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
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
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
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
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
themselves in vain Psal 39.6 Surely every man walketh in a vain shew surely they are disquieted in vain he heapeth up riches and knoweth not who shall gather them If this be the nature of riches if they be like thorns deceitful things not worthy the fixing of the eye upon them c. Why should you be perplexed in your minds for the breach which God hath made upon your Estates SECT 3. 3. Consider that God hath wise and gracious and merciful ends in this dispensation and intendeth you much good by taking away your estates from you When David was robbed of all that he had and his City of refuge was burnt with fire by the Amalekites he found that this as well as his other afflictions wrought for his good Psal 119.61,71 The bands of the wicked have robbed me It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes There is much mercy to the people of God in those paths that carry the greatest appearance of severity Psal 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies It is an unquestionable truth that God designs the doing his people good in every affliction which he layeth upon them Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good unto them that love God And if all work together for your good then also your late losses though very great shall work for your good And is it not an unreasonable thing that you should be discontented when God dealeth mercifully with you that you should be discontented when God is doing you good What though you cannot see for the present how your losses should work for your good you may see it hereafter Joh. 13.7 What I do thou knowest not now but thou shalt know hereafter God may have several merciful ends and design your good several wayes in taking away your estates I will hint three or four gracious ends of God in cutting of his people short in outward things in order to their spiritual good and leave it to you to judge which of these God designs in your losses 1. God sometimes diminisheth his peoples wealth because he seeth that if he should have continued them in the enjoyment of their estates it would have been for their hurt Eccles 5.13 There is a sore evil which I have seen under the Sun namely riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt Riches may be hurtful several ways As 1. when they make us high-minded and rough in our speeches and carriages towards the poor This sin is very incident to rich men Prov. 18.23 The rich answereth roughly 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded 2. When they draw off our hearts from God and cause us to set them upon our riches then they prove hurtful Now the more we have of the world the more apt we are to set our hearts upon the world Psal 62.10 If riches increase set not your heart upon them 3. When they hinder our trusting in God and living by faith and we by reason of the multitude of our riches trust in them Now the more riches we have the more apt we are to trust in them Psal 52.7 But trusted in the abundance of his riches 1 Tim. 6.17 Charge them that are rich in this world that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy 4. When they fill our minds with cares and disturb our peace and this is usual with many rich men to have their minds disturbed about their estates both day and night Eccles 5.12 The abundance of the rich will not suffer him to sleep 5. When they draw a man to or drown him in any sinful lusts as idleness sensuality pride security c. they become hurtful 1 Tim. 6.9 They that will be rich fall into a temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition Now if God foresaw that your estates would have been hurtful to you any of these wayes or any other way and thereupon took them away that they might not do you hurt you have no cause to complain but rather to be thankful If you say there is no fear that a good man should be hurt by his riches I answer Agur was a good man yet he was afraid lest riches should cause him to deny the Lord Prov. 30.8,9 Give me neither poverty nor riches lest I be full and deny thee and say who is the Lord. Is it not better that God should deny us the enjoyment of riches than leave us in process of time to deny him 2. God sometimes diminisheth our estates and brings us low because he intendeth to call us to great sufferings even to forsake all that we have The more a man hath of the world the harder it will be to part with all that he possesseth for Christ Mar. 10.21,22 Go thy way sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved for he had great possessions The Apostles who were poor and had but little to leave at the call of Christ immediately left all and followed him Matth. 4.20 Luke 5.28 This forsaking of all for Christ is so necessary when we are called to it that without it we cannot be Christs Disciples Luke 14.33 Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple Suppose God foresaw that if he had not brought you into a low condition you would rather have forsaken Christ than your Estates Hath he not dealt mercifully with you in taking away your Estates which would have hindred you from becoming Disciples of Christ 3. Riches oft times prove great hinderances to our salvation and God takes them away that he may make our passage to Heaven more easie Matth. 19.23,24 Jesus said unto his Disciples Verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again I say unto you It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God Suppose God saw your riches to be clogs to you and that they would have hindered your salvation Was it not good for you that God should take them away Is it not better that you should lose your Estates than lose the Kingdom of Heaven 4. God diminisheth our Estates that he may encrease our Graces Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness Ordinarily poor men are richer in grace than great men Jam. 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith Grace is better than riches and have they then any cause to complain whom God maketh poor that he may make them rich in grace and holiness 5. God diminisheth our outward worldly comforts that he
me in the day of his fierce anger Dan. 9.12 Under the whole Heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem yet Ezra confesseth that all that they had suffered was far less than they deserved Ezra 9.13 After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing that thou our God hast panished us less than our iniquities deserve Our sins deserve eternal damnation Ezek. 18.4 The soul that sinneth shall die They deserve to be punished with the loss of God and the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven to all eternity 1 Thess 1.9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord Matth. 7.23 Depart from me ye that work iniquity Now what are the losses and crosses that we meet with in this world compared with the eternal loss of God and the Kingdom of Heaven and with the torments of Hell that must be endured to all eternity 2. What ever we suffer for our sins we our selves are the causes of those sufferings and therefore have no reason to blame the Lord but our selves for provoking the Lord to lay such afflictions upon us Jer. 2.17 Hast thou not procured this unto thy self in that thou hast forsaken the Lord that led thee by the way Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Jer. 30.15 Why cryest thou for thine affliction because thy sins were encreased have I done these things unto thee SECT 6. 6. Consider what abundance of mercy you have enjoyed in former times as well as what afflictions you under go at present this was one argument wherewith Job quieted himself and wherewith he laboured to quiet his wife when she advised him to curse God and die Job 2.10 What shall we receive good at the hand of God and not evil As God in the way of his Providence intermingleth prosperity with our adversity and sets the one against the other that no man may find out any cause of complaining against the Lord Eccles 7.14 In the day of prosperity be joyful but in the day of adversity consider God also hath set the one against the other to the end that man should find nothing after him So should we for the taking away of all occasions of murmuring under our afflictions set our mercies against our crosses our former and present mercies against our present afflictions and that will convince us that we have much cause of thankfulness but no cause to murmur under our greatest afflictions For 1. We may wonder more that God bestoweth one mercy upon us than at his sending of a thousand afflictions for we are altogether unworthy of the least of all Gods mercies Gen. 32.10 and have deserved all sorts of judgments Dan. 9.7 To us belongeth confusion of faces 2. Though we deserve all kinds of misery and no mercy yet they that have met with most and greatest afflictions if they take a view of Gods dealings with them from the day that they were born to this present time shall find that their mercies have been far more and greater than their afflictions Do we meet with some cross or other every day if we do yet the mercies of the day are greater than the crosses for God sends new mercies every day Lam. 3.23 They are new every morning We enjoy so many mercies every day that we are said to be loaded with them Psal 68.19 Blessed be the Lord who dayly loadeth us with his benefits Have our afflictions lyen long upon us Gods mercies have been of a longer date than our afflictions Psal 103.17 The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him There are intermissions in our afflictions He doth not alwayes chide Psal 103.9 but there is no intermission in Gods mercies there is not one moment all our life long but he is conveying some good things to us Isa 27.3 I will water it every moment Lam. 3.22 His compassions fail not 3. Every affliction that we meet with in this life is allayed and tempered with mercy yea the bitterest cup that ever Gods people drink of hath more of mercy than it hath of judgment Psal 145.9 His tender mercies are over all his works Psal 25.10 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies If we consider the sharpest affliction that God lays upon his servants in their procuring cause which is sin if with the good intended by them if in the principle from which they flow which is Gods love to their souls we shall be easily convinced that there is more of mery than severity in them and so consequently that we have much cause in every thing even in every affliction to give thanks but no cause at all to murmur at the hand of the Lord. SECT 7. 