-times God represents to us by our consciences what the sin is for which he contendeth with us as we may see in Josephs Brethren Gen. 42.21 They said one to another we are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us we would not hear therefore is this distress come upon us 3. Search into Gods word and see for what sins God hath been wont to impoverish men and bring them low in their Estates and also for what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and if you finde that you have been guilty of the same sins you may then know for what sins you have suffered the loss of your Estates by the late Fire I will give some instances in both kindes 1. For what sins God hath either threatned or inflicted this dreadful judgment of Fire and they are such as these 1. Unbelief and distrust of the promises and providence of God Psal 78.21,22 A fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation 2. Neglect of prayer and seeking after God Amos 5.6 Seek ye the Lord and ye shall live lest he break out like Fire in the house of Joseph and devour it and there be none to quench it in Bethel 3. Forsaking of God after we have had much experience of Gods goodness in guiding us and delivering us from many dangers and bestowing many other mercies upon us Jer. 2.15,17 His cities are burnt without inhabitant Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast for saken the Lord thy God when he led thee by the way 4. Neglecting to sanctifie the Sabbath in a spiritual manner or prophaning it by doing service or sinful works Jer. 17.28 If ye will not hearken to me to hallow the Sabbath day and not to bear a burden even entring in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem and it shall not be quenched 5. Taking of bribes to pervert justice Job 15.24 The congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate and fire shall consume the Tabernacles of Bribery 6. Oppression and unjust and unrighteous dealings Job 20.19,26 Because he hath oppressed and forsaken the poor because he hath violently taken away an house that he builded not all darkness shall be hid in his secret places a fire not blown shall consume him it shall go ill with him that is left in his Tabernacle 7. Pride Idleness fulness of Bread and neglect of the poor Ezek. 16.49,50 Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom Pride fulness of Bread and abundance of idleness was in her and in her Daughters neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy and they were haughty and committed abomination before me therefore I took them away as I saw good Now the way by which God took away Sodom for these sins was by fire Gen. 19.24 8. Resting in outward Reformation without seeking after a renewed heart Jer. 4.4 Circumcise your selves to the Lord and take away the fore-skins of your heart ye men of Judah and Inhabitants of Jerusalem lest my fury come forth like fire and burn that none can quench it because of the evil of your doings 9. Murmuring at any of Gods Providences though they be such as bring us into straits Numb 11.1 When the people complained it displeased the Lord and the Lord heard it and his anger was kindled and the fire of the Lord burnt among them and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the Camp 10. Mocking and misusing of Gods Ministers 2 Chron. 36.16,17,19 They mocked the messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy therefore he brought upon them the King of the Chaldees who slew their young men with the Sword And they burnt the House of God and brake down the Wall of Jerusalem and burnt all the Palaces thereof with fire 11. Changing Gods Ordinances and breaking his Covenant Isa 24.5,6 Because they have transgressed the Laws and changed the Ordinances broken the everlasting Covenant Therefore hath the Curse devoured the Earth and they that dwell therein are desolate therefore the Inhabitants of the Earth are burned and few men left 12. Sins of uncleanness as Fornication Adultery c. for these God consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with Fire and Brimstone from Heaven as we may see Jude 7. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the Cities about them in like manner giving themselves over to Fornication and going after strange flesh are set forth for an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire 13. Idolatry Deut. 32.16,21,22,24 They provoked him to jealousie with strange gods They have moved me to jealousie with that which is not God they have provoked me to anger with their vanities A fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to the lowest Hell and shall consume the Earth with her increase and set on fire the foundations of the Mountains They shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction Several other sins for which God hath threatned this judgment of fire you may see in the first and second chapters of Amos and also in other Scriptures which I shall not mention Consider also for what sins God hath taken away or diminished others estates and brought them low and afflicted them with poverty and that may help you to find out your sins for which God hath impoverished you It is true that sometimes God takes away his Peoples estates to exercise and try their graces as we see in the case of Job but usually when he brings us low and bereaves us of our Estates it is for our sins Psal 106.43 They provoked him with their counsels and were brought
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
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
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
