Such afflictions as make us more humble more heavenly minded or any other way promote the holiness of our hearts and lives come from love Heb. 12.10 He chastneth us for our profit that we might be partakers of his holiness The Apostle speaketh of such as are chastned out of love as we may see ver 6. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth whence it appears that such chastenings as make us partakers of Gods Holiness come from his Love SECT 12. Obj. 12. My loss hath been so great that I am thereby disabled from giving any thing to the poor and this troubleth me very much that I am by this providence cut off from exercising Charity and that I cannot relieve the poor as I was wont to do heretofore Answ 1. Though you have lost much yet if you have any thing left you must will be doing good according to your ability Heb. 13.16 To do good and to communicate forget not for with such sacrifices God is well pleased This is spoken to such as had suffered the spoiling of their goods Heb. 10.34 and notwithstanding their sufferings the Apostle tells them they must not forget to do good and communicate to such as were in greater distress than themselves Such as have nothing to live upon but their labor should give something out of their earnings Eph. 4.28 Let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give to him that needeth Acts 20.35 If any say but if I that have but little should give any thing to the poor I may come to want my self I answer Never fear being brought to want by doing acts of Charity Prov. 28.27 He that giveth to the poor shall not lack If any reply the times are like to prove bad and hard and therefore I that have but little had not need give away any thing but rather ought to lay up all that I can against an hard time Answ The uncertainty of the times and the evils that are like to come upon the earth should not hinder our Charity but make us more abundant in works of Mercy Eccles 11.2 Give a portion to seven and also to eight for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth Loâ— here the Holy Ghost would have us give frequently and give bountifully a portion and that not to one or two but to seven and also to eight when any evils are like to come upon the earth 2. Though you have lost much and have but little left you may give as much as you did before I mean that which God will count as much The widow that gave but two mites cast more into the Treasury in Christs account than those rich men that cast in abundance Mark 12.41,42,43 Jesus sate over against the treasury and behold how the people cast money into the Treasury and many that were rich cast in much and there came a certain poor widow and she threw in two mites which make a farthing and he called unto him his Disciples and saith unto them Verily I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast more in then all they which have cast into the treasury God looks at the heart more than the gift and the more freedom of heart and willingness of minde there is in our gifts the better they are accepted with God A man of a mean estate may give with as free an heart as a Prince 2 Sam. 24.23 All these things did Araunah as a King give unto the King Yet he was but a mean man compared with David he called David his Lord and stiles himself Davids servant ver 21. both he and his Sons were at hard labour when David came to them they were threshing wheat 1 Chron. 21.20 The Churches of Macedonia were very poor and under many afflictions and yet in the depth of their poverty and their greatest afflictions they abounded in liberality 2 Cor. 8.1,2 We do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the Churches of Macedonia how that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality 3. Be not discouraged from acts of Charity because you can give but very little in comparison of what you did before for the least and smallest acts of Charity done in a right spirit shall have a great and glorious reward What a small matter is it to give a cup of cold water yet such as give a cup of cold water only having nothing more or better to bestow shall in no wise lose their reward Mat. 10.42 Whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward Our Saviours rule is Give alms of such things as you have and behold all things are clean unto you Luke 11.41 They that have much must give much and they that have but mean things must not be discouraged because it is but little and inconsiderable that they can do but must give alms of such things as they have If there be a willing minde to give much God accepts of a mans willing minde though he be able to give but very little 2 Cor. 8.12 4. If your losses be so great that you are able to give nothing to the poor yet you are not disabled from exercising of your Charity You may pitty them as much as ever you did and it is said Prov. 19.17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord. You may draw out your souls to them which shall not go unrewarded Isa 58.11 If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfie the afflicted soul then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noon day You may pray for them you may stir up others to relieve them You may give much spiritual almes when you are so low in the world that you have not one penny of money to give as Peter said Acts 3.6 Silver and gold have I none but such as I have give I thee So though you have no silver nor gold to give yet you may give that which is far better Though you be poor you may enrich your Families and your Relations and your Neighbours with spiritual riches 2 Cor. 6.10 As poor yet making many rich By your godly discourse you may minister grace to those that hear your discourse Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers To minister grace to any man is a thousand times better than to minister the good things of this world to him It is said Prov. 10.21 The lips of the righteous feed many and ver 20. The tongue of the just is as choice silver When you have not bread to feed the hungry withal feed as many as you can with the