7. Consider that it is the will and command of God that we should be content with such things as we have Heb. 13.5 Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee It was but little which those persons possessed to whom the Apostle wrote this Epistle for they had suffered much for Christ their goods were spoiled and taken from them as we may see Heb. 10.34 yet he telleth them it was the will of God that they should be content with such things as they had If we have nothing more than food and rayment we ought to be content 1 Tim. 6.8 Having food and rayment let us be therewith content It is not said having dainty meat and rich attire let us be therewith content but having food and rayment though never so plain and mean we ought to be therewith content Though you have lost much and have very little left yet there are weighty reasons that may perswade you to be content with such things as you have As 1. Though you have very little left you have more left than you brought with you into the world and more than you can carry with you out of the world 1 Tim. 6.7 For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out Job 1.21 Naked came I out of my mothers womb and naked shall I return thither 2. Though you have very little you have as much it may be more than Christ or the Apostles of Christ had when they were in the world Our Lord Jesus Christ lived in a very poor condition when he was in the world 2 Cor. 8.9 Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might become rich He was so poor that he had not an house to dwell in 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 His diet was mean when he had nothing but barly bread and two small
great soever your losses have been you may well be content I will put you in minde of some things which God hath left you which are far better than those things which he hath taken from you 1. God hath left you his Holy Word in the reading and meditation whereof you may delight your self night and day Ps 1.1,2 Now Gods word is more worth than all the Gold and Silver in the world Psal 119.22 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of Gold and Silver And with this David comforted himself when he was robbed and spoiled of his goods by the means of wicked and ungodly men ver 61. You may see also Psal 19.10 and Psal 119.14 2. God hath left you himself for your portion and though a man hath lost all that he had in the world as long as he hath God for his portion he is well enough When the Jews who were carried captive into Babylon were spoiled of all their goods and had seen their dwellings burnt with fire they comforted themselves with this that they had God still for their portion Lam. 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will I hope in him All things in all Nations compared with God are less than nothing and vanity Isa 40.17 All Nations before him are as nothing and they are counted to him less than nothing and vanity And why then should a man that enjoyeth this great God for his portion not rest satisfied in God but disquiet himself for that which is less than nothing and vanity 3. God hath left you his Spirit which is in you and shall abide with you to teach sanctifie and comfort you as long as you live John 14.16,17 I will pray the Father and he shall give you another comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth he dwelleth with you and shall be in you When David had offended the Lord in the matter of Uriah he wat more afraid of having the Spirit of God takenaway than of losing his Kingdom and therefore he doth not pray take not my Kingdom but take not thy Holy Spirit from me Psal 51.11 And though he was told by Nathan that the Sword should never depart from his house and that God would raise up evil against him from his own house 2 Sam. 12.10,11 Yet he resolveth if God would but pardon his sin and continue his Holy Spirit with him his tongue should sing aloud of his Righteousness Psal 51.12,14 4. God hath left you the true riches which are far better than all the riches of this world To be rich in Grace is better than to be rich in Money or Houses or Lands or any other worldly thing He that is rich in worldly Possessions but is not rich towards God is a miserable man Luke 12.19,20,21 but he that is rich in Grace though he be a very poor man as to worldly things is an happy man for he is an heir of the Kingdom of Heaven James 2.5 There is not any one Grace of the Holy Spirit but it is much better than all the Riches of the world I will instance in three or four Graces by which a man may give judgement of the rest 1. Wisdom and Understanding by which we know God and the things of God is of such a precious Nature that there is nothing in the world worthy to be compared with it Prov. 3.13,14,15 Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better than the merchandize of Silver and the gain thereof than fine Gold She is more precious than rubies and all the things that thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her 2. Faith is more precious than all the gold in the world 1 Pet. 1.7 That the tryal of your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth Faith is not only as precious but more much more precious than Gold 3. The fear of the Lord that is precious treasure Isa 23.6 The fear of the Lord is his treasure 4. A meek and a quiet spirit is a rich ornament far above gold or silver for these only commend us to men but a meek and a quiet spirit is an ornament of great price in the sight of God 1 Pet. 3.3,4 5. God hath left you all the promises he hath not taken away one promise from you The covenant which comprehends under it all the promises is in all things ordered and sure 2 Sam. 23.5 When God makes the greatest alterations in our conditions there is no alteration in his covenant Psal 89.34 My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Isa 54.10 The mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindeness shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Though you should have lost all that you have you are as rich in promises as ever and the promises are more worth than the whole world and may you not then quiet your mindes with what promises God hath left you seeing you have promises not only for the life to come but also for the supply of all your wants in this present life 1 Tim. 4.8 Phil. 4.19 6. God hath blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ where they shall not where they cannot be taken from you You have lost only earthly blessings you have not lost any one spiritual blessing Now this may be a great comfort to you that notwithstanding what you have lost yet you are still blessed with all spiritual blessings The Apostle Paul who had suffered the loss of all things for Christ Phil. 3.8 was not troubled for his losses when he considered what God had laid up for him in Christ but breaks out into blessing and praise Ephes 1.3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ SECT 9. 9. Consider what God hath laid up for you in Heaven and that will quiet and comfort your hearts though your goods be spoiled and your houses burnt and you have lost all the estate that you have in the world Heb. 10.34 Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and a more enduring substance There are such excellent things treasured up for you in Heaven that the tongues of men are not able to express the goodness or the greatness of them Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee We have seen many desirable and excellent things with our eyes and possibly we may have heard of better things than ever we saw and we can conceive of better things in our minds than ever we saw or heard of but those things which the Lord hath prepared for us in Heaven are far better
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
are puzzled and ready to stumble at the mysteriousness and unaccountableness of any of Gods providences either towards the wicked or the godly it is good for us to have recourse to the word of God which is the best commentary in the world to explain the nature of Gods Providence When David was under the forementioned temptation he got relief by going into the sanctuary Psal 73.16,17 The word fully sets forth the miserable estate of the wicked in the heighth of their prosperity and the happy condition of godly men in their greatest adversity which may take off the Servants of God from repining at their own afflictions or fretting at the prosperity of wicked men 3. It is not meet that we should take upon us to finde any fault with God in his governing the world It is enough for us to minde our own duty we must let God alone to do what seemeth him good Christ rebuked Peter when he having heard what should befal him was curious to know what suffering John should meet with John 21.21,22 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus Lord and what shall this man do Jesus saith unto him if I will that he tarry till I come what is that to thee follow thou me You may see enough in your selves to justifie God in all that he hath brought upon you and which if God saw meet to spare some remarkable sinners to try if his long-suffering and goodness and the riches of his Grace will lead them to repentance shall your eye be evil because od is good It is expresly against the minde of God that you should fret at the prosperity of wicked men Psal 37.1,7 Fret not thy self because of evil doers neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity fret not thy self because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass 4. They that are the servants of God have no cause to repine at their own afflictions or the prosperity of