which every day bringeth forth would fit us for greater tryals Lam. 3.27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth If we would know what good cometh by an early accustoming our selves to bear the cross the following verses shew that it will make him patient and silent under his sufferings ver 28. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him It will make a man suffer humbly ver 29. He putteth his mouth in the dust It maketh him suffer willingly ver 30. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him Our Lord Jesus exhorts us to take up our cross dayly Luk. 9.23 He said unto them If any man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross dayly and follow me If we did practice this counsel if we did every day expect crosses and quietly submit our selves under such crosses as every day bringeth forth if we could but deny our selves and resign up our wills unto Gods will this would prepare us to undergo any tryal that the Lord shall see meet to lay upon us 10. A well grounded hope of eternal life will help us to bear all the troubles of this life cheerfully A Christian that hath good hope through grace that he shall go to Heaven when he dieth may by vertue of this hope rejoyce and glory in the midst of his greatest tribulations Rom. 5.2,3 We rejoyce in hope of the glory of God we glory in tribulations It was this carried Moses through all the difficulties he met with in leaving Pharaoh's Court in wandering among the Israelites by the space of forty years in the Wilderness Heb. 11.24,25,26 By faith Moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's Daughter choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of reward The hope of the reward that he should have in heaven caused him to make light both of the good and evil things of this world Hope of salvation is like an helmet which is of great use for our preservation 1 Thes 5.8 putting on for an helmet the hope of salvation Hope is of the same use to the soul in afflictions that the Anchor is to the Ship in a storm which keeps it from perishing by being driven upon the Rocks or Sands Heb. 6.19 Which hope we have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and stedfast which entereth into that within the vail Therefore if we would prepare our selves for afflictions we must get a solid and well grounded hope of eternal life 11. Let us consider what it is which we have found in our own experience hath made our yoke heavy and also what we have observed either in reading or by discourse hath made the yoke of affliction heavy and hard to be born by others and let us take care to prevent those things As for instance 1. We may observe that the want of Gods presence in the time of affliction hath made affliction very burdensom and hard to be born 1 Sam. 28.15 I am sore distressed for the Philistines make war against me and God is departed from me and answereth me no more When Saul's Enemies came against him and God was departed this put him into such distress that he knew not what to do When God withdrew from Job in his affliction the want of Gods presence made his affliction very bitter Job 23.2,8,9 Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier than my groaning Behold I go forward but he is not there and backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I cannot behold him he hideth himself on the right hand that I cannot see him When David was in trouble he tells God if he did hide his face from him he should be like a dead man Psal 143.7 Hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit Therefore it is our wisdom to do what in us lyeth to get and keep Gods presence with our souls as was hinted before 2. A galled and guilty Conscience When David was under the sense of guilt in the time of his sickness it was such a burden that he was ready to sink under it Psal 38.3,4 There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sins for mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me 3. When we promise our selves a setled course of prosperity and do not look for trouble this makes affliction dreadful and terrible Isa 64.3 Thou didst terrible things which we looked not for Psal 30.6,7 In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled 4. When we have not learnt to deny our selves and to resign and to submit our wills unto the Will of God It is very irksome to self-willed persons and such as abound with self-love to meet with crosses Our Lord Jesus exhorts us to deny our selves before he exhorts us to take up our cross Mar. 8.34 Whosoever will come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross which implyes that no man can bear affliction with a chearful contented mind but such as have learnt to deny themselves 5. When God doth not only withdraw his presence of which I spoke before but sheweth himself terrible to us in an evil day this maketh affliction very irksome to the soul This the Prophet prayeth against Jer. 17.17 Be not a terror unto me thou art my hope in the day of evil This made the calamity of the Jews exceeding heavy and hard to be born that God set himself against them in the time of trouble Lam. 3.3,7 Surely against me is he turned he hath made my chain heavy 12. Treasure up in your hearts the promises of God which relate to an afflicted condition It is a great help to the bearing of affliction to be well acquainted with the promises that God hath made to his people that are in an afflicted condition David found great comfort from Gods promises in his afflictions Psal 119.49,50 Remember thy word unto thy servant upon which thou hast caused me to hope this is my comfort in mine affliction When he met with such hard tryals that he stood astonished to see how God dealt with him he was filled with joy when he called to minde the promise of God Psal 60.3,6 Thou hast shewen thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce He telleth us elsewhere if it had not been for the comfort that he found in Gods word he had perished in his afflictions Psal 119.92 Vnless thy Law had been my delights I