day and after his sickness he composed a Song or Psalm to set forth Gods praise and resolved to sing this Song in the house of God all the dayes of his life Isa 38.9,20 The writing of Hezekiah King of Judah when he had been sick and was recovered of his sickness then follows the Song it self to the 20. verse where he expresseth his resolution by way of gratitude to sing this Song all the dayes of his life The Lord was ready to save me therefore we will sing my Song to the stringed Instruments all the dayes of our life in the house of the Lord. Yet notwithstanding all this Hezekiah is taxed with not returning according to the benefit done unto him 6. They whose Houses and Estates have been preserved from this dreadful Fire may know what they ought to return to God for this great deliverance by observing what the Servants of God have returned unto the Lord at such times as God hath vouchsafed unto them any eminent deliverances though it were not a deliverance from Fire but from some other evil and also by considering what special duties God calleth for in his holy Word from such as have escaped those judgments that have fallen upon other men or have received any other signal mercy from the Lord. These things being premised I shall now answer the third Question SECT 1. 1. Render to God your love for his great mercy in preserving your houses and substance from being consumed by this Fire God deserves to be loved by all those whom he preserveth from any evils Ps 31.23 O love the Lord all ye his Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful When David was in a wonderful manner delivered from the hands of his enemies he resolves with himself that he would love God with an entire and an endeared love for the deliverances he had received from him Psal 18. ver 1. compared with the title of the Psalm A Psalm of David the Servant of the Lord who spake unto the Lord the words of this Song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul and he said I will love the Lord my strength The Hebrew word that is used in this place signifieth more then barely to love it notes an inward entire cordial love it is translated by Junius and also by Piscator Exintimis visceribus diligam te And at another time when David was communing with his own heart about what return he should make to God for delivering him from the gates of death upon his crying to him Ps 116.3,4,12 he determins to give God his love verse 1. I love the Lord because he heard my voice and my supplications That thing which a Christian prizeth most and desireth of God above all other things is his love Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindness is better than life So it is with God that which he prizeth most from us and that which he desireth above all other things is that we should give him our love Deut. 10.12 And now Israel what doth the Lord thy God require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God to walk in all his wayes and to love him and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul Cant. 4.10 How fair is thy love my Sister my Spouse how much better is thy love than wine and the smell of thine oyntment than all spices If any ask which way shall we express our love to God for this great deliverance I answer 1. By hating and abhorring all evil and endeavouring to root out all manner of sin both from your selves and your families Psal 97.10 Ye that love the Lord hate evil Sin is an abominable thing in the sight of God and therefore he entreateth us that if we love him we would not do that which his soul hateth Jer. 44.4 Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate 2. Express your love to God by being careful to keep his Commandments John 14.15 If ye love me keep my Commandments 2 John 6. This is love that we walk after his Commandments God accounted obedience of his Commandments a truer token of love than the offering of a multitude of sacrifices in those times when sacrifices were in use 1 Sam. 15.22 Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams 3. Express your love to God by doing all the service you can for his Saints and Servants You cannot be any wayes beneficial to God but you may be to his people Psal 16.2,3 My goodness extendeth not to thee but to the Saints that are in the earth and to the excellent in whom is all my delight And what you do for them the Lord will account of it as done unto himself Math. 25.40 Verily I say unto you inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me Three times our Lord Jesus calls upon Peter to express his love to him by doing good to his members Joh. 21.15,16,17 Jesus said to Simon Peter Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me more than these He saith unto him yea Lord thou knowest that I love thee He saith unto him Feed my Lambs He saith unto him the second time Lovest thou me He saith unto him yea Lord He saith unto him Feed my Sheep He saith unto him the third time Lovest thou me Feed my Sheep SECT 2. 