wicked men as may appear on divers accounts as 1. When the servants of God are chastened here it is that they may not be condemned hereafter 1 Cor. 11.32 When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world But when wicked men enjoy a constant course of prosperity and the goodness of God doth not lead them to repentance it is a token that God intends to destroy them for ever Psal 92.7 When the wicked spring as the grass and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever 2. The Servants of God get more good by their afflictions than wicked men do by their prosperity for Prov. 1.32 The prosperity of Fools shall destroy them but the Servants of God can say with David Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted 3. The blessings of this life are all the portion that God intends to give unto wicked men Psal 17.13.14 Deliver my soul from the wicked from the men of this world that have their portion in this life but as for godly men God hath laid up wonderful great things for them in heaven Psal 31.19 O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee He hath laid up for them such things as we never saw with our eyes nor ever heard with our ears 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 He hath made godly men heirs of himself and of all that he hath Rom. 8.17 If Children then Heirs Heirs of God and joynt Heirs with Christ Now Christ is Heir of all things Heb. 1.2 and if Christians be joynt heirs with Christ then are they also heirs of all things As the Father of the Prodigal Child quieted his eldest Son when he repined and was discontented with the bountiful Provision that was made for his Brother the fatted Calf and the best Robe a Ring c. when himself had not a Kid to make merry with his friends Son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine Luke 15.31 The like may be said to such of the servants of God as are under a temptation to repine and be discontented because they have but little and many that follow the same course that the Prodigal Son did enjoy abundance and have sustained no losses ye shall ever be with the Lord and all the blessings of Heaven are yours and shall be your portion for ever And is not this enough to satisfie you SECT 17. Object 17. It is not my own private loss that troubleth me I could have born that contentedly if only I and my family had suffered and been undone by this fire but I am much afflicted to see London the glory of England the chief and principal City of this Nation laid in ashes and to see so many magnificent Buildings so many goodly Churches stately Halls fair Houses useful Hospitals c. demolished It grieves me to think of the many thousand families that are ruined by this fire and of the great difficulties and hardship that many good people are like to meet with who lived very comfortably whilst this City stood in its glory It troubleth me to think of the decay of Trade and poverty and misery that is like to follow this dreadful fire If it had not been such a general sore dreadful judgment I should not have been so much troubled at it as now I am Answ 1. It is the duty of all the Inhabitants of this Land to lay to heart and to be much affected with this solemn hand of God When the Amalekites had burnt Ziglag with fire it is said 1 Sam. 30.1,4 David and the people that were with him lift up their voyce and wept until they had no more power to weep Ziglag was not comparable to London and if David and his men wept till they could weep no more for the burning of such a small place as Ziglag How ought we to be affected at the burning of this famous City When but two persons Nadad and Abihu had suffered by fire that came out from the Lord and devoured them God calls to all Israel to lament the burning Lev. 10.1,2,6 Let your Brethren the whole house of Israel bewail the burning which the Lord hath kindled How much more are we concerned to bewail this burning wherein so many thousand families have been sufferers When Nehemiah heard of the affliction of the Jews and that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the Gates thereof burnt with fire he sat down and wept and mourned certain days and fasted and prayed Neh. 1.2,3,4 yet then Nehemiah was in a very good condition in respect of his own concernments he was in great favour at the Court he had a great place he was the Kings Cup-bearer and when the King demanded of him why his
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
where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry both to abound and to suffer need I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me 2. If by this Providence you are brought to want and are pinched with hunger let this affliction put you upon renewing your repentance and cause you to cry mightily to the Lord and he will save you from your distressed condition Psal 107.4,5,6 They wandered in the Wilderness hungry and thirsty their souls fainted in them then they cryed unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses Though you are now under great scarcity yet if your scarcity put you upon renewing your repentance the Lord will turn your scarcity into plenty Elihu speaking of such as are in affliction and having shewn how God commandeth them to return from iniquity telleth us what God will do for such as at the command of God do return from their sins Job 36.11,16 If they obey and serve him they shall spend their dayes in prosperity and their years in pleasures Even so would he have removed thee out of a strait into a broad place where there is no straitness and that which should be set on thy Table should be full of fatness When the Prodigal Son began to be in want his want brought his sins to remembrance and put him upon returning home to his Father and when he came to his Father and confessed his sins to his Father though he would have been glad of such husks as Swine eat and could not get them he was no sooner returned to his Father but he kills the fatted Calf and calls for thebest Robe and a Ring and makes very rich and bountiful provision for him 3. When your children come about you and cry for bread and you have it not to give them remember that their cries do not only pierce your hearts but enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath When the water in Hagar's bottle was spent and the child cryed and she knew not where to have any more but thought that the child must needs perish and therefore cast the child under a shrub because she could not tell how to see the death of the child God heard the cry of the child and sent her relief Gen. 21.15,16,17,19 The water was spent in the bottle and she cast the child under one of the shrubs and she went and sat her down over against him a good way off as it were a Bow shot for she said Let me not see the death of the child and she sat over against him and lift up her voyce and wept And God heard the voyce of the Lad and the Angel of God called to Hagar out of Heaven and said unto her What aileth thee Hagar fear not for God hath heard the voyce of the Lad where he is and God opened her eyes and she saw a Well of water When the young ravens wander up and down seeking meat and can find none and cry unto God he heareth them Job 38.41 Who provideth for the Ravens his food when his young ones cry unto God they wander for lack of meat Psal 147.9 He giveth to the beast his food and to the young Ravens which cry Doth God hear the voyce of the young Ravens when they cry and provide them food and do you think that he will not hear the cryes of your young children and provide them food 4. Though you begin to be in want and both your selves and families are now and then pinched with hunger yet trust still in God that he will provide for you and yours such food as he seeth to be convenient for you Our faith must not flag or fail when we meet with sharp trials you know what Job saith Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him If your hunger and scarcity should be such as that you should think God intended to slay you with hunger yet you must trust in him I will give a few encouragements to such as are under fear or in danger of being famished with hunger to trust in God to relieve them 1. Your bodies are members of Christs Body 1 Cor. 6.15 Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ and temples of the Holy Ghost Vers 19. Know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you And do you think that God will be unmindful of his Sons members and of the Temple of the Holy Ghost The afflictions of the Saints are said to be the afflictions of Christ Col. 1.23 That which afflicts them is an affliction to him Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted Their hunger and thirst may in some sense be said to be his hunger and thirst Matth. 25.35 I was an bungred and ye gave me meat I was thirsty and ye gave me drink 2. Consider what promises God hath made to preserve his people from being famished and to give them plenty of all such things as are good for them Prov. 10.3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the reghteous to be famisked Joel 2.26 Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God Psal 33.18,19 Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy to deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine Psal 136.15 I will abundantly bless aer provision I will satisfie her poor with bread When there was such a great scarcity among the Jews that they could not see which way they should be supplyed with provision Joel 1.16 Is not the meat cut off before your eyes yet even then God promiseth his servants such plenty as should satisfie them Chap. 2.26 Ye shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the Name of the Lord your God that hath dealt wonderfully with you and my people shall never be ashamed Another promise you have Isa 41.17,18 When the poor and needy seek water and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst I the Lord will hear thens I the God of Israel will not forsake them I will open Rivers in high places and Fountains in the midst of the Valleys I will make the Wilderness a Pool of water and the dry Land Springs of water Here God promiseth that when his Servants are destitute of necessary provision and are in such straits as they are ready to perish he will send them in unexpected supplies he will alter the very course of Nature rather than they shall perish He will make the Wilderness a Pool of Water and the dry Land Springs of Water Though this promise be not to be restrained to temporal things but includeth also many spiritual blessings yet it may very safely and properly be applyed by such as are in great straits and ready to perish for want of provision for their outward man Let me add this farther That God is mindful of