2. They that have sustained little or no loss by this dreadful fire wherein so many thousands of persons and families have suffered very deeply have great cause to give thanks unto God for sparing and delivering their substance and their houses from this devouring Fire The Prophet Isaiah having mentioned altime of great desolation wherein a little remnant should escape telleth us what this remnant should render unto the Lord Isa 24.13,14 When thus it shall be in the midst of the Land among the people there shall be as the shaking of an Olive Tree and as the gleaning Grapes when the vintage is done they shall lift up their voice they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord Four times in one Psalm doth the Holy Ghost call upon the children of men to praise the Lord for delivering them out of their distresses Psal 107.8,15,21,31 O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness and for his wonderful works to the children of men When David was delivered from the hands of violent men he was much affected with the mercy of God and determines to give God hearty thanks for it Psal 18.48,49 Thou hast delivered me from the violent man therefore will I give thanks unto thee O Lord among the Heathen and sing praise unto thy Name To be delivered from the violence
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
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
our troubles Psal 55.23 Cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall sustain thee Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest 8. We must take up our dwelling in God He must needs dwell at ease who dwells in God Cant. 2.3 I sate down under his shadow with great delight Setting implieth continuance When we do not only come to Christs shadow but sit down under it that will bring great delight to our souls What is said of Gods dwelling in Zion Psal 132.13,14 The Lord hath chosen Zion he hath desired it for his habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell The like may be said of the people of God when they have chosen God for their habitation and taken up their dwelling in God he will be their rest for ever If any say when may we be said to take up our dwelling in God I answer 1. When we live and walk and dwell in love then we dwell in God 1 John 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and he in him 2. When we believe in Jesus Christ and confess Christ before men then God dwelleth in us and we in him Eph. 3.17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith 1 John 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and he in God Understand this of such a confession of Christ as is accompanied with a hearty belief in him Rom. 10.9,10 And of such as are not afraid to confess Christ in the face of dangers for it did expose a man to great dangers and sufferings to confess the Lord Jesus to be the Christ in the first breaking forth of the Gospel as we may see John 9.22 3. We take up our dwelling in God when we maintain an obediential frame of heart and have respect to his Commandments 1 John 3.24 He that keepeth his Commandments dwelleth in him and he in him The Commandments which the Apostle doth chiefly hiâ—… at in this place are faith and love as appears from ver 23. 9. When we feel our souls wandering from the Lord and seeking their rest in other things besides God we should say to them as the Prophet said to the Jews Micha 2.10 Arise ye and depart for this is not your rest And we should call upon them to return unto God and seek their rest in him only Psal 116.7 Return unto thy rest O my soul Psal 37.7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him 10. We must labour after Gods Image and likeness to be holy as God is holy and merciful as God is mercifull and pure as God is pure for the more like we are to God the more satisfaction we shall finde in God Psal 17.15 I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness 11. Let us urge God with his promises where he hath promised to cause us to take up our satisfaction in himself Jer. 31.14 My people shall be satisfied with my goodness saith the Lord which promise implyeth that when we have the good things of this world we shall not take up our rest in them and when we want them we shall not be disquieted for the want of them but our souls shall rest satisfied with the goodness of the Lord whether we want or enjoy the good things of this world Isa 65.16 He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth which implyeth that God will give his people such a spirit that they shall not count themselves happy and blessed because of their prosperity or any outward enjoyments but in their enjoying the true God for their portion and if they shall account themselves blessed in the enjoyment of God then they may bless themselves in all estates and conditions for God is their portion for ever Psal 73.26 I might quote more promises to this purpose that God will cause his people to take up their satisfaction not in any creature comforts or enjoyments but in himself as Psal 36.8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with what with corn and wine and oyl with riches and preferments no but with the fatness of thy house thou shalt make them drink of the rivers of thy pleasures Isa 58.14 Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord But these may suffice SECT 7. 