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
admiration of Gods goodness ver 19. O how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee And Psal 73.1,10 Truly God is good to Israel God is good to them when they are forced to wander up and down and are full of affliction ver 10. His people return hither and waters of a full cup are wrung out to thems When Doeg the Edomite had accomplished his mischievous design in causing the Priests of the Lord to be slain for entertaining of David which could not but be a great grief to David yet still he extols Gods goodness Psal 52.1 Why boastest thou thy self in mischief O mighty man the goodness of God endureth continually When the Jews that were carried captive into Babylon had lost all their substance and met with such sorrows that they thought none ever met with the like they notwithstanding all their afflictions think honourably of Gods goodness Lam. 3.25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him unto the soul that seeketh him 3. When you are ready to have hard thoughts of God because of your afflictions turn your eyes from looking at Gods Providences and look upon his Promises they represent God to be full of love when his Providences represent him to be terrible There is a thousand times more sweetness in the Promises than there is shapness in your afflictions David viewing his afflictions cryed out Psal 60.3 Thou hast shewed thy people hard things thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment But when he turns his eye to the Promise he forgets his sorrow and is filled with joy ver 6. God hath spoken in his holiness I will rejoyce 4. When hard thoughts of God arise in your minds because of your afflictions behold God as he hath manifested himself in and through Jesus Christ and there you shall see him to be a God of unspeakable love God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son John 3.16 When you look upon God in Christ you shall finde him without fury towards such as believe in his Son when he is executing his greatest judgments Isa 26.21 Behold the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity Fury is not in me And to whom is it that he saith Fury is not in me it is to such as take hold of his Son who is his strength ver 5. When you look upon God in Christ you may behold him a reconciled Father a God pardoning iniquity transgression and sin 2 Cor. 5.19 a God that hath blessed you with all spiritual blessings Eph. 1.3 a God that will deny you nothing that is good on t will give you all things freely Rom. 8.32 Did he pass by the fallen Angels and look upon you and yet will you not have good thoughts of him Can you harbour any hard thoughts of God whilst you look upon him in Christ Jesus Shall some light and short afflictions make you overlook all the spiritual and eternal blessings which God hath treasured up in Jesus Christ for you If you say this helps me but little because I cannot make it out that God hath given Jesus Christ to me if I could see that God had given Christ to me I think I should never entertain an hard thought of God any more I answer God hath made a free offer of his Son Jesus Christ with all his benefits unto your soul as well as to any other ever since you have heard the Gospel and doth still continue to offer him to you and calls upon you by his Ministers and by his Holy Spirit to come and take him freely Mark 16.15 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel unto every creature Rev. 22.17 The Spirit and the Bride say Come and let him that heareth say Come and let him that is a thirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely By the water of life is meant Christ and life through him Christ and all his saving benefits and the Spirit of God who searcheth the deep things of God and knoweth the minde of God and of Christ assureth us that whosoever will may come and take this water of life freely 5. When you finde hard thoughts of God arising in your mindes by reason of your affliction call to minde what God hath been doing for you from all eternity and what he will do for you in heaven to all eternity God hath been setting his wisdom on work from all eternity to make you happy in the enjoyment of himself and he hath prepared such things for you in heaven as eye never saw the like neither hath ear heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive the worth of them When David in time of temptation was ready to think hardly of God and of his wayes Psal 73.13,14 After he had overcome the temptation he saith ver 28. It is good for me to draw near to God and what caused him to take up this conclusion among other things this was one he had his eye upon that blessedness he should enjoy with God in heaven to all eternity ver 24. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel and afterwards receive me unto glory 6. If you would keep up good thoughts of God in your afflictions observe what goodness God manifests to you in your affliction and what good he designs to you by your afflictions If you did observe the dealings of God with your inward and outward man you might see much of the love and meroy and goodness of God in your greatest afflictions The people of Israel met with variety of afflictions when they were in the Wilderness yet there was much of the love and goodness of God in all his dealings with them Isa 63.7,9 And as for the ends and designs of God in out afflictions if you consider what they are you shall finde that in every affliction God aimeth at your good Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit Rom. 8.28 We know that all things work together for good to them that love God And as you should keep up good thoughts of God so also keep up good thoughts of his Service and believe firmly in your greatest sufferings that it is not a vain thing to wait upon God and this you will easily do if you keep up good thoughts of God so that there is little need of adding any thing more concerning this temptation I shall therefore but briesly hint two or three things and then proceed to the next temptation 1. It is very unreasonable to think that there is no profit comes by walking in the wayes of God when as the Scripture assure us that Godliness is profitable unto all things having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come 1 Tim. 4.8 God never did stir up any man to seek his face in vain Isa 45.19 I said not unto the seed of Jacob seek ye me in
vain But whoever they are that seek and serve the Lord he will give them grace and glory and all good things Psal 34.10 They that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing Psal 84.11 The Lord Godiva Sun and a shield the Lord will give grace and glary and no good thing will to with hold from them that walk uprightly He doth not only 〈◊〉 but giveth great rewards to every one that keepeth his Commandments Psal 19.11 In keeping of them there is great reward 2. When God enyes his servants or takes from then temporal blessings he give them spiritual blessings When he afflicts their Bodies the is good to their Souls Laius 3.25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him to the soul that seeketh him The poorest of Gods servants that have least of the things of this world are blessed with all spiritual blessings Eph. 1.3 and spiritual blessings are for better than temponal blessings 3. The very afflictions and troubles of Gods servants are profitable to them as hath been before cleared from several Scriptures as Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I have been afflicted It must needs therefore be unreasonable to say there is no profit in serving God because his servants meet with many afflictions 4. The great day of putting a difference between them that serve God and them that serve him not is the day of Judgment then it shall evidently appear to the whole world even to them that can see no advantage now in godliness how much it profiteth a man to serve the Lord Mal. 3.14,17,18 Ye have said It is vain to serve God and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance and that we have walked mournfully before the Sord of Hosts They that is they that serve me shall be mine saith the Lord of Hosts in that day when I make up my Jenels and I will spare them as a man sparrth his own son that serveth him then shall ye return and discern between the righteous and the wicked between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not 2. Take heed of being drawn by this affliction to depart from God Satan hath prevailed with some upon the account of their afflictions to turn afide from God and to give over waiting upon him 2 Kings 6.33 This evil is of the Lord what should I wait for the Lord any longer As some took distaste at Christs words and departed from him John 6.60,66 Many of his Disciples when they had heard this said This is an hard saying who can bear it From that time many of his Disoiples went back and walked no more with him So many take such offence at the providences of God that they depart from God and will walk no more in his wayes If you should be followed with this temptation to prevent your yielding to it let me suggest to you these following considerations 1. Consider whom you forsake when you forsake the Lord God is your life and will you not cleave to your life Deut. 30.20 That thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of the dayes Acts 17.28 In him we live and 〈◊〉 and have our being And will you forsake that God without whom you cannot live or continue in your being one moment A man will chuse rather to part with his Estate his Friends his Liberty yea all that he hath rather than part with his life Joh. 2.4 Skin for skin yea all that a man hath will he give for his life If life be thus dear should you not rather forsake all that you have than forsake God who is your life God is our glory Psal 3.3 Thou O Lard art a shield for we my glory Now many will chuse rather to dye that to part with their glory 1 Gor. 9.15 It were better for me to dye than that any man should make any glorying void God is your friend and hath been your Fathers friend Now no wise than will readily forsake a true and an ancient friend Prov. 27.10 Thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not God is orought to be your chiefest joy Psal 43.4 I will go unto the Altar of God unit God my exceeding jay Most men are desirous of and follow after joy and will you be so foolish as to forsake your chiefest joy God is the chefest good there is nothing in heaven or in earth comparable to God Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there it none upon earth that I desire besides thee There are many that pretend at least to seek after that which is good Psal 4.6 There be many that say who will shew us any good And will you be so unwise as to forsake the chiefest good Whoever that was in heaven forsook heaven excepting the Devils The best thing in heaven is God Whom have I in heaven but thee and will you forsake the best thing in heaven Did not God make you and hath not he maintained you ever since you were in the world And will you forsake the God that made you and hath redeemed you out of all your troubles and hath maintained you to this day Deut. 32.6 Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Is not he thy father that hath bought thee hath he not made thee and established thee Whom have you to go to if you forsake God can any give you eternal life besides God John 6.67,68 Jesus said unto the twelve Will ye also go away Then Simon Peter answered him Lord To whom shall we go thon hast the words of eternal life Can any forgive your sins besides God Mark 2.7 Who can forgive sins but God only and what a sad condition will you be in if your sins be not forgiven who can save you in time of trouble and who can save you from the torments of Hell besides God Psal 3.8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. You must shortly dye and unto whom will you commend your souls when you dye if you for sake the Lord Psal 31.5 Into thy hand I commit my spirit thou hast redeemed me O Lord God of truth In forsaking God you forsake your own mercies and involve your selves in unspeakable misery 2. Consider how contrary this is to the example and practice of the Saints and Servants of God in all ages to forsake God because of your afflictions if you observe their practice and carriage you shall finde that they have cleaved to God and continued constant in their walking with God in the midst of their greatest troubles Psal 44.17,18,19 All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy covenant our heart is not turned back neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Jobs afflictions were very
great yet they did not cause him to depart from God or cease from serving him Job 23.2,11,12 Even to day is my complaint bitter my stroke is heavier than my groaning My foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined neither have I gone back from the Commandment of his lips I have esteemed the words of his mouth more then my necessary food Job 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him David went through many afflictions yet none of them caused him to depart from God but he continued to serve and walk with God notwithstanding all his sufferings Psal 119.83,109,143 I am become like a bottle in the smoke yet do I not forget thy Statutes My soul is continually in mine hand yet do I not forget thy law Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me yet thy Commandments are my delights Psal 31.9,10,14 I am in trouble mine eye is consumed with grief yea my soul and my belly for my life is spent with grief and my years with sighing But I trusted in thee O Lord 3. It is a foolish and vain thing for any man to forsake God by reason of his afflictions because by forsaking God a man brings upon himself more and greater evils than his present afflictions are how many or great soever they be For 1. They that forsake God bring upon themselves the guilt of an horrible sin such a sin as may astonish the heavens when they hear of it Jer. 2.12,13 Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be ye horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord. For my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters and hewed them out cisterns broken cisterns that can hold no water Now the guilt of sin is a greater evil than any affliction 2. They that forsake God lose his favour Heb. 10.38 If any man draw back my soul shall have no pleasure in him What loss is comparable to the loss of Gods favour 3. They that forsake God do not only lose his favour but incense and stir up his wrath against their souls Ezra 8.22 The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him And Gods wrath is far more dreadful than any affliction 4. They that forsake God lose eternal life and glory Jer. 17.13 O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from me shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters Their names shall not be written in heaven all their portion that they shall have shall be here on the earth What are worldly losses compared to the loss of the Kingdom of Heaven 5. They that forsake God shall be cast into Hell when they dye Psal 225.5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked wayes the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity Now where doth God bestow the workers of iniquity he casts them into Hell Matth. 13.41 The Son of man shall send forth his Angels and they shall gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend and them which do iniquity and shall cast them into a furnace of fire What are all the afflictions and troubles of this life compared with the torments of Hell 6. They that forsake God shall be forsaken of God 1 Chron. 28.9 If thou seek him he will be found of thee but if thou forsake him he will cast thee off for ever 2 Chron. 15.2 Hear ye me Asa and all Judah and Benjamin The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you Now what greater misery can come upon a man than to be forsaken of God 4. Your afflictions should be so far from causing you to forsake God that they should make you to return to the Lord and to cleave faster to the Lord and to walk more closely with God For 1. your afflictions are sent for this very end and purpose to cause you to return to God Jer. 18.11 Thus saith the Lord Behold I frame evil against you and devise a device against you return ye now every one from his evil way and make your wayes and your doings good The Prophet Joel having mentioned several great calamities which God was sending upon the Jews Joel 2.1 to the 12. verse tells them ver 12. that Gods end in those Jadgments was to turn them to himself Therefore also now saith the Lord Turn ye even to me with all your heart Now seeing your afflictions are sent to turn you unto God and to bring you nearer to God is it not horrible perverseness because of your afflictions to depart from God 2. You had need to turn to God and not to forsake him in the day of your distress because you will not know what to do without God in a time of trouble Isa 10.3 What will ye do in the day of visitation and in the desolation which shall come from far to whom will ye flee for help and where will ye leave your glory The Prophet speaketh to such as did not turn to God when he was smiting of them chap. 9.13 David was of another spirit when he saw trouble coming he gets near to God and labours to get God near to him Psal 22.11 Be not far from me for trouble is near for there is none to help Who shall support and comfort you in your troubles and who shall deliver you out of your troubles if you forsake God in your afflictions If you have any support in your troubles it must come from God Isa 25.4 Thou hast been a strength to the poor a strength to the needy in his distress Psal 124.1,2,3,4 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side now may Israel say if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us then the waters had overwhelmed us the stream had gone over our soul If you have any comfort in your troubles it must come from God Micah 7.8 When I sit in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me Psal 137.8 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me and if God do not give some comfort by his word your hearts will break and you will perish under your afflictions Psal 119.92 Vnless thy law had been my delights I should then have perished in mine affliction If God do not help you out of your afflictions no man whatseever can help you Psal 60.11 Give us help from trouble for vain is the help of man None can do more for us than Kings yet if God be not pleased to help us they cannot deliver us from our troubles 2 Kings 6.26,27 As the King of Israel was
passing by on the wall there eryed a woman unto him saying Help my Lord O King and he said if the Lord do not help thee whence shall I help thee 3. They that forsake God in their afflictions are worse than Idolaters for they in their distresses do not run from but run to their Idols to help them The Sea-men that carried Jonah were Idolaters for they had each man his distinct god yet when there arose a great tempest there was not a man amongst them but went to his god for help Jonah 1.4,5 There was a mighty tempest in the Sea so that the Ship was like to be broken then the Marriners were afraid and cryed every man unto his god 3. It may be Satan will take occasion from your afflictions to tempt you to change your Religion He hath not only tempted but prevailed with many in their distress to change their Religion see an instance or two of this 2 Chron. 28.22,23 In the time of his distrâ—ss did he trespass yet more against the Lord this is that King Ahaz for he sacrificed unto the Gods of Damascus which smote him and he said because the gods of the Kings of Assyria help them therefore will I sacrifice to them that they may help me The feeling of want and hope of plenty made the Jews forsake the Lord and burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven Jer. 44.17,18 We will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink Offerings unto her as we have done for then had we plenty of Victuals and were well and saw no evil but since we left of to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out Drink Offerings unto her we have wanted all things and have been consumed by the Sword and by the Famine If Satan by his own suggestions or any of his Instruments should tempt you because of your poor low and afflicted condition to forsake the Protestant Religion which is a Religion founded upon the Scriptures and holdeth forth nothing but what is consonant to and may be clearly proved from the Word of God and should sollicite you to embrace any other Religion the Doctrine or Worship whereof cannot be proved by but are contrary to the Word of God promising you thereby a liberal maintenance you ought not upon any tearms to yield to this temptation I will lay before you some Arguments to continue stedfast in that Doctrine and way of Worship which is according to the Word of God and not forsake the same for any gain or advantage what ever 1. The Prophets under the Old Testament and Jesus Christ and his Apostles under the New Testament do all with one consent direct us to build our faith and to take our directions for worshiping God from the Scriptures The Prophets that lived in the times of the Old Testament they send us to the Scriptures and counsel us to embrace no Doctrines but what are according to the Scriptures Isa 8.20 To the Law and to the Testimony if they speak not according to this Word it is because there is no light in them Psal 119.105 Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Malachi who was one of the last Prophets under the Old Testament at the conclusion of his Prophesie stirs us up to cleave to the Word of God Mal. 4.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments Jesus Christ also would have us regulate our faith by the Scriptures Joh. 7.38 He that believeth on me as the Scripture that said He puts us upon the study of the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures he lays the cause of Errors in Judgment upon ignorance of the Scriptures Mar. 12.24 Do ye not therefore err because ye know not the Scriptures His great care after his Resurrection was to help his Disciples to understand and to establish them in the belief of the Scriptures Luk. 24.27,44,45 The Apostles of Christ believed in God and worshiped God according as they were directed by the Scriptures Joh. 2.22 His Disciples remembred that he had said this unto them and they believed the Scripture and the Word which Jesus had said Acts 24.14 So worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets And as they believed themselves so they taught no other Doctrine then what was according to the Scriptures Act. 26.22 I continue unto this day witnessing both to small and great saying none other things than those which Moses and the Prophets did say should come see also 1 Cor. 15.3,4 Act. 28.23 yea all the members of the true Church of that Church which is the House of God an holy Temple an habitation of God do cleave to and are built upon that Doctrine which is delivered by the Prophets and the Apostles in the Scriptures Ephes 2.19,20,21,22 2. If there should arise a Prophet which could work wonders if that Prophet should perswade us to turn to an Idolatrous Religion we must not hearken to him Deut. 13.1,2,3 If there arise among you a Prophet or a Dreamer of Dreams and giveth thee a sign or a wonder and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known and let us serve them Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that Prophet for the Lord your God proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul yea farther if one of the Apostles should rise from the dead or if an Angel should come from Heaven and preach any other Doctrine than what is contained in the Scriptures we ought not to receive it Gal. 1.8,9 Though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that we have preached unto you let him be accursed As we said before so say I now again If any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received let him be accursed Now if we must entertain no Doctrine contrary to the Scriptures though delivered by a Prophet that can work wonders and foretel things to come or by an Apostle or by an Angel from Heaven then how great is their folly who at the instigation of Satan or any of his Instruments do turn aside from the Truth and embrace a corrupt Religion to get or to prevent the losing of the good things of this world 3. If you abide in the true Doctrine of Christ as it is delivered in the Scriptures you shall enjoy the favour of God and have Communion with him both here and hereafter but if you abide not in the Doctrine of Christ you will lose the favour of God and shall have no part or portion in his Kingdom 2 Joh. v. 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not
a man to kill himself for our time of life and death is only at Gods disposal Psal 31.15 My times are in thine hand Deut 32.39 I kill and I make alive Now as 't is unlawful for us to avenge our selves because it belongs to God to take vengeance Rom. 12.19 Dearly Beloved avenge not your selves for it is written Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord So because our times are in Gods hands and it is his Prerogative to kill and to make alive it is utterly unlawful for us to kill our selves 4. We are not our own 1 Cor. 6.19,20 Ye are not your own for you are bought with a price and therefore we must not take upon us to dispose of our selves as we see good but our lives and all that we have are to be at Gods disposal The Lord Jesus died for this end that he might be Lord of our lives and persons and therefore he that takes upon him to live as he list or to die how and when he thinketh good himself sinneth greatly against Jesus Christ for he goeth about to make void the death of Christ Rom. 14.7,8,9 None of us liveth to himself and no man dieth to himself for whether we live we live unto Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord whether we live therefore or die we are the Lords for to this end Christ both died and rose and revived that he might be Lord both of the dead and living 5. He that kills himself breaths out his soul in the very act of sin and that not of a small but of a crying hainous sin Now we look upon their case to be very sad who die when they are drunk or who are cut off in the act of Adultery or who die cursing and blaspheming God and so it is But is not their case as sad who die in the act of murther 6. He that kills himself tramples under foot one of the choicest of Gods mercies for what mercy is of greater value I mean what outward mercy than life Life is beyond riches or honour c. and therefore it must needs be a great sin to cast away life 2. When Satan presseth upon you with this temptation to make away your selves resist him and thereby you will overcome him Jam. 4.7 Resist the Devil and he will flee from you if you yield he will trample upon you but if you resist him he will flee from you If you say How should we resist the Devil when he tempts us to destroy our selves I answer 1. Resist him by Prayer pray to God to take this temptation from you or to give you grace to overcome it and though the temptation continue after you have prayed to have it removed be not discouraged but pray still The Apostle directing us how to deal with Satan after he hath set down several pieces of the spiritual armour that are useful in our combat with this Adversary exhorts us to pray alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and to watch thereunto with all perseverance Ephes 6.18 If we continne to pray against the temptations of Satan either God will remove them or give us sufficient grace to hold out in the conflict 2 Cor. 12.7,8,9 There was given to me a thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me and he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee 2. Resist the Devil with the Word When he tempted Christ to cast himself down from a Pinacle which was in effect to destroy himself Christ resisted this and all his other temptations with the written Word Matth. 4.4,7,10 Three times doth Christ repel Satan with the written Word to teach us to make use of the Sword of the Spirit in resisting all our temptations Doth Satan tempt thee to destroy thy self remember it is written Thou shalt not kill It is said of Luther that he was so violently assaulted with this temptation to destroy himself that for some hours together he was necessitated to press that Scripture upon his heart Thou shalt not kill 3. Resist the Devil by Faith There is a great efficacy in faith to resist and subdue the temptations of Satan Ephes 6.16 Above all taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Be sober be vigilant because your Adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour whom resist stedfast in the faith 3. When Satan follows you with this temptation to destroy your self flie for refuge from this roaring Lion to Jesus Christ cast your selves into his arms commit the keeping of your souls and lives to the Lord Jesus rest upon him to preserve you from being vanquished by this temptation Take some encouragements to flie to Christ and to rest upon him for relief when you are persued with this or any other temptation 1. The Lord Jesus is able to succour thee in all thy temptations Heb. 2.18 In that be himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted He conquered all the powers of darkness at his death Col. 2.15 Having spoyled Principalities and Powers he made a shew of them openly triumphing over them in it He hath all the Devils in Hell under a lock and he keeps the keys of this lock in his own hands Rev. 1.18 I have the Keys of Hell and of death How easily can he command down any temptation that hath the Keys of Hell and that hath triumphed over all the powers of darkness and spoyled them of their strength In the dayes of his humiliatio he had all the Devils at his command he dispossessed them with speaking but a word Luk. 4.36 With authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits and they come out If in the dayes of his humiliation when he was in the form of a Servant he had such power over the Devils what power hath he in his Exaltation now that he sitteth at the right hand of God in the highest Heavens 2. Jesus Christ is very pitiful to such as are under temptation What God saith to the Israelites Exod. 23.9 Ye know the heart of a stranger seeing ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt The like may be said of Christ he knoweth the heart of such as are in temptation seeing he himself was tempted in all points as we are only he never sinned under any of his temptations That Christs being tempted doth encline him to be pitiful and merciful to us in our temptations you may see Heb. 4.15 We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin He was tempted to this very sin to destroy himself by casting himself down from a pinacle of the Temple and therefore knows how
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
we take that we may obtain riches from God I answer 1. Let your first and principal care be to get heaven and the grace of God that may make you meet to enjoy his Kingdom and when you do thus God will not only give you heaven when you die but will add also as much of this world as he seeth to be good for you Matth. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you When men are over-eager in seeking after the world they oft-times miss both of heaven and the world also Prov. 28.18 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him 2. Embrace by faith and set your love upon Jesus Christ he promiseth to fill their treasures that love him Prov. 8.20,21 I lead in the way of righteousness in the midst of the paths of judgment that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance and I will fill their treasures 3. Repent of your sins and turn to the Lord and then though you be brought low he will build you up again and will give you plenty of such things as he seeth to be good for you Job 22.23,24,25 If thou return to the Almighty thou shalt be built up thou shalt put away Iniquity far from thy Tabernacles then shalt thou lay up Gold as dust and the Gold of Ophir as the stones of the Brooks yea the Almighty shall be thy defence and thou shalt have plenty of silver 4. Walk in the fear of God and be careful to keep his Commandments Prov. 22.4 By humility and the fear of the Lord are riches and honour and life 2 Chron. 17.4,5 Jehoshaphat sought to the Lord God of his Fathers and walked in his Commandments and not after the doings of Israel Therefore the Lord established the Kingdom in his hand and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents and he had riches and honour in abundance 5. Follow your employments with diligence There is a blessing of God goeth along with diligence and industry in our Callings Prov. 10.4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand but the hand of the diligent maketh rich Prov. 22.29 Seest thou a man diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean men 6. Seek after knowledge and manage all your affairs with wisdom and discretion Prov. 24.3,4 Through wisdom is an house builded and by understanding it is established and by knowledge shall the Chamber be filled with all precious and pleasant riches 7. Be faithful and upright in all your dealings Prov. 28.10,20 The upright shall have good things in possession A faithful man shall abound in blessings Psal 112.3,4 Wealth and riches shall be in his house Vnto the upright ariseth light in darkness 8. Shun those vices that bring men to poverty and hinder their thriving in the world such as prodigality and love of pleasure Prov. 21.17 He that loveth Pleasure shall be a poor man he that loveth Wine and Oyl shall not be rich Idleness and drowsiness a negligent and sluggish management of our affairs Prov. 6.9,10,11 How long wilt thou sleep O sluggard when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep yet a little sleep a little slumber a little folding of the hands to sleep so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth and thy want as an armed man Prov. 18.9 He that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster Gluttony and Drunkenness Prov. 23.21 The Dunkard and the Glutton shall come to poverty and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags 9. Be liberal to the poor there may be a liberal soul where there is but a small estate and the more liberal any man is the more likely he is to be a rich man Prov. 11.24,25 There is that scattereth and yet encreaseth and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet but it tendeth to poverty The liberal soul shall be made fat and he that watereth shall be also watered himself He that sheweth mercy to the poor honoureth the Lord with his substance Prov. 14.31 And when a man honoureth the Lord with his substance God will multiply it greatly Prov. 3.9,10 Honour the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine encrease so shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy Presses shall burst out with new Wine 10. Be content with what God giveth you and then though you have never so little you are a rich man 1 Tim. 6.6 Godliness with contentment is great gain SECT 15. 15. If it should not seem good unto the Lord to make up your losses by giving you as much riches as he hath taken from you there is a better way of having your losses made up and that is when God shall make his Providence instrumental to convey those mercies and blessings to your souls which are of more worth than all the riches of the world and this may be done several wayes As 1. If God by this Providence shall teach you wisdom that wisdom which is from above and bring you into more acquaintance with himself and into more acquaintance with the state and condition of your own souls if you gain any degree of heavenly wisdom by your losses then your losses though they have been very great are abundantly made up for wisdom is far better than all the riches of the world Prov. 16.16 How much better is it to get wisdom than gold and to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver Prov. 8.11 Wisdom is better than Rubies and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it Prov. 3.14 2. If God by your losses shall make you partakers of the fruits and graces of his Spirit if he beget or encrease in your souls humility or heavenly mindedness or self-denyal or patience or any other grace then he doth abundantly make up all your losses for the fruits and graces of the Spirit of God are infinitely better than all the riches of the world Prov. 8.19 My fruit is better than gold yea than fine gold and my revenue than choice silver you may see this cleared by instancing in particular graces as Faith 1 Pet. 1.7 Your faith being much more precious than gold that perisheth Humility that also excels all riches Prov. 16.19 Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly than to divide the spoil with the proud the like may be said of all other graces 3. If God under this affliction shall clear up your right to his Promises if he give you an heart to understand believe obey and delight in his Word if he gives in Promises to your souls out of his Word to stay and comfort and support you then he doth make up all your losses in a gracious manner When God gave in a sutable promise to David in his distress he joyed in it as much as in all riches
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
Lord is the way to prosper 2 Chron. 20.20 Believe in the Lord your God so shall you be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper By the power of faith strong Walls and Cities have been demolished Heb. 11.30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell down ver 33. Who through faith subdued Kingdoms Now if faith be instrumental to demolish Walls and Cities Why may it not also be of great force to build them up If any ask What encouragements can you give us for our faith that we may trust and rely on God for his presence and assistance with us in this work of building I answer 1. Building of desolate Cities is a good work and well-pleasing to God and that which conduceth unto the glory of God when it is managed with a right spirit and in a right manner The building of Jerusalem after it had been wasted by fire and the Sword is called a good work Neh. 2.18 They said let us rise up and build so they strengthened their hands for this good work the building of Jerusalem is called also the pleasure of the Lord it being that which pleased him to see those wast places builded again Isa 44.28 That saith of Cyrus he shall perform all my pleasure even saying to Jerusalem Thou shalt be built and to the Temple Thy foundations shall be laid It did conduce also to Gods glory Psal 102.16 When the Lord shall build up Zion he shall appear in his glory Jer. 33.7,9 I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return and will build them as at the first And it shall be to me a Name of joy a praise and an honour before all the Nations of the Earth That building is a good work and acceptable to God when rightly managed may be evidenced several wayes besides the fore-quoted Scriptures As 1. It is oft spoken of a blessing for God to give a man an house to dwell in Exod. 1.21 And it came to pass because the Midwives feared God that he made them houses 1 Sam. 2.35 I will build him a sure house Isa 65.21 They shall build houses and inhabit them 2. Cohabitation conduceth much both to our civil and spiritual good Psal 133.1 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity The scattering abroad of persons and separating them each from other is threatned as a judgment Isa 24.1 Behold the Lord maketh the Earth empty and maketh it waste and scattereth abroad the Inhabitants thereof If cohabitation conduceth much to our good and scatering abroad be an evil and a judgment then building of Cities in order to cohabitation is a good work 3. By building of houses we prepare Mansions and Recepticles for the bodies of Gods servants which are the Members of Christ and the Temples of the Holy Ghost and that cannot but be a good work to provide Mansions for the bodies of Gods servants The Lord Jesus takes it kindly when we lodge any of his members but for a night or two Matth. 25.34,35 Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world for I was a stranger and ye took me in To provide setled habitations for the servants of God is more than to take them in for a night or two 4. Building of Houses and desolate Cities is a means of delivering those that want habitations from great distress as being wet with the dew of heaven and consumed with cold by night and the heat by day c. and to provide a refuge for the distressed is a good work Neh. 2.17 Ye see the distress that we are in how Jerusalem lyeth wast and the Gates thereof are burnt with fire Come and let us build up the Wall of Jerusalem that we be no more a reproach Now if building be a good work then you may confidently expect Gods presence with you when you set upon it if you manage it with a right spirit Amos 5.14 Seek good and not evil and so the Lord the God of Hosts shall be with you as ye have spoken and if God will be with you in your work this may greatly encourage you in the management of it Hag. 2.4 Yet now be strong O Zerubbabel saith the Lord and be strong O Joshua and be strong all ye people of the Land and work for I am with you saith the Lord of Hosts 2. God is able to carry on those that rest upon him in this work how great and how many dissiculties and oppositions and discouragements soever they meet withal This is evident from the building of Jerusalem after it was burnt and laid wast by the Chaldeans Consider to this purpose 1. What a great work the building of Jerusalem was which had been wasted by Fire and Sword from a forreign power and had lyen in its desolation seventy years Neh. 4.19 The work is great and large 2. Consider how weak and unfit the Jews were for this great work after their strength and treasure was exhausted by seventy years captivity Some of them were so discouraged that they thought they should not be able to accomplish so great a work Neh. 4.10 Judah said The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall 3. The times in which they set upon building of Jerusalem were very troublous times Dan. 9.25 The street shall be built again and the wall in troublous times 4. The Enemies of the Jews opposed this work of building Jerusalem with all their might They scoffed at them and derided their work Neh. 4.2,3 What do these feeble Jews Will they fortifie themselves Will they make an end in a day Will they revive the stones out of the heap of the rubbish which are burnt Even that which they build if a Fox go up he will even break down their stone wall They cast false slanders upon them as though they builded out of a design to rebel Neh. 2.19 What is this thing that ye do Will ye rebel against the King Neh. 6.6 Thou and the Jews think to rebel for which cause thou buildest the wall that thou mayst be their King and when these means would not prevail they attempted by force to make the work cease Neh. 4.7,8,11 They were very wroth and conspired all of them together to come and to sight against Jerusalem And our adversaries said They shall not know neither see till we come in the midst amongst them and slay them and cause the work to cease And when none of these means would cause them to leave off building they hired Counsellors to mediate with the Kings of Persia and wrote Letters to hinder the building of Jerusalem Ezra 4.4,5,23,24 And notwithstanding all the attempts of their Adversaries both by fraud and violence though there were some intermissions yet the work was compleated And how by the help and assistance of God as their Enemies
abide in thy Tabernacle for ever I will trust in the covert of thy wings Psal 4.5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness and put your trust in the Lord. God was much displeased with the Israelites when they did not trust in him notwithstanding he had done great things for them Psal 78.21,22,23,24 Anger came up against Israel because they believed not in God and trusted not in his salvation though he had commanded the clouds from above and opened the doors of heaven and had rained down Manna upon them to eat see also ver 32 33. For all this they sinned still and believed not for his wonderous works therefore their dayes did he consume in vanity and their years in trouble We render that which is very pleasing and acceptable to God when we put our trust in him for The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him in those that hope in his mercy Psal 147.11 If you ask For what should great and remarkable deliverances cause a man to trust in God I answer 1. When a man hath had any remarkable deliverance out of any trouble it should encourage him to trust in God under all his straits and troubles that come upon him all the dayes of his life Psal 18.50 Great deliverance giveth he to his King and sheweth mercy to his anointed to David and to his seed for evermore This Psalm was penned upon the occasion of that deliverance which God gave David out of the hands of Saul as you may see in the title of the Psalm and from this deliverance he concludeth that God would deliver him for ever Psal 6.9 The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will receive my Prayer see the fore-quoted Scriptures 1 Sam. 17.37 2 Cor. 1.10 But some may say How can this be That deliverance from one trouble or calamity should cause us to trust in God for deliverance from another when as we see they that escape one judgment are cut off or suffer deeply by another I answer 1. When God cuts off and destroys those whom he hath formerly delivered it is usually such as distrust him and turn away from him Jude 5. The Lord having saved the people out of the land of Egypt afterward destroyed them that believed not Josh 24.20 If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods then he will turn and do you hurt and consume you after that he hath done you good 2. When God brings his servants who trust in him into new troubles their faith is not vain but brings down a great blessing for when they are not delivered from troubles they are delivered in trouble and are kept from the evil of trouble that it doth not hurt them and this is a great deliverance Job 5.19 He shall deliver thee in six troubles yea in seven there shall no evil touch thee 2. Deliverance from temporal evils should encourage the servants of God to trust in the Lord for deliverance from spiritual evils and the bestowing upon them spiritual blessings As for instance 1. When they have had deliverance out of trouble they should conclude that God will also deliver them from all their sins and preserve them in a state of grace till he hath brought them to himself in glory Thus Paul concludes from his deliverance that he had from Nero that God would deliver him from every evil work 2 Tim. 4.17,18 I was delivered out of the mouth of the Lion and the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom 2. The servants of God that have escaped great calamities and been delivered from great dangers should trust in God for a broken heart to mourn for their sins for God promiseth this mercy to such as escape great judgments Ezek. 7.16 They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the Mountains like Doves of the Valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. When the servants of God escape out of great troubles it should cause them to trust in God to deliver them from the deceit of their own hearts and to direct the work of faith and repentance in truth in their souls Isa 10.20,21 The remnant of Israel and such as are escaped of the House of Jacob shall no more again stay upon him that smote them but shall stay upon the Lord the Holy One of Israel in truth the remnant shall return even the remnant of Jacob unto the mighty God This remnant unto whom God promiseth faith and repentance in truth are such as should escape the great calamities that were coming on the Jews as you may see ver 21 22. 4. When the servants of God have received any eminent deliverances they should be encouraged thereby to trust in God for power and strength to walk before God in holiness and righteousness as long as they live Psal 56.13 Thou hast delivered my soul from death wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling that I may walk before God in the light of the living If any say What grounds have the servants of God to take encouragement from temporal deliverances to trust in God for all spiritual blessings Amongst others that may be named I will mention these two 1. Redemption from outward troubles is given to the servants of God by vertue of the Covenant of Grace as well as spiritual blessings Psal 111.9 He sent redemption unto his people he hath commanded his covenant for ever Psal 106.44,45 Nevertheless he regarded their affliction when he heard their cry and he remembred for them his Covenant Now when we finde God remembring his Covenant in one kinde it may encourage us to trust in God for all the other blessings which are promised to us in Gods Covenant 2. Redemption from outward troubles is given to the servants of God from the same love of God that spiritual blessings are bestowed upon them Isa 63.9 In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence saved them in his love and in his pity he redeemed them and he bare them and carried them all the dayes of old Isa 38.17 Behold for peace I had great bitterness but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption Psal 18.19 He brought me forth into a large place he delivered me because he delighted in me Now even outward deliverances being tokens of Gods love to his Servants they may thereby be encouraged to trust in God for spiritual blessings Psal 36.6,7,8 There is much of Gods love seen in his preserving our persons and goods O Lord thou preservest man and beast how excellent is thy loving kindeness his loving kindness should cause us to trust in him therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings And this loving kindeness of God should cause us to trust in him not only for outward but also for spiritual blessings as appears from the eighth verse SECT 12. 12. Let this deliverance cause you to prepare