7. Give your selves unto Prayer When ever you feel any troubles or burdens upon your mindes repair to the Throne of Grace and lay open your hearts and all your maladies and grievances before the Lord and crave his assistance that will bring speedy relief to your souls and keep them in a quiet peaceable contented frame in all conditions Phil. 4.6,7 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And what shall we get by so doing A settled abiding peace as the following words hold forth And the peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and mindes through Christ Jesus When we are compassed about with many sorrows by Prayer we shall have all our sorrows dispelled and our hearts shall be filled with joy John 16.24 Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full In the 21. verse Christ faith to his Disciples Ye shall weep and lament ye shall be sorrowful and then tells them ver 24. how they should get their sorrows turned into joy Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Much of the disquietment of our miâ—… ariseth from troubled thoughts Dan. 5.6 His thoughts troubled him Now committing of our selves and our affairs to God by Prayer is a great means of establishing our mindes and quieting all troubled thoughts Prov. 16.3 Commit thy works unto the Lord and thy thoughts shall be established SECT 8. 8. When we finde any discontent or disquietness arising in our mindes we must search into the grounds and reasons thereof and endeavour the removal of those things which are the causes of our discontent David took this course to quiet his spirit when it was in a disturbed condition he enquireth into the cause and reason of that dejection which was upon his soul Psal 42.11 Why art thou cast down O my soul and why art thou disquieted within me hope thou in God I might here instance in several things which do cause murmurings under affliction I will mention two or three 1. Pride of Spirit Our contendings with God and quarrelling at his Providences as well as our contention with our fellow creatures come from the pride of our hearts Prov. 13.10 Only by pride cometh contention If our discontent when God taketh away any mercy or layeth any affliction upon us do arise from the pride of our hearts the way to remove it is to look upon our selves to be unworthy of the least of all Gods Mercies and to judge our selves to have deserved the greatest and severest of all Gods Judgements We
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
vomit he also shall be in derision for was not Israel a derision unto thee was he found among thieves for since thou speakest of him thou skippedst for joy Do not trample upon those that are under Gods feet it is said of God Lam. 3.33,34 He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth If the great God do not willingly grieve the children of men or crush under his feet the meanest sort of men the prisoners of the earth then it doth not become us to grieve or trample upon or crush under our feet any man how mean soever he be Do not oppress any one in his right that is become poor by this Fire in so doing you will be guilty of reproaching God Prov. 14.31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker it is the ready way to come to want your selves Prov. 22.16 He that oppresseth the poor to encrease his riches shall surely come to want It is said of Sodom Ezek. 16.49,50 She did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy therefore I took them away as I saw good If the men of Sodom were destroyed with fire and brimstone for neglecting to strengthen the hand of the poor and needy what shall be done unto them that weaken the hands of the poor and endeavour to make them more poor Do not exact upon those that are harbourless when they come to hire houses of you by demanding an unreasonable price for your Houses Shops or Ware-houses Nehemiah reproves those Jews very sharply that did exact upon their poor brethren after they had suffered great affliction by the Babylonish captivity Neh. 5.1 to the 14. verse By taking advantage of our neighbours necessity to set unreasonable and excessive rates upon our houses we may be guilty of extortion Our Saviour joyns these two together Extortion and Excess Matth. 23.25 Within they are full of extortion and excess Now Extortion is a great sin as we may see 1 Cor. 6.9,10 Ezek. 22.12,13 Have patience towards such as are endebted to you and are disabled by this Fire from paying their Debts and do not deal cruelly with them by casting them into prison or seizing upon that little which God hath left them but wait with patience till God shall enable them to pay what they owe God hath dealt mercifully with you and therefore you should not deal cruelly with your brethren Remember the parable of him that dealt cruelly with his fellow servant after he himself had found great favour with his Lord Matth. 18.28,29,30 The same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants which ought him an hundred pence and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat saying Pay me that thou owest and his fellow servant fell down at his feet and besought him saying Have patience with me and I will pay thee all and he would not but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt And what was the issue of this cruel dealing His Lord was wroth and rebukes him sharply delivereth him over to the tormenters ver 32 33 34. Then his Lord after that he had called him said unto him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desiredst me shouldest thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow servant yea even as I had pitty on thee and his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormenters till he should pay all that was due unto him Do not exercise curelty towards the afflicted any of these fore-mentioned wayes or in any other kinde but let your hearts stand in awe of such precepts as these Zech. 7.9,10 Shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother and oppress not the widow nor the fatherless the stranger nor the poor and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart Levit. 25.43,46 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour but shalt fear thy God Over your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule one over another with rigour Rom. 12.10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love 1 Cor. 16.14 Let all your things be done with charity If you cast off all pity towards such as are impoverished by this Fire who knows but God may send a fire to consume your houses This very sin of casting off pity towards the afflicted is threatned with fire Amos 1.11,12 Thus saith the Lord for three transgressions of Edom and for four I will not turn away the punishment thereof because he did pursue his brother with the sword and did cast off all pity and his anger did war continually and kept his wrath for ever but I will send a fire upon Teman which shall devour the palaces of Bozra SECT 7. 7. Let Gods mercy in preserving your houses from this Fire cause you to dedicate your houses unto God When God gave David a peaceable and setled habitation he dedicated his house unto the Lord and composed the thirtieth Psalm at the dedication of it which beareth this title A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David Some conceive this dedication to have been after God put an end to his wanderings by reason of Sauls persecuting of him and gave him a setled habitation in Jerusalem Others think it refers to his returning to his house after he had been driven from it by Absalom Whensoever the time was that he made this dedication it may teach us thus much that when it pleaseth God to give us quiet and setled and comfortable habitations we should by way of gratitude dedicate our houses unto God Those mercies which we receive from the Lord we should return back again unto him as Hannah when she had obtained a son giveth him unto God 1 Sam. 1.28 He whom I have obtained by petition shall be returned so 't is rendred in the Margin unto the Lord as long as he liveth If any ask How should we dedicate our Houses to God I answer 1. Reform and cleanse your houses put away iniquity far from your Tabernacles if you be purposed to consecrate them unto God Job 22.23 We must not vow and sacrifice to the Lord a corrupt thing lest we bring a curse upon our selves rather than a blessing Mal. 1.14 Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing If there were any thing of fraud and unrighteousness in building or purchasing your houses make satisfaction to your neighbour before you give your houses to God Isa 61.8,8 I the Lord love judgment I hate robbery forburnt offering Humble your selves for whatever sins either you or your predecessors have committed in your houses whereby they have been defiled for sin defileth not only a mans person but the place where he dwelleth Lev. 18.27,28 Jer. 2.7 2. If you would dedicate your houses to God let holiness to the Lord be written upon your
upon it as Gods minde that you should embrace it for Gods distributing of abilities for an employment is one principal ingredient in those things which concur to the making out of our call to that employment 1 Cor. 7.17 As God hath distributed to every man as God hath called every one 3. Consider how God enclines your heart after you have sought him for Gods call to an employment may be gathered by his inclining of the heart unto it as in the case of the Levite Deut. 18.7,8 The ardent desire of his minde was one way of evidencing his call to Ministers in the Name of the Lord his God 4. Observe Gods providence which way that guides and leads you whilest you are waiting upon God for counsel for that is one way by which God guides and directs us namely by his providence Ps 32.8 I will instruct and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go I will guide thee with mine eye By the eye of God with which he will guide us we may understand his providence for so the eye of God is oft-times used to signifie his providence as Psal 34.15 Psal 33.18,19 It is true many men run into great mistakes by pretending to follow providence but this doth dot hinder but that such as regulate their lives by the word of God may in many cases receive light and direction from his Providence 5. Consider what Calling hath least temptations and snares in it and chuse that rather than a calling where you are like to be exposed to many temptations We ought as much as in us lieth to avoid temptations else why do we pray Lead us not into temptation Mat. 6.13 SECT 11. Obj. 11. I am afraid this Judgment came in wrath and that God is angry with me because he hath consumed and burnt all my Estate and that is it which most of all disquiets and troubles my minde namely that I look upon this Judgment as coming in wrath and do apprehend God is angry with me Answ 1. When God sends such great and dreadful Judgments upon any place as the late Fire was it is a token of his fierce anger and of his hot displeasure Psal 78.21 The Lord heard this and was wrath so a fire was kindled against Jacob and anger also came up against Israel Isa 66.15 Behold the Lord will come with fire to render his anger with fury and his rebuke with flames of fire 2. If this Judgement did come upon you in wrath yet you must bear it with a patient submissive spirit Micha 7.9 I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him To free or murmur at the taken of Gods wrath is not the way to appease but to increase the indignation of the Lord. 3. If you conceive that God is angry with you do what you can to pacifie his anger Solomon observes Prov. 16.14 The wrath of a King is as messengers of death but a wise man will pacifie it The wrath of God is more dreadful thâ—n the wrath of all the Kings in the world and therefore if you do apprehend God to be angry with you endeavour to get the Lords anger pacified and turned away from you If you ask How shall we get Gods anger pacified and turned away from us I answer 1. Turn from your sins and God will turn away his anger from you Jonah 8.9 Let them turn every one from his evil way and from the violence that is in their hands who can tell if God will turn and repent and turn away from his fierce anger that we perish not Jer. 3.12 Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you When the people of Israel did at the call of God turn from their sins God saith of Israel Mine anger is turned away from him Hosea 14.1,2,4 2. Turn to the Lord Jesus embrace and lay hold on Christ by a lively Faith and then Gods anger shall be turned away from you and the Lord will be at peace with you Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me By Gods strength here understand Christ who is called 1 Cor. 1.24 Christ the Power of God and the wisdom of God By taking hold of Gods strength understand believing in Christ if then you desire to make your peace with God follow the counsel which God himself giveth you to this purpose namely take hold of his strength for upon so doing you shall make peace with him God testifieth concerning Christ Mat. 3.27 This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased If you flee for refuge from the wrath of God unto Jesus Christ and cast your selves into his armes the Lord will be well pleased with you 3. Yield your selves to God to do and suffer his will what Solomon saith Eccles 10.4 Yielding pacifieth great offences 't is true in this case though you have greatly offended God if you yield your selves unto the Lord he will be pacified towards you and turn away his wrath from you 2 Chr. 30.8 Be ye not stiff-necked as your fathers were but yield your selves unto the Lord and serve the Lord your God that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you 4. Though this Judgment be the effect of Gods wrath yet there may be much love in it to many persons that have been great sufferers by this Fire The Lord sheweth love when he takes away our outward comforts and enjoyments and chastneth us with his rod as well as when he loadeth us with his benefits Heb. 12.6 Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Psal 107.39,43 They are minished and brought low through oppression affliction and sorrow who so is wise and will observe these things even they shall understand the loving kindeness of the Lord. Now if you would know whether this affliction whereby you have been deprived of so great a part of your Estates came in love I will mention two or three things whereby you may know this and they will be of use to you in other afflictions also 1. Such afflictions as draw your souls nearer to God come from love for it is Gods love which causeth him to draw our souls to himself Jer. 31.3 With loving kindeness have I drawn thee Hosea 11.4 I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love Now how do you finde it with your selves in this respect do your losses put you upon seeking reconciliation with God do they stir you up to seek communion with God do they cause you to live and depend more upon his providence and promises if in any respect you finde them drawing your souls nearer to God you may conclude that God hath taken away your Estates out of love to your souls 2. Such afflictions as make us zealous in renewing our repentance come from love Rev. 3.19 As many as I love I rebuke and chasten be zealous therefore and